BetterWorld Calls It a Giveaway. Your State Calls It a Raffle. There’s a Difference.
BetterWorld is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits, genuinely free, and beautifully designed. It also publishes basket raffle guides its platform cannot execute. Here’s the honest comparison, including where BetterWorld is legitimately strong.
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They Blog About Basket Raffles. They Can’t Run One.
This is the most important thing to understand about BetterWorld before your next event.
Search “basket raffle ideas” and BetterWorld will likely appear, they publish content about wine baskets, spa baskets, golf baskets, pet baskets. Good content. Useful content. Content that will genuinely help you plan a basket raffle night.
Then you sign up, set up your event, and discover that BetterWorld’s raffle tool uses a single unified ticket pool with a single winner draw. There is no mechanism to give each basket its own ticket pool. There is no per-basket drawing. There is no way for a supporter to put three tickets toward the wine basket and two toward the spa basket, the fundamental transaction that defines a basket raffle and drives its engagement.
Everything goes into one pool.
When a platform publishes content teaching you how to run basket raffles while being unable to execute them, that’s not a feature gap. It’s a trust problem. If they’ll misrepresent their basket raffle capability, what else are they comfortable claiming?
The question every nonprofit should ask before choosing a platform:
“Can you show me a basket raffle where each basket has its own ticket pool and its own independent drawing?”
If the answer isn’t a clear yes with a working demo, you are reading about a format the platform cannot run. See the full basket raffle website test →
Giveaway vs Raffle, Not the Same Thing
BetterWorld’s “giveaway” language is not just branding. It reflects how the platform was built. And for regulated paid-entry raffle events, that architecture has real consequences.
GIVEAWAY: Free Entry. No Purchase Required.
- Open to all, no ticket purchase needed
- Winner selected from free or donation-based entries
- Generally NOT regulated as charitable gaming
- No state license typically required
- BetterWorld was architected for this model
- Works well for simple prize draws and auctions
RAFFLE (PAID ENTRY): Paid Ticket Required to Enter.
- Entry requires purchasing a ticket
- Regulated as charitable gaming in most U.S. states
- State license and fixed-price disclosure required by law
- Ticket pools, prize management, drawing records, legally required
- Basket raffles, Queen of Hearts, ball drops, all raffle formats
- Chance2Win has been running these since 2005
Where BetterWorld Is Genuinely Strong
We are meticulous about honesty. BetterWorld has real strengths that deserve to be stated clearly, because readers who use BetterWorld will know immediately if this comparison is unfair.
PCI DSS Level 1 Security, The Highest Available
BetterWorld’s platform is fully PCI-compliant with all financial data encrypted to PCI DSS Level 1 standards. This is the highest certification available and a serious trust signal. Many platforms cannot match it.
100,000+ Organizations, Earned Adoption
That number reflects a genuinely good platform for general fundraising. BetterWorld’s ease of use, modern design, and free model have built real trust across the nonprofit sector.
Never Sell Donor Data, Explicit Commitment
BetterWorld explicitly commits to never selling donor data and placing no advertising on fundraising pages. For nonprofits managing sensitive long-term donor relationships, this is a meaningful values alignment.
Genuinely Free, With an Important Asterisk
BetterWorld charges no platform fee to your organization. Revenue comes from optional donor contributions at checkout plus paid Flex (1–5%) and Partner ($1,550/year + 1%) plans. For simple donation campaigns where donors are in a giving mindset, this works extremely well.
Fast Setup, Beautiful Design
Campaigns in under five minutes. Mobile-responsive. Auctions, ticketing, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, BetterWorld’s UX is genuinely excellent for general fundraising.
BetterWorld’s Checkout Model, Honestly Different From Zeffy and RallyUp
Because we compete with all three, it’s important to be precise. BetterWorld’s donor contribution model is materially different from Zeffy’s 17%, 20% and 22% tip prompt, and this page reflects that honestly.
Zeffy and RallyUp’s Free plans insert aggressive pre-selected tip prompts starting at 17% above the abandonment cliff, requiring active removal. That drives 30–40% abandonment on raffle transactions.
BetterWorld’s Free plan asks donors to make a voluntary contribution to the platform. The psychology is softer. For donation campaigns where donors are in a giving mindset, this works much better. BetterWorld’s primary raffle issue is format support depth, not checkout abandonment.
BetterWorld’s donor contribution prompt is softer than Zeffy’s or RallyUp’s tip model and sits well below the point where checkout abandonment becomes a problem. Their primary raffle limitation is format support, not checkout friction.
