Looking for the best fundraising solution for your campaign? Keep reading to compare Donorbox vs. ActBlue with a comprehensive breakdown of each fundraising platform so you can make the best choice.
In the first 21 months of the 2023-2024 presidential election cycle, political parties raised a whopping $2.1 billion. ActBlue, a democratic fundraising platform, was the partner of choice for many politicians. But some fundraisers are looking for reliable ActBlue alternatives to help them raise more and spend less.
In this article, we’ll compare Donorbox vs. ActBlue to help you make the right choice. We’ll also elaborate on why some political fundraisers may be looking for ActBlue alternatives.
Let’s dive in!
ActBlue is a Democratic political action committee and online fundraising platform for Democratic and progressive candidates, other political action committees (PACs), and nonprofit organizations.
Similar to political fundraising platforms like WinRed, ActBlue aims to streamline the process of online fundraising for electoral and ballot measure campaigns.
ActBlue has been a popular political fundraising platform for many U.S. organizations. However, some ActBlue users struggle with limited functionality and fundraising options, leaving them looking for ActBlue alternatives.
The platform also offers limited ways to donate. Currently, donors can only give via credit/debit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Venmo.
ActBlue requests optional tips from donors that go directly to its platform. While it is transparent about this practice, it may be problematic for fundraisers who don’t want to tap into donors’ tipping fatigue.
In April 2025, the Trump Administration directed the Justice Department to investigate ActBlue. The goal of the investigation is to review allegations that ActBlue was making “dummy” or foreign contributions to political candidates or PACs.
This development has left many democratic fundraisers feeling uncertain about the future of the platform.
Whether you’re looking at Donorbox vs. ActBlue or other options, it can be daunting to find a fundraising platform that meets the requirements of your political organization. Here are five things to look for if you’re on the hunt for ActBlue alternatives.
There is so much pressure involved in raising extraordinary amounts of money to keep your political campaign competitive.
Online fundraising platforms are a lucrative way to help put your campaign on potential voters’ radars. But setup costs and monthly fees can take a large chunk out of your funding and affect your financial planning.
Look for a political fundraising platform that allows you to set up your political campaign for free – without any contracts or monthly fees involved.
Filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is a tedious and often overwhelming process for applicable political fundraisers in the U.S. From when to file to what to include, there are many steps involved.
Opt for a political campaign fundraising platform that lets you easily generate FEC-compliant reports. These kinds of reports typically include much of the information required to file, which minimizes your workload and streamlines the FEC filing process.
It goes without saying that safeguarding fundraising data and sensitive donor information is paramount. After all, your supporters are more likely to give to your campaign if they know their information is well-protected!
If you’re considering ActBlue alternatives, make sure that they maintain industry-leading security standards. Look out for political campaign fundraising platforms that offer round-the-clock fraud detection and monitoring, two-factor authentication, and reCaptcha.
24/7 security, form encryption, and PCI compliance are also among the top things to prioritize where security is concerned.
A brand-aligned donation form will boost credibility and instill trust among your supporters, encouraging them to donate to your political campaign.
Make sure that the fundraising platform you go for allows you to customize your donation form and webpage to align with your brand. You can instill donor trust with customization options like custom CSS, which allows you to personalize your donation form and donation page to match your branding.
While one-time donors are very important, recurring donors ensure donor retention and create a sustainable source of income for your organization. Recurring donations are also easier for your supporters, since they don’t have to be reminded to give constantly!
Look for a fundraising platform that makes recurring donations easy for you and your donors, providing a steady revenue stream for your campaign.
