Grant finders for independent filmmakers compared in 2026

Q: Does Instrumentl offer a free trial for grant searching?

Instrumentl says it offers a 14-day free trial . Its database includes 450,000+ funder profiles and 37,000+ active RFPs , and Instrumentl says it updates them daily . Check its current pricing directly on its own site before the trial ends.

Compare grant finders for independent filmmakers, from Raise Buddy and Instrumentl to GrantStation, GrantWatch and OpenGrants, with prices and data scope.

By CDings · 2026-10-28

CDings is published by the makers of Raise Buddy and ProductCost, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Raise Buddy lists grants, loans, credits and prizes you may be able to apply for, based on your website or a description of your film work ^[1]. Its Free plan opens programs up to $1,000 ^[1]. The other tools on this page differ in price, data and tracking, and the table sets them side by side.

Option	Starting price	Free access	Key data scope	Application tracking
Raise Buddy	Free plan opens programs up to $1,000 ^[1]; Plus $14.99 a month for programs up to $5,000 ^[1]; Pro $199 a month for every program, the advisors' review and the AI connection ^[1]	The first three matches in each section open on every plan ^[1]. For a guest, each search list stops after the first 5 ^[1]	Grants, loans, credits and prizes ^[1]; private foundations ^[1]; sources in the UK, Australia, France, Japan, Spain and Austria ^[1]	Tracks where each application stands; you apply on the funder's site ^[1]
Instrumentl	Not published; Instrumentl's source gives no starting price	14-day free trial ^[2]	450,000+ funder profiles and 37,000+ active RFPs, maintained and updated daily by its expert team ^[2]	Instrumentl says it creates deadlines and milestones from the award letter with no manual entry ^[2]
GrantStation	GS Membership at 41 cents a day ^[3]	Free weekly funding updates by sign-up ^[3]	150,000+ funder records, 15,000+ curated funding opportunities ^[3]	Not published
GrantWatch	Not published	Not published	GrantWatch says 13,781 verified grants and 374,397 funder profiles ^[4]^[4]	GrantWatch says its grant and donor pipelines let you track every grant and donor across 12 stages ^[4]
OpenGrants	$9 a month or $99 a year after a 7-day free period ^[5]	Free account to open, save and check eligibility for grants ^[5]	More than 8,000 open grants and contracts from federal, state and private funders ^[5]	Not published
Candid Foundation Directory	Premium monthly $219 a month, billed monthly ^[6]; Premium annual from $100 a month, $1,199 billed annually ^[6]	Candid says registration is free ^[7]	Candid says its search covers 1.9 million organizations ^[7]; Candid says it records 3 million annual grant transactions ^[7]	Not published

What independent filmmakers need from grant finders

Independent filmmakers usually fund a project from several sources at once. A film may draw on arts grants, film commission funds, regional development money, private foundations, loans or tax credits where a country offers them. Each source has its own eligibility rules, and a filmmaker often cannot tell whether they may apply until they read the rules closely. A useful grant finder should show who can apply, what the funder wants from a film project, and when the deadline falls. Filmmakers who shoot or distribute across borders also need sources from more than one country. Many filmmakers work through a fiscal sponsor, so check how a tool handles an application made that way. Look for a tool that searches the funder types you actually use and shows its eligibility rules in plain language.

Raise Buddy for independent filmmakers

Raise Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. You paste your website or describe your film work, and it lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for ^[1]. Each match shows whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, quoting the funder's own words; this is the tool's own assessment, not a guaranteed result ^[1]. It includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own Form 990-PF tax returns ^[1]. Its program list includes sources in the UK, Australia, France, Japan, Spain and Austria ^[1]. If you file a Schedule C, it can read the form from a photo or PDF into a draft profile you confirm, and it does not keep the EIN or the papers ^[1]. It keeps track of where each application stands, but you apply on the funder's own site ^[1]. The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000 ^[1]. Plus is $14.99 a month for programs up to $5,000 ^[1]. Pro is $199 a month for every program ^[1], and its advisors' review and AI connection are Pro features. On Pro, ten AI personas read your organization and matches and write what to do first, and none of them is a real person ^[1]. The web app needs no install ^[1], and the app works on the web and on phones ^[1]. Only English is shown for now ^[1].

