Petitions.com
Browse Petitions Contact Us Languages Manage your signatures Log in
Start a Petition

Change.org vs GoPetition vs Petitions.com: An In-Depth Comparison

All three platforms let you start a petition for free, but they treat your supporter data very differently. GoPetition locks downloading your signers' emails behind a paid Premium subscription; Change.org never gives them to you at all; Petitions.com includes full access for free.

Feature Petitions.com GoPetition Change.org
Access to Signer Emails Yes, Full Access Paid add-on (Premium only) No, Hidden
Export Your Signatures Yes (Excel, PDF or HTML, including any contact details you collected) Premium only Names and location only — no email addresses
Custom Consent Choices You define each purpose; signers consent to each one separately No No
AI Writing & Cover Image Assistant Yes (drafts, translates and generates a cover image) No Yes
Multilingual Petitions Yes (one petition in many languages, sharing a single signature list) No No
Language-Specific Domains Yes (an easy-to-remember address for each language version) No (one global brand domain) No (one global brand domain)
Combine Paper & Online Signatures Yes No No
Public or Private Petitions Yes (can be hidden from listings and search engines) Yes (publishing levels) No (petitions are always public)
Cost to Create a Petition Free Paid Premium subscription (min. 30 days, non-refundable) Free, with paid promotion & membership upsells

1. What's Actually Free?

Both platforms advertise free petitions, but "free" means very different things. On GoPetition, you can publish a petition and collect signatures for free — but to download your signers' email addresses or export your signature list, you have to buy Premium Services. Premium is a subscription with a minimum purchase of 30 days, and payments are non-refundable even if you don't use the full period.

On Petitions.com, the essentials are free. Full access to the contact details you collect, exporting your whole signature list in Excel, PDF or HTML, and built-in spam protection are all included at no cost. There is no paywall between you and your own supporters.

2. Your Supporters, Without a Paywall

The people who sign your petition are the heart of your campaign. On GoPetition, reaching them again means paying for Premium — and if your subscription lapses, your access to that data can go with it.

Petitions.com: Your Petition. Your Data. Your Rules.

If you choose to collect email addresses or phone numbers, you get full, direct access to that information for free. This allows you to:

  • Build an Independent Movement: Contact your supporters directly for future campaigns, without depending on any platform or subscription.
  • Stay GDPR-Compliant: You define the specific purposes for collecting personal data, and signatories consent to each one individually.
  • Communicate Directly: Send thank-you notes, organize local events, or survey your supporters.

3. Professional & Campaign Features

Petitions.com includes tools that GoPetition either charges for or doesn't offer:

  • Custom Data Fields & Consent: Collect exactly the information your campaign needs, with a separate consent for each purpose.
  • AI Assistant & Rich Content: Let AI help draft your title, text and cover image, and tell your story with photos, video and formatted text.
  • Multilingual Petitions: Run one petition in several languages that are cross-linked automatically and share a single signature list.
  • Offline & Online Integration: Collect signatures on paper at events and combine them with your online total for a single, unified count.

GoPetition vs Change.org: Two Very Different Trade-offs

Comparing GoPetition and Change.org comes down to how each handles your supporters. GoPetition will give you your signers' email addresses — but only if you pay for a Premium subscription. Change.org is free and includes spam protection, but it never gives you signer emails at all, and its petitions are always public. So with GoPetition you pay to reach your supporters; with Change.org you simply can't.

Petitions.com avoids both trade-offs: free access to the contact details you collect, free spam protection, and the option to keep a petition private — no subscription and no locked-away data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GoPetition really free?

You can start a petition and collect signatures on GoPetition for free, but downloading your signers' email addresses and exporting your signature list require a paid Premium subscription. Petitions.com includes both for free.

Can I download my signers' email addresses on GoPetition?

Only with Premium Services, GoPetition's paid subscription. On Petitions.com, if you choose to collect email addresses, you get full access to them at no cost.

How much does GoPetition Premium cost?

GoPetition Premium is a subscription with a minimum purchase period of 30 days, and payments are non-refundable even if you don't use the full period. Petitions.com does not put these core features behind a subscription.

Which is better for keeping in touch with supporters?

Petitions.com, because access to the contact details you collect is free and permanent — there's no subscription to keep paying to reach your own supporters.

GoPetition vs Change.org — which gives me my signers' emails?

GoPetition gives you signer email addresses only with a paid Premium subscription, while Change.org never provides them at all. Petitions.com gives you full access to the contact details you collect for free.

This is our own comparison, focused on the differences that matter to organizers who want control over their data and campaign. It doesn't cover every feature — each platform has strengths suited to different needs, so it's worth evaluating each option against what your campaign needs.

Spotted something out of date or incorrect? Please let us know — we want these comparisons to stay accurate and we'll fix it.