Let’s compare two popular political fundraising platforms, Donorbox vs. ActBlue, to see which one may be most suitable for your organization.
| Features | Donorbox | ActBlue |
|---|---|---|
| Donation pages | X | |
| Crowdfunding | X | |
| Peer-to-Peer fundraising | X | |
| Tandem fundraising | X | |
| Event ticketing | X | X |
| Donation forms | X | X |
| In-person fundraising app | X | |
| Memberships | X | |
| Recurring donations | X | X |
| Text-to-give | X | |
| Quick giving | X | X |
| Form A/B testing | X | |
| Integrations | X | X |
| Pricing | 1.75% - 2.95% platform fee, depending on plan; payment processing fee of up to 2.9% + 30¢ | 3.95% platform fee; asks for optional tips from donors |
More than 100,000 organizations – including political organizations! – have trusted Donorbox to help them raise a collective $3 billion and counting.
Our powerful fundraising tools help you boost donations to your cause, create better relationships with your donors, and streamline reporting.
And more! Explore all our features here.
Check out how AKA 1908 PAC uses Donorbox to raise more with a branded donation form!
Donorbox offers a world of integrations – both native and through Zapier – to help streamline your fundraising efforts. Our integrations include:
And more!
We make it easy to accept donations using multiple payment options when you enable Stripe or PayPal as payment processors on your donation forms.
With Stripe, collect donations made with credit/debit cards, bank debits and redirects, and digital wallets, including:
With PayPal, collect payments made with debit/credit cards with Donorbox’s PayPal Complete Payments, PayPal, or Venmo.
Check out a complete list of our accepted payment methods from around the globe here.
Organizations using Donorbox have access to thousands of free fundraising resources and expert insights. Here are the resources we offer:
Donorbox is passionate about providing unwavering support to ensure organizations like yours can realize your mission. Our Customer Success team is dedicated to providing assistance for any questions or queries – even on the weekends!
“Another highlight has been their outstanding customer support. When I reached out with a question, I received an incredibly quick response, and they followed up shortly after to make sure everything was still going smoothly. This level of care and attentiveness really sets Donorbox apart and makes us feel supported every step of the way.” – Verified User
Whatever your budget, we offer a plan to help you meet your fundraising goals. And, there are no setup fees involved!
Stripe and PayPal charge the following payment processing fees:
Get to know more about our pricing and plans here.
Since 2004, ActBlue reports to have raised more than $16 billion for Democratic candidates and causes.
Learn more about ActBlue’s features here.
ActBlue integrates with all major vendors of organizational CRM software.
These include real-time data integrations with Action Network and ActionKit.
Other integrations include:
ActBlue provides helpful resources to organizations using its platform. These include:
ActBlue’s Customer Service team is available to answer calls and emails to ensure you can focus on what matters most. They also offer support for donors who may have any queries or concerns.
ActBlue does not offer any specific plans, and there are no sign-up fees involved.
They charge a flat 3.95% processing fee for each donation you receive.
While some ActBlue users are already looking for alternatives, the Trump Administration’s ActBlue investigation has created some uncertainty for fundraisers.
At the end of the day, you need your fundraising platform to work for you – to help you get the funding you need to build your campaign or advocate for your cause.
Donorbox offers powerful, reliable, and varied tools to accelerate your fundraising. With industry-leading security, streamlined FEC filing reporting templates, and easy-to-use tools, raise more for your campaign with less stress. We have your back 24/7 with our world-class customer support team, too!
Sign up for free to see why political candidates like this example use Donorbox to bring in campaign-sustaining recurring donors, major donors, and crowd support.
If you’re looking for alternatives to ActBlue, we hope that this Donorbox vs. ActBlue comparison article can help!
ActBlue has helped many political parties and organizations raise funds creatively and fuel their missions. However, its limited fundraising capability may be a reason to look for better alternatives. With the ongoing ActBlue investigation, many fundraisers are concerned about the future of the platform.
Donorbox offers powerful fundraising features that boost donations and streamline donor management. With us, you can elevate donations at your events, collect cashless in-person donations, rally supporters to give to your online political campaign, and encourage convenient giving during rallies using text-to-give.
Sign up to start fundraising today! Check out our blog post on how to get started.
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Jamy-Lee Holt