At CanadaCreate, we have assisted numerous nonprofit organizations and small businesses in launching their projects, and we understand how essential the right crowdfunding tools can be.
Navigating through the multitude of crowdfunding plugins for WordPress can be overwhelming, and it’s important to recognize that not all plugins meet high standards. The ideal tool enables you to effortlessly launch and grow your campaigns with minimal hassle and fees.
This is why we have conducted thorough research to identify the top crowdfunding plugins for WordPress. Our top recommendation is the Charitable plugin, as it provides all the necessary features. In fact, our founder, Syed Balkhi, utilizes it for the Balkhi Foundation website.
We also have extensive experience with WPForms. Its forms include advanced conditional logic, making it an excellent option if you’re looking for an easy way to gather information and reward different donor tiers.
However, we recognize that each project has its own unique requirements, and there are several other plugins that may better suit your specific needs. Continue reading to explore our comprehensive list of the best crowdfunding plugins for WordPress.
Overview of the Top Crowdfunding Plugins for WordPress
In a rush? Here’s a brief summary of the leading crowdfunding plugins for WordPress:
| # | Crowdfunding Plugin | Ideal For | Pricing | Free Version Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Charitable | Best Choice for Overall Use and Peer-to-Peer Campaigns | Starting at $69 per year | ✅ |
| 🥈 | WP Simple Pay | Quick and Easy Setup (Accepts Stripe Payments Without an Online Store) | Starting at $49.50 per year | ✅ |
| 🥉 | GiveWP | Supports Mobile Donations (Accepts Venmo) | Starting at $149 per year | ✅ |
| 4 | WPForms | Robust Donation Forms and Reward-Based Crowdfunding Options | Starting at $49.50 per year | ✅ |
| 5 | WP Crowdfunding | Crowdfunding for New Products in Online Stores | Starting at $74.50 per year | ✅ |
| 6 | Formidable Forms | Feature-Rich Forms (Including Calculator Fields and Donate Buttons) | Starting at $39.50 per year | ✅ |
| 7 | Patreon WordPress | Ideal for Creators and Patreon Users | Free to Use | ✅ |
What Is a Crowdfunding Plugin and Why Is It Essential?
Fundraising can be challenging, particularly for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Even with a solid business plan and an attractive website, securing the necessary funds to launch your venture is crucial.
Crowdfunding is a method of raising funds by generating interest in a new business idea and receiving small contributions from individuals.
Instead of using platforms like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo, which take a portion of your earnings and limit customization options, a crowdfunding plugin allows you to maintain complete control over your campaign.
Crowdfunding through WordPress offers numerous benefits, including:
- Access to funding:Crowdfunding provides a way to obtain funds when securing traditional financing from banks or lenders is challenging or impractical.
- Market validation:By showcasing your idea to the public, you can assess interest and determine if your product is something people are willing to pay for. You can also accept donations and include a survey to gather valuable feedback from supporters.
- Building an audience:Crowdfunding enables you to connect with a wide audience, increasing awareness and expanding your reach. Contributors to your campaign are likely to become loyal customers and advocates. Using a plugin like MemberPress can help create a space for contributors to share their insights and ideas in a private forum.
- Customization options:You have complete control over the design and branding of your crowdfunding campaign. You can also integrate additional plugins to enhance your crowdfunding efforts. For instance, using plugins like RafflePress can encourage others to share your campaign, increasing its visibility.
- Ownership of Your Data:By choosing WordPress, you retain ownership of your data. You can grow your email list with plugins like OptinMonster, enabling you to send updates to your subscribers about your new business initiatives.
As demonstrated, there are numerous advantages to selecting WordPress for your crowdfunding requirements. All you need is the right plugin to get started!
Our Process for Testing and Reviewing Crowdfunding Plugins for WordPress
We evaluated the most popular WordPress crowdfunding plugins in real-time on our demo sites. To determine our top recommendations, we considered the following criteria:
- User-Friendliness: We focused on including only beginner-friendly crowdfunding plugins that feature an intuitive editor. This allows you to create your fundraising campaigns effortlessly. We also sought out simple yet powerful features that facilitate sharing your mission, processing payments, and ensuring donor satisfaction.
