This post was produced by the CiviCRM Marketing Team and is intentionally a bit punchy. We poke fun at CiviCRM’s competitors because we find their marketing to often be incomplete and disingenuous.
The next time you see a “Best CRM for Nonprofits” list, stop monkeying around and make certain you read between the lines. These CRM software rankings are marketing tools, not objective reviews. Most are blatant self-promotion that are literally copies from one year to the next. Few even mention CiviCRM, a powerful, community-driven CRM built by nonprofit organizations specifically for nonprofits organizations. The reason? CiviCRM outperforms them across a broader set of real world use cases. And that’s no bananas.
It’s that time of year again when the marketing teams of some of the industry’s most prolific software development companies sharpen their pencils, perform their keyword research, and produce highly-optimized, often AI-generated content that is intended to maintain their search rankings and convince you that their CRM software delivers where all others crash and burn.
Their approach is formulaic, generic, and basically the same as all of their competitors.
The “Best” Lists: A Pattern You Can Predict
Take a quick glance at these lists, and you’ll notice a few trends about their “nonprofit CRM software”:
Their CRM is always the the #1 CRM for nonprofits. (Because, of course, their marketing budgets say so.) This is just downright disingenuous from the start.
The few that mention CiviCRM focus almost exclusively on cost, as if “free” is all we bring to the table. They almost always fail to mention CiviCRM’s powerful fundraising tools.
They are all long form content that use SEO tactics designed to generate impressions and clicks that ultimately are intended to get you to subscribe. Despite this, most lack a real overview or comparison of features.
Even for-profit CRMs are elbowing their way into the nonprofit space because, hey, why let a pesky thing like mission-driven work get in the way of profits?
We get it. They’re businesses and they need to push their own products. But it’s time to stop monkeying around and set the record straight.
CRM Software: Getting Real
We’re going to use this post to offer feedback on some of those competitor pages that rank their offerings above all other nonprofit fundraising software. But before we do, we’re going to take a second to get real about using any CRM for your nonprofit organization. In addition to building kickass software for nonprofits, here are a few things we’ve learned at CiviCRM that you should consider:
Expect Complexity
Don’t get sold on any CRM being easy. Those that are, legitimately, probably lack the functionality many organizations need to adapt to dynamic market conditions and often just focus on a single feature like donations and donor management. Most nonprofit organizations that we speak to are more complex than that and need volunteer management, social impact reporting, an email newsletter platform, automations, advanced reporting to key stakeholders and much more. In short they want everything under the sun, for nothing, yesterday. If it’s that easy, everybody would be doing it.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
This one goes without saying, except few actually listen to it. You push in bad data: you get bad data back out. It really is that simple. Your CRM software is just one part of your overall system. If you put bad data into your CRM, into any CRM, probably your software isn’t going to work how you want or need. But that’s not the software’s fault.
There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
Sorry, but even CiviCRM, the only real open source CRM for nonprofits, is going to cost you something. Whether it’s a few bucks for hosting or a bunch of time configuring the system, you’re gonna pay. Like momma said, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
Learning to Fly
CRMs are complex, as are your operational objectives (in all likelihood). You’re going to have to spend time in the system, learning its ins and outs, and understanding how to adapt it to your organization. If you log in once a month, you’re not going to thrive. If you work it consistently, you’ll come to understand how to leverage your CRM effectively. Whether or not you grow to love it is a different story.
Get Ready for Change
And, well, even if you do learn your CRM, odds are really good that you’re going to get some new executive director or development director that used [enter CRM name here] back in the day and they’re going to want to switch everything around “because it’s better”. Moral of this story? Don’t get attached to your CRM software. You’re one executive director or board member away from tossing it out for the latest shiny new AI-powered CRM that has literally already raised your money for you.
You Will Never Get Fired for Choosing Salesforce
And last but not least, if you’re an Executive Director reading this, rest assured that you can’t go wrong with Salesforce. Is it going to work for your organization? Maybe. Maybe not. Is it going to be free? See “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” above. Are you going to get fired for probably what is an ill-informed decision? Noooooo. It’s Salesforce for crying outloud! Everybody has heard of it. It’s the absolute safest choice you can make, even if it utterly fails to deliver for your organization.
