Givebutter vs ClickBid

Choosing the right event fundraising platform is critical to saving time, raising more and engaging your valuable donors. A Givebutter comparison to ClickBid.

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Overview

Choosing between ClickBid and Givebutter comes down to the complexity of your event versus the simplicity of your digital giving. While Givebutter offers a broad suite of free tools for year-round fundraising, it often lacks the robust, in-person auction infrastructure required for high-stakes galas. ClickBid bridges this gap by providing professional-grade event management, seamless check-in flows, and advanced auction features that Givebutter’s simplified model can’t match.

What does ClickBid do?

ClickBid started in 2002 as an in-person event fundraising platform. Using computer based bidding, charities were able to increase the frequency of bids, shorten lines at check-in and check-out and give donors an exciting and competitive experience. Over the years, ClickBid has expanded to provide online auctions, mobile bidding, ticket sales and live video.

The key to ClickBid is the simplicity of using a single tool for unlimited events throughout the year. Backing up your simplified experience is a dedicated support representative who follows your account all year. They will help you setup all your events and guide you through all the fundraising opportunities.

What does Givebutter do?

Givebutter is an all-in-one digital fundraising platform designed for small-to-midsized nonprofits seeking a user-friendly, “free” entry point for donations, peer-to-peer campaigns, and basic silent auctions. It operates on a “tip-based” model where the platform remains free if donors are asked to cover costs, but it charges platform fees if those tips are disabled. While it excels at modern, social-media-style giving and includes a built-in CRM, it is often criticized for a complex setup and a lack of critical live-event features—such as the ability to pre-register guest credit cards and native “Raise the Paddle” functionality.

Pricing

While Givebutter is often marketed as a “free” solution, it relies on a pricing model that many organizations find intrusive and unpredictable. For 2025, Givebutter has standardized a model that shifts the financial burden onto your donors, often leading to hidden costs that far exceed the price of a professional, flat-fee license.

The primary breakdown of their costs is as follows:

The “Tips-On” Model (Free): If you enable optional donor tipping, Givebutter charges 0% platform fees. Furthermore, under their current guarantee, they cover all credit card processing fees even if the donor chooses not to cover them. In this scenario, your organization keeps 100% of the donation.
The “Tips-Off” Model (Flat Fee): For organizations that find donor tipping unprofessional or distracting, tips can be disabled in exchange for a flat 3% platform fee. In this case, you are also responsible for the standard processing fees of 2.9% + $0.30 (or 1.9% for ACH), though you can still ask donors to cover these at checkout.
Givebutter Plus (Paid Subscription): To unlock advanced automation, custom reporting, and marketing features (like outbound SMS), Givebutter uses contact-based pricing tiers.
Payouts and “The Wallet”: While standard 1–3 day payouts are free, Givebutter now encourages the use of the Givebutter Wallet. While it offers 2.5% APY rewards on stored balances, users should be aware that instant transfers or specific withdrawal methods may carry additional convenience fees.

Ultimately, Givebutter’s “free” model is funded by your donors’ generosity. For organizations that value a clean, professional donor experience and predictable costs, the percentage-based “tip” model often creates more friction than value.

Total cost of a $45,000 fundraiser.

ClickBid

Annual License: $1,495 (unlimited events)

Credit Processing Fee: $1,575 (3.5%)

Per Transaction Fee: $0

Donor Requested Fees: $0

Post Event Platform Fee: $0

Total Costs: $3,070

Givebutter

Annual License: $0

Credit Processing Fee: $1,305 (2.9%)

Per Transaction Fee: $36 ($0.30 per transaction)

Donor Requested Tips: $4,500 – $11,2550 (10-25%)

Platform Fee: $2,250 (5%)

Total Costs: $8,091-$14,841

Feature Comparison

To help clarify the features available to ClickBid and Givebutter, we have provided the following matrix.

Feature	ClickBid	Givebutter
Ticket Sales	Yes	Yes
Mobile Bidding	Yes	Yes
Fixed Pricing and Raffles	Yes	Yes
Live Auctions	Yes	Yes
Registration/Guest Management	Yes	Limited
Event Promotional Page	Yes	Yes
Real Time Event Leaderboards	Yes	Yes
Customizable Messaging	Yes	No
Embeddable Donation Forms	Yes	Yes
Real-Time Video Streaming	Yes	No
Event Night Support	Yes	Limited
Ongoing Customer Service	Yes	No

Conclusions

There are several key takeaways in the Givebutter comparison to ClickBid. First, ClickBid’s pricing is ideal for the charity running multiple events and raising at or above $40,000 in a twelve-month period.

Platforms like Givebutter that do not charge an annual license will cost much more over time due to repetitive costs like tips and performance fees charged on every transaction. However, if your charity is running a smaller, one-time event, a DIY platform like Givebutter can be a great solution.

Trusted by thousands of charities.

ClickBid has spent more than 20 years focusing on maximum fundraising for charities all over North America. Our recipe of simple software and dedicated support has helped us become a top level event fundraising provider.

A support team that follows you.

Our support team consists of seasoned, US based representatives who call ClickBid their home. Each talented team member attends events in-person to know what it feels like to be in your shoes. They personally walk you through your onboarding, answer all your questions along the way and manually review your events before they start. This isn’t extra! It’s the ClickBid Experience.

Switching from Givebutter to ClickBid

Step One: Connect

Our team is trained in helping charities migrate their event data from Givebutter to ClickBid. We will walk you through a customized demo and focus on the process of migration. Unlike switching CRMs, the process is surprisingly simple and takes only minutes.

Step Two: Support

Connect directly to your account manager who will support you for the entire year. Unlike a call center, our team is dedicated to your organization. Tell your story only once and then let your account manager help you stay engaged with your donors.

Step Three: Raise!

With your first event set up, you’re ready to engage and raise more money. Best of all, there’s no more $$ to spend on multiple events. The road ahead of you is wide open for maximizing your donor experiences and raising more funds.

Don't take our word for it.

We love our nonprofits and they have loved using a proven platform.

ClickBid saves the day Fantastic experience. Don't know how we would have managed without it.

Great for nonprofits We give them an A+! Great for small nonprofits with a limited budget. We love the ease of use and great price for our nonprofit. We used another auction software last year which was very difficult to set up. ClickBid has been a breeze as far as their onboarding and set up.

I used ClickBid for my annual charity auction and it was easy to use.

Best auction ever! I loved it! From ease of use on our end to ease of use on the donor end. Even when we go back to doing our event live, we will be continuing to use Clickbid. I love using Clickbid. It was super easy to set up and for data-nerds like myself, fun to use. This was our first time doing our silent auction online.

ClickBid software vastly improved our auction management We used to meet in person (175 prople in for dinner and auction) and have to set up all auction items on tables with bid sheetsfor people to write their bid on.

I love using Clickbid. It was super easy to set up and for data-nerds like myself, fun to use.

I have used Clickbid for my organization's annual charity auction for three years.

We give them an A+! Great for small nonprofits with a limited budget.

       
 
   4.7/5 - 67 reviews

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This information was taken from review sources in 2025.

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