PayBee vs Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising) (2026): Fees, Features & the Best Fit

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PayBee and Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising) are both highly capable fundraising platforms that nonprofit founders know and trust and they both can do a lot for your cause, both run silent and live auctions, mobile bidding, fund-a-need paddle raises, event ticketing, and donor check-in so when it comes time to make the decision on which is best for your own organization, it’s going to be more about organizational priorities and pricing models rather than which features are lacking.

• Choose Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising) if: You want tight, native Bloomerang CRM integration, robust peer-to-peer (P2P) campaign tools, interactive gamification, and a year round modular platform.
• Choose PayBee if: You want simple, predictable flat-2% pricing and purpose built live gala execution depth, native tap-to-pay checkout and dedicated onsite event support.

At a Glance: PayBee vs. Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising)

Product Overviews

What is PayBee?

PayBee is an all-in-one event management and fundraising platform that was specifically created for the nonprofit industry in order to increase returns on industry events like streamline live galas, silent auctions, paddle raises and total virtual events to increase support and participation. Paybee has also improved its platform to eliminate the friction typically experienced during check-in and checkout by combining event ticketing, bidding, text-to-give and donor processing into one frictionless unified ecosystem.

PayBee’s entire architecture centers on operational simplicity for nonprofit staff and total convenience for donors all through a solution that is easy to use for both parties. Guests can participate in mobile bidding and make live donations directly through any web browser without being required to download another app, but for those guest that enjoy the app experience, Paybee offers the option to use their app as well. 

Key PayBee features include:

• Predictable Flat Pricing: A transparent 2% platform fee on electronic donations that come in with no annual contracts required.
• In-Person Event Capabilities: Blazing fast tap-to-pay mobile checkout, rapid QR code guest management and live auctioneer tools for a smooth and profitable night.
• Native Virtual & Hybrid Support: Built in livestreaming capabilities for broadcast quality hybrid galas that can include anyone in the world with an internet connection and a phone.
• Hands-On Service: You’ll have access to dedicated account management and optional hands on, on site event staff to make sure there is flawless execution on your big gala night.

While PayBee provides essential reporting and donor tracking, it is intentionally lightweight as a standalone donor database and is the perfect solution for those nonprofits that want focused event software alongside their existing donor management setup or CRM.

What is Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising)?

Qgiv was originally established in 2007 and has since been acquired by Bloomerang in January of 2024. In 2026 the company started a rebrand and changed the name of Qgiv to Bloomerang Fundraising signaling more changes at the company, although the original URL is still found at qgiv.com.

All of this and recent pricing structure changes has made things quite confusing for those looking to understand exactly what the new company will look like, and most importantly the costs involved to use their services.

Qgiv itself is a versatile fundraising suite that has been widely used throughout the years and is regarded as having solid peer-to-peer (P2P) campaign tools, customizable donation forms, text fundraising and interactive gamification features like progress thermometers and donor leaderboards and no doubt has been a great way for Bloomerang to jump head first into the front end of nonprofit software solutions. 

See, Bloomerang was traditionally a ‘back-end’ database for nonprofits until they officially acquired Qgiv to transform itself from a "back-office CRM" into a complete, end-to-end "Giving Platform.” And while if you were already a customer of their CRM you just got an immediate possible upgrade to Qgiv’s tool suite, for those that don’t use their CRM or don’t need a robust one for their charity, the mandatory fees associated with their CRM to now get any of Qgic’s software tools can be a hurdle.

And while the concept of encompassing the entire spectrum of a nonprofit’s needs and logistics sounds great on paper, the truth is at this moment there are still two websites, confusing pricing structures and a fractured ecosystem, hence why the company probably started to rebrand this year. 

Key Qgiv (Bloomerang Fundraising) strengths include:

• Deep Native CRM Pairing: Seamless, real-time synchronization with Bloomerang’s donor management database.
• Advanced P2P & Gamification: Sophisticated participant portals, team management, leaderboards and FundHub Live display boards.
• Modular Software Structure: A flexible feature set where organizations can activate specific packages, such as auctions, text fundraising, or P2P based on seasonal campaign needs.

