# Free registration software for nonprofits: 11 options compared

Source: https://backpr.com/resources/free-registration-software-for-nonprofits. Last updated: 2026-10-19.

"Free" means different things. Some tools are free with monthly limits, some add a fee or ask families for a contribution at checkout, and some are free to nonprofits but still charge card processing fees. Here are eleven options nonprofits use for registration, what's actually free in each, and who each one fits.

BackPR wrote this list and is one of the eleven options. They're listed alphabetically. Facts about the other tools come from their own public pages, checked between October 10 and 19, 2026. Prices and terms change, so confirm them with each company.

| Option | What's free | Limits and costs | Card processing | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BackPR | All features, for registered nonprofits: no subscription and no BackPR fees. | Free only for registered nonprofits; other organizations get pricing by quote. Card processing isn't covered. | Stripe's standard rates, published on stripe.com/pricing. You choose whether to absorb them or pass them on. | Youth and community programs: camps, after-school, childcare, classes, sports, schools, PTAs and churches. |
| brightwheel | A free plan for 1 staff member and fewer than 20 students, with limited features. | Premium pricing is by quote. No published nonprofit pricing. | brightwheel charges card and bank-transfer fees, quoted per program. Programs choose whether families pay them. | Childcare centers and preschools, plus camps and after-school programs. |
| Cognito Forms | An Individual plan: 1 user and 100 entries a month, with Cognito Forms branding. | On the free plan, Cognito charges the organization an extra 2% per card payment, which the organization can pass on to payers. Cognito Forms doesn't run recurring payments on any plan. | Cognito Pay: 2.9% + 30¢ per card payment, plus 2% on the free plan. | Online forms with calculations, payments and workflows. |
| Eventbrite | Unlimited events with free tickets, with no fees for you or your attendees. | Paid tickets carry ticketing fees, paid by buyers by default. Nonprofits get no discount on those fees, and they aren't returned on refunds unless the event is canceled or postponed. | US: 3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket, plus 2.9% of each order for payment processing. | Event ticketing and registration, with a marketplace where people find events. |
| Givebutter | Core fundraising tools for organizations, when optional donor tips are on. | Checkout asks payers for an optional tip to Givebutter. If you turn tips off, Givebutter charges a 3% platform fee plus processing. Its features page doesn't list waitlists. | With tips on, Givebutter covers processing fees payers don't cover. With tips off, 2.9% + 30¢ per card payment. | Fundraising for organizations: donation forms, ticketed events, auctions and a donor CRM. |
| Google Forms | Free with a Google account. | No payment or signature question types, so payments and e-signatures need another tool. | Not applicable: Google Forms doesn't collect payments. | Surveys, quizzes and general forms. |
| Homeroom | No subscription for schools and PTOs. | Families pay Homeroom's service fee on top of the class price. Private schools, districts and other nonprofits should contact Homeroom for pricing. | Schools and PTOs pay no fee. Homeroom says class providers build a 3% card fee into their prices. | School programs: enrichment classes, extended care, camps and leagues at schools and PTOs. |
| Jotform | A Starter plan: 5 forms in total, plus 100 submissions and 10 payments a month, with Jotform branding. | Forms are disabled when a monthly limit is reached. Paid plans are 50% off for approved nonprofits. | Your payment processor's standard rates. Jotform adds no transaction fee. | General-purpose online forms, with payments and e-signatures. |
| SignUpGenius | A free plan with unlimited sign-up pages, reminders and payment collection. | By default, payers are charged a 3.95% + $0.95 fee per card payment; organizers can cover it instead. Waitlists on sign-ups and extra admins need the Gold plan or higher. | 3.95% + $0.95 per card payment and 1.95% (minimum $1) per eCheck, on every plan. | Online sign-up sheets and payment pages for events, volunteers, groups and fundraisers. |
| SportsEngine | HQ Free: sign-ups, invoicing and member messaging at $0 a month. | Websites need a paid package. HQ Premium is $69 a month or $749 a year. No published nonprofit pricing. | A management fee on each payment, at rates agreed when you join (its help center's example is 3.25% + $2.00). You can recover it from families. | Youth sports clubs, associations, leagues and teams. |
| Zeffy | Everything, for nonprofits only, including card processing. | Checkout asks payers for an optional contribution to Zeffy. It's built mainly for fundraising; its help center says installment plans, waitlists and waivers aren't built in. | Covered by Zeffy. | Nonprofit fundraising: donations, event tickets, memberships, raffles and online stores. |

### How to choose
- Count your real volume: how many registrations and payments a month at your busiest time, not your average.
- Ask who pays card processing, and whether anything is added to what families pay at checkout.
- Check what you need beyond a form: payment plans, waitlists, e-signed waivers, sibling discounts, check-in and pickup.
- Look at what happens when you grow: limits that disable forms, or a jump to a paid plan.

**Is there registration software that's completely free for nonprofits?**
Zeffy and Givebutter come closest. Zeffy is free to nonprofits, card processing included, and asks payers for an optional contribution. Givebutter is free when donor tips are on: payers are asked for an optional tip, and Givebutter covers processing fees they don't cover. Both are built mainly for fundraising. BackPR has no subscription and no BackPR fees for registered nonprofits; card payments run at Stripe's standard rates, which you can absorb or pass on.

**Can we use Google Forms for program registration?**
For sign-ups, yes. Google Forms is free, but it has no payment or signature question types, so you'd need separate tools for payments and e-signed waivers.

**What do free form tools usually limit?**
Monthly submissions or payments, the number of forms or users, and branding. Jotform's free plan allows 10 payments a month; Cognito Forms' free plan allows 100 entries a month and charges the organization an extra 2% per card payment.

**Who wrote this comparison?**
BackPR, which is one of the options. Facts about the other tools come from their own public pages; each name in the table links to a comparison page with its sources. Prices and terms change, so confirm them with each company.