What BetterWorld Delivers vs Chance2Win, Across Real Raffle Event Types
The revenue gap on this page is not primarily about checkout abandonment. It is about format capability. If your event format is not supported, the entire event value is lost regardless of how clean the platform’s checkout is.
| Event / Format | BetterWorld Outcome | Chance2Win Zero Fee | The Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple single-prize online raffle, $20,000 target | $19,400 — 3% credit card processing after donor coverage | $19,800 — ~1% normal friction at 12% | Both work. C2W slightly higher. BetterWorld free to org. |
| Basket raffle night, 20+ baskets, per-basket ticket pools required, $20,000 target | Cannot run — no per-basket pool architecture. BetterWorld blogs about this format but cannot execute it. | $19,800 — full basket raffle, per-basket draws, ticket splitting | BetterWorld cannot execute this format. Full event value lost. |
| Queen of Hearts, 12-week progressive jackpot campaign, $50,000 target | Cannot run — no progressive jackpot infrastructure | $49,500 — full QoH, card mgmt, weekly draws, jackpot logic | Entire campaign format unavailable on BetterWorld. |
| Hybrid event, online + cash + check in-person entries, $30,000 target | Partial, online only — no unified cash/check pool management | $29,700 — unified pool, cash, check, online in one draw | Manual reconciliation risk. Drawing pool integrity gap. |
Chance2Win Zero Fee: 12% donor service charge added to supporter’s total, org keeps 100% of ticket proceeds. ~1% reflects normal buyer friction at 12% level. Format availability based on current BetterWorld platform capabilities, March 2026. Individual results vary.
The Call We Get From Church & School Committees Every Spring
The team behind Chance2Win has been answering the raffle phone since 2005. This call comes in every spring, almost always after an event planned using a platform that published basket raffle content it cannot execute.
“We used BetterWorld for our spring fundraiser because it came up on every ‘best free raffle platform’ list we found and the guides they publish about basket raffles are genuinely helpful. We planned our whole event around their content. Then we went live with our basket raffle night. We had 18 baskets and people wanted to buy tickets for specific ones, that’s literally why we chose a basket raffle. BetterWorld doesn’t work that way. Everything goes into one pool. We had to explain to people at the door that you couldn’t pick your basket. Some just turned around.
We also found out afterward that our state requires raffle ticket prices to be fixed and disclosed upfront. Our attorney wasn’t sure BetterWorld’s structure met that requirement. We ended up running the basket portion manually on paper, which defeated the whole point of going digital.
Now we run BetterWorld for the auction and Chance2Win for the basket raffle. Both tools. The two platforms actually complement each other well. But we wasted three weeks figuring out what we could have known upfront.”
Spring Gala Fundraising Chair, school nonprofit · Composite account based on calls received by Chance2Win support team
📞 A recent real example of why this matters: A Civil War reenactment organization sold raffle tickets on a Stripe-based platform for six weeks on a museum-quality antique rifle. No warning, their account was suspended mid-campaign. Chance2Win’s manual order entry imported every previous ticket purchase. The drawing ran with a complete pool. No supporter lost their entry. Full account on our Givebutter comparison page →
The combination worth knowing: BetterWorld for the auction + Chance2Win for the basket raffle and Queen of Hearts is a legitimate setup many organizations use. You don’t have to choose. See how basket raffles work on Chance2Win →
Chance2Win vs BetterWorld, Full Feature Comparison
This comparison focuses on raffle-specific capability. BetterWorld’s auction, crowdfunding, and peer-to-peer strengths are genuine, see the Honest Assessment section above.
| Feature / Capability | Chance2Win | BetterWorld |
|---|---|---|
| Platform architecture | Raffle-first, experience since 2005Built for regulated paid-entry raffle events from the ground up | Fundraising-first, giveaway-centricExcellent general fundraising. Raffle is one module among many. |
| Pricing model (org cost) | $0 Zero Fee or Premium from $329Transparent, fixed, no variable checkout surprises | Always free for nonprofitsOptional donor contributions + Flex/Partner paid plans |
| Checkout abandonment (raffle) | ~1-2% (Zero Fee at 12%)Well below the abandonment cliff | Low for donation campaignsProcessing fee prompt sits well below cliff, NOT like Zeffy’s 17% tip |
| State charitable gaming compliance | Fixed disclosed fee, meets most requirementsDesigned for regulated paid-entry raffle structure | Verify for your state“Giveaway” framing may differ from regulated raffle requirements |
| Basket raffles / tricky trays | Full support, experience since 2005Separate pools per basket, per-basket independent drawings, ticket splitting | Not supportedSingle unified pool. Publishes basket raffle content but cannot execute per-basket architecture. |
