Givelify review: is it worth it in 2026?
By Sankalp Jonna · Last reviewed April 2026
Givelify
Donor-app-first giving platform that prioritizes ease of one-time mobile gifts over deep ChMS reporting.
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Givelify is one of the few church tools whose primary moat is consumer-side network effects. In specific denominational communities — particularly Black churches, AME, and Pentecostal congregations — the Givelify app is already on members' phones, and that genuinely matters. The giving experience is two taps. Onboarding for the church side is same-day. The free monthly fee removes the budget conversation entirely.
Where Givelify falls short is anything beyond giving. There is no ChMS. The reporting is shallow compared to Pushpay or Planning Center Giving. The 2.9% flat fee with no ACH discount adds up at higher volumes versus Stripe-direct competitors. Use Givelify as a giving rail when the donor network effect is real for your community. Don't expect it to be a platform, because it isn't trying to be.
What it is
Givelify is a donor-facing mobile giving platform founded in 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The product is structurally different from most competitors in this list because the primary product is a consumer app distributed through the App Store and Google Play under Givelify's own brand, not a custom-branded app per church. Donors install Givelify once, find their church (or any of the millions of churches and nonprofits on the platform), and give in two taps.
This is the network effect that defines Givelify. In specific denominational communities, particularly historically Black church traditions like AME and COGIC and across Pentecostal and Baptist congregations, Givelify install rates are unusually high among members before they ever attend a new church. A guest visiting an AME congregation in Atlanta can give from her existing Givelify install on the way out — no new app, no new account, no payment setup friction. That's a real distribution advantage no other church-side tool can match.
For the church, Givelify provides a giving dashboard, donor management at the level of contact info and giving history, IRS-compliant tax statement generation, and integrations with major ChMS and accounting tools (ACS, Servant Keeper, Realm export, ChurchTrac export, QuickBooks). There is no ChMS, no check-in, no events, no volunteer scheduling. It is strictly a giving processor with a strong consumer app.
Pricing is one flat rate: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, all-inclusive, with no monthly fee. There is no ACH discount, no volume tier, and no negotiated enterprise rate the way Pushpay offers. For churches processing tens of thousands per month, that flat rate is meaningfully more expensive than Tithe.ly's 1% ACH or Planning Center Giving's 1% ACH at scale.
Who it’s for
Givelify is for smaller churches in denominations where members already use the app — AME, COGIC, Pentecostal, Baptist, and historically Black church traditions especially — who want zero-friction giving without a contract. The classic buyer is a 100-500-person church where members are reasonably likely to already have Givelify on their phones from another congregation, and where the priority is making it easy for guests and irregular attendees to give without setup friction.
It's not the right pick if you want one platform for giving, membership, and reporting in one tool. It's not the right pick if you're processing high enough volume to negotiate ACH or volume rates with Pushpay, Planning Center, or Tithe.ly Pro. And it's not the right pick if your church's brand presence in the giving experience matters — donors give in Givelify's app, not yours. If any of those describe you, look elsewhere or use Givelify as a secondary rail rather than primary.
Key features
Millions of givers already have the Givelify app, especially in Black church and historically Black denomination contexts. The single biggest reason to choose Givelify over a Stripe-direct competitor.
Once a donor has the app and a saved payment method, giving is genuinely two taps. Among the lowest-friction giving experiences in the category for repeat donors.
Givelify makes its money entirely from per-transaction processing. No platform fee, no contract, no minimums. Even tiny churches can adopt it without a budget conversation.
Most accounts go live the same day. No sales call, no implementation engagement. Sign up, verify your church, and start receiving gifts immediately.
All-inclusive transaction rate covering processing and platform. No ACH discount, no volume tiering. Simple, but expensive at scale compared to Tithe.ly or Planning Center Giving.
Tighter integrations with ACS, Servant Keeper, Realm, and ChurchTrac than most newer giving processors. Useful for churches that already run one of those as their primary database.
Not a feature, a fact. The donor app is Givelify's, not yours. Some churches consider this a brand dilution; others consider it a feature because of the network effect.
Pros & cons
- The donor app has unusually high install volume across Black church and historically Black denomination contexts.
- Donor experience is genuinely two taps to give; setup friction for new givers is among the lowest in the category.
- No monthly fee means even tiny churches can adopt it without a budget conversation.
- Onboarding for the church side is fast — most accounts go live the same day.
- Strong brand presence in specific denominational communities (AME, Pentecostal, Baptist) creates donor familiarity.
- Transaction fees are flat at 2.9% + $0.30 with no break for ACH or high volume — expensive at scale.
- It's a giving app only, not a ChMS; you'll need a separate tool for membership and check-in.
- Reporting is shallow compared to Pushpay or Planning Center Giving.
- Limited donor segmentation, lapsed-giver alerts, or pledge tracking.
- Branded-app experience is Givelify's app, not your church's; some staff feel that dilutes their brand.
Pricing
Givelify's pricing is the simplest in the category and the simplicity is the point. There is no monthly fee. There are no plan tiers. Every transaction is processed at 2.9% + $0.30, all-inclusive. ACH is processed at the same rate as cards, which is unusual — most competitors offer 1% ACH as a meaningful break for bank-draft givers.
The simplicity helps small churches and hurts large ones. At $5,000/month in giving, you're paying about $145 in fees — roughly the same as Planning Center Giving and a bit more than Tithe.ly Pro. At $50,000/month, you're paying $1,450 — meaningfully more than what you'd pay with Pushpay's negotiated enterprise rates or Tithe.ly Pro's ACH discount. There's no 'we'll lower your rate at higher volume' conversation to be had. If your volume is climbing, the math will eventually push you toward a tiered competitor.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $0/month | No monthly fee. All-in transaction fee covers processing and platform. |
Transaction fees: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (all-inclusive)
Alternatives
Aggressively priced giving platform with a growing ChMS, app, and website stack underneath it.
Multi-channel giving platform with strong text-to-give and crypto/stock donation support for nonprofits.
Long-running giving processor now consolidated under Ministry Brands, mostly maintained for its existing base.
Verdict
We'd recommend Givelify for smaller churches in denominational communities where members already have the app installed — AME, COGIC, Pentecostal, Baptist, and historically Black church traditions especially. The donor network effect is real, the no-monthly-fee structure removes friction, and the two-tap giving experience converts. For churches whose donor base overlaps with Givelify's installed base, this is one of the highest-leverage giving rails available.
Skip Givelify if you want one platform for giving plus ChMS, if your monthly volume is high enough to negotiate ACH or volume rates elsewhere, or if your church's brand presence in the giving experience matters. Most churches outside the specific denominational communities where Givelify has dominant install share are better served by Tithe.ly's free Giving plan (similar pricing on cards, better on ACH) or Planning Center Giving (deeper reporting and integration if you're already on Planning Center). Use Givelify as a giving rail when the network effect serves you. Don't expect it to be your platform.