How Alder compares.
Every charity is different, and the right CRM depends on what you need. We believe in transparency — here’s how Alder stacks up against the alternatives.
Beacon CRM
Beacon CRM is an excellent product. It scores 4.9/5 in the Fundraising Magazine CRM Survey 2025, with 100% recommendation rate and 5.0 for tech support. If fundraising is your primary need, Beacon CRM is a strong choice.
It’s worth knowing the context behind that survey, though. 47% of respondents are charities with income over £10m, and the survey was distributed to CRM suppliers’ own clients — so it naturally reflects what works for larger, fundraising-focused organisations. The 86% of UK charities with income under £500k are barely represented.
If your charity also delivers services, manages cases, coordinates volunteers, tracks compliance, and needs board reporting — you need a platform, not just a fundraising CRM. That’s where Alder is different.
What’s different
All features included, every tier. Beacon CRM uses a base-plan-plus-“elements” model. You choose a base plan by the number of contacts you have, then add paid elements for the functionality you need — fundraising (£28.50/mo), memberships (£20/mo), events & ticketing (£14/mo), finance (£14/mo), case management (£18.50/mo), and volunteering (£18.50/mo). That’s up to £113.50/month in elements on top of the base plan just to match what Alder includes at every tier for free.
Case management built in. Beacon CRM has basic pipelines. Alder has structured case records, safeguarding workflows, outcome tracking, and linked contacts. If your charity works with vulnerable people or delivers services — not just fundraises — this matters.
Broader than fundraising. Beacon CRM is a fundraising CRM. Alder is all-in-one: fundraising, case management, volunteers, events, email, grants, compliance, governance, and board reporting. One platform, one data model, no integrations needed.
Transparent pricing. Beacon CRM Starter is £36/month for 3 users and 2,000 contacts — but that’s just the base. Add fundraising, memberships, events, finance, case management, and volunteering elements and you’re looking at up to £150/month. Alder Free is £0, forever, for 500 contacts and 3 users — every feature included. Alder Grow is £59/month for 1,000 contacts and 10 users. No elements, no add-ons, no surprises.
| Alder CRM | Beacon CRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes — 500 contacts, 3 users, every feature | No |
| Lowest paid tier | £59/mo (1,000 contacts, 10 users) | £36/mo (2,000 contacts, 3 users) |
| Case management | Full (records, safeguarding, outcomes) | Basic (pipelines) |
| Volunteer management | Full (scheduling, DBS, hours) | Limited |
| Governance/board tools | Yes | No |
| Compliance tools | Yes (GDPR, safeguarding, DBS) | Limited |
| AI grant search | Yes | No |
| Pricing model | All features included — pay only by contacts and users |
Base plan by contacts, plus paid “elements”: Fundraising +£28.50/mo Memberships +£20/mo Events & Ticketing +£14/mo Finance +£14/mo Case Management +£18.50/mo Volunteering +£18.50/mo Element prices scale with contact count. |
| Free data migration | Yes (any paid plan) | No |
| Built in the UK | Yes | Yes |
| CRM Survey 2025 | New — not yet rated | 4.9/5 (71 respondents) |
Where Beacon CRM wins
Beacon CRM is a mature product with a large customer base. If fundraising is your sole concern and you want to work with a platform that’s been battle-tested by hundreds of charities, Beacon CRM has deep, sophisticated fundraising features and strong community support. Their tech support rating is excellent.
Where Alder wins
Alder is an all-in-one platform. If your charity does more than fundraise — if you manage cases, coordinate volunteers, track compliance, or report to trustees — Alder is built for you. No feature gating means you never outgrow a tier. And a free tier for 500 contacts with every feature lets you try without cost or credit card.