GiveGrove
vs OneCause
GiveGrove and OneCause both run mobile silent and live auctions with text outbid alerts. As a OneCause alternative, GiveGrove is free to start, has no contracts or subscriptions, and lets you set up your event yourself in a few minutes. OneCause is an established gala platform, now part of Bonterra, sold through Pay-As-You-Go or annual plans with options for onsite event staff.
Last updated October 2026 · Published by GiveGrove
GiveGrove vs OneCause: the short version
Choose GiveGrove if you want to start free with no contract or annual subscription, set up your auction yourself, and have people on call during the event.
Choose OneCause if you run a large gala with a dedicated events team, want sponsor management, table seating, live scoreboards and onsite staff, and have budget for an annual subscription.
The biggest difference: cost and commitment. GiveGrove is free to start, publishes its pricing, and caps its Classic fee at $4,000 per event. OneCause starts at $200 plus 5% of funds raised, or $2,995 a year, with Enterprise and Nationals tiers priced by quote.
GiveGrove vs OneCause at a glance
| GiveGrove 🍋 | OneCause | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Auction-centered events: silent auctions, live auctions, galas | Larger galas with a dedicated events team |
| Pricing model | Your choice: GiveBack Guarantee (tip-funded) or Classic (percentage) | Pay-As-You-Go or annual subscription; higher tiers by quote |
| Platform fee | 0% (GiveBack) or 4% capped at $4,000 per event (Classic) | From $200 plus 5% of funds raised, capped (Pay-As-You-Go), or $2,995 per year (Professional Auction & Event) |
| Card processing | 2.9% + $0.30; donors must cover, donors may cover, or you absorb | From 2.0% through OneCause Payments; donors can opt to cover costs |
| Tip prompt | Optional tip (GiveBack) or none (Classic) | None; OneCause is funded by plan fees |
| Tips shared with you | Up to 10% of each tip | Not applicable |
| Contracts or subscriptions | None | 12-month subscription, or Pay-As-You-Go |
| Silent auction | Mobile bidding, auto-charge, auto-bidding, anti-sniping, Buy It Now, multi-quantity items | Mobile bidding, Max Bid, Buy Now, item-level close times, last-chance auction, AI item descriptions |
| Outbid alerts | Text message | Text message |
| Live auction | Paddle assignment, paddle raises, manual bid entry, hybrid bidding | Paddle raises with a Spotter tool, floor and proxy bids, live scoreboards |
| Tickets, raffles and check-in | Ticketing with discount codes, custom questions for attendees, and raffles, with real-time check-in and checkout | Ticketing, sponsorships, table seating, raffles, QR check-in and OneCause Tap |
| Donor CRM | None by design; exports to your CRM | Donor management and reporting; part of Bonterra |
| Support | Team on call during your event | Phone, chat, email and pre-event consulting; onsite staff available |
GiveGrove vs OneCause pricing
Example: $25,000 raised across 250 card payments averaging $100.
| Setup | Organization pays | Donors pay | Comes back to you |
|---|---|---|---|
| GiveGrove 🍋 GiveBack, donors required to cover processing | $0 | About $800 in processing (2.9% + $0.30 per payment), plus an optional tip | Up to 10% of tips |
| GiveGrove 🍋 Classic, donors required to cover fees | $0 | About $1,800 ($1,000 platform fee at 4%, plus about $800 processing); no tip prompt | Not applicable |
| OneCause Pay-As-You-Go, 5% of funds raised, capped | About $1,450 ($200 plus 5% of $25,000), plus any processing donors don't cover | Card processing (from 2.0%), if they choose to cover it | Nothing extra |
| OneCause Professional Auction & Event, annual package | $2,995 per year, plus any processing donors don't cover | Card processing (from 2.0%), if they choose to cover it | Nothing extra |
On this $25,000 event, GiveGrove can cost your organization nothing, because donors usually cover processing (about $3.20 on a $100 payment). OneCause's Pay-As-You-Go plan would cost about $1,450 before card processing, and its annual package costs $2,995.
GiveGrove 🍋 reports that donors cover fees 85 to 90% of the time when given the option.
GiveGrove vs OneCause features
Auctions
GiveGrove runs silent auctions with real-time mobile bidding, starting bids and increments, auto-bidding, anti-sniping, outbid texts, automatic charging of winners, Buy It Now, and multi-quantity items such as a wine pull. Auctions can close at a set time or with your live event. Live auctions include paddle assignment (online and offline paddle numbers), paddle raises, and manual bid entry for guests without smartphones, in the room or streamed on Zoom, Facebook Live or YouTube.
OneCause runs silent auctions with mobile bidding, Max Bid and Buy Now, item-level start and end times, real-time outbid and item-won notifications, and a "last chance" auction for unsold items. AI tools write item descriptions and recommend items to guests. Live auctions take mobile bids, paddle raises, floor bids and proxy bids for virtual guests, with live slides and scoreboards.