- Essential Crowdfunding FeaturesDuring our evaluation process, we thoroughly assessed each plugin’s crowdfunding and donation capabilities. We focused on features such as seamless payment processing, options for recurring donations, donor receipt generation for tax purposes, donor reward systems, and additional functionalities.
- Payment Methods and IntegrationsA key factor in any crowdfunding campaign is the ability to accept payments. Therefore, we examined which major payment platforms are supported by the crowdfunding plugins. We prioritized popular integrations like Stripe, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Venmo. Additionally, we verified compatibility with essential software such as CRMs and email marketing tools.
- User ReviewsWhile we test each plugin we recommend, we recognize that we cannot cover every possible scenario. To bridge any gaps in our knowledge, we made sure to review customer feedback in the WordPress plugin directory and on the official websites of each plugin.
- PricingWe understand that budget considerations are vital when selecting software. Therefore, we evaluated the pricing of each crowdfunding plugin on our list. We included tools at various price points, ensuring that all our selections offer free versions.
Why Trust CanadaCreate?
At CanadaCreate, we have over 16 years of expertise in WordPress, website development, eCommerce, online marketing, and more.
We also have extensive experience assisting readers in creating nonprofit websites and managing donation campaigns using WordPress.
To provide you with the most useful and accurate recommendations, we thoroughly tested each plugin on this list. For more information, please refer to our detailed editorial process.
Now, let’s explore the top tools for launching your crowdfunding campaigns.
1. Charitable
After evaluating numerous options, we consider Charitable to be the best overall crowdfunding plugin for WordPress, as it includes all the essential features you need.
Our founder uses it for the Balkhi Foundation website and has had a fantastic experience. It’s also ideal for running peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns.
For more details, check out our comprehensive review of Charitable.
One of the best aspects of Charitable is that you don’t need to rely on a separate hosted fundraising platform, and it doesn’t impose transaction fees. It enables you to easily create appealing fundraising pages and forms directly on your website.
Additionally, it allows you to establish peer-to-peer fundraising and enhance brand visibility more quickly, which can ultimately lead to increased funding for your business project.
Our research revealed that Charitable provides a diverse selection of add-ons, enabling you to manage nearly any scenario. For instance, there are add-ons like Donor Comments that allow you to incorporate testimonials.
During our testing, we found that you can seamlessly include a video that introduces your new business project. This is an excellent way to generate excitement and boost conversion rates.
Here’s an illustration of a video, description, and donation button integrated into the crowdfunding form on Charitable.
We also appreciate that Charitable offers additional useful extensions, such as PDF receipts, allowing contributors to retain their invoices for tax deductions.
Furthermore, you can integrate the plugin with email marketing services to send updates to subscribers about your project, keeping them informed and engaged.
Advantages:
- Numerous add-ons to enhance functionality
- A wide variety of payment options, including Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, and more
- User-friendly crowdfunding form editor
- Valuable add-ons, such as ‘Donor Comments’ for gathering testimonials
- Additional features such as PDF receipts
Drawbacks:
- Accessing the add-ons requires purchasing the premium versions
Reasons to Choose Charitable: We believe Charitable is the most effective solution for crowdfunding on WordPress. It ranks as our top recommendation due to its extensive features for storytelling, payment processing, and donor engagement. Additionally, it excels in facilitating peer-to-peer fundraising, enabling businesses to tap into their networks for broader outreach.
Cost: Charitable is available starting at $69 per year, with a free version of the plugin also offered.
2. WP Simple Pay
If your goal is to kickstart your crowdfunding campaign swiftly, WP Simple Pay is the ideal choice. This standalone Stripe plugin simplifies the process of accepting donor payments without complications.
For further information, check out our comprehensive WP Simple Pay review.
