Best Free Donation Platforms 2026: 7 Options Compared

Donation platforms are free in different ways, and the fee structure matters more than the sticker price. Zeffy and Givebutter take no platform fee when donors leave an optional tip, so the nonprofit keeps the full gift but depends on donors choosing to tip. Givebutter charges a flat 3 percent platform fee if you turn tips off, plus card fees. Open Collective works the same way for collectives, with an alternative 5 percent crowdfunding fee. Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee and Liberapay are built for individual creators rather than registered charities; Ko-fi takes nothing on one-off tips, Buy Me a Coffee takes 5 percent, and Liberapay takes no platform fee but only handles recurring gifts. GitHub Sponsors suits maintainers, with no fee on personal-account sponsorships. Card processing fees apply almost everywhere, so compare the all-in cost on a typical gift, not the headline. If you are a registered nonprofit running events and campaigns, start with Zeffy or Givebutter. If you are a creator or open-source maintainer, a creator platform is simpler. Check how payouts and tax receipts work in your country before you publish a link, because that is where free platforms differ most.

Zeffy

Free for nonprofits with no platform or card fees, funded by optional donor tips. The page lists no paid tier, so there is nothing to upgrade to.

Price: Free (Free for nonprofits: no platform or card fees on donations; funded by optional donor tips) (Zeffy pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.

Best for: Registered nonprofits that want zero fees.

Givebutter

Free plan with a 0% platform fee when tips are on or 3% when off, plus card fees. A free CRM is included; Plus starts at $29 a month for up to 250 contacts.

Price: Free (Free plan funded by donor tips: 0% platform fee with tips on, 3% with tips off, plus card fees (2.9% + 30c; ACH 1.9% + 30c); free CRM); paid from $29 per month (Plus, up to 250 contacts) (Givebutter pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.

Best for: Charities that want a free CRM and campaigns.

Worth knowing: 30-day trial of Plus.

Open Collective

Collectives stay free to use, supported by optional platform tips, or a 5% fee for crowdfunding. Check the project site for its license.

Price: Free (Collectives stay free to use, supported by optional platform tips; crowdfunding can instead use a 5% fee) (Open Collective pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Web browser. Not checked.

Best for: Open projects and community groups.

Ko-fi

0% fee on one-off tips and 5% on shop sales and memberships on the free plan, plus PayPal or Stripe fees. Gold costs $12 a month for 0% fees.

Price: Free (0% fee on one-off tips; 5% on shop sales, memberships, commissions and monthly tips on the free plan, plus PayPal or Stripe processing fees); paid from $12 per month (Gold, 0% fee; new subscribers are monthly only) (Ko-fi pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.

Best for: Individual creators taking tips.

Compare: Ko-fi alternatives

Liberapay

No platform fee, with payment processor fees averaging about 3% for Stripe and 5% for PayPal. Recurring donations only, run by a non-profit.

Price: Free (No platform fee; payment processor fees averaged about 3% for Stripe and 5% for PayPal over the last year) (Liberapay pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Web browser. CC0 1.0 public domain dedication (per README) (open source).

Project activity: 2k GitHub stars · last commit Oct 25, 2026

Best for: Ongoing gifts to people and projects.

Worth knowing: Run by a non-profit; supported by donations to its own account. Recurring donations only; no content hosting.

GitHub Sponsors

No fees on sponsorships from personal accounts and up to 6% on organization sponsorships. Supported in 103 regions per the Sponsors page.

Price: Free (No fees on sponsorships from personal accounts; up to 6% on organization sponsorships (3% card processing plus 3% GitHub service fee, card part avoidable with invoiced billing)) (GitHub Sponsors pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.

Best for: Open-source maintainers.

Buy Me a Coffee

No monthly fee, but a 5% platform fee plus Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30, a 0.5% payout fee and extra charges outside the US. Simple pages for tips.

Price: Free (No monthly fee; 5% platform fee per transaction, plus Stripe 2.9% + $0.30, 0.5% payout processing, 1% extra outside the US and 0.5% extra on subscriptions) (Buy Me a Coffee pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.

Best for: Creators who want a quick tip page.

Which one to pick

• You are a registered nonprofit and want no fees: Zeffy
• You need a free donor CRM with campaigns: Givebutter
• You maintain open-source code on GitHub: GitHub Sponsors
• You want recurring gifts with no platform fee: Liberapay