Teamfi Comparisons
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Vertical Raise
A full breakdown comparing the fundraising softwares of Teamfi & Vertical Raise
Teamfi and Vertical Raise are both online fundraising platforms designed to help schools, teams, and organizations raise money through digital campaigns. While both platforms focus on helping groups raise funds efficiently, they differ in fundraising structure, pricing transparency, and how campaigns are managed.
Vertical Raise operates through a representative-led model with dedicated fundraising coaches, while Teamfi allows organizations to launch and manage campaigns directly through the platform.
Wondering which option makes more sense for your organization? Let’s take a closer look.
Despite their differences, both platforms hold great reviews by customers. Vertical Raise holds a 4.9-star rating across thousands of customer reviews through a reputable review platform, reflecting positive experiences from many organizations using the platform. There is no doubt that Vertical Raise is a reputable company with many happy fundraisers. Teamfi holds a perfect 5.0-star rating on Google.
Compare Teamfi vs. the fundraising platform Vertical Raise.
Teamfi is designed for schools, teams, and organizations that want a flexible digital fundraising platform without needing to work through a representative.
Teamfi works best for:
Vertical Raise is built primarily for school teams and organizations that want a guided fundraising experience supported by representatives.
Vertical Raise may be a strong fit for:
When evaluating fundraising platforms, pricing clarity matters.
Some platforms like Teamfi publish their pricing directly so organizations can estimate their take-home total immediately. Others share pricing through representatives during the campaign planning process.
Vertical Raise does not publicly list a flat platform percentage on its website. They do list a "Vertical Raise Fee" blog, but that blog also doesn’t specify their exact fees. Instead, campaign pricing is typically discussed during the setup process with a representative and it is tailored to the fundraiser type, service level, and prize program according to their blog on fees.
While some programs appreciate a guided approach, it can make it harder to independently estimate take-home revenue before launching.
Teamfi takes a different approach. All fundraisers have the same, completely free pricing that is spelled out on a transparent pricing page.
Teamfi does not take a platform fee from the fundraiser itself. In other words, Teamfi takes zero cut of any fundraisers. Teams keep all what they raise minus standard credit card processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per donation charged by payment processor Stripe for secure payments), which are clearly disclosed both before launching and during the exploratory phase.
This allows organizers to estimate their net total quickly without scheduling calls or reviewing customized pricing structures.
Cost Comparison Example: What Does Your Team Actually Keep?
Let’s look at a simple example to see how this impacts your take-home total.
Assume your organization raises $15,000 through an online fundraiser.
With no platform percentage taken out, teams keep the full amount raised minus standard payment processing.
Vertical Raise does not publicly publish a flat platform percentage. However, many donation-based fundraising platforms operate with fees around 10-30%, resulting in an general average of 20% depending on campaign structure and services provided. Estimates are based on commonly reported ranges for similar fundraising models and publicly available user feedback.
Using that common estimate:
On a $15,000 fundraiser:
That’s over 16% more kept with Teamfi in this example. This difference can have a meaningful impact on your program or organization. $2,475 can be used for:
• Full uniform package for a softball team.
• Travel costs for an elementary school field trip including lunch, tickets, pricing.
• New mats for a wrestling program.
Even small percentage differences can significantly impact how much your organization ultimately keeps, especiallly when running multiple fundraisers over many years – these differences can compound significantly.
Here are a few situations where each platform might make sense.
A high school football team wants to run a fast digital fundraiser before the start of their season.
If the coach prefers launching quickly and managing everything directly, Teamfi may be the better fit.
If the program wants a representative guiding the campaign or a product-based fundraiser, Vertical Raise may work well.
A marching band plans to run two different digital fundraisers during the year to prevent fatigue.
Because Teamfi supports multiple fundraiser formats, the program could run a crowdfunding campaign in the fall and a calendar fundraiser later in the year.
Vertical Raise campaigns tend to follow a more structured format guided by representatives.
Some schools prefer having a representative guiding the campaign process from planning through completion. Vertical Raise campaigns typically include a dedicated fundraising coach who helps coordinate the campaign and provide guidance throughout the process.
Teamfi also provides support throughout the fundraiser. While campaigns are launched and managed directly in the platform, organizers have access to the Teamfi support team for setup assistance, questions, and troubleshooting during their fundraiser.