Because of its modular pricing and deep CRM ties, Qgiv excels for organizations seeking an all-in-one engagement engine tied to a central donor database, though its total cost depends on chosen module tiers and processing volumes as well as the additional CRM costs that are not transparent as you’ll need to talk to a sales person in order to get a quote. 

Pricing & Fee Structures Compared

Pricing is always an obvious friction point as many charities, especially start ups operate on very small strict budgets. And while both PayBee and Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising) offer powerful toolsets, their commercial models represent fundamentally different approaches.

PayBee relies on a simple flat rate pricing structure of 2% for any electronic donations that are collected by the platform, essentially a platform fee. (Paybee does have an option to have your donors cover this fee as well making the platform essentially free.) Any cash or checks are handled free of charge, but there are still credit card processing fees (credit card fee is 2.7% + 30 cents and ACH fee is 1.3% ) added to transactions depending on the payment method your donors choose to use which is standard throughout the nonprofit sector. 

Bloomerang operates on a mandatory base platform, meaning you must sign up and sign a contract for their CRM first, plus gated add-on modules model making it a more costly option right from the start. And one other thing to point out, while their add-ons can be as low as $40 a month, be aware they are billed annually which means you’ll actually need $480 right up front for the lowest priced ‘additional’ option.

Qgiv / Bloomerang’s Pricing Model: The Base + Module Stack

To understand Bloomerang’s pricing, nonprofits must understand its hub-and-spoke bundle structure which has been running since Bloomerang’s acquisition. Now you are unable to buy and use Qgiv’s tools purely as standalone event software, instead, feature access is structured in three distinct layers:

1. The Mandatory Foundation (Core CRM Platform): Nonprofits generally cannot purchase standalone event tools without subscribing to the foundational Bloomerang CRM database which starts at $125 a month and goes up from there depending on the size of your donor list. Again, this is also billed annually and does not include any sort of event or volunteer tools, simply access to their CRM. 
2. The Gated Add-On Modules: Specialized event and campaign features are locked behind separate, recurring monthly module fees on top of the base database subscription:
   
   • Auctions & Mobile Bidding Module: Required to access silent/live auction catalogs, mobile bidding and fund-a-need paddle raises.
   • Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Module: Required for participants being able to create their own hubs, walkathon team management and gamification tools like thermometers and eaderboards.
   • Text Fundraising Module: Required for custom SMS keywords and live event displays and marketed as Bloomerang’s ‘FundHub Live’.
3. Transaction & Processing Costs: In addition to base and module subscription fees, every donation or ticket sale still also incurs transaction fees averaging ~3.95% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, with an additional ~1% surcharge on peer-to-peer campaigns.

They also have what’s called a Bloomerang Volunteer package that touts itself as ‘Tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage.’ This module costs $119 a month and is also billed annually on top of everything else.

So if you need all of this functionality, the costs can really stack up, and need to be paid all upfront which pretty much makes it almost impossible for a start up to use in our opinion. If you are a starting a nonprofit with no money, take a look at our free demo here to see all we can do for you with NO upfront fees!

PayBee’s Pricing Model: Predictable, Flat-Rate Simplicity

In stark contrast to stacked subscription systems, PayBee operates with full fee transparency so that your charity is never guessing how much our solutions will cost while also giving you the freedom of not locking you into annual contracts. 

• Flat 2% Platform Fee: PayBee charges a flat 2% platform fee on electronic payments (credit cards, mobile wallets, and online processing) while cash and check payments incur 0% platform fees.
• No Mandatory Subscription: Nonprofits can host events, run auctions and collect donations without signing an annual database contract and simply paying the 2% charge on what you bring in.
• Optional Premium Plan ($499 for 2 Years): For organizations seeking expanded account management and assistance getting you set up and helping out on event night, PayBee offers an optional instant support plan at $499 for two full years.
• All-In-One Feature Access: All of Paybee’s core tools including live and silent auctions, mobile bidding, paddle raises, event ticketing and peer-to-peer campaigns are all included out of the box without requiring any separate module surcharges or contracts in order to use them.

