Best Fundraising Platforms UK (2026)

UK charities have never had more fundraising platforms to choose from, and never had a harder time comparing them. Fee structures range from zero to percentages plus VAT plus subscriptions, some platforms hold your money while others pay you directly.

This guide compares the best fundraising platforms available to UK charities, schools, clubs and community groups in 2026, with fees in pounds, Gift Aid handling, payout arrangements and the features that matter for different kinds of fundraising.

Quick comparison

What UK fundraisers should look for

Match the platform to the fundraising. Sponsorship pages for a marathon runner, a donation form on your website and a gala dinner with an auction are different jobs. The biggest UK platforms are built around individual giving and sponsorship; event fundraising needs bidding, raffles, ticketing and on-the-night features that giving platforms do not include.

The real cost, not the headline. "0% platform fee" has become the industry norm, but processing fees, Gift Aid processing charges, monthly subscriptions and VAT still apply in different combinations. Model your expected fundraising through each fee structure before comparing.

How tipping is handled. Most free platforms are funded by voluntary contributions requested from supporters at checkout.. Whatever platform you choose, run a test transaction to check how supporters are presented with the tip and if the platform informs the participant about the platform tip before they reach the checkout.

Where the money goes. Some platforms settle funds to you on a payout schedule or hold them in a client account. Others route every payment directly to your organisation's own Stripe account as it happens.

Gift Aid. Check whether Gift Aid capture is automatic, whether the platform charges to process it (5% of the Gift Aid amount is common), and remember it applies to donations, not to raffle tickets or auction purchases.

1. GalaBid

GalaBid is a fundraising platform built around campaigns rather than single donation pages. A campaign can combine a silent auction, live auction, raffle, event ticketing, donations and a paddle raise in one place, with guests registering once for everything. It suits gala dinners, charity balls, school fundraisers and club events particularly well.

The standard plan is free, funded by suggested tips from supporters at checkout, with 10% of tips shared with your cause. GalaBid includes a message about the tip on every page during the campaign, so supporters are informed about the tip before they check out. Tips are optional and there are no financial penalties for the fundraiser if supporters opt out. Organisations that prefer no tipping can switch to a fee-based plan. Payments go directly to your organisation through Stripe: GalaBid never holds, delays or touches your funds. Live chat support is included free on every plan, and GalaBid has supported fundraisers since 2011 across the UK, Ireland, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America.

Fees: Free on the standard plan (optional supporter tips); fee-based plans available. Best for: Event fundraising: auctions, raffles, ticketing and donations in one campaign. Processing fees are handled by Stripe. Fees can be absorbed or fundraisers can ask participants to cover them.

2. JustGiving

JustGiving is the UK's best-known giving platform, with over £7 billion raised across 25 years. It is the default choice for individual sponsorship: marathon runners, challenge events and in-memory giving, with unmatched public recognition and a huge donor base.

For UK charities there is no platform fee. JustGiving is funded by voluntary contributions requested from donors at checkout. Processing fees are 1.9% plus 30p per donation, there is a 5% fee on Gift Aid where JustGiving acts as your Gift Aid agent, and advanced features sit on subscription plans (£15 to £39 per month plus VAT). It is a giving and sponsorship platform rather than an events one: there is no auction bidding, raffle draw or gala event tools.

Fees: No platform fee; 1.9% plus 30p processing; 5% Gift Aid agent fee; paid plans for advanced features. Best for: Individual sponsorship and challenge event giving.

3. Enthuse

Enthuse is a UK platform offering branded donation pages, fundraising pages and event registration under your charity's own look and feel, and it is the official fundraising partner of the London Marathon. For charities that want supporters to stay on their brand rather than a platform's, it is the strongest UK option.

There is no platform fee. Processing is 1.9% plus 30p per transaction, automatic Gift Aid processing costs 5% of the Gift Aid amount, and events and full fundraising features require a subscription (roughly £20 to £40 per month plus VAT). Donations are held in a client account and transferred to your charity after fees, so allow for the payout cycle.

Fees: No platform fee; 1.9% plus 30p processing; 5% Gift Aid processing; subscription for events and full features. Best for: Branded giving and challenge event fundraising for established charities.

4. Zeffy

Zeffy is a Canadian platform that launched in the UK in October 2025, offering donation forms, ticketing, raffles, auctions, memberships and a CRM with no platform or transaction fees. It is funded entirely by voluntary contributions requested from supporters at checkout.

One thing to weigh: there is no fee-based plan to switch to, so tipping cannot be turned off. At the time of writing, the suggested contribution on a Zeffy checkout can be up to 17% of the transaction amount, and choosing a lower amount takes an extra step. UK supporters are generally less accustomed to platform tipping than North American donors, so run a test transaction before committing. Zeffy is also a recent arrival in the UK, with its heritage in North American online giving rather than UK events and Gift Aid.

Fees: No platform fees; supporters are asked for a voluntary contribution at checkout. Best for: Small UK charities wanting free everyday fundraising tools online.

5. Emma

Emma (emma-live.com) is a UK event management and fundraising platform built around charity galas, awards dinners and golf days. It combines silent auctions, ticketing, table planning, guest management and check-in, with a dedicated event manager assigned to each client and optional on-site support.

Emma is priced as an annual subscription covering unlimited events, rather than a percentage of funds raised. Payments run through your organisation's own Stripe account, so only Stripe's card fees apply. For charities with a full calendar of events the subscription can work out well; for occasional fundraising, compare the cost against free alternatives.

Fees: Annual subscription (quoted per organisation); no percentage fee. Best for: UK charities running multiple managed events a year.

Which fundraising platform is best for UK charities?

It depends on the fundraising you do most. For individual sponsorship and challenge events, JustGiving's recognition or Enthuse's branded approach lead the market. For free everyday donation tools, Zeffy is worth a look with the tipping caveat above. For organisations built around events, Emma's managed subscription model suits a busy calendar. And for event fundraising campaigns that combine auctions, raffles, ticketing and donations with funds paid directly to your own account and the choice of a tip-funded free plan or a fee-based one, GalaBid is the strongest option.

Running a specific type of fundraiser? See our detailed UK comparisons of silent auction software and raffle platforms

Start fundraising campaign free with GalaBid

FAQs

What is the cheapest fundraising platform in the UK?  Several platforms now charge no platform fee, but processing fees, Gift Aid charges and subscriptions still vary. The cheapest option depends on your volumes: model a typical month through each fee structure. GalaBid's standard plan is free with payments going directly to your account.

Do fundraising platforms handle Gift Aid?  Most capture Gift Aid declarations. Some charge around 5% of the Gift Aid amount to process claims as your agent; others give you the data to claim yourself. Gift Aid applies to donations only, not raffle tickets or auction purchases.

Are tip-funded platforms allowed in the UK? Yes. Recent guidence from Fundraising Regulator's requires the zero-contribution option to be presented with equal prominence at checkout. Run a test transaction on any platform you are considering to understand how the tip is presented.

Can one platform run our gala dinner, raffle and donations together? Yes. On GalaBid a single campaign can include a silent auction, live auction, raffle, event ticketing, donations and a paddle raise, with one registration for guests.

Do these platforms hold our funds? It varies. Some settle on a payout schedule or hold funds in a client account until after your event. GalaBid and Emma route payments directly to your organisation's own Stripe account as they happen.