Freedom251 › Nonprofit Crowdfunding Software
Houdini
What Houdini is
Houdini is a free, open-source fundraising system for nonprofits and NGOs. It provides crowdfunding campaigns and fundraising events, along with donation forms and a widget page and generator. Donor tools include recurring donations and simple donation management. Nonprofit dashboards cover payment history, payouts, metrics, supporter relationships in a CRM, and organizational accounts; campaign reporting is listed as advanced. Payment processing is separate, and configuring payments requires Stripe API keys. Houdini runs as a self-hosted Rails application. Its production deployment instructions cover Linux servers using SystemD and Nginx, and list Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04, 22.04, or equivalent as supported. Setup prerequisites include Node.js 16, Yarn, PostgreSQL 12 (PostgreSQL 10 may work), and Ruby 2.7. The project describes its latest version as pre-2.0 and in heavy development, and recommends v1 instead. Building JavaScript assets requires about 3 GB of free RAM; the guide suggests a server with at least 4 GB RAM. Security issues can be reported by email, and GitHub Discussions is available for project conversations.
Who it suits
Houdini is for nonprofits and NGOs that can manage a self-hosted Rails application and its listed technical prerequisites. It may suit organizations needing fundraising campaigns, recurring donations, event fundraising, and donor relationship tools.
What it does well
- Free and open source.
- Supports crowdfunding and event fundraising.
- Includes recurring donations and a donor CRM.
- Dashboard tracks payment history, payouts, and metrics.
What to know first
- Payment processing is separate and requires Stripe API keys.
- Latest version is pre-2.0 and in heavy development.
- Asset builds need about 3 GB of free RAM.
- Requires Linux and listed software prerequisites.
Limits
The project describes its latest version as pre-2.0 and in heavy development, and suggests using v1 instead. Production setup requires the listed software prerequisites; building JavaScript assets needs about 3 GB of free RAM, and the guide suggests at least 4 GB RAM for the server.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Houdini | Free and open source fundraising infrastructure | Free |
As github.com lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the Houdini GitHub project page.
- Prepare Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04, 22.04, or an equivalent system.
- Install the documented prerequisites: Node.js 16, Yarn, PostgreSQL, and Ruby 2.7.
- Set up the self-hosted Rails application using the project instructions.
- Configure payment setup with Stripe API keys.
- Use the production deployment instructions for Linux with SystemD and Nginx.
Verdict
Houdini brings campaign, donation, and nonprofit dashboard tools together at no software charge. Its pre-2.0 development status, separate payment setup, and self-hosting requirements are important considerations.
Questions
Is Houdini free?
Yes. The listed Houdini plan is free, and the project is described as free and open source.
What can organizations do with Houdini?
It supports crowdfunding campaigns, fundraising events, donation forms, recurring donations, donor management, and nonprofit dashboards for payment history, payouts, metrics, supporter relationships, and user accounts.
Does Houdini process payments?
Payment processing is separate. The setup instructions require Stripe API keys to configure payments.
Where can Houdini run?
It is a self-hosted Rails application with Linux production deployment instructions using SystemD and Nginx. Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04, 22.04, or equivalent is listed as supported.
What does the project say about its latest version?
The README describes it as pre-2.0 and in heavy development, and suggests using v1 instead.
Where can users get involved or report a vulnerability?
GitHub Discussions is the project chat and community route. The security policy asks people to report vulnerabilities by email.
Facts from Houdini's own pages
- Campaigns
- It includes crowdfunding campaigns and fundraising events. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Community support
- The README points users to GitHub Discussions to join the project chat and get involved. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Houdini can be run as a self-hosted Rails application, with production deployment instructions for a Linux server using SystemD and Nginx. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Development status
- The README describes the latest version as pre-2.0 and in heavy development, and suggests using v1 instead. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Donations
- It includes a donate widget page and generator, plus simple donation management for donors. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Linux support
- The README lists Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04, 22.04, or equivalent as supported operating systems. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Nonprofit dashboards
- Nonprofits can manage payment history and payouts, recurring donations, metrics, supporter relationships in a CRM, and organizational user accounts. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Payments integration
- The setup instructions require Stripe API keys to configure payments. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Production resources
- The production deployment guide says building JavaScript assets requires about 3 GB of free RAM and suggests a server with at least 4 GB RAM. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Houdini is free and open source fundraising infrastructure for nonprofits and NGOs. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Security reporting
- The security policy asks people to report vulnerabilities by email and says the project will respond as soon as possible. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Technical requirements
- The README lists Node.js 16, Yarn, PostgreSQL 12 (10 may work), Ruby 2.7, and Ubuntu or equivalent as prerequisites. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Where Houdini stands on Freedom251
- Nonprofit Crowdfunding Software#4 of 22
- Nonprofit Fundraising Software#13 of 48