Side by side
Houdini vs Swell Fundraising
Both stand on nonprofit fundraising software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWeb
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.
Visit Houdini
Paid AndroidiPhoneWeb
Choose Swell if your eligible organization needs event management and online fundraising campaigns together, especially with ticket-linked peer fundraising or live event displays. Look elsewhere if you need a published subscription price or your organization cannot confirm 501(c)(3) eligibility.
Visit Swell FundraisingThe facts
| Houdini | Swell Fundraising | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Not published |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Self-hosted, Web | Android, iPhone, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | No Subscription: $4 |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | swellfundraising.com |
| On nonprofit fundraising software | #13 of 49 | #44 of 49 |
Houdini: 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.
Swell Fundraising: what it does well
- Create up to five event or campaign websites per license.
- Ticket purchases can create personal fundraising pages for guests.
- Show fundraising totals and leaderboards live during events.
- Mobile apps support check-in, sales, donations, and pledges.
- Bloomerang syncs event data and attendee records with constituent records.
What to know first
- Client organizations must confirm they are 501(c)(3) organizations.
- Subscription plans have 12-month terms and renew automatically.
- Base License and other subscription plan prices are provided during sales and onboarding.
Alternatives to Houdini Alternatives to Swell Fundraising The whole list