Cost Breakdown: Flat 2% vs. Mandatory & Stacked Subscriptions 

The Strategic Wedge: Unlocked Flexibility vs. Locked Overhead

The key distinction between PayBee and Qgiv/Bloomerang lies in how often you will use each platform’s software for an event. In some instances, Qgiv can still be a viable option, whereas in other scenarios, Paybee is the best choice. 

• The PayBee Advantage: For organizations running an annual gala coupled with a golf tournament or a few seasonal auctions, PayBee eliminates 12 months of mandatory base database fees and comes out far ahead in savings. Simply paying a transparent 2% platform fee keeps software costs strictly proportional to your event’s success, and unless you’re bringing in a million dollars per event, the saving can be substantial. 
• The Bloomerang Consideration: For organizations already using Bloomerang CRM every day to manage their donor base and running frequent year-round walkathons or text drives, paying a base subscription plus module add-ons may end up being a bit cheaper if of course you actually end up using each paid module throughout the year enough.

Feature by Feature Deep Dive

Since both platforms have been in business for a long time and have solid features for many of the same nonprofit specific needs, we’ve decided to list each of the main features nonprofits look for most to see just how well they compare against each other.

Silent & Live Auctions

• Direct Comparison: Both platforms handle live, silent, virtual, and hybrid auctions via browser and mobile apps well with some minor differences on how PayBee does in live gala tools and native livestreaming, whereas Qgiv’s live auctioneer workflows are less documented so a standard head to head comparison couldn’t be completely determined.
• PayBee: Built specifically for events like galas with integrated native livestreaming, real-time bid tracking and dedicated live auctioneer controls to sync room and online bids instantly making a local gala event a world wide one seamlessly.
• Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising): Strong silent and virtual auction features via web browser or the Givi app, but requires verifying live stage management tools.

Fund-a-Need & Mobile Bidding

• Direct Comparison: Both platforms offer real time paddle raises and app/browser bidding.
• PayBee: Donors can bid or pledge from any mobile browser without needing to download a special app (there is an app if they rather use one) which offers reduced set up friction while still offering instant screen updates right on their smartphones.
• Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising): Bidders can also use their web browsers or the Givi app and can instantly see watch lists, get instant outbid alerts, and view digital pledge displays.

Event Check-In & Ticketing

• Direct Comparison: Both platforms include ticketing, QR door check-ins, stored cards and express checkouts at the end of your events.
• PayBee: Rapid QR scanning, card pre-registration, bidder assignment and automated post event mobile receipts all work to save you and your staff many hours of tedious work. 
• Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising): Custom ticketing tiers, guest management and QR registration via their mobile app keep your guests involve and the donations flowing.

Tap-to-Pay & In-Person Checkout

• Direct Comparison: Both support contactless Tap-to-Pay on smartphones, though Qgiv requires using Bloomerang Payments for this option rather than Qgiv’s solution now.
• PayBee: Turns any compatible smartphone into a payment terminal for credit cards and mobile wallets (Apple/Google Pay) without any external hardware necessary.
• Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising): Built directly into the Bloomerang Fundraising mobile app when using Bloomerang Payments, although you must verify your own third-party processor’s hardware setup.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) & Gamification

• Direct Comparison: Qgiv leads significantly in P2P depth and interactive gamification making it a solid choice to run P2P campaigns as Paybee does provide basic, functional campaign pages, it simply doesn’t have the depth Qgiv does yet.
• Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising): One of its flagship strengths and features team hubs, donation thermometers and leaderboards, milestone badges and social sharing tools all connected to the software.
• PayBee: Supports personal fundraising pages, but lacks Qgiv’s extensive interactive gamification elements that can be shared on social media and widen the reach of your campaigns.

Text-to-Give & Outbound Texting

• Direct Comparison: Qgiv offers deeper outbound marketing with their texting solution and event displays whereas PayBee covers core text bidding and alert flows but doesn’t have a ‘mass bulk text’ capability.
• Qgiv (Bloomerang) operates as a full-featured text marketing hub that allows your organization organizations to send scheduled, bulk SMS campaigns to segmented donor lists year round for marketing purposes and projects live donation feeds (FundHub Live) onto your event screens.
• PayBee focuses on streamlined event night communications like providing quick text-to-give keywords alongside automated SMS alerts that instantly notify guests when they are outbid or ready to check out.

