Running a fundraising event is different from collecting online donations. You're selling tickets, checking in guests, running an auction or raffle, taking pledges in the room, and reconciling everything afterwards. General donation platforms handle the payment. Event fundraising software handles the night.
This guide compares the leading event fundraising platforms for 2026. To keep it honest, we've ranked them by their Trustpilot score, not our own opinion.
Event fundraising software compared
Ranked by Trustpilot score, checked July 2026:
Short version: GalaBid leads on review score on both platforms and is the only option here that combines auctions, raffles, ticketing and donations with funds paid directly into your own Stripe account. It's also the only one that shares tip revenue back with your cause. OneCause and Handbid are established US auction names at a much higher price point. Givebutter suits smaller, casual events.
What event fundraising software needs to do
Before the reviews, the checklist. A genuine event platform covers:
- Ticketing and check-in so guests arrive smoothly
- Silent and live auctions with mobile bidding from guests' own phones (compare silent auction software)
- Raffles with a compliant, verifiable draw (compare raffle platforms)
- Paddle raises and pledges captured in the room
- Live leaderboards and big-screen displays to drive urgency on the night
- Consignment item management if you top up donated items with consigned ones
- Offline payments so volunteers can take cash sales
- Direct payouts so funds land in your account, not a third party's
- Reporting that your treasurer and board can actually use
Most donation platforms cover one or two of these. Event platforms cover most of them. Very few cover all of them.
1. GalaBid: best overall for galas, auctions and raffles
Trustpilot: 4.9
GalaBid is built for the event itself. Silent auctions, live auctions, paddle raises, raffles with a certified random draw and live big-screen display, ticketing, guest check-in, and donation pages all run from one campaign. Consignment inventory is managed inside the platform too, so consigned auction items sit alongside donated ones without a separate spreadsheet.
Two things separate it structurally from the rest of this list:
- Your money stays yours. GalaBid connects to your organisation's own Stripe account. Funds land directly with you. GalaBid never holds your money.
- Tips work for you, not against you. On the free plan, 10% of each donor tip is returned to your cause. No other platform on this list shares tip revenue back. If you'd rather show no tip prompts at all, switch to a 4.9% fee or an upfront flat fee.
Support is human: live chat 7 days a week, unlimited Zoom calls with event fundraising experts, and on-site support for large events. Coverage spans the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the EU.
Consider something else if: you only need a simple donation page and never run events. A lighter tool will do.
[CTA block: Start a free campaign → https://www.galabid.com/best-online-fundraising-platform-for-communities-charities-and-non-profits]
2. Givebutter: best for casual events and P2P
Trustpilot: 4.2
Givebutter combines donation pages, peer-to-peer campaigns, ticketing and basic auctions under a free, tip-funded model. It's strong for community-style events and social campaigns. For a structured gala night with a live auction and paddle raise, it's lighter than the purpose-built options.
Best for: fun runs, community fundraisers, P2P campaigns with a ticketed element.
3. Givergy: best for fully managed auction events
Trustpilot: 3.8
Givergy is an auction specialist offering managed event packages: their team helps run the auction, supplies consignment items and provides on-the-night support, with ticketing available alongside. That service layer suits organisations that want to hand the auction off entirely. It comes at a managed-service price, and the reviews are more mixed than the platforms above it on this list.
Best for: organisations that want an auction run for them rather than software to run it themselves.
4. Handbid: best for mobile bidding specialists
Trustpilot: 3.2
Handbid is a US auction specialist with a polished mobile bidding app. It does in-room auctions well. It's licensed annually, costs more than most options here, and ticketing and raffles are secondary to the core auction product. The Trustpilot score suggests checking recent reviews before committing to an annual licence.
Best for: US nonprofits whose event is essentially one big auction.
5. BetterWorld: cheapest, but check the reviews
Trustpilot: 2.9
BetterWorld offers auctions, raffles, ticketing and donations with a free core product, which makes it tempting for small nonprofits and school groups on tight budgets. The 2.9 Trustpilot score is the caution flag: free doesn't help if the platform lets you down on event night. Read recent reviews carefully before trusting it with a live event.
Best for: very small, low-stakes fundraisers where budget outweighs everything else.
ClickBid: best for US auction events with dedicated support
Capterra: 4.6 (not reviewed on Trustpilot)
ClickBid has run event fundraising since 2002 and covers more than its mobile-bidding roots suggest: silent and online auctions, event ticketing with tables and sponsorship packages, seating management, QR-code check-in, paddle raises with a live thermometer, and CRM integrations (Salesforce, Blackbaud, Bloomerang and others). Each nonprofit gets a dedicated account manager and a US-based expert on call on event day. It's US-focused and licensed annually.
Best for: US nonprofits running auction-centred events who want a dedicated account manager alongside the software.
OneCause: best for large US nonprofits
Capterra: 4.7 (not reviewed on Trustpilot)
OneCause is the established enterprise name in US event fundraising: auctions, ticketing, paddle raises, and professional services. It's capable and proven at scale, with pricing to match, annual contracts that typically run into thousands of dollars, which puts it out of reach for most small and mid-sized organisations.
Best for: large US nonprofits with dedicated events staff and budget.
How to choose
Match the platform to the event, not the other way round.
- Running a gala with an auction, raffle and ticketing? You need the full toolset: GalaBid, or ClickBid and OneCause if you're US-based and prefer an annual licence.
- Mostly online donations with an occasional casual event? Givebutter will cover it.
- Want the auction run for you? Givergy's managed packages.
- Auction-first with mobile bidding as the core? Handbid.
Check where your money goes. Platforms differ on whether funds land in your own payment account or sit in the platform's system before payout. If direct custody matters to your treasurer, ask before you sign.
Check country coverage. Most US event platforms are US-only or US-and-Canada. If you're fundraising in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the EU or Asia, your shortlist gets short quickly: GalaBid covers all eight regions.
Do the maths on "free." Tip-funded platforms cost your organisation nothing but add a suggested tip on top of every supporter payment. Flat-fee or percentage pricing costs you money but gives supporters a clean checkout. Neither is wrong; know which trade-off you're making. Our GalaBid vs Zeffy comparison breaks down how the tip models differ in practice.
Go deeper on each tool
- Silent auction software compared
- Step-by-step guide to running a raffle
- The top raffle platforms for fundraising in 2026
- GalaBid vs Zeffy: which one is right for you?
- Best fundraising platform for schools
FAQs
What is event fundraising software? Software built to run fundraising events end to end: ticketing, check-in, auctions, raffles, pledges and donations, with reporting afterwards. It differs from donation platforms, which focus on online giving rather than the event itself.
What's the difference between event fundraising software and a donation platform? Donation platforms (Zezzy, Donorbox, GoFundMe) collect online gifts. Event software runs the night: bidding, draws, check-in, leaderboards and in-room payments. Some tools do a bit of both; few do both well.
How much does event fundraising software cost? Anywhere from free (tip-funded models like GalaBid's free plan, Givebutter and BetterWorld) to several thousand per year (OneCause, Handbid). Percentage and flat-fee options sit in between.
Which event fundraising software works outside the US? Most on this list are US-focused. GalaBid operates in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the EU.
Do guests need to download an app to bid? On modern platforms, no. GalaBid and most current tools run in the phone's browser. Some older auction products still require an app download, which adds friction at check-in.
More advice articles about Fundraising
About GalaBid
Ideal for donations. Perfect for Raffles. Awesome for Live and Silent Auctions! GalaBid’s online fundraising platform is designed for fundraisers of all types and sizes. For over 10 years we’ve been helping non-profits, charities, community clubs, churches, schools, and individuals to raise more and make a difference.