| Queen of Hearts (progressive jackpot) | Full workflowJackpot logic, card management, multi-week draws, automated weekly reveals | Not supportedNo progressive jackpot infrastructure. Platform designed for one-time events. |
| Duck races & ball drops | Pre-numbered pool managementGap-free, refund-safe, winner traceable to specific ticket | Not supportedNo numbered physical item pool management |
| 50/50 raffles | Full supportReal-time split tracking, hybrid entries included | Basic onlyCan configure split prize; no dedicated 50/50 infrastructure |
| Hybrid events (cash + check + online) | Unified drawing poolAll entry types merged, no spreadsheets, no night-of reconciliation | Online onlyNo cash/check ticket pool management |
| Multiple payment processors | Flux Payments, Stripe, Square, or Authorize.netAuthorize.net for restricted prize events (firearms, alcohol) | Stripe onlyRestricted prizes may violate Stripe terms |
| Cash & check ticket sales to drawing pool | Manual entry, any payment typeCash at the door, checks mailed in, all enter the same pool as digital purchases. No spreadsheet, no separate drawing. | Online only, no cash or check pathBetterWorld is online-only for raffle entry. Card-present Stripe Terminal is a digital Stripe transaction, not cash acceptance. |
| Platform rescue / ticket import | Manual order entry, any sourceTickets sold on a prior platform can be imported. Drawing pool stays complete through any migration. | No import mechanism |
| Printable physical tickets | Blank and prefilled from admin | Not available |
| PCI DSS security | Secure payment processing | PCI DSS Level 1BetterWorld genuinely strong here, highest level available |
| Donor data policy | Full donor data export, org owns data | “Never Sell Donor Data”Explicit commitment, genuine trust signal |
| Phone support during live events | Real humans who understand raffle opsAnswer when your event is live Saturday night | Chat & email onlyNo dedicated live event phone support |
| Auction & general fundraising | Available but not primary focus | Strong, auctions, ticketing, crowdfunding, P2PBetterWorld excels here. If auctions are your primary need, great choice. |
Feature details subject to change. Verify current BetterWorld capabilities at betterworld.org before launch. This comparison focuses on raffle-specific functionality. BetterWorld is a strong platform for its intended use cases.
What BetterWorld Publishes About. What Their Platform Can’t Do.
The most revealing signal about BetterWorld’s raffle gap is their own content. Their blog covers basket raffle themes, raffle night planning, and prize ideas. Their platform supports none of the specialized formats that content describes.
Basket Raffles & Tricky Trays
BetterWorld publishes guides about wine baskets, spa baskets, golf baskets, pet baskets. Genuinely useful content. Their platform then delivers a single unified ticket pool with a single winner draw. The team behind Chance2Win built per-basket pool infrastructure because nonprofits needed it. BetterWorld built content about it because nonprofits search for it.
✦ Chance2Win only
Basket Raffle Website →
Queen of Hearts
A growing jackpot, weekly card draws, community engagement over months. Queen of Hearts is one of the highest recurring-revenue formats nonprofits run. BetterWorld was designed for one-time campaigns, not multi-week progressive draws.
✦ Chance2Win only
Queen of Hearts Website →
Duck Races & Ball Drops
The winning duck or ball must trace cleanly to a specific valid sold ticket. Any gap, duplicate, or unreturned number creates results you can’t defend. Chance2Win manages the full pre-numbered pool. BetterWorld has no numbered-item pool management.
✦ Chance2Win only
Duck Races & Ball Drops →
Cash + Check + Online in One Pool
Most nonprofit events still sell tickets at the door. BetterWorld is online-only for raffle entry. Chance2Win unifies all entry types into a single drawing pool, no spreadsheets, no reconciliation the night of the event.
✦ Chance2Win advantage
Hybrid Raffle Guide →
Traditional Single-Prize Online Raffle
Both platforms handle this. BetterWorld offers clean design, QR codes, bulk ticket discounts, and automated winner selection. For a straightforward single-prize online raffle where compliance and hybrid entries aren’t a concern, BetterWorld works well and it’s free.
Both platforms with differences
BetterWorld + Chance2Win Together
Many organizations run both. BetterWorld for the silent auction and general ticketing. Chance2Win for the basket raffle and Queen of Hearts running alongside it. You don’t have to choose, both platforms have genuine strengths.
✓ Complementary tools
Built for Real Raffles. Not Adapted from Giveaway Software.
The team behind Chance2Win has been building raffle software since 2005, before most of the platforms you’re comparing us against even existed. Every product decision was made around one question: what does a nonprofit actually need when they run a regulated paid-entry raffle?
