Donor CRM · head to head
Aplos vs Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT
Aplos and Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT are both donor crm tools. Aplos fits small and midsize nonprofits and churches that need real fund accounting, with donation tracking attached.; Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT fits large shops with a dedicated database administrator and genuinely complex gift structures — higher ed, hospitals, major arts institutions.. The table below lines up price, free tier, and fit so you can see which one matches your shop.
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| Aplos | Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | From $79/mo (fund accounting + donor management) | Quote-only; Vendr puts the median Blackbaud contract at ~$20,417/yr |
| Pricing model | Published tiers by feature depth and organization size; month-to-month | Quoted per organization; 3-year auto-renewing term is the default |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Best for | Small and midsize nonprofits and churches that need real fund accounting, with donation tracking attached. | Large shops with a dedicated database administrator and genuinely complex gift structures — higher ed, hospitals, major arts institutions. |
| Last verified | Aug 2026 | Aug 2026 |
Aplos
Strengths: Genuine fund accounting — balance sheet and income statement by fund, not a QuickBooks workaround; Published rate card, month-to-month, 15-day trial with no credit card; One system for the treasurer and the giving statements, which suits a one-person finance shop.
Not the fit?
- Need a fundraising CRM rather than an accounting system? DonorDock →
- Taking large gifts by bank transfer? Donately →
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT
Strengths: Depth on planned giving, complex constituent relationships and gift structures that smaller systems cannot match; The sector's deepest bench of consultants, trained users and third-party integrations; Enterprise reporting that holds up when a board wants the number sliced a new way.
Not the fit?
- Under $5M raised with no database administrator? DonorDock →
- Want the same job done with published pricing? Bloomerang →