Civist – Petitions and Fundraising
With Civist you create petitions directly in WordPress, raise funds and build strong supporter networks.
Solid choice
Civist is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 900+ sites, is rated 4.6/5 and was last updated 1 month ago, and scores 76/100 on our health check.
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Small user base (900+ active installs)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Civist stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| activism | #2 |
| donation | #76 |
| fundraising | #6 |
| petition | #2 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6 from 19 reviews
About Civist – Petitions and Fundraising
From the official readme · v8.0.3Description
Create and configure your petition directly in your own WordPress. Publish them in a page or post and you are ready to go! Your supporters sign the petition right there, embedded in your website.
Just add a donation form to your petitions to collect SEPA and credit card donations in compliance with EU legislation.
With Civist, you manage your supporters directly in WordPress. Contacts are automatically saved in your mailing list manager. Simple!
Export your contacts and signatures as CSV-files for further processing.
Installation
The easiest way of installing the Civist WordPress plugin is to use the built in plugin search of WordPress. Just search for Civist and click the “Install Now” button.
Downloading the plugin and installing it from the ZIP-file is another option. You can always find the current version at WordPress Plugin Directory. To install it:
- Download the ZIP file
- Go to the “Plugins” menu in the WordPress dashboard
- Upload the civist.zip file
- Activate the plugin
Changelog
We recommend that you always use the latest version of Civist to omit any problems for you and your supporters.
Release 8.0.3 – 2026-08-19
Bug Fixes
- Fixed: The tested WordPress version was updated to 7.1
Release 8.0.2 – 2026-08-17 – Update recommended
Feature Additions
- The plugin is ready for WordPress 7.1
Bug Fixes
- Fixed: The Civist Gutenberg blocks did not work in WordPress 7.1
Release 8.0.0 – 2026-06-24 – Security Update Recommended
Removed Features
- Discontinued the built-in Freshdesk support widget integration.
Bug Fixes
- Security Hardening: Fixed an authenticated settings poisoning vulnerability that allowed unauthorized modification of API configurations and potential Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF).
- Access Control: Tightened security permissions across all AJAX handlers. Global settings management is now strictly locked to the
manage_optionscapability (Administrators), while petition and donation form management now requires Editor privileges or above.
Release 7.9.1 – 2026-05-21
Feature Additions
- The plugin is ready for WordPress 7.0
Release 7.9.0 – 2025-12-18
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Civist alternatives
All activism plugins →
FAQ
Civist – Petitions and Fundraising: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 29, 2026
Is Civist free?
Yes. Civist is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Civist safe to use in 2026?
Civist is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 900+ sites, is rated 4.6/5 and was last updated 1 month ago, and scores 76/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Civist?
Civist is active on 900+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 34,196 times since it launched in August 2017. It was downloaded 437 times in the last 30 days.
Does Civist work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested Civist up to WordPress 7.1.2, the latest release. It requires WordPress 5.0 or newer.
What PHP version does Civist need?
Civist requires PHP 7.1 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Civist last updated?
The latest version, 8.0.3, was released on August 19, 2026 (1 month ago).
Who makes Civist?
Civist is developed and maintained by Civist.
What are the best alternatives to Civist?
The most popular alternatives to Civist are SpeakOut! Email Petitions (2K+ installs), Petitioner (200+ installs) and CBX Petition (70+ installs).
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