Donor Management & CRM Integration

• Direct Comparison: Qgiv acts as a native extension of Bloomerang CRM which gives it an advantage over Paybee whose focus is on event management and not databases. However, PayBee does include event data capture and uses sync connectors or exports to get the information into your chosen CRM.
• Qgiv (Bloomerang) offers real time synchronization and automatically logs every event ticket, auction bid and donation directly into the Bloomerang CRM database.
• PayBee focuses on event night transaction capture while giving organizations the flexibility to push event data into external CRMs via native app connectors like Salesforce and Zapier workflows, or structured CSV exports.

Event Night Execution & Support

Since so much is riding on any event night, a fundraising platform’s true test occurs when hundreds of guests arrive simultaneously and real life just happens. Glitches can occur, hotspots stop being hot, and tracking everyone coming and going can quickly become a nightmare. This is why workflows and support can literally make or break your entire event. So how does each platform support your night? 

PayBee: Built for Live Gala Execution

PayBee offers excellent dedicated support on your night and if you choose to enroll you can even get someone from support to hold your hand throughout the event either by phonechat or email. And if you are really nervous, we can even send people physically to your event to handle all sorts of tasks and make sure your night goes off without a hitch, although this is a value add on. 

• Dedicated Support Options: Every account receives responsive technical assistance through chat, email or phone in emergencies. Premium Plan users can even get priority guidance during both your campaign creation and the actual setup.
• On-Site Event Support: For organizations running large galas or live auctions, PayBee offers the option to request hands-on, on-site event staff for an extra fee. Dedicated event specialists will manage your guest check-in, assist your volunteers, coordinate live auctioneer software controls and resolve technical issues on the floor if and the moment they happen. 
• Streamlined Volunteer Workflows: Paybee’s software is very intuitive to use so it doesn’t require a ton of training. This means it’s easy to have your volunteers register guests, store cards and execute express mobile checkouts using standard their own or their gusts smartphones or tablets.

Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising): Praised Standard Support with Event Day Gaps

Qgiv has built a strong reputation for customer service and you can often find great reviews for its ‘friendly, human support team.’ And while this is a true strength, it’s also only available during business hours. 

• Business Hours Strength: Customer support is praised for its responsiveness during regular business hours via phone, live chat and email ticketing.
• Event-Day Limitations: Third party user reviews on G2 and Capterra flag notable coverage gaps during after hours and weekend events. Because most galas occur on Friday or Saturday evenings, limited real time weekend support can cause you some potential headaches if there’s a problem with the softwrae, or your staff hasn’t been trained enough.
• Self-Service Support Model: Qgiv does not offer on site event staffing like Paybee does which means you’ll need to rely on your teams or volunteers to independently manage technical troubleshooting on gala night and hope all goes well.

Decision Framework: Which Should You Choose?

Selecting between PayBee and Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising) ultimately depends on your organization's primary fundraising channels, event structure and how you determine what you can afford in terms of software for your organization. 

Choose PayBee if:

1. You Prioritize Flat Predictable Pricing: You want to avoid monthly subscription fees and annual contracts and prefer a transparent 2% platform rate on electronic payments (with cash and checks processed at 0%).
2. Your Core Fundraiser is a Major Gala or Auction: Your organization relies heavily on annual galas, silent/live auctions, paddle raises or hybrid events that demand live auctioneer tools and streaming capabilities.
3. You Need Tap-to-Pay and On-Site Event Staffing: You want volunteers to be able to independently process fast, contactless mobile checkouts without needing to rent card readers or other hardware and you value the option to hire experienced on-site specialists for your important gala night.

