Cheddar Up vs Zeffy: Fees, Plans and What's Included
Cheddar Up's free plan charges 3.95% + $0.95 per card transaction and puts tax receipts, extra managers and integrations on its Team plan at $35/month. Zeffy has one free plan with everything in it.
Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits
Zeffy VS Cheddar Up
Zeffy is 100% free, always.
Free means free, not a starter tier
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Tax receipts are a paid feature
Cheddar Up's free and Pro plans can't send tax-deductible receipts. That needs the Team plan at $35/month. On Zeffy, automatic tax receipts come standard, on every donation, free.
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An address book isn't a donor database
Cheddar Up tracks payments and stores contacts, and its Message Center sends collection updates and reminders. What it doesn't publish is donor profiles, giving history or segmentation. Zeffy gives you a real donor CRM and free newsletters, so you can build relationships instead of just collecting.
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One plan, everything in it
Zeffy has a single free plan and every feature is in it: donations, ticketing, auctions, raffles, memberships, donor CRM, newsletters, Tap to Pay. Cheddar Up's free plan is the first of four. Tax receipts, integrations, extra admins and the group website all sit on paid tiers above it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zeffy really free for nonprofits?
Yes. No monthly fees, no platform fees and no transaction fees. Donors have the option to leave a voluntary contribution at checkout, which is what keeps Zeffy free for organizations.
What is Cheddar Up and how does it work?
Cheddar Up is a platform for collecting money online. You set up a page, share the link, and people pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or eCheck, with Tap on Mobile for payments taken in person. Its free plan gives you unlimited collection pages and unlimited payments, with 5 items and 1 form on each page, and card fees of 3.95% + $0.95 apply. Tax-deductible receipts, multiple managers, integrations and a branded group website sit on the Team plan at $35/month. Zeffy covers the same ground with one free plan, every feature included and no transaction fees.
What does Cheddar Up's free plan charge per transaction?
3.95% + $0.95 per card transaction on the Free Forever plan, and 3.59% + $0.59 on Pro, Team and Partner. Who covers that fee is configurable, and payers cover it by default. Zeffy charges no transaction fees at all.
Is Cheddar Up free?
Cheddar Up has a Free Forever plan at $0/month, alongside Pro at $15/month, Team at $35/month and a custom-priced Partner plan, all billed annually. Card fees of 3.95% + $0.95 apply on the free plan, and who covers them is configurable.
Is there a free alternative to Cheddar Up?
Zeffy is free for nonprofits with no transaction fees and no paid tier, so tax receipts, extra managers, integrations and an organization page are included rather than sold as an upgrade.
Can I send tax-deductible receipts on Cheddar Up's free plan?
No. Tax-deductible receipts are on Cheddar Up's Team plan at $35/month. Zeffy sends automatic tax receipts on every donation, free.
Does Cheddar Up support recurring giving and peer-to-peer fundraising?
Yes, both are available on every Cheddar Up plan, free included. Zeffy includes both as well, with no fees on either.
Can donors pay by bank transfer on Cheddar Up?
eCheck is not on the free plan. Pro adds it at 1.59% (minimum $1), and Team and Partner at a flat $0.95. Zeffy accepts ACH bank transfers with no fee.
How many items can I list on a free Cheddar Up page?
Cheddar Up's free plan gives you unlimited collection pages and unlimited payments, with 5 items and 1 form per page. Zeffy has no caps on forms or items.
Who can manage the account on each platform?
On Cheddar Up, Free and Pro are account-owner only; multiple managers with permissions start on Team at $35/month. Zeffy lets you add unlimited team members for free.
Is Cheddar Up legit and safe to use?
Yes. Cheddar Up is a real company and a working payments platform used by schools, clubs, teams and nonprofits. It publishes a labelled pricing page, accepts cards and digital wallets on every plan and eCheck from its Pro plan up, and includes priority support seven days a week and live chat on every plan, the free one included. The question worth asking is not whether it is legitimate but what it costs you: its free plan charges 3.95% + $0.95 per card transaction, and who covers that fee is configurable. Zeffy charges nonprofits nothing.
How does Zeffy make money if nonprofits pay nothing?
Donors can choose to add a voluntary contribution when they give. That optional tip covers the payment processing Zeffy absorbs, so nonprofits never pay to collect.
Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy
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As a startup nonprofit with only two members, and no funding (yet) we’d need something with low (or no) fees. Zeffy was a dream come true.
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