While Teamfi is a powerful platform for digital fundraising, it is not designed to function as a year-round nonprofit management system with an automated payout process. Vertical Raise operates in a similar model.
Teamfi works best for structured fundraising campaigns lasting several weeks or at maximum, a couple of months.
Organizations looking for full donor management systems, long-term donor databases, or complex nonprofit CRM tools may prefer dedicated nonprofit software platforms.
Teamfi is also designed for group-based fundraising such as teams, clubs, schools, and community organizations.
Individuals seeking personal crowdfunding campaigns should look towards platforms designed specifically for individual fundraisers like GoFundMe.
Beyond pricing and fees, compare the fundraising functionality of Teamfi vs. the fundraising platform Vertical Raise.
West Catholic Basketball
Grand Rapids, MI
"Teamfi is an extraordinary fundraising product that has revolutionized our varsity boys basketball team's financial initiatives...Any team looking to quickly and easily raise funds without any hassle NEEDS TO USE TEAMFI!"
Troy Dudas
Head Basketball Coach
Dakota Wesleyan University Women's Basketball
Mitchell, SD
"Loved this fundraiser and I thought it was the easiest thing ever. I had access to everything and was able to do things on my end. If I ever had a question, you were super easy to work with and got back to me right away. Also, you don't take advantage of the percentage on the back end, which we appreciate!"
Celeste Beck
Associate Head Coach
Fundraising doesn’t stop, and neither should your support. That’s why our team is available to help you quickly and clearly, without hidden fees or long wait times. From onboarding to live campaign questions, you’ll get practical, hands-on guidance from real people who understand how the platform was built and how fundraisers actually run—so you can stay focused on raising money, not figuring out software.
“The communication & support was excellent.”
NATE S.
HILLSDALE, MI
“The company, the software, the customer support. Everything was an absolute 10.”
DANIELLA L.
CONCORD, CA
“Your customer service is the best by far!”
PIA R.
SARASOTA, FL
What percentage does Vertical Raise take compared to Teamfi?
While Vertical Raise has no public pricing or fees page, but can charge anywhere from 10% to 30% depending on the fundraiser. Teamfi is completely free (zero platform fees) for for all organizations.
The only associated cost of running a Teamfi fundraiser is payment processing charged by Stripe for secure payments. Payment processing fees are 2.9% + $0.30 a donation and typically work out to about 3.4% of the fundraiser. You can calculate what your fundraiser's payment processing fees could look like using the Teamfi fundraiser calculator.
How does Teamfi make money if there’s no platform fee?
Teamfi is entirely free for organizations to use because of optional donor tips. We operate on a transparent operational tipping model, and the only required fees are standard credit card processing fees, typically about 3.4%, so your organization keeps the vast majority of what it raises. Learn more about how Teamfi operates for free on our fundraiser pricing page.
Does Vertical Raise publish its pricing?
No. As of 2026 Vertical Raise does not disclose their pricing. It is typically discussed during the campaign planning process with representatives rather than publishing a fixed percentage on its website. the exact rate varies by fundraiser and is not published on an accessible fees or pricing page on their website.
What's the biggest difference between Teamfi and Vertical Raise?
The two biggest differences are pricing/fees and fundraising options.
Do I need to sign a contract to use Teamfi?
No. Teams, schools, and any other organizations can use Teamfi without signing a contract. There are no long-term commitments required to use Teamfi. All you need to do is sign up for a quick <10 minute demo and get started for free!
Can I use Teamfi for more than just Crowdfunding Campaigns?
Yes! Teamfi currently offers three different, completely free, digital fundraising options including pick-a-date to donate calendars, custom a-thon fundraisers, and, of course crowdfunding campaigns.
Both Teamfi and Vertical Raise help schools, teams, and organizations raise money through digital campaigns.
Vertical Raise offers a guided fundraising experience with representative support. Teamfi focuses on giving organizations direct control, flexible fundraiser types, and transparent pricing.
The biggest difference often comes down to how much of the money raised your organization keeps.
If your program wants flexibility, transparency, and the ability to launch quickly, Teamfi may be the better choice. Start your fundraiser today and see what your program can accomplish.
Your team deserves 100%
