Choosing the right event fundraising platform is critical to saving time, raising more and engaging your valuable donors. A GiveSmart comparison to ClickBid.
If you are looking for event fundraising software, two popular choices are GiveSmart and ClickBid. Both offer comprehensive solutions for your events, including mobile bidding, event ticketing, and ongoing giving opportunities. However, there are differences between them when it comes to pricing and support. Take a closer look and decide which one suits your needs.
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.
GiveSmart, a part of Momentive Software, works to provide options for all forms of nonprofit software needs. In this case, GiveSmart is their event fundraising software that helps nonprofits with tasks related to fundraising, including auctions, ticketing, donations, messaging, and more. GiveSmart is one of the most expensive platforms available. In addition, their pricing is not listed on their website, making it difficult and time-consuming for nonprofits to perform cost planning. GiveSmart’s support model is not the same for every nonprofit and requires additional purchases to get dedicated support from their team.
GiveSmart pricing remains hidden, but is rumored to start much higher in comparison to ClickBid. GiveSmart encourages nonprofits to purchase additional support and onsite staff and multi-year agreements, making it tough for nonprofits to calculate your per year costs for their board or committee.
Annual License: $1,495 (unlimited events)
Paid Support: $0
Credit Processing Fee: $1,575 (3.5%)
Per Transaction Fee: $0
Total Costs: $3,070
Annual License: $5,500
Paid Support: ~$1,000
Credit Processing Fee: $1,575 (3.5%)
Per Transaction Fee: $36 ($0.30 per transaction)
Total Costs: $8,111
To help clarify the features available to ClickBid and GiveSmart, we have provided the following matrix.
Feature | ClickBid | GiveSmart |
Ticket Sales | Yes | Yes |
Mobile Bidding | Yes | Yes |
Fixed Pricing and Raffles | Yes | Yes |
Live Auctions | Yes | Yes |
Registration/Guest Management | Yes | Yes |
Event Promotional Page | Yes | Yes |
Real Time Event Leaderboards | Yes | Yes |
Customizable Messaging | Yes | Yes (Paid add on) |
Embeddable Donation Forms | Yes | Yes |
Real-Time Video Streaming | Yes | Limited |
Event Night Support | Yes | Limited (Paid add on) |
Ongoing Customer Service | Yes | Limited (Paid add on) |
GiveSmart fees can add up quickly and be an expensive monthly commitment for many nonprofits. Plus, their support model is gated and requires nonprofits to purchase additional hours and services to get basic help or integrate with your CRM.
ClickBid’s straightforward pricing and support model, along with full features, is a clear superior choice for nonprofits that want to keep more of their proceeds. If your organization values a user-friendly interface that volunteers can master in minutes rather than hours of training, ClickBid remains the professional’s choice.
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.
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.
Our team is trained in helping charities migrate their event data from GiveSmart 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.
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.
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.
We love our nonprofits and they have loved using a proven platform.
This information was taken from review sources in 2025.