Chance2Win vs BetterWorld
BetterWorld’s “free forever” plan runs on suggested donor contributions, a tip prompt by another name. To remove them you move to Flex (1–5%) or Partner ($1,550/year + 1%), with Stripe on top. Chance2Win charges a fee from $329 with no annual membership.
| Factor | BetterWorld | Chance2Win |
|---|---|---|
| Free-plan funding | Suggested donor contribution on tickets & bids | Zero Fee, fixed 12%, no suggested-contribution prompt |
| Remove donor charges | Flex: 1–5% fee · Partner: $1,550/yr + 1% | Premium: from $329, no annual membership |
| Payment processing | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 | Included on Zero Fee · standard processing on Premium |
| Cash & check in one pool | Event/auction-first; limited | Yes, unified hybrid drawing pool |
| Raffle types | Raffle as an add-on | Purpose-built raffle suite |
| Support | Zoom / phone / chat / email; Concierge $275/event | US-based phone support included |
On a Typical $20,000 Raffle
Platform fee only (Stripe is separate for both). Costs vary by volume, see note.
Flex at 5% ≈ $1,000; Partner ≈ $1,550/yr + $200
Premium fee ($459 + $329), no membership
BetterWorld Flex = 1–5%, Partner = $1,550/yr + 1%. Relative cost depends on volume, at very high annual totals BetterWorld’s Partner membership can narrow the gap, so this compares a representative $20,000 raffle.
BetterWorld Free vs Chance2Win, What Each Actually Costs
BetterWorld’s always-free model is real, no invoice comes to your organization. The tradeoff is format support. If the formats your event needs aren’t available, the pricing comparison is irrelevant.
Zero Fee
Supporters pay a fixed, disclosed 12% service fee
Best for raffles under $10,000
- All raffle formats, basket, QoH, ball drop, 50/50
- Fixed 12% fee shown upfront, no surprises
- Hybrid cash + check + online in one pool
- Flux Payments, Stripe
- Printable physical tickets from admin
- Phone support for live events
- Compliant fixed-price structure for regulated states
- Audit-ready reporting & full donor data export
Payments processed through Flux Payments, Stripe
Premium Plan
Starting at $329 covers software + credit card processing
Best for raffles over $10,000
- Everything in Zero Fee, plus:
- Cleanest checkout, supporters see ticket price only
- Org-controlled service charge, flows entirely to your org, not to Chance2Win
- $20k: $788 vs $1,380 at 6.9%
- $100k: $3,420 vs $6,900 at 6.9%
Easily connects to Flux Payments, Stripe, Square, or Authorize.net
Chance2Win Premium, Effective Rate by Event Size vs 6.9% Platforms
| Event Size | C2W Premium Fee | C2W Effective Rate | Competitor @ 6.9% | You Save | C2W Wins? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $5,000 | $329 | 6.6% | $345 | $16 | ✓ |
| Up to $10,000 | $459 | 4.6% | $690 | $231 | ✓ |
| Up to $20,000 | $788 | 3.9% | $1,380 | $592 | ✓ |
| Up to $30,000 | $1,117 | 3.7% | $2,070 | $953 | ✓ |
| Up to $50,000 | $1,775 | 3.6% | $3,450 | $1,675 | ✓ |
| Up to $75,000 | $2,762 | 3.7% | $5,175 | $2,413 | ✓ |
| Up to $100,000 | $3,420 | 3.4% | $6,900 | $3,480 | ✓ |
C2W Premium: fee paid by org. Supporter sees ticket price + org-controlled service charge (flows entirely to your org, not to Chance2Win). 6.9% platforms: deducted from raffle entry proceeds raised. Payment processing (1.9–2.9% + $0.30/transaction) applies on all platforms.
Raffle Mastery: The Complete Book to Running Profitable Nonprofit Raffles
120+ pages of real-world raffle strategy drawn from nearly 20 years of experience supporting thousands of nonprofit fundraisers. Ticket pricing psychology, bundle tactics, promotion strategies, compliance checkpoints, and the common mistakes that kill raffle revenue.
- Ticket pricing strategies that increase average order value
- Bundle psychology, why the right packages outperform discounts
- Hybrid event playbooks for in-person + online sales
- Common compliance mistakes and how to avoid them
Normally $19. Free when you join our occasional nonprofit raffle newsletter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BetterWorld really free for nonprofits?
What is the difference between a giveaway and a raffle?
Does BetterWorld support basket raffles?
Can BetterWorld run a Queen of Hearts raffle?
Does BetterWorld have phone support during live events?
What are BetterWorld’s paid plans?
What if I’ve already sold raffle tickets on another platform and need to switch?
Can I add cash and check ticket sales to the same drawing pool as online purchases?
What if I’ve already sold tickets on another platform and need to switch mid-campaign?
How does Chance2Win’s pricing compare to BetterWorld?
Talk to a Support Team Member
(813) 699-9325
Everything You Need to Run the Right Raffle
Start With the Raffle Website That Was Built for It
Basket raffles, Queen of Hearts, duck races, ball drops, hybrid in-person and online sales, transparent pricing, multiple payment gateways, and real humans on the phone. It’s all here. The team behind Chance2Win has been doing this since 2005.