GoFundMe vs JustGiving: Which site should you use?
GoFundMe and JustGiving are two popular fundraising platforms in the UK with similar fee structures, although there are key differences in areas such as donor protection, timings for withdrawals and the types of fundraisers they best support. Crowdfunding is one of the quickest, easiest and safest ways for people to make a big difference and raise funds for the good causes they care about.
But where to start? When thinking about fundraising websites, it’s important to select the one that best suits your needs. That is why we’ve outlined the benefits of using GoFundMe vs JustGiving. From fees to customer support and security, we want your crowdfunding experience to be as simple and effective as possible and get vital funds to get to the people that need them most, fast.
If you’re thinking of starting a crowdfunder for a personal cause, planning a charity fundraising event or function or want to raise money for a charitable initiative, think about GoFundMe today. Everything you need to get started is here.
How GoFundMe compares to JustGiving
Starting a fundraiser can be daunting. From wondering what to fundraise for to considering how to word why it is you’re fundraising, it can be very hard to get started.
Looking at successful fundraisers online, it can also be tricky to wonder how they got to that point.
With so many different online fundraising platforms available, it can be tricky to know which is the best option. GoFundMe and JustGiving are both digital crowdfunding platforms, but what they can offer donors and fundraisers is slightly different.
It’s important to think about what is best for you, but with so much information out there, it can be hard to get to grips with what is available to you. We can break down the difference between the two platforms for you and answer any burning questions you may have had.
Let’s compare the two to see which one is most suitable for your fundraiser.
GoFundMe fees
GoFundMe wants to make it easy for you to raise funds for the causes you care about, which is why there are no platform fees for personal and charitable UK fundraisers when you crowdfund with us.
There are industry-standard transaction fees of 2.9% + £0.25p per donation. Fundraisers for registered charities and nonprofit organisations have fees of 1.9% + £0.20p per donation, with all Gift Aid processed and passed on to the charities for free. We also deliver all charity donations free. See our full pricing model for more information.
JustGiving fees
Similarly, JustGiving offers 0% platform fees for fundraiser organisers and imposes standard transaction fees of 2.9% + £0.35 for crowdfunding.
UK charities also incur payment processing fees of 1.9% + £0.30. JustGiving takes a 5% administration fee for processing each Gift Aid addition. This does not reduce individual donations.
Some charities may also choose to pay a monthly subscription fee of £15-£39 plus VAT for additional services on the platform, including customisation, reporting, widgets and more.
Withdrawing funds for crowdfunding fundraisers
GoFundMe: Access your money quickly
With GoFundMe, you can set up withdrawals right away and once verified, donations appear within 2-5 days. Many other platforms place a seven to 30-day hold on funds, but GoFundMe’s speedy process means that financial aid can be delivered urgently. GoFundMe has been delivering millions of pounds of aid to those in crisis for the last decade.
GoFundMe: Use a beneficiary product
The beneficiary product also sets GoFundMe apart. Organisers can also invite someone else to withdraw the funds as the beneficiary. The beneficiary can then directly access the donations. This means you can raise money for someone else without touching the funds – avoiding difficult questions and having to organise bank transfers.
JustGiving: 14-day minimum before withdrawal
Customers using the JustGiving fundraising platform have to wait 14 days before they can withdraw funds after launching their page, and this is only if the payment details have been verified. JustGiving users also have to wait 4-6 working days for the funds to reach them once a withdrawal has been made. There is no beneficiary product.
JustGiving: Expiry dates
All JustGiving fundraising pages are set up with an inbuilt expiry date. You can extend this expiry date by logging into your account and manually changing it, although this must be done before the page expires.
At GoFundMe, we understand that people have busy lives. We want to make fundraising as simple as possible for our users, which is why we don’t expect our users to spend their valuable time manually adjusting the timeframe in which they can fundraise.
Why people choose GoFundMe
GoFundMe: Chosen by 200 million
GoFundMe has been chosen by over 200 million donors worldwide. We’ve raised over £31 billion (and counting), evidencing the level of trust users have in our service.
GoFundMe: No deadlines
GoFundMe fundraisers don’t have to worry about falling short of their fundraising goal because, unlike many similar platforms, there are no deadlines, limits or penalties for fundraisers staying live. Fundraising pages remain online until you turn off donations or remove them. If you choose to, you can leave your online donation form active indefinitely and continue accepting money even after reaching your goal. It also means you don’t have to meet your goal to start withdrawing the money.
GoFundMe support and tools
GoFundMe’s hardworking team of Customer Care agents are on hand seven days a week. This means that whenever and however you choose to manage your account, we’ll be right here when you need us to ensure you have the best user experience possible.
