Plenty of platforms let you run an online raffle without paying a subscription or upfront fee. But this means different things on different platforms: some are funded by optional tips from your ticket puchasers, some take a commission from every ticket sold, and some charge a platform fee only if you switch the tips off. The difference can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars (or pounds) on a decent sized raffle.
This guide compares six platforms that let you run a raffle at no upfront cost: GalaBid, Zeffy, RallyUp, Givebutter, BetterWorld and Raffall. We explain how each one's free model actually works, where each is available, and which suits your raffle. GalaBid is our platform, so we have kept the assessments factual and advised where a competitor is the better fit.
How "free" raffle platforms are funded
Before comparing platforms, it helps to understand the three models, because each one shapes what your supporters see at checkout and how much of each ticket price your cause actually keeps:
- Optional donor tips. Ticket buyers are prompted to tip platform at checkout. Your organization pays no platform fee whether purchasers proceed with the tip, edit the amount or opt out of the tip entirely. GalaBid, RallyUp, Givebutter and BetterWorld work this way, with differences in how prominent the tip is presented to ticket purchsers.
- Commission on ticket sales. The platform takes a percentage of every ticket sold. Free to sign up, but the cost scales directly with your success.
- Fee if tips are off. Some tip-funded platforms let you remove the tip prompt in exchange for a platform fee.
Card processing fees are separate from all of the above. It is worth asking whether processing is billed at the processor's standard published rate or marked up.
Quick comparison
GalaBid
GalaBid runs online raffles on its free tier with the full feature set: unlimited tickets, automated draws, instant winner notification, and the option to run the raffle alongside a silent auction, ticketing and donations in the same campaign. Ticket sales settle directly to your organisation through your own Stripe account, so GalaBid never holds your funds and you pay Stripe's published processing rates with no markup.
The free tier is funded by optional tips from ticket buyers, and GalaBid is the only platform in this guide that shares tip revenue back: 10% of the tips your participants leave is automatically sent to your cause. Support is live chat with a real person, day or night, on every tier.
How free works: optional tips at checkout, with 10% of tips returned to your cause. A 4.9% paid tier removes the tip prompt, and a flat fee option exists for large campaigns.
Best for: fundraisers who want the raffle and other fundraising activities in one campaign, direct payment settlement, and human support on tap.
Consider alternatives if: you need US state specific sweepstakes structures. RallyUp is stronger there.
Zeffy
Zeffy is completely free for registered nonprofits in the US and Canada, including card processing costs, across raffles, lotteries, donations and ticketing. The model is funded by a contribution request at checkout that is pre-selected, so buyers must actively opt out, with suggested amounts of 15 to 17% on smaller purchases. The prompt cannot be removed.
How free works: pre-selected donor contribution at checkout; no platform or processing fees to the organisation.
Best for: registered US and Canadian nonprofits where keeping every dollar matters more than checkout experience or branding control.
Consider alternatives if: you are outside the US and Canada, an individual or informal group (registered nonprofits only), you want to turn off the tip prompt, or you want the platform to run the draw. Zeffy does not include an automated draw at the time of writing, so you export the entries and pick the winner yourself.
RallyUp
RallyUp is the raffle format specialist of the free platforms: single prize, multi prize, 50/50 and enhanced 50/50 draws, entry tiers with bulk discounts, hybrid online and paper sales, and randomised draws run inside the platform. For US states that restrict raffles, it offers sweepstakes structures with a free entry method, plus prewritten rules and a compliance review.
How free works: the Free plan charges no platform fee and is funded by optional tips, which earn ticket buyers bonus entries. A Flex plan removes tipping and charges 6.9% on raffle sales. Processing runs 1.9 to 2.9% plus $0.30. US raffles require registered 501(c) status.
Best for: US nonprofits running 50/50s, multi prize draws, or sweepstakes in raffle restricted states.
Consider alternatives if: the raffle is part of a gala night. RallyUp is campaign focused rather than built around live events.
Givebutter
Givebutter includes raffles in its free, all in one fundraising suite alongside donations, ticketing and auctions, with digital tickets, entry tracking and winner selection. It suits organisations already running their fundraising on Givebutter.
How free works: no platform fee with donor tips enabled; switching tips off applies a flat 3% platform fee. Processing fees apply, though Givebutter covers processing on tipped transactions.
Best for: small US nonprofits that want raffles inside a broader free fundraising toolkit.
Consider alternatives if: the raffle is your main revenue driver; dedicated raffle features are deeper elsewhere, and reviewers note some buyers find the tip prompt confusing.
BetterWorld
BetterWorld offers simple free raffles with automated winner selection, notifications and built in guidance on US state rules, as part of a free fundraising suite popular with PTOs and volunteer run groups.
How free works: optional donor tips; paid tiers from 2.2 to 5% remove the tip prompt. Processing at 2.9% plus $0.30.
Best for: volunteer committees that want the simplest possible free raffle setup.
Consider alternatives if: you want deeper customisation or event night features; simplicity is the trade.
Raffall
Raffall is a UK based raffle and prize competition site with real reach tools: public raffle pages, ticket bundles, promo codes and affiliate links, serving commercial prize draws as well as charitable ones. It is free to sign up, but its model is commission, and it is the most expensive "free" option here.
How free works: it doesn't, really. The free Basic plan takes 15% commission on ticket sales (10% for fundraising raffles); paid plans from £8 a month reduce that to around 9 to 10%.
Best for: UK organisers who want a public marketplace audience for a prize draw.
Consider alternatives if: you are fundraising. A 10 to 15% commission on a successful raffle will be costly.
Which free raffle platform should you choose?
- Registered US or Canadian nonprofit, zero cost above all: Zeffy, if you are comfortable handling the draw outside of the software.
- 50/50s, multi prize draws or raffle restricted US states: RallyUp.
- Raffle inside a broader free toolkit you already use: Givebutter or BetterWorld.
- Public marketplace reach in the UK, cost be damned: Raffall.
- Raffle plus auction, ticketing and donations in one campaign, direct settlement to your own Stripe account, and tips shared back to your cause: GalaBid.
Frequently asked questions
Is free raffle software really free?
Tip funded platforms charge your organisation nothing at all, instead of fundraiser fees, donors fund the platforms. Commission platforms are free to join but take a cut of every ticket. And on some platforms, removing the tip prompt triggers a platform fee. The honest answer is it's a case of who pays - the fundraiser, or donors, via tips. Fundraisers should look carefully into how the optional tip prompt is presented on all platforms being considered.
Do I need a licence or permit to run an online raffle?
Usually, and the rules differ sharply by country and region: raffles are regulated provincially in Canada, state by state in Australia and the US, and under the Gambling Commission's rules in the UK. Software does not make an unlawful raffle lawful, so check your local rules first. See our guides to UK raffle rules, plus our Australian, New Zealand, Irish, Canadian and US state raffle rule guides.
Can anyone run a raffle on these platforms?
Not always. Zeffy requires registered nonprofit status in the US or Canada, and US raffles on RallyUp require 501(c) status. In most jurisdictions the law itself limits raffles to registered charities and not for profits, whichever software you use.
Can I run a raffle and a silent auction together?
On GalaBid, yes, in the same campaign with one link for supporters, alongside ticketing and donations. Most other free platforms run them as separate campaigns. If you are weighing up auction platforms too, see our comparison of free silent auction platforms.
Pricing and platform details checked September 2026 from vendor websites. Models change often, so confirm current terms with each vendor before you commit.
More advice articles about Raffle
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.
