Candid Foundation Directory vs GrantForward in 2026
Candid Foundation Directory vs GrantForward compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each says it costs, how to start, and what to check first.
CDings is published by the makers of Raise Buddy and ProductCost, which are compared here alongside other tools.
Candid Foundation Directory vs GrantForward compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each says it costs, how to start, and what to check first.
Candid Foundation Directory says registration is free, with paid plans for heavier research. GrantForward provides a search feature for grant opportunities and says users can find collaborators through a researcher profile. [1] [1] Raise Buddy lists grants, loans, credits and prizes you may qualify for from a description of your business. [2]
| Option | Free entry | Paid prices | Card payment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candid Foundation Directory | Register for free [3] | Premium monthly $219/month [4]; Premium annual $100/month, $1,199 billed annually [4]; Ultimate annual $142/month, $1,699 billed annually [4] | Not published |
| GrantForward | Free search option [1]; institution trial and home subscription [1] | Not published | Not published |
| Raise Buddy | Free plan opens programs up to $1,000 [2] | Plus $14.99 a month (up to $5,000); Pro $199 a month (every program) [2] | Not published |
The short answer
Candid Foundation Directory says registration is free, and its paid plans add heavier research use. [3] GrantForward provides a search feature for grant opportunities, and it says a researcher profile can help users find collaborators who share their interests. [1] [1] Raise Buddy takes your website or a short description of what you do and lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for. [2]
If you want to look up grantmakers on your own and are ready to pay for deeper access, Candid Foundation Directory's sources describe a free registration with a paid monthly plan. [3] [4] If you want to match funding to what you do, with a plain verdict on whether you can apply, Raise Buddy's sources describe that. [2] [2] GrantForward's sources reviewed here say little more about what it does, so check what its search covers before you choose.
What Candid Foundation Directory, GrantForward is built for
Candid Foundation Directory says registration is free. [3] It lists a Premium monthly plan starting at $219 per month. [4] Its monthly plan allows up to 750 profiles per month in limited downloads. [4] Its sources reviewed here say nothing more about what the directory covers, so check the funders it holds before you rely on it.
GrantForward provides a search feature for grant opportunities. [1] It says a researcher profile can help users find collaborators who share the same interests to start a project. [1] It offers an institution trial and a home subscription. [1] Its sources reviewed here do not cover how its search is built or priced, so check those details directly.
What Raise Buddy is built for
Raise Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. You paste your website or describe what you do, and it lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for. [2] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [2]
It can read a Schedule C, Form 1120, 1065 or 990, or an IRS letter, from a photo or PDF into a draft profile you confirm, and it does not keep the EIN or the papers. [2] Its program list includes the UK's Find a Grant, Australia's GrantConnect, France's Aides-territoires, Japan's jGrants, Spain's BDNS and Austria's Transparenzportal. [2] It also covers 25 ways to raise money, such as angel investors, SBA loans and equity crowdfunding, each with its official rules and a first step. [2]
It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [2] It includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own Form 990-PF tax returns. [2]
Pricing and fees
Candid Foundation Directory says registration is free. [3] Its Premium monthly plan starts at $219 per month, and that plan includes up to 750 profiles per month in limited downloads. [4] [4] GrantForward's sources reviewed here do not state a price, so check its own pricing page before you commit.
Raise Buddy's free plan opens programs up to $1,000. [2] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000. [2] Pro is $199 a month and opens every program, with the advisors' review and the AI assistant connection. [2] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [2] A guest's search list ends after 5. [2]
None of the sources gives a card payment fee, so that part is not published for any tool.
Getting started
Candid Foundation Directory says registration is free. [3] Its sources reviewed here say nothing more about the sign-up steps or the research workflow.
GrantForward offers an institution trial and a home subscription, and it provides a search feature. [1] [1] Its sources reviewed here say nothing more about the sign-up steps.
For Raise Buddy, no install is needed for the web app. [2] The app is built for the web and phones. [2] You paste your website or describe what you do, and the list of funding follows. [2] If you have a tax form or IRS letter, you can add a photo or PDF and confirm the draft profile it produces. [2] Only English is shown for now, even though five more languages are planned. [2]
Things to check before you choose
- What does the plan you need cost each month, and is it published before you sign up?
- Does the tool cover the kind of funding you want, such as grants, loans or prizes, and the country you operate in?
- Does it say plainly whether your business can apply, and does it quote the funder?
- Who writes the application: you, or the tool? Where do you submit it?
- Does it track deadlines and spending after you win, and does it connect to the accounting software you already use?
- What happens to your tax documents and identifiers when you upload them?
- Is the interface in the language you work in?
- Do you want to search funders yourself, or have matches built from a description of your business?
How to choose
If you want a list of funding matched to a description of your business, with a verdict on whether you can apply, Raise Buddy's sources describe that. [2] [2]
If you want to search grant opportunities yourself, GrantForward's sources say it provides a search feature. [1]
If you want options beyond grants, such as angel investors or SBA loans, Raise Buddy's sources say it covers 25 ways to raise money. [2]
If you want to look up grantmakers and are willing to pay for a paid directory plan, Candid Foundation Directory's sources describe a free registration with a paid monthly plan. [3] [4]
If you want funding sources from outside the US, Raise Buddy's sources list programs from several countries. [2]
Frequently asked questions
Is Candid Foundation Directory free to register for?
Candid Foundation Directory says registration is free. [3] Its sources reviewed here also list paid plans: a Premium monthly plan starting at $219 per month, a Premium annual plan at $100 per month, and an Ultimate annual plan at $142 per month. [4] [4] [4] Check which searches and downloads each plan allows, and what remains free, before you sign up.
Does GrantForward cost anything?
GrantForward offers an institution trial and a home subscription, and a free search option. [1] [1] The sources reviewed here do not state a subscription price, so check GrantForward's own pricing page to see what the home subscription costs and what the trial includes, and confirm what stays free after any trial ends.
How much does Raise Buddy cost?
The free plan opens programs up to $1,000. [2] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000. [2] Pro is $199 a month and opens every program, with the advisors' review and the AI assistant connection. [2] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [2] A guest's search list ends after 5. [2]
Can GrantForward help a small-business owner find funding?
GrantForward provides a search feature for grant opportunities. [1] Its sources reviewed here say it uses a researcher profile to help users find collaborators who share the same interests. [1] The sources say little more about what its grant search covers, so check which fields, funders and countries it holds before you rely on it for your business.
Can Raise Buddy submit a grant application?
Raise Buddy keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [2] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [2]
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. [2]
Try Raise BuddySources
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