When it comes to online giving for churches, many leaders default to using PayPal’s simple “Donate” button. But while PayPal works well for general online payments, it’s not designed with churches or nonprofits in mind.
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In this comparison, we’ll walk you through how Tithely — a platform built specifically for churches — stacks up against PayPal, so you can confidently choose the best online giving solution for your ministry.
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PayPal is one of the world’s most well-known online payment platforms, allowing individuals and businesses to send and receive money securely. Donors can link their accounts to bank accounts, debit cards, or credit cards and use PayPal for quick payments.
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While PayPal is convenient, it wasn’t designed for church-specific needs like donor management, recurring giving, or fund designations.
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Organizations can embed a PayPal “Donate” button on their website. When donors click it, they’re taken off the church website to PayPal’s portal, where they log in or enter payment details. PayPal then processes the donation and transfers funds to the church’s bank account — minus transaction fees, which are typically 2.9–3.5% + $0.30 per donation (and higher for international donations).
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While PayPal is easy to set up, it comes with serious limitations for churches:
Churches need more than just a payment gateway — they need a comprehensive giving platform that boosts generosity and deepens donor engagement.
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Tithely is a modern online giving platform built by pastors and ministry leaders specifically for churches. Unlike PayPal, Tithely provides a full suite of giving and management tools designed to increase generosity and simplify administration.
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Tithely goes far beyond payments — it’s an all-in-one platform to help your church engage members and grow generosity.
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Tithely’s core giving tools are free to use — churches only pay low transaction fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30). For full access to its All Access suite, including church management software and communication tools, the cost is just $119/month.
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Tithely was founded by pastors and ministry leaders who understand the real needs of churches — not just donation processing.
Tithely makes recurring giving simple to set up and manage — no coding or complex workarounds required.
With Tithely, donors can split gifts across multiple funds (like missions, tithes, and building campaigns) — something PayPal can’t support.
Tithely keeps donors on your church website with beautifully branded, mobile-friendly giving forms, boosting trust and conversions.
Tithely supports giving from smartphones, kiosks, and text — essential in today’s mobile-first world.
Tithely includes a donor CRM, annual giving statements, and engagement tools, eliminating manual data transfers.
Tithely’s team specializes in supporting churches, unlike PayPal’s generic, often oursourced, support.
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“They’ve always been the best bang for your buck, the most feature-rich platform, and the most customer-friendly team around.” — Russ C.
“This tool is great for both the church and the member who’s tithing. It’s clean, easy to use, and you can tell a lot of thought went into the UI.” — Sean C.
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PayPal may have revolutionized online payments, but it’s no longer the best fit for churches. With its limited tools, complex setup, and high fees, PayPal falls short of what today’s ministries need.
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Tithely, on the other hand, was built from the ground up to serve churches, helping them increase giving, engage members, and manage operations — all at an affordable price.
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Make sure your church is exploring all its options to choose the best online giving solution for your congregation.
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