One of the standout features of this plugin is that it eliminates the need for an online store or checkout page. You can create a crowdfunding form and embed it anywhere on your website.
Additionally, its advanced form builder allows for complete customization to suit your needs. During our evaluation, we discovered a variety of text fields, dropdown menus, and pricing options available for inclusion.
The versatile donation and fundraising forms come with impressive features designed to boost conversion rates. For instance, you can set up suggested donation amounts to encourage higher average contributions.
We particularly value WP Simple Pay for its recurring donation feature, enabling a consistent flow of funding for your organization. Furthermore, the plugin supports over 13 payment methods, making it accessible to a diverse global donor base.
Advantages:
- Seamless integration with Stripe
- Supports over 13 payment methods and multiple currencies
- Provides customizable receipts that assist contributors with tax documentation
- User-friendly advanced form builder
Disadvantages:
- Lacks community-building features
Reasons to Choose WP Simple Pay: We recommend WP Simple Pay as a fast and straightforward option for accepting donations. You can create either payment forms or a full donation page, and the integration with Stripe ensures a smooth payment experience.
If you’re seeking more sophisticated crowdfunding capabilities, Charitable may be the ideal choice for you.
Pricing Information: WP Simple Pay is available starting at $49.50 per year, and there is also a free version you can use.
3. GiveWP
If your target audience is likely to donate via their smartphones, GiveWP is an excellent option. It excels in mobile-friendly features and offers a comprehensive set of crowdfunding tools, along with an intuitive form builder that requires no coding skills.
In our view, simplifying the donation process for contributors is crucial. GiveWP provides convenient options such as Venmo Donations, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Text-to-Give. This means donors can easily support your project with just a text message, anytime and anywhere.
During our evaluation of this plugin, we discovered that its dashboard is user-friendly and packed with valuable features. You will receive real-time crowdfunding reports, allowing you to track metrics such as top donors, average donation amounts, and more. This insight enables you to enhance your campaigns and adjust your forms or pages for improved conversion rates.
Advantages:
- GiveWP supports various mobile payment options, including Venmo and Text-to-Give.
- The dashboard offers detailed reports to help you enhance your campaigns.
- User-friendly form builder.
Drawbacks:
- The paid version of GiveWP can be expensive after the initial upgrade.
Reasons to Choose GiveWP: GiveWP is an all-in-one solution that provides everything you need for successful crowdfunding. It’s particularly beneficial for mobile donations, allowing users to contribute easily via text or popular apps like Venmo.
Cost: GiveWP has a free version available, but the basic plan starts at $149 per year.
4. WPForms
WPForms can handle crowdfunding payments and various transactions, making it an excellent choice for creating advanced donation forms without the complexity of setting up a full campaign, unlike some other options on this list.
At CanadaCreate, we utilize WPForms for all our contact forms and surveys, and we highly recommend it. For more details, check out our comprehensive WPForms review.
With WPForms, you can create crowdfunding forms that accept donations through multiple payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, Square, Authorize.net, and more.
If you’re launching a new product or business, you’ll likely need various types of forms. This is where WPForms truly shines.
Create versatile forms for various needs, including contact forms, newsletter subscriptions, surveys, and registrations. This comprehensive form builder offers over 2,000 templates, more than any other plugin on this list.
Among all the plugins we tested, WPForms stands out as the top choice for gathering user responses in crowdfunding forms. Its advanced features, such as smart conditional logic, enable you to collect pertinent information based on contributors’ answers.
For instance, you might want to offer a reward based on the level of contribution.
If VIP contributors are invited to an exclusive launch event, you’ll need to gather their information for RSVP purposes. Additionally, if you’re sending physical rewards like gifts or merchandise, the smart logic feature will prompt users to enter their shipping addresses for delivery.
WPForms includes a variety of add-ons, such as email marketing tools to keep donors informed. It also offers numerous integrations with third-party applications to boost functionality. For example, integrating with CRM software allows you to follow up with contributors after your business launches.