Tickets, raffles, check-in and payments
GiveGrove includes ticketing with real-time guest check-in and checkout, and the same ticketing module can run raffles. Guests can pay for live auction items on the spot. GiveGrove also accepts Apple Pay and Google Pay.
OneCause includes ticketing with groups and sponsorship packages, drag-and-drop table seating, raffles, QR code check-in, walk-up ticket sales, and OneCause Tap for capturing cards at check-in. Staff can record paddle raise gifts with a Spotter tool and enter bids for guests with Bid Assist.
Donations and other campaigns
Both offer donation pages, fund-a-need appeals and peer-to-peer fundraising.
GiveGrove adds team fundraising and team voting. You can also add offline dollars to a team fundraiser or voting campaign.
OneCause adds Text2Give, matching gifts, recurring giving, online sponsorship sales, donate-to-vote and table contests.
Donor data and messaging
GiveGrove has no CRM by design. You get each supporter's name, email, phone, purchases and fee coverage to export into your own CRM, and you can text supporters who opted in. GiveGrove never uses or sells donor data.
OneCause includes donor management and reporting dashboards, and is part of Bonterra's nonprofit software suite.
Support
GiveGrove's team is on call during your event, and you can text or call a real person for help while it's live. There's also a help button on every page and a post-event summary showing net raised and your actual cost.
OneCause offers phone, chat, email and an AI guide, plus pre-event consulting. Onsite event staff are available; reviewers report this adds to the cost.
Where GiveGrove is stronger
- Free to start, with no contract or annual subscription.
- Self-serve setup in a few minutes, with no demo required.
- A choice of model: tip-funded GiveBack, or Classic with no tip prompt and a fee capped at $4,000 per event.
- Tip sharing: up to 10% of each donor tip goes back to your organization.
- People on call during your event, by text or phone.
Where OneCause is stronger
- Deeper gala tools: sponsor management, table seating, live scoreboards and a paddle raise Spotter tool.
- Onsite event staff and pre-event consulting available.
- AI tools that write auction item descriptions and recommend items.
- Text2Give and a broader software suite through Bonterra.
GiveGrove or OneCause: which should you choose?
School or PTO auction run by volunteers:
GiveGrove, for free self-serve setup and no annual subscription.
One auction or gala a year with a paddle raise:
GiveGrove, so you aren't paying a yearly fee for one night.
Large gala with sponsors, assigned seating and an events team:
OneCause.
You want the platform's own staff onsite at your event:
OneCause, if the budget allows.
How to switch from OneCause to GiveGrove
-
Create your GiveGrove event. You need your organization's name and event basics, and setup takes a few minutes.
-
Choose GiveBack Guarantee or Classic, then set how processing fees are handled.
-
Add your items and share your event page. Want a walkthrough first? Talk to a real person.
✦ GiveGrove has no contract, so you can run your next auction on GiveGrove while your OneCause plan runs out.
“You guys are the best in the business! Our fundraising site looked like it was our event's website, not a platform's website.”
GiveGrove vs OneCause FAQ
Is GiveGrove cheaper than OneCause?
For most events, yes. GiveGrove is free to start: the GiveBack Guarantee charges no platform fee, and Classic charges 4% capped at $4,000 per event. OneCause's Pay-As-You-Go plan starts at $200 plus a 5% fee on funds raised, and its Professional Auction & Event package costs $2,995 a year. Card processing applies on both.
How much does OneCause cost?
OneCause's plans page lists Pay-As-You-Go starting at $200 with a capped 5% fee on funds raised, and a $2,995 Professional Auction & Event annual package. Enterprise and Nationals tiers are priced by quote. OneCause doesn't publish the dollar amount of the Pay-As-You-Go cap.
Does OneCause require a contract?
OneCause's annual packages are 12-month subscriptions; Pay-As-You-Go is billed per use. GiveGrove has no contracts or subscriptions.
Do both send outbid texts?
Yes. Both GiveGrove and OneCause text bidders when they're outbid, and both support max bids so the system can bid for a guest up to a limit.
Which is better for a large gala?
OneCause, if you want sponsor management, assigned table seating, live scoreboards and onsite staff from the platform. GiveGrove handles paddle raises, live auctions, check-in and checkout, with its team on call during your event.
Can I set up GiveGrove without a demo?
Yes. You can create your organization and event yourself in a few minutes. If you'd like a walkthrough first, you can talk to a real person.
Is OneCause part of Bonterra?
Yes. Bonterra acquired OneCause in October 2025, and OneCause now sits within Bonterra's nonprofit software suite.
Does GiveGrove have a donor CRM like OneCause?
No. GiveGrove focuses on auctions and events and exports supporter contact data to the CRM or email tool you already use.
Try GiveGrove free
No contracts, no upfront costs, no subscriptions.
How we compared
GiveGrove publishes this page. We checked GiveGrove's pricing and product pages and OneCause's public plans and product pages on October 12, 2026, and link every source below. We have tried to be fair, including where OneCause is the better fit. Prices and features change. If anything here is out of date, email info@givegrove.com and we will correct it.
Sources