Charitable vs FundEngine (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Donation Plugins top 10: Charitable at #2 and FundEngine at #13. Charitable leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Charitable
Charitable – Donation & Fundraising Platform (Donation Forms, Recurring Donations & Fundraising Campaigns)
The best WordPress donation plugin. Create fundraising donation forms, accept recurring donations, easy donor management, add crowdfunding, and more.
FundEngine
FundEngine – Donation and Crowdfunding Platform
FundEngine - FundEngine is a fundraising and crowdfunding plugin with PayPal, Stripe, and WooCommerce payment support.
Who leads on what
Charitable leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track.
Charitable ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #13 in Donation Plugins.
Charitable has more users: 10,000+ active installs against 1,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Charitable has 218, FundEngine has 22. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Charitable has more reviews behind its score: 218 against 22.
Charitable was updated more recently, on October 19, 2026; FundEngine on August 20, 2026.
Charitable was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 29,016 times against 813.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Charitable
Pick Charitable if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
FundEngine
FundEngine does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Charitable vs FundEngine side by side
| Charitable | FundEngine | |
|---|---|---|
| Donation Plugins ranking | #2 | #13 |
| Rating | 4.9 | 4.2 |
| Reviews | 218 | 22 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 1,000+ |
| Total downloads | 1,234,001 | 70,683 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 29,016 | 813 |
| Last updated | Oct 19, 2026 | Aug 20, 2026 |
| First published | Aug 19, 2015 | Aug 27, 2019 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Charitable ratings
FundEngine ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Charitable nor FundEngine can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Donation Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Charitable vs FundEngine: common questions
Is Charitable better than FundEngine?
Charitable leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Charitable ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #13 in Donation Plugins.
Which has more users, Charitable or FundEngine?
Charitable ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #13 in Donation Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Charitable or FundEngine?
Charitable has more users: 10,000+ active installs against 1,000+.
Are Charitable and FundEngine free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Charitable may also sell a paid version or add-ons. FundEngine may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Charitable and FundEngine
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.