FreeFunder vs M-Changa

FreeFunder is a web service for creating personal crowdfunding campaigns for medical bills, funeral costs, personal projects and other personal causes. Campaign owners start with a short form describing the amount sought and the reason for fundraising. They can customize pages with color schemes, formatted text, pictures and tables, then share campaigns or embed them on another website. Team members can receive read-only or read-write access. Owners can post updates and email them to followers, and keyword-based text-to-donate supports offline events and promotions. FreeFunder says it charges no platform fee and relies on voluntary donations. Card donations through Stripe incur a 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee deducted from each donation. Venmo, PayPal and Cash App gifts can be recorded on the page and can avoid processing fees. Donations go to a separate Stripe account for the owner or beneficiary and then to a bank account. Campaigns cannot offer rewards or investment opportunities.

M-Changa is an online and mobile fundraising platform for individuals and institutions. Fundraisers can create a customizable share page with a story, pictures, videos, and a target, for causes such as medical bills, construction, emergencies, funerals, weddings, churches, school fees, group projects, and sports clubs. Donations can be made through mobile money, Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal; card and PayPal options are listed for worldwide use. Recurring donations are supported. In Kenya, users can register, share, and manage a fundraiser by dialing *483*57#, and USSD fundraisers can view donation, withdrawal, and expense statements. Campaigns can be shared through Facebook, X, WhatsApp, and SMS. The listed platform fee is 4.25% on donations, reduced to 3.5% for fundraisers that raise KES 3,000,000 or more within 30 days. Withdrawal fees vary by method and amount. A phone line can manage one active fundraiser at a time, though it can contribute to unlimited fundraisers. The service is available on iOS and the web.