GoFundMe is the default place people go when they need help, and it works well for personal emergencies. Businesses use it too, because it is familiar — but a business raise is a different thing from a personal appeal.
A customer giving money to a shop expects something back and expects to know the business is real. Pledzy is built around those two expectations: reward tiers, and a verified business behind every campaign.
Pledzy vs GoFundMe
| Pledzy | GoFundMe | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Local businesses, nonprofits and community projects | Personal causes, emergencies and medical bills |
| What backers get | A reward you choose — product, service, recognition | A thank-you; donations only |
| Business verification | Registration, tax ID and photo ID checked before the verified badge | Identity checks for withdrawal; no business verification badge |
| Campaign review | Every campaign reviewed by our team before it goes public | Published immediately; reviewed on report |
| Platform fee | 5% (3% for verified nonprofits) | 0% platform fee for personal fundraisers; tipping model |
| Card processing | 2.9% + 30¢, deducted from the payout | 2.9% + 30¢, deducted from the donation |
| If you miss the goal | Keep everything you raised | Keep everything you raised |
| Local discovery | City and state hubs, browse by business type and reason | Search and share links |
- You are a business, nonprofit or community group, not an individual.
- You want to offer something in return rather than ask for donations.
- You want customers to see a verified, reviewed campaign.
- You want to be found by people browsing their own city.
- The raise is personal — medical bills, a funeral, a family emergency.
- You want zero platform fee and are comfortable with a donation-only ask.
- You need the widest possible name recognition for a one-off appeal.
Common questions
Can I use GoFundMe for a business?
You can, and many people do. The trade-off is that it presents your raise as a donation appeal rather than an offer, and there is no business verification badge or reward structure.
Is Pledzy more expensive?
Pledzy charges 5% where a personal GoFundMe charges nothing beyond processing and optional tips. What you get for it is review, verification, reward tiers and local discovery aimed at business raises.
Can I move an existing campaign over?
Yes — rebuild it in the campaign builder with your story, photos and reward tiers, then submit it for review.
Keep reading
Kickstarter is all-or-nothing and built for creative products. Pledzy lets local businesses keep what they raise, with rewards, local discovery and a lower risk of ending with nothing.
Indiegogo retired flexible funding, so new campaigns are all-or-nothing and aimed at product launches. Pledzy keeps what you raise and is built around a local customer base.
Honeycomb lets a local business borrow from its community and pay interest. Pledzy raises the same kind of money from the same people with rewards instead of repayment.
Equity crowdfunding sells shares in your company under SEC rules. Pledzy raises money from customers with rewards, so you keep full ownership and skip the filings.
Donation tools are built for ongoing giving on your own website. Pledzy is a campaign platform with reward tiers, review and local discovery — at a 3% nonprofit rate.
Patreon is monthly membership for creators. Pledzy is a one-time campaign for a local business with a specific thing to fund and a deadline to do it by.
Facebook fundraisers are cheap and easy, but donation-only and built for personal causes. Pledzy gives a business a reviewed campaign page, reward tiers and verification.
Every fee on a pledge in plain language, with the real math.