Advantages:
- Easily accept payments through your forms.
- Smart logic is an excellent feature that allows you to display or hide fields based on donor input.
- There are numerous third-party integrations available to enhance functionality.
- WPForms offers over 2000 customizable templates.
Cons:
- It is not specifically designed as a crowdfunding platform.
Why We Recommend WPForms: We recommend WPForms for its extensive selection of templates and customization options. Additionally, the smart logic feature effectively displays only the relevant fields, making it ideal for reward-based crowdfunding campaigns.
Pricing: You can start using WPForms for just $49.50 per year, and there is also a free Lite version available.
5. WP Crowdfunding by Themeum
If you’re seeking a crowdfunding plugin for your online store, WP Crowdfunding leverages WooCommerce to manage and accept pledges from backers. We appreciate its seamless integration with your existing products and categories.
Imagine you operate a dropshipping store but wish to create your own branded products and begin private labeling. Instead of spending time and resources on items that may not interest your customers, you can raise funds to support products that people are eager to purchase.
During our evaluation of the tool, we found that it allows you to consolidate all your crowdfunding campaigns in one location, much like platforms such as Kickstarter or Indiegogo. This feature enhances user experience by making it easier for visitors to identify which projects to support.
We appreciate that the plugin includes a built-in Native Wallet system, which effectively tracks all funds raised through the crowdfunding initiative.
This functionality ensures that online sales and donations remain distinct. You will receive detailed statistics along with a comprehensive list of backers, allowing you to monitor all contributions. Additionally, there is a donor reward system that enables you to set up various reward options.
Advantages:
- WP Crowdfunding integrates seamlessly with your WooCommerce store.
- It assists you in determining which products to launch.
- Offers donor reward options.
- Backers have the choice to donate publicly or anonymously.
Disadvantages:
- It is limited to using only Stripe for payment processing.
Reasons to Choose WP Crowdfunding: This plugin is an excellent option for online stores looking to begin selling their products. Visitors can view all available crowdfunding campaigns and track the progress towards each funding goal.
Pricing: WP Crowdfunding offers a subscription starting at $74.50 per year for a single site. There is also a free version available, but it lacks some premium features, such as the Native Wallet System and detailed analytics reports.
6. Formidable Forms
Formidable Forms is a powerful form builder plugin tailored for advanced users, allowing you to create intricate donation forms. It includes features like calculator fields and donate buttons, and with its robust integrations, you can set it up to send thank-you SMS messages to your donors.
We have thoroughly tested this tool for various form requirements. For more insights, check out our comprehensive review of Formidable Forms.
The plugin offers a diverse selection of forms, including donation forms, payment forms, calculator forms, and contact forms. You can effortlessly create donation and fundraising forms that accept payments through Stripe or Authorize.net.
Using Formidable Forms, you access a visual form designer that provides extensive customization options. You can incorporate a donate button, set custom amounts, and add virtually any field you desire.
Although primarily a contact form plugin, you can still track donation statistics based on all contributions received. It features visually appealing charts that help you understand your campaign’s performance.
We appreciated its seamless integration with powerful applications like Zapier, allowing you to automate various workflow tasks. For instance, you can configure it so that every contributor receives a personalized thank-you message via email or text.
Overall, we found that Formidable Forms offers a wealth of built-in customization options. After extensive testing, we particularly liked its advanced calculation features. For example, for larger donations, you could include a calculator to estimate the tax-deductible portion of the contribution.
Advantages:
- A visual form designer that allows you to tailor the fundraising form to align with your brand identity.
- Advanced functionalities such as calculator fields, donation buttons, and more.
- Visual reporting tools to easily monitor campaign performance.
- A wide variety of form templates available.
Disadvantages:
- It is not specifically tailored for crowdfunding initiatives.
Reasons to Choose Formidable Forms:This plugin is an excellent option if you require a customizable solution for collecting donations. It supports all major payment gateways and allows you to incorporate advanced features like calculators into your donation forms.
