Donor CRM · head to head
CharityEngine vs Virtuous
CharityEngine and Virtuous are both donor crm tools. CharityEngine fits mid-to-large shops leaving blackbaud or salesforce that want fundraising, email, events and payment processing genuinely in one system.; Virtuous fits shops raising roughly $2m-$20m that are actually staffed to run donor journeys and marketing automation.. The table below lines up price, free tier, and fit so you can see which one matches your shop.
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| CharityEngine | Virtuous | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Listed at $550/mo in vendor-supplied directory listings; CharityEngine's own site publishes nothing | Quote-only — no reliable reported figure exists |
| Pricing model | Tiered by users, contacts and email volume; contract length is a priced variable | Two quoted tiers split at $5M annual fundraising revenue; unlimited users |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Best for | Mid-to-large shops leaving Blackbaud or Salesforce that want fundraising, email, events and payment processing genuinely in one system. | Shops raising roughly $2M-$20M that are actually staffed to run donor journeys and marketing automation. |
| Last verified | Aug 2026 | Aug 2026 |
CharityEngine
Strengths: Genuinely all-in-one: CRM, email automation, events, membership and in-house payment processing without a middleman gateway; Native prospect research included at the entry tier, which usually costs four figures separately; Reviewers switching from Raiser's Edge consistently report a lower total cost.
Not the fit?
- Under $1M raised? DonorDock →
- Want a short implementation? Bloomerang →
Virtuous
Strengths: Marketing automation and donor journeys are native to the CRM rather than bolted on through an integration; Unlimited users on both tiers, so access is never the thing you are rationing; Events, workflow automation and reporting included in the base platform rather than sold as modules.
Not the fit?
- Not staffed to run automation? Bloomerang →
- Need published pricing to get board approval? DonorDock →