Handbid vs. Bloomerang Fundraising (formerly Qgiv)
Which should you choose?
If you already use Bloomerang and run one small auction a year, Bloomerang Fundraising’s auction module is the simpler add-on. If your gala is where most of your revenue comes from, compare three things before you decide: whether you can pre-check the cover-the-fee box (on Handbid, 84% of card checkouts are covered when you do), what you pay per card swipe (3.5% vs 3.95%, and 3.95% vs 4.95% on Amex), and who answers the phone on event night. Handbid syncs with Bloomerang CRM, so you don't have to give up your donor database.How Handbid’s Default Settings Put +28% More Fee Coverage in Your Pocket
Lower card processing rates are only half the battle. Handbid gives you complete control over your checkout workflow, including pre-checking the donor fee-cover prompt. Because donors rarely uncheck the box, this single setting drastically reduces your event's net credit card expenses compared to standard opt-in platforms.
Facts verified September 2026.
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HONEST COMPARISON
People still search for "Qgiv". Proposals now say "Bloomerang". Same product family, new name.
If you're already a Bloomerang CRM customer, you aren't choosing a whole new tech stack. You're choosing where event night runs: inside the Fundraising suite, or on an event platform that syncs back to Bloomerang.
Let's be clear about cost. For a Bloomerang customer running one auction a year, the auction module can cost less in software than a Handbid license. Where the math changes is everything around the software: how much of the processing fee your donors cover, what each card swipe costs, and what happens when 300 guests try to check out at once.
Pick your AI. We'll ask it to give you an unbiased breakdown of Handbid.
Where Bloomerang Fundraising (formerly Qgiv) Excels
We believe in being honest about where competitors do well. It builds trust, and it helps you make a better decision.
One vendor for the whole giving calendar.
Donation forms, peer-to-peer, text giving, events, and auctions under one login, with Bloomerang CRM underneath. If consolidation is your top priority, that's a real strength.
Built next to a strong donor-retention CRM.
Bloomerang built its name on retention and engagement tools. Staying in the suite keeps auction activity close to those donor records.
Flexible for occasional auctions.
Bloomerang customers can turn the auction module on around an event rather than paying for it all year. For a small, once-a-year auction, that's hard to beat on software cost.
If Bloomerang is working for your events, there may be no reason to switch. But if your gala is your biggest night of the year, and fee coverage, card rates, and event-night support matter at that scale, a side-by-side look is worth an hour.
Where Organizations
Choose Handbid
Donors cover more of the fee
Pre-check the cover-the-fee box and donors covered it on 84% of card checkouts (75% of fee dollars), compared with 56% (50%) when they had to opt in. On a $100,000 event, that's about $900 more staying with your mission. Guests can still uncheck it. See the fee coverage study.
Lower card rates where it counts
Handbid charges 3.5% + $0.30 on Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, and 3.95% + $0.30 on American Express. Bloomerang's published auction rates are 3.95% and 4.95%. Big gala gifts often go on Amex, and that's a full percentage point on every one of them. ACH is 1.5% with no per-transaction fee.
Built for event night
Native apps on the phones guests already carry, Android included, with no iPad rentals. Bids update instantly across the room, and guests check out once for everything they bought, bid on, or gave.
A real person when your event is live
Every Handbid plan includes live phone support during your event.
Keep Bloomerang CRM
Handbid syncs contacts and donations with Bloomerang CRM, and we're investing in a rebuilt sync. Many organizations keep Bloomerang for donor management and run their gala on Handbid.
Simple licensing
Flat annual license, quoted after a short conversation. We do not charge a percentage of funds raised.
FROM EVENT TEAMS
We regularly talk with organizations comparing Bloomerang auctions and Handbid. The same themes come up:
Fee coverage. Teams notice how much processing they absorb when donors have to opt in to covering the fee.
Check-in and checkout. Getting a full room registered and paid quickly matters more than any feature list.
One flow for everything. Organizations want tickets, auction, paddle raise, and donations in a single guest account and a single checkout.
Keeping the CRM. Bloomerang customers are often glad to hear they can keep Bloomerang and still pick a separate event platform.
Handbid on G2
Ease of Use
Nonprofit Auction
Average: 8.6
Quality of Support
Nonprofit Auction
Average: 9.0
Ease of Setup
Nonprofit Auction
Average: 8.1
FAQs highlights
Is Qgiv cheaper than Handbid?
Sometimes, on software. Qgiv (now Bloomerang Fundraising) is sold only with Bloomerang CRM, and auctions are an add-on whose price isn't published. Bloomerang customers can often switch the auction module on for just the months around their event. For a small, once-a-year auction, that can cost less than a Handbid license. But at the gala scale, compare the whole picture: Handbid's card rates are lower (3.5% vs 3.95% and 3.95% vs 4.95% on Amex), and you can pre-check the cover-the-fee box, which led to donors covering the fee in 84% of card checkouts in our data.
What does Qgiv charge for auctions?
Bloomerang Fundraising (formerly Qgiv) doesn't publish an auction price. Its pricing page lists Fundraising at $40 a month, billed annually, sold only with Bloomerang CRM ($125 a month, billed annually), and shows auctions as an add-on. Processing for auctions is 3.95% + $0.30 on Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, 4.95% + $0.30 on American Express, and 1.95% + $0.95 on ACH. Ask for the auction module price and the contract term in writing. Bloomerang's standard agreement defaults to two years unless the proposal says otherwise.
Can donors cover the processing fee?
Yes, on both platforms. The difference is the default. Handbid lets you pre-check the box, and in our data, donors covered the fee on 84% of card checkouts when it was pre-checked vs 56% when they had to opt in. As of September 2026, Bloomerang's auction documentation describes the fee box as one that donors must select. (Bloomerang pre-checks it on donation and peer-to-peer forms.)
Do I need Bloomerang CRM to use Handbid?
No. Handbid works on its own, and it syncs contacts and donations with Bloomerang CRM if you use it. Bloomerang’s auctions, by contrast, are sold only as part of a Bloomerang CRM bundle.
Does Bloomerang have a mobile bidding app?
Yes. Bloomerang Fundraising supports web bidding and its Givi app on iOS and Android. Handbid also offers native iOS and Android apps plus web bidding, with a single checkout for tickets, auction items, paddle raise, and donations.
Can we move our data from Bloomerang, and can we see a demo?
If your Bloomerang data can be exported, our team will help you bring it into Handbid. Book a walkthrough, and we'll show your guest, volunteer, and staff experience, and model fees on your last event's card mix.
Ready to See the Difference?
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