CiviCRM vs Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT

CiviCRM9.3Visit Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT9.1Visit

Higher score CiviCRM #1 in Donor Management Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit CiviCRM

vs

Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT #3 in Donor Management Software 9.1/10 Pricing on request ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Blackbaud

• CiviCRM fits best

  Open-source nonprofits needing broad flexibility

• Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT fits best

  Large nonprofits needing mature CRM depth

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Side by side

Feature	CiviCRM 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	9.1
Ranking	#1 in Donor Management Software	#3 in Donor Management Software
Best for	Open-source nonprofits needing broad flexibility	Large nonprofits needing mature CRM depth
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$15/mo	Pricing on request
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Email, Community, Live chat, Docs	Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs
Compliance	GDPR	SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS
Integrations	8 integrations	5 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features CiviCRM 5/5 · Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT 5/5
Campaign management	✓	✓
Online donation forms	✓	✓
Recurring donations	✓	✓
Automated receipts	✓	✓
Donor segmentation	✓	✓
Specs
Reporting level	Advanced	Advanced
Our review
Pros	Core software is free and open source Supports recurring gifts, receipts, segmentation and reporting Works with major CMS, payment, accounting and automation tools	Unified records connect giving, relationships, engagement, and interactions. Supports campaigns, pledges, tributes, recurring gifts, and online donations. Advanced reporting, moves management, open API, and Microsoft integrations.
Cons	Hosted plans cap contacts and email volumes Self-hosting requires an organization-managed deployment The breadth of features may require more configuration	Pricing requires a sales conversation rather than a published numeric price. Its broad CRM scope may exceed the needs of smaller development teams. Platform access is centered on web and API rather than open-source deployment.
Our verdict	CiviCRM is a web-based, open-source constituent relationship management system for nonprofit and civic-sector organizations. It brings contact records, contributions, fundraising campaigns, memberships, events, email communications and… Read the review →	Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT is a cloud-based fundraising CRM for nonprofits, particularly mid-sized and large organizations with dedicated development teams. It brings supporter records, giving history, relationships, engagement,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• CiviCRM — where it wins

  • Core software is free and open source
  • Supports recurring gifts, receipts, segmentation and reporting
  • Works with major CMS, payment, accounting and automation tools

  Where it doesn't

  • Hosted plans cap contacts and email volumes
  • Self-hosting requires an organization-managed deployment
  • The breadth of features may require more configuration

• Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT — where it wins

  • Unified records connect giving, relationships, engagement, and interactions.
  • Supports campaigns, pledges, tributes, recurring gifts, and online donations.
  • Advanced reporting, moves management, open API, and Microsoft integrations.

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires a sales conversation rather than a published numeric price.
  • Its broad CRM scope may exceed the needs of smaller development teams.
  • Platform access is centered on web and API rather than open-source deployment.

• CiviCRM9.3/10 · Free plan

  A flexible donor system with broad fundraising tools and open-source deployment options.

  Visit CiviCRMFull verdict →
• Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT9.1/10 · Pricing on request

  A mature fundraising CRM for large nonprofits with complex relationship-based programs.

  Visit BlackbaudFull verdict →