Our user-friendly GoFundMe mobile app is an all-in-one tool that lets you launch and manage your crowdfunding page, and makes it easy to share your fundraiser on social media.
We are also the experts in viral fundraising and online giving. Every day, thousands of people start a GoFundMe for themselves, their communities and for charities. Every day, thousands of those people meet their fundraising targets. Every day, some of those fundraising efforts will raise six or seven figures.
This doesn’t happen by accident – GoFundMe is set up for social and viral fundraising, and those who have managed to use it most effectively are experts in making the most of the product. The GoFundMe blog also offers plenty of fundraising tips and fundraising ideas.
How we are protecting donors and organisers
When donating money online, trust and transparency are essential. While many people want to make donations, they need to feel their transactions will be secure before doing so.
The GoFundMe Guarantee
GoFundMe has the first and only donor protection guarantee in the industry. That means in the rare case that funds don’t get to where they are supposed to go, we will return cash to donors. The GoFundMe Guarantee means we are a welcome JustGiving alternative that offers reassurance to users. For beneficiaries, this means that if an organiser fails to deliver funds, we will donate the difference.
Our Trust and Safety team, who comprise a quarter of our global staff, is dedicated to keeping customers financially safe. GoFundMe uses advanced payment encryption technology, with donations stored securely until you request a withdrawal via electronic bank transfer directly into your bank account. All funds undergo some form of verification.
JustGiving: No protection
JustGiving does not offer a fraud protection guarantee for its crowdfunding. In their Terms of Service, the platform states that it “shall have no liability to donors whatsoever for any use or misuse of donations made to the JustGiving Crowdfunding page. The JustGiving Crowdfunding page may state that page owners will use donations only for specific purposes, but JustGiving cannot guarantee that they will use them for such purpose”.
Success stories
If you need any further inspiration on picking your platform, here are just a few examples of success stories on GoFundMe.
Save Salford Lads and Girls Club
Salford Lads and Girls Club is an iconic youth club in Salford, near Manchester. It has been a vital community resource for decades and features heavily in the music scene from that part of the world, too. In 2024, they revealed they urgently needed funds to keep going. The Manchester Evening News sprang into action, starting a GoFundMe to raise the money needed. They managed to smash the target of £250,000 and the club was able to keep going.
Help Save Baby Ollie’s Heart
At two weeks old, baby Ollie was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. Now aged 13 months, he needs lifesaving surgery that he can only get from a team of specialists based at Stanford Children’s Hospital in California. The confirmed cost of his treatment came to £1.5 million – an unthinkable amount for most families. Through GoFundMe, Ollie’s family raised the funds they needed and flew to California for the surgery in January 2026.
Stand for Féile
Féile suffered a life-changing accident aged 12, leaving her in critical condition, with severe lower abdominal injuries and both legs amputated. Surgeries, hospital stays, specialist care, prosthetic limbs, mobility aids and more added a significant financial burden to the already heavy emotional and physical toll. Through GoFundMe, Féile’s family raised over €784,000 to go towards her ongoing care and rehabilitation.
Pride of Britain fundraiser for superstar Florrie
Florrie Bark is a remarkable little girl. At just six years old, she was diagnosed with cancer. But rather than letting the devastating diagnosis and gruelling treatment get her down, Florrie decided to share her experiences of hospital, treatment and day-to-day life online to help other children who were going through a similar thing. Her videos have amassed thousands of followers and Florrie has kept them updated through her journey. She finally received her lung transplant at Great Ormond Street Hospital in April 2026. Florrie also launched the charity Bemorefab to continue helping others. It’s this work that won her the Child of Courage award at the Pride of Britain. Florrie was presented with a surprise GoFundMe, donated to by big celebrities, to help Bemorefab’s work.
Pick the right fundraising platform for your cause
Ultimately, the choice is down to you, and only you can decide the best way to fundraise for your cause. But whether you’re fundraising for a cause personal to you, your chosen charity or for yourself, GoFundMe can be on hand to help you.
We have hundreds of thousands of people raising money for causes they’re passionate about, and we also have resources to help you get involved in fundraising if you don’t know where to start.
There are differences when looking at GoFundMe vs JustGiving, and the right platform for you may depend on the type of fundraiser you want to set up. GoFundMe offers a guarantee to donors and a 0% platform fee to fundraiser organisers, ensuring your money gets put to the best use as quickly as possible. Looking to fundraise? For low transaction fees, support seven days a week and, most importantly, the GoFundMe Guarantee, consider crowdfunding with GoFundMe.