Compare Your Options

Memorial Fund Alternatives: An Honest Comparison

There is more than one good way to collect gifts after a loss. Here is how the common options compare on what matters to families: cost, tips, where the money goes, and how long setup takes. Including where we cost more.

Fees and features reviewed September 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Cost to the family

Tip prompt

Built for memorials

Where money goes

The Short Version

GoFundMe and Ever Loved charge no platform fee and rely on optional donor tips. Memorial Fund charges a 1% platform fee and never asks donors for a tip. If most donors skip the tip, the tip-based sites cost the family slightly less. Choose based on what matters most to your family.

Side by Side

Option	Memorial Fund	GoFundMe	Ever Loved	Community Foundation Fund	529 Plan Gifting	Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle
Cost to the family	Card processing (about 2.9% + 30¢) plus a 1% platform fee	2.9% + 30¢ per donation	2.9% + 30¢ per donation	Varies. Often setup minimums and yearly admin fees	Usually free to give	Often free from a bank account. Card payments may cost the sender
Tip prompt for donors	None	Yes, optional, and can be set to $0	Yes, optional	No	No	No
Built for memorials	Yes	No, it hosts every kind of cause	Yes	Often, as named funds	No	No
Tax-deductible for donors	No	No	No, unless given to a charity	Usually yes	No federal deduction. Some states offer one	No
Where the money goes	Family's bank account, through Stripe	Organizer's or beneficiary's bank	Family's bank or a funeral home	A charitable purpose, not a specific family	Directly into one child's 529 account	Directly to one person's account
Time to set up	About 5 minutes	Minutes	Minutes	Days to weeks, with paperwork	Days, if accounts are not open yet	Instant, if you already use the app

Facebook personal fundraisers: Facebook ended personal fundraisers in the U.S., so they are no longer an option for collecting gifts for a family.

What the 1% Includes

For Your Family

A page that’s live in minutes.
Family members who can help you manage it.
A donor list with one-tap thank yous.
Gifts sent straight to your bank.

For the People Who Give

No tip screen.
No account to create.
The exact amount that reaches you, shown before they give.

View Sample Dashboard

A Closer Look at Each Option

Memorial FundThat’s Us

Where It Shines

Built only for memorials, with service details, memories, and thank yous in one place.
No tip prompt. Donors see every fee before they give and can choose to cover them.
One pot for the whole family, divided however the family decides.
Donor list sorts by last name, which makes thank you cards easier.

Worth Knowing

We charge a 1% platform fee. If donors skip the tip on sites that rely on tips, those sites cost the family about 1% less than we do.
We are new, so fewer people recognize our name than the biggest sites.
Gifts cannot be paid directly to a funeral home.

GoFundMe

Where It Shines

The most recognized name in crowdfunding. Many donors already have an account.
No platform fee. The only required cost is the transaction fee.
Large audience and strong search visibility.
A family member can be invited as the beneficiary to receive the money.

Worth Knowing

Donors see an optional tip at checkout. Many do not notice it can be lowered to $0.
It sits alongside every other kind of fundraiser, which can feel less personal for a memorial.
Bank transfers must be set up by a deadline after the first donation, or donations can be refunded. Donations take up to five business days to process, then two to five business days to reach the bank.

Ever Loved

Where It Shines

Built for memorials, with a full memorial website: obituary, photos, service details, RSVPs, and livestream links.
No platform fee on donations.
Gifts can be sent to a bank account or directly to a funeral home.
Can also collect donations for a charity in the person's name.

Worth Knowing

Donors see an optional tip at checkout. When our family used it in 2026, the tip was pre-set to 15%, and donors had to change it to give 0%.
Funded partly by memorial product sales and optional premium features, so the page includes more than the fundraiser.

Community Foundation Fund

Where It Shines

Gifts are usually tax-deductible because they go to a charity.
Well suited to a lasting scholarship or community gift in the person's name.
Run by an established local organization.

Worth Knowing

Charitable funds generally cannot give money directly to a specific family.
Setup often takes paperwork and time, which is hard in the first days after a loss.
Minimums and fees vary by foundation.

529 Plan Gifting

Where It Shines

Money goes straight into a college savings account for a specific child.
Many state plans offer free gifting tools, such as Ugift, where friends use a code to give.

Worth Knowing

Each child has a separate account and code. A family with four children needs four codes, and donors have to choose.
Accounts must be opened before anyone can give.
Money is meant for education. Other uses can bring taxes and penalties.
There is no page for their story, service details, or memories.

Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle

Where It Shines

Fast and familiar for people who already use these apps.
Little or no cost when paid from a bank balance.

Worth Knowing

No page for their story, services, or memories.
Gifts mix with a personal account, which makes tracking and thank yous harder.
You share a personal handle or phone number publicly.
Money sent to the wrong person is hard to get back.

Which One Fits Your Family?

You want the most familiar nameGoFundMe

You want a full memorial website with an obituary and RSVPsEver Loved

You want gifts to be tax-deductible, like a scholarshipA community foundation

You want gifts to go straight into one child's college account529 plan gifting

You want one simple page for gifts, services, and memories, with no tip promptsMemorial Fund

This page is here to help you choose what fits your family, even if it is not us. Memorial Fund is one of the options, so we are not neutral. We have tried to be fair and accurate. If you see something out of date, please tell us so the next family gets the right facts.

Ready When You Are

Set up a memorial fund in about five minutes. No goal to set, no tip prompts, and every gift goes straight to the family.

Start a Memorial Fund

Sources

Memorial Fund is not affiliated with any company listed. Names are trademarks of their owners. This page is general information, not financial or tax advice.