Roundup: Review the Reviews
Ok, now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive into the annual 2025 best CRM for nonprofits round up. While we at CiviCRM admire our competitor’s commitment to self-promotion, it’s time for a little counterpunching.
“If cost is a concern, check out CiviCRM. The software is open source, so it’s totally free. And it has built-in or custom report capabilities.”
Wow. Where do we begin? CiviCRM is free to download, but it isn’t free. You’re going to pay something. Again, view “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” above. What it is is “freedom”. You control your data. You control your software. You are in control. Did we mention that? It’s that simple. But to think it’s not going to cost you something is, well, silly.
But hey, look on the bright side. According to Mailchimp, CiviCRM has “built-in or custom report capabilities”. Not both? And nothing else (like it’s own HTML mailer, and traditional mailer, with amazing contact segmentation features and flexible automations)?
For the record, CiviCRM has both built in reporting as well as ‘custom’ reporting via SearchKit as well as, well, you can write your own reports, no problem. And CiviCRM has all of those other nonprofit CRM features you’d expect, too.
Ouch, somebody needs to blow off the dust on this one. They updated the year from “2024” to “2025”, but that’s about it. Ok, let’s be fair… they inserted a table of contents.
We got a mention. Wooot! And not bad either. We won’t poke too much fun at this one, though we will take a moment to clarify a few points the article makes, specifically:
The open-source nature of the software allows it to be highly customizable and expandable. You can configure the system to your unique needs and priorities.
Yeah, that’s what we’ve been saying for almost 20 years. CiviCRM is among the most flexible systems on the market because of its open source nature. Proprietary systems simply cannot offer the same degree of flexibility.
Users say the software takes a lot of work to set up and requires someone with technical expertise to keep the platform running.
For users that want to manage their own infrastructure and software, i.e. go the DIY route, sure, there is setup and administration involved. But, even then, the complexity depends on your setup and your needs.
Thanks for that, NEON. That stings a little, though.
Ok, they made a few design changes, so they get higher marks than their competitors. But listing “Excel or Google Sheets” in 5th place on “The 5 Best CRMs for Nonprofits in 2025” is head-scratchingly strange given that neither Excel nor Google Sheets are anywhere close to being a CRM.
In fact, most organizations that are looking for a CRM are already using spreadsheets and are looking for something, well, more.
And to think that Excel or Google Sheets is recommended over CiviCRM, what with all its features specifically geared towards nonprofits is, well… it just hurts.
Originally built as a Project Management system, Monday has entered the CRM for nonprofits arena and apparently already works well for thousands of nonprofits. It may very well indeed, however we would not know because this is the first time we’ve seen it listed anywhere as a viable nonprofit fundraising software application. It hasn’t shown up yet as a contender on any of the other “Best CRM for nonprofits” articles, though as you’ve no doubt guessed, it claims to be better than all of them.
There’s a lot that goes into managing a nonprofit, and doing so varies greatly from one organization to another. It’s hard to imagine that a project management system can outperform CRMs that are specifically built for nonprofits, but stranger things have happened. Just goes to show what a huge advertising budget and some good quality copywriting can do.
Ok, we’re going to stop here because we’re starting to sound a little petty. While we’ve poked fun at a few of these high-ranking “Best CRM for Nonprofits” articles, there are quite a few out there, some of which actually provide insightful information.
Most, however, are just spammy self-serving marketing pieces. Not only are these articles all mostly the same in what they’re telling you, they’re equally the same in what they’re not telling you.
What They Don’t Want You to Know
Free Doesn’t Mean Inferior
Those articles that mention CiviCRM do so often with a backhanded compliment about its price tag—”If cost is a concern, check out CiviCRM.” Sure, it’s free. But that’s because it’s open-source, not because it lacks power. CiviCRM is developed and improved by a global community of charities and nonprofit professionals who actually use it. Our development environment is the real world, not some whiteboard in a corporate office with MBA’s busy calculating the impact on shareholder wealth of some new feature or monetization scheme.