Instrumentl for independent filmmakers

Instrumentl says it offers a 14-day free trial ^[2]. Its database includes 450,000+ funder profiles and 37,000+ active RFPs ^[2], and Instrumentl says it updates them daily ^[2]. Instrumentl says it creates deadlines and milestones from the award letter with no manual entry ^[2]. Check whether its listings include the arts and film funders you need before you start a trial.

GrantStation for independent filmmakers

GrantStation advertises its GS Membership at 41 cents a day ^[3]. It offers free weekly funding updates and expert insights by sign-up ^[3]. Its database holds more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities ^[3]. Check whether those records include the funders that support film projects.

GrantWatch for independent filmmakers

GrantWatch says it has 13,781 Human Verified grants, including 9,877 nonprofit grants ^[4]. It says its database includes 374,397 funder profiles ^[4]. Its grant and donor pipelines have 12 stages for tracking applications ^[4]. Check each listing's eligibility rules to see whether an individual filmmaker can apply.

OpenGrants for independent filmmakers

OpenGrants says it lets users search more than 8,000 open grants and contracts from federal, state and private funders ^[5]. A free account lets you open any grant, save it and check your eligibility ^[5]. After a free period of 7 days, pricing is $9 a month or $99 a year ^[5].

Matching the tool to the job

If you need funders that accept applications from individual filmmakers, check that each match says whether you can apply before you write anything. Raise Buddy lists grants, loans, credits and prizes you may be able to apply for, and each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear ^[1]^[1]. If you want one search across federal, state and private funders, OpenGrants says it lets users search more than 8,000 open grants and contracts from those sources ^[5]. If your film is funded from abroad or shot in more than one country, Raise Buddy's program list includes sources in the UK, Australia, France, Japan, Spain and Austria ^[1]. If you track deadlines after an award, Instrumentl says it auto-generates deadlines and milestones from the award letter ^[2]. If you want a verified list of grants to start from, GrantWatch says its database has 13,781 verified grants ^[4]. If you want regular updates without a trial, GrantStation offers free weekly funding updates and expert insights by sign-up ^[3].

Questions to ask before you choose

Does the tool cover the funder types you use, such as arts councils, film funds or private foundations? Can you start searching without a paid plan, and what limits apply to free access? Does it show whether you can apply before you write anything? Can it handle an application made through a fiscal sponsor? Does it cover the countries where you shoot or distribute? How does it track application status, and do you apply on the funder's site or through the tool? What does each paid tier cost, and what changes at each one? Is the interface in the language you work in? Raise Buddy shows only English for now, even though five more languages are planned ^[1].

Frequently asked questions

Is Raise Buddy free for independent filmmakers?

The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000, and the first three matches in each section open on every plan ^[1]. For a guest, each search list stops after the first 5 ^[1]. Plus costs $14.99 a month for programs up to $5,000 ^[1], and the first three matches in each section open on every plan ^[1]. Pro costs $199 a month for every program, the advisors' review and the AI connection ^[1]. Check the current plan details on Raise Buddy's own site before you choose.

Does Instrumentl offer a free trial for grant searching?

What does GrantStation cost for grant searching?

Does GrantWatch list grants that individual filmmakers can apply for?

Does OpenGrants include private funders?

OpenGrants says users can search more than 8,000 open grants and contracts from federal, state and private funders ^[5]. A free account lets you open any grant, save it and check your eligibility ^[5]. After a free period of 7 days, pricing is $9 a month or $99 a year ^[5].

Free plan opens programs up to $1,000; Plus is $14.99 a month (up to $5,000); Pro is $199 a month (every program, advisors' review, AI connection). The first three matches in each section open on every plan. ^[1]

Try Raise Buddy