Choose Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising) if:

1. You Use or Plan to Adopt Bloomerang CRM: You need direct, native synchronization between your donation forms, event registration data and constituent database without relying on third-party sync connectors like Zapier and are willing to pay the costs associated with this set up.
2. Peer-to-Peer Campaigns & Gamification Drive Your Revenue: Multi-team walkathons, peer-to-peer fitness challenges, leaderboards, digital badges and progress thermometers are core components of your fundraising strategy.
3. You Need Year- Round Texting and Multi-Department Pages: Your team actively executes automated SMS drip campaigns for marketing reasons and outbound text messaging and manages multi-channel donation drives across different organizational divisions.

Can You Use Both or Transition?

The absolute truth is this, using Bloomerang as your preferred CRM and then Paybee’s suite of tools for your events is one of the smartest ways to capture Bloomerang’s superior CRM while securing Paybee’s top notch event solutions at a price many can afford and without major commitments to either platform. So depending on your operational setup, you can either run both platforms in tandem or transition smoothly from one to the other.

Running PayBee and Qgiv / Bloomerang in Tandem

Many development teams leverage Bloomerang CRM (paired with Qgiv) for daily constituent tracking, annual fund drives, and peer-to-peer walks while also plugging in PayBee specifically to run their flagship annual galas and auctions for a standard 2% fee and no annual commitments or up front costs.

• The Gala Overlay Strategy: Organizations keep Bloomerang as their primary database of record, using PayBee on event night to run express check-ins, live auctioneering, tap-to-pay checkouts and paddle raises.
• Data Synchronization: Following the event, campaign totals, donor records, and itemized transaction receipts generated in PayBee export directly into Bloomerang via CSV uploads or Zapier integrations all while giving you specialized gala execution without disrupting your central database.

Transitioning to PayBee

If your organization is looking to lower software overhead by moving away from stacked subscription fees and add-on module costs, transitioning to PayBee follows a straightforward path:

1. Import Constituent & Guest Data: Export past donor lists, contact details, and custom tags from your current system into PayBee using structured CSV templates.
2. Rebuild Event & Bidding Pages: Configure your custom event page, ticketing tiers, and silent auction catalog within PayBee’s intuitive dashboard.
3. Launch PayBee Mobile Checkout: Eliminate rented card readers by deploying tap-to-pay on staff and volunteer mobile devices for all upcoming events.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is Qgiv now part of Bloomerang?

Yes. Bloomerang acquired Qgiv in January 2024 and started rebranding the software suite to Bloomerang Fundraising in 2026. So while they are still two different websites, they are theoretically one seamless company. 

Does Qgiv charge a platform fee?

Qgiv historically marketed a 0% platform fee on paid monthly plans and took in revenue through recurring subscription tiers and processing fees. Now however, you need to get a quote and pay for additional add ons up front, so it’s best to talk to a salesman on their platform to see exactly what you’d need to pay now after the acquisition.

Does PayBee require a monthly subscription?

No. PayBee operates on a transparent, flat 2% platform fee on electronic payments (0% on cash/checks) with no required monthly or annual contracts in order to use their entire suite of tools.

Can Qgiv handle live and silent auctions?

Yes. Qgiv supports silent, live, virtual and hybrid auctions with mobile bidding and fund-a-need capabilities. But you need to be aware that this functionality is not free and requires subscribing to their specific paid auction module add-on and pay up front. 

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

Both PayBee and Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising) offer powerful software designed to help nonprofits reach their financial goals and host successful events. So both can be a great addition to your organization and it just depends on what we spoke about above and which pricing model works best for your specific situation. 

• Qgiv (Bloomerang Fundraising) delivers an expansive, modular suite best suited for organizations heavily invested in Bloomerang CRM, year-round peer-to-peer campaigns, interactive gamification and multi-channel SMS drives.
• PayBee provides a purpose built gala and auction platform featuring a flat 2% fee structure, tap-to-pay mobile checkout, native livestreaming and optional on site support making it the ideal choice for frictionless event fundraising.

One thing to keep in mind is that even though you’d pay all of Bloomerang’s fees and Qgiv’s modules in order to have a seamless application, you are still essentially still using two different websites and services that have simply been merged but still separate.

Ready to see how PayBee can streamline your next gala or auction while keeping more raised funds in your mission? Book a PayBee demo today or explore complete feature details on our pricing page.