Pricing: Formidable Forms is available starting at $39.50 per year, with a free version also offered.
7. Patreon for WordPress
Patreon WordPress is a free fundraising plugin that connects your WordPress site with your Patreon account, enhancing your pledges and patron base. It’s ideal for artists, musicians, and various creators.
If you already have an audience on Patreon and want to provide your visitors with access to your community, you can easily import your existing Patreon posts and content.
Our research indicates that this plugin automatically syncs data with WordPress. When donors pledge or subscribe to your Patreon, they can conveniently access everything directly from your website.
All contributors can join your Patreon community, granting them exclusive access to your gated content. You can choose to restrict individual posts or all of your content, and select the tiers or minimum pledge amount required to access specific posts.
Advantages:
- Ideal for creators and current Patreon users
- Automatically syncs data from Patreon to WordPress
- Allows you to lock or unlock individual posts or all content
Disadvantages:
- Not beneficial for those who do not intend to use Patreon
Reasons to Recommend Patreon WordPress: This plugin is ideal for creators, artists, musicians, bloggers, and other creatives who are already using Patreon. It allows you to seamlessly integrate Patreon into your website, enhancing your platform’s capabilities.
Pricing: The Patreon WordPress plugin is available for free.
How to Choose the Best Crowdfunding Plugin?
Selecting the right crowdfunding plugin depends on your specific requirements. Some plugins are tailored exclusively for crowdfunding, while others provide fundraising forms as part of a broader set of features.
If you plan to offer additional products or services or want to create various types of forms on your website alongside the fundraising form, an all-in-one plugin might be a more economical choice.
Additionally, it’s crucial to ensure that donors experience a quick and straightforward checkout process. Offering a variety of payment gateways allows contributors to use their preferred payment methods.
If your goal is to create just a few pages to test interest with any of these plugins, consider using SeedProd. It is the top page builder plugin available, featuring a powerful drag-and-drop editor that makes it easy to design any type of page, such as a landing page or a custom homepage.
This approach allows you to avoid investing time in developing your entire website around a specific plugin or system until you have supporters actively backing your business idea.
💡 Are you planning an ambitious crowdfunding campaign?
If you believe your crowdfunding campaign is poised for success or if SEO is a top priority, it might be wise to leave the website development to the experts.
This strategy enables you to expand your audience and prevents the need for a complete website redesign in the future.
In that scenario, consider utilizing CanadaCreate’s Website Design Services. Our WordPress specialists can assist you in creating a crowdfunding website that is optimized for both speed and SEO from the outset.
Book a complimentary consultation with our WordPress experts today!
What is the Best Crowdfunding Plugin for WordPress?
After evaluating the most popular choices, we have determined that Charitable is the top crowdfunding plugin for WordPress.
This plugin provides all the essential tools to launch a successful crowdfunding campaign. With its peer-to-peer fundraising feature, you can empower ambassadors to promote your cause and enhance your donation potential. Additionally, it supports recurring donations, integrates with your newsletter software for ongoing audience engagement, and offers many more functionalities.
For those looking to seamlessly integrate crowdfunding into an existing website, WP Simple Pay and WPForms are excellent, budget-friendly options. These tools allow you to easily embed a crowdfunding payment form anywhere on your WordPress site and start collecting donations right away.
If your goal is to fund products through an established online store, WP Crowdfunding offers a comprehensive set of features tailored for that purpose.
Expert Guides: Integrating Crowdfunding and Donations into WordPress
Choosing the ideal crowdfunding plugin for your initiative is just the beginning. You might also find these expert guides on crowdfunding and donation acceptance in WordPress helpful:
- Top WordPress Themes for Crowdfunding
- Effective Strategies for Raising Money with Crowdfunding in WordPress
- Best Practices for Donation Forms to Maximize Contributions in WordPress
- Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Recurring Donation Form in WordPress
- How to Build a Donation Form for Nonprofit Organizations Using WordPress
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