Candid Foundation Directory vs SBIR.gov in 2026
Candid Foundation Directory, SBIR.gov and Raise Buddy compared for small-business owners: what each does, what 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.
Raise Buddy and Candid Foundation Directory compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each says it costs, how to start, and what to check first.
| Option | Free entry | Paid prices | Card payment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candid Foundation Directory | Register for free [1] | Premium monthly $219/month billed monthly [2]; Premium annual $100/month, $1,199 billed annually [2]; Ultimate annual $142/month, $1,699 billed annually [2] | Not published |
| SBIR.gov | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Raise Buddy | Free plan opens programs up to $1,000 [3] | Plus $14.99 a month (up to $5,000); Pro $199 a month (every program) [3] | Not published |
The short answer
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. [3] Candid Foundation Directory says its search covers 1.9 million organizations by name, EIN or keyword. [1]
These tools answer different questions. If you want a list of funding that fits your business, with a plain verdict on whether you can apply, Raise Buddy's sources describe that. [3] If you want to search a directory of foundations and the grants they record, Candid's sources describe that. [1] The sources reviewed here give no facts about SBIR.gov, so check its own pages for what it covers.
What Candid Foundation Directory, SBIR.gov is built for
Candid Foundation Directory says its search covers 1.9 million organizations by name, EIN or keyword. [1] It says it offers 3 million annual grant transactions. [1] Its APIs provide real-time data updates. [1] It can provide custom nonprofit data sets. [1] It says registration is free. [1]
The sources reviewed here give no facts about SBIR.gov, so this page says little about it