DONATE vs Enthuse
Enthuse is a well-regarded UK platform, particularly for branded event fundraising, race registrations and peer-to-peer challenges. DONATE is a multi-channel giving platform run by a registered charity, built around raffles, auctions, campaigns, text and contactless giving. They overlap on donation pages and Gift Aid, but their pricing models and feature sets are very different, and which is cheaper depends almost entirely on how your supporters give.
Pricing, side by side
| DONATE | Enthuse | |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction fee (charity) | 4.5% + 22p without Gift Aid; with Gift Aid, no percentage fee (22p only) | 1.9% + 30p; none on the Donations plan |
| Platform fee | None | 0% on every plan |
| Gift Aid | Managed; you keep 60% of the Gift Aid, and our 40% replaces the 4.5% fee | 5% of the Gift Aid claimed |
| Monthly subscription | None (£3 usage fee per week, only in weeks donations reach £10, capped at £12 a month) | £0 to £39.99 + VAT, by plan (Donations plan £39.99 + VAT) |
| Payout fee | Fixed (from £3) | None listed on their pricing page |
| Donor tips | Optional (donors can add a tip for DONATE or choose No thanks) | Optional |
Enthuse's prices are shown excluding VAT, and which plan you need depends on what you run: donations, fundraising pages, event registration or mass participation events. On the Donations plan there is no payment fee, so the cost is mostly the £39.99 + VAT subscription. For a charity whose donors give £500/month with 30% Gift Aid, the comparison calculator puts the net at £473.25 on DONATE and £487.63 on Enthuse's Donations plan. At around £300/month the two come out level, and below that DONATE's lack of a subscription leaves the charity more. Add text giving, which Enthuse does not offer, and DONATE pulls well ahead: with 40% of that £500 given by text, the charity receives £473.25 on DONATE against £273.38 on Enthuse, because those text gifts have nowhere to go. Run your own numbers before deciding.
Feature coverage
Choose Enthuse if your fundraising is built around branded event registrations and sponsored challenges: that's its home ground, and features like event registration are genuinely strong.
Choose DONATE if you need channels Enthuse does not offer on its site:
- Online raffles: run under your organisation's own lottery licence from your council, with the draw handled for you
- Charity auctions: silent, live and online with mobile bidding
- Text giving: keyword donations from £1 to £40, ideal for services, stadiums and broadcast appeals
- Contactless tap-to-donate: donation boxes and handheld terminals at 2.95%
Both platforms handle online donation pages and recurring giving well; DONATE also covers campaign pages with targets and multi-channel payment support.
DONATE vs Enthuse FAQs
Is Enthuse cheaper than DONATE? ＋
It depends on how much you raise. Enthuse charges 1.9% + 30p a donation on most plans and no payment fee on its Donations plan, with a subscription of up to £39.99 + VAT a month depending on the plan. DONATE charges charities 4.5% + 22p on a donation without Gift Aid and no percentage fee on one with Gift Aid (it keeps 40% of the Gift Aid instead), has no subscription, and charges £3 only in weeks donations reach £10. For a charity raising around £300 a month with some Gift Aid the two come out about level; below that DONATE usually leaves you more, above it Enthuse's Donations plan usually does. Model your own donation mix with the comparison tool.
Does Enthuse support raffles or auctions? ＋
We could not find raffles or auctions on Enthuse's site, which focuses on donations, events and peer-to-peer fundraising. DONATE runs online raffles under your organisation's own lottery licence, and full charity auctions, on the same platform as your donation pages.
Who handles Gift Aid on each platform? ＋
Both platforms process Gift Aid for you. Enthuse charges 5% of the Gift Aid claimed. DONATE manages the claim to HMRC, and on a Gift Aided donation there is no percentage fee: the charity keeps the whole donation less 22p, plus 60% of the Gift Aid. Our fee is the other 40% of the Gift Aid.
See the full picture
This page covers the two platforms charities most often ask us about. The interactive comparison tool adds JustGiving, GoFundMe and FundraisingBox, with sources for every rate. See also DONATE vs Zeffy and DONATE vs GoFundMe. Or start fundraising with DONATE: no setup fees, cancel any time.