Full disclosure, at least one of the authors of this post holds an MBA.
You’re Not Locked Into a Vendor’s Vision
Unlike proprietary CRMs, which dictate updates, pricing, and features on their schedule (and their shareholders’ priorities), CiviCRM is community-driven. Need a specific feature? You don’t have to wait until the next version (or until the price is right). You can build it or tap into a global network of contributors who can help.
Total Data Control
Other CRMs claim to offer security and flexibility, but let’s be real about that; your data is living in their ecosystem, often with restrictions on how you can use, export, or integrate it. With CiviCRM, you own your data and your system. No hidden fees. No forced upgrades. No locked-in contracts. It is yours. That is freedom!
CRM Isn’t Just for Fundraising
Many nonprofit CRM reviews focus on donor management and fundraising alone. While that’s crucial, your nonprofit’s relationships go beyond donors and include volunteers, advocates, beneficiaries, staff, members and more. CiviCRM is built to manage all of those connections without needing separate systems. It is a comprehensive, secure platform that empowers organizations seeking to make strategic use of technology.
The Top 5 CRMs you should consider for 2025
Ok, so now we need to end this with our own ‘best of list-icle’. Our marketing department says so. Here are the top 5 CRMs you should consider in 2025:
The one you’re using
There are many good reasons to switch CRMs, and there are probably an equal (or greater) number of reasons not to. One of the biggest mistakes to make is switch because you or your staff didn’t use it enough or lack sufficient staff buy-in. Whatever the reason, it’s worth taking a good hard look at what the real issues are. It may be that there’s no good technical or functional reason to switch.
The one that aligns with your operational objectives and your organization’s ethos
Let’s face it, when we use software, we’re using more than just features and functionality. We’re using the companies that built it. We’re supporting their actions (or in-actions). We are subject to their seemingly-ever-changing terms and conditions. And we’re subject to their acquisitions, mergers, implosions and leadership changes. Open source is more relevant today than ever because it largely bypasses all of this drama and puts you in complete control. You own your system and your data.
One of the ones in the above articles
Many of the CRMs in the articles above might work for you, truly. The feature reviews are not particularly complete, so you need to do your homework on which is likely the best fit and why. But, if nothing else, these articles have done a bit of homework for you and can at the very least point out some of your options.
One that isn’t listed in any of the above articles
There are literally a ton of CRMs out there. In fact, it seems like a new one pops up each week. Many don’t get even an honorable mention in the “best CRM for nonprofit” reviews that actually rank, but that doesn’t mean that they may not fit your needs. Likewise, consider that maybe you don’t need a full on CRM. Maybe a niche application that, for example, manages events or mailings or basic donations is all you need. There are literally thousands of these!
Salesforce
Ok, we had to say it again. When your search fails, you can always go with Salesforce. It’s almost certain that you will overpay and quite probable that it will not be a good fit for your organization, but you will get to keep your job.
The Bottom Line
No CRM software is perfect. And some are more well-known than others. CiviCRM requires some technical know-how and works best when integrated with an open-source CMS like Drupal, Backdrop, Joomla, or WordPress (you can use it without a CMS, just in case you were wondering). But that’s the beauty of it; flexibility without limitations.
And unlike the CRMs that “recommend” their own solution, we’re not pretending CiviCRM is the best choice for everyone. If your nonprofit wants to stay in a closed, proprietary ecosystem, we’re not the right fit. But if you want a CRM that’s truly built for nonprofits, by nonprofits, CiviCRM is worth a look.
Remember, the next time you see a “Best CRM for Nonprofits” list, read between the lines. These rankings are marketing tools, not objective reviews.
CiviCRM isn’t just a budget-friendly option; it’s a powerful, community-driven CRM built specifically for organizations like yours. No shareholders. No hidden costs. Just a nonprofit CRM that puts mission first.
And if that makes us the best-kept secret in CRM land, so be it. For now.
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Their CRM is always the the #1 CRM for nonprofits. (Because, of course, their marketing budgets say so.) This is just downright disingenuous from the start.
