CrowdCreate vs a PayPal Donate button
A PayPal Donate button is free to add and PayPal takes only a payment-processing fee, not a platform cut — so on fees alone it's cheaper than $20 a month. The honest question isn't who's cheaper; it's whether the donation happens on your own site under your own name, or in PayPal's checkout under PayPal's.
| At a glance | CrowdCreate | PayPal Donate |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $20 flat | $0 |
| Cut of each donation | 0% — none | Processing fees only (no platform cut) |
| Cost grows as you raise more | No — always $20 | Depends on plan / model |
Stripe's standard processing fee (2.9% + 30¢ per payment) applies on most platforms, including CrowdCreate. This compares cost structure only — see below for where PayPal Donate fits and where CrowdCreate fits.
Where PayPal Donate is the better choice
PayPal is free to add, instantly recognized, and trusted by donors who already have an account and balance — and registered charities get PayPal's reduced nonprofit processing rate. If you just want a quick, free, familiar button and don't mind sending donors into PayPal's flow, it's genuinely hard to beat on cost, and we'll say so.
Where CrowdCreate wins
A PayPal button hands the donor off to PayPal; CrowdCreate keeps the pledge on your own page, in your own design, with no redirect. The money settles into your own Stripe account on your schedule, and you get a real dashboard — funnel, funder list, top supporters — instead of a raw PayPal transaction feed. Flat $20, no platform cut either.
The math
PayPal charges a processing fee, not a platform percentage, so the slider shows $0 platform cut — honestly cheaper than $20 on fees alone. You pay card processing either way: Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ with CrowdCreate, PayPal's own rate with PayPal. What the slider can't show is the on-site, on-brand pledge and the dashboard you get for the $20.
PayPal Donate's free tier takes nothing here — on pure platform cut, it's cheaper than our $20.
Stripe's standard fee (2.9% + 30¢ per pledge) applies on every platform here, including CrowdCreate. We add nothing on top.
See the full fee breakdown for your own numbers with the donation fee calculator.
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Donations go straight to your Stripe account. The money never touches CrowdCreate.
$20/mo flat
One price, no percentage. We never take a cut of what your donors give.
Cancel anytime
30-day refund if it's not a fit. Your donor data lives in your own Stripe.
Common questions
Is $20/mo worth it vs a free or percentage option?
At low volume, a free tier or a percentage cut can genuinely cost you less — we won't pretend otherwise. The flat $20 wins as donations scale, and it keeps everything on your own site instead of a third-party profile page.
Whose Stripe gets the money?
Yours. Donations land in your own Stripe account directly — CrowdCreate never holds or routes the funds.
Can I cancel?
Yes, anytime, with a 30-day refund if it's not a fit. Your donor data stays in your Stripe.
Start your fund on your own site.
Start your fund