---
{"title": "Candid Foundation Directory vs Instrumentl in 2026", "description": "Candid Foundation Directory, Instrumentl and Raise Buddy compared: what each does, what each costs, how to start, and what to check first.", "url": "https://cdings.com/candid-foundation-directory-vs-instrumentl/", "date": "2026-10-09"}
---
Candid Foundation Directory, Instrumentl and Raise Buddy compared: what each does, what each costs, how to start, and what to check first.

Candid says its search covers 1.9 million organizations by name, EIN, or keyword. [^1] Instrumentl says its database includes 450,000+ funder profiles and 37,000+ active RFPs. [^2] Instrumentl says it offers a 14-day free trial. [^2] Candid says registration is free. [^1]

| Option | Own price | Free access |
|---|---|---|
| Candid Foundation Directory | Premium monthly $219/month, billed monthly [^3]; Premium annual $100/month, $1,199 billed annually [^3]; Ultimate annual $142/month, $1,699 billed annually [^3] | Registration is free [^1] |
| Instrumentl | not published | 14-day free trial [^2] |
| Raise Buddy | Free plan opens programs up to $1,000; Plus $14.99 a month (up to $5,000); Pro $199 a month (every program) [^4] | Free plan opens programs up to $1,000 [^4] |

## The short answer

Candid says its search covers 1.9 million organizations by name, EIN, or keyword. [^1] Instrumentl says its database includes 450,000+ funder profiles and 37,000+ active RFPs. [^2] Raise Buddy lists funding you may be able to apply for, based on what your business does. [^4]

Candid says registration is free. [^1] Instrumentl says it offers a 14-day free trial. [^2] Raise Buddy says 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. [^4]

## What Candid Foundation Directory and Instrumentl say they do

**Candid Foundation Directory.** Candid says registration is free. [^1] It lists a Premium monthly plan starting at $219/month, billed monthly. [^3]

**Instrumentl.** Instrumentl says it offers a 14-day free trial. [^2] It says you can drag and drop the budget you were awarded and it pulls out the spending categories the funder approved automatically. [^2]

## 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. [^4] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [^4]

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 (your tax ID number) or the papers. [^4] It includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own Form 990-PF tax returns. [^4] 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. [^4]

It covers 25 ways to raise money (such as angel investors, SBA loans, equity crowdfunding), each with its official rules and a first step. [^4] It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [^4]

## Pricing and fees

Candid lists a Premium monthly plan starting at $219/month, billed monthly. [^3] Its Premium annual plan is listed at $100/month starting price, $1,199 billed annually. [^3] Its Ultimate annual plan is listed at $142/month starting price, $1,699 billed annually. [^3] Candid says registration is free. [^1]

Instrumentl says it offers a 14-day free trial. [^2] A subscription price for Instrumentl is not published in the facts used here.

Raise Buddy's Free plan opens programs up to $1,000. [^4] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000. [^4] Pro is $199 a month and opens every program, with the advisors' review and the AI assistant connection. [^4] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [^4] A guest's search list ends after 5. [^4]

## Getting started

**Candid Foundation Directory.** Candid says registration is free. [^1] Its paid plans are listed with monthly or annual billing, for example Premium annual at $100/month starting price. [^3]

**Instrumentl.** Instrumentl says it offers a 14-day free trial. [^2] It says it has no implementation fees or scoping calls. [^2]

**Raise Buddy.** Raise Buddy says the web app needs no install. [^4] You paste your website or describe what you do to see matches. [^4] On Pro, an AI assistant can search for you. [^4] Only English is shown for now, even though five more languages are planned. [^4]

## Things to check before you choose

Ask whether the tool lists funding open to a for-profit small business, or mainly records about nonprofits and foundations. The sources used here do not settle this for Candid or Instrumentl, so check each one's own pages.

Ask what you get during a free trial or free registration, and what stays locked until you pay. Ask whether the price you see is monthly or billed once a year.

Ask how often the funding list is refreshed, and whether each listing shows the funder's own eligibility words.

Ask whether you need drafting help, budget tracking after an award, or only a list of leads. Ask which of your tools, such as accounting software, the service connects to.

Ask where you actually submit an application, and whether the tool tracks it for you afterward.

## How to choose

If you want to register before paying, Candid says registration is free. [^1]

If you want to try before paying, Instrumentl says it offers a 14-day free trial. [^2] If you want to watch spending after an award, Instrumentl says it sends email spend alerts that flag over- or under-spending. [^2]

If you want to describe your business and see grants, loans, credits and prizes in one list, Raise Buddy says it does that. [^4] If you want a clear can-apply verdict with the funder's words, Raise Buddy says each match gives one. [^4] If you want options beyond grants, Raise Buddy says it covers 25 ways to raise money. [^4]

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Candid Foundation Directory free?

Candid says registration is free. [^1] It also lists paid plans, including a Premium monthly plan starting at $219/month, billed monthly. [^3] Check what the free registration includes before you rely on it, since the sources used here do not spell that out.

### Does Instrumentl have a free trial?

Instrumentl says it offers a 14-day free trial. [^2] A subscription price for Instrumentl is not published in the sources used here, so ask what the plan costs once the trial ends.

### How much does Candid Foundation Directory cost per year?

Candid lists a Premium annual plan at $100/month starting price, $1,199 billed annually. [^3] It lists an Ultimate annual plan at $142/month starting price, $1,699 billed annually. [^3] Its Premium monthly plan starts at $219/month, billed monthly. [^3]

### What does Instrumentl do after you win a grant?

Instrumentl says it syncs real-time spend from accounting software, with budget-vs-actual reports available on demand. [^2] It also says it sends email spend alerts that flag over- or under-spending. [^2] Ask Instrumentl which plan includes these and whether they cost extra.

### What does Raise Buddy cost for a small business?

Raise Buddy's Free plan opens programs up to $1,000. [^4] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000. [^4] Pro is $199 a month and opens every program, with the advisors' review and the AI assistant connection. [^4] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [^4] A guest's search list ends after 5. [^4]

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. [^4] - [Visit Raise Buddy](/go/candid-foundation-directory-vs-instrumentl)

## Sources

[^1]: Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org, read 2026-10-07 (https://candid.org)
[^2]: Instrumentl, instrumentl.com, read 2026-10-07 (https://www.instrumentl.com)
[^3]: Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org/find-funding, read 2026-10-07 (https://candid.org/find-funding)
[^4]: Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/candid-foundation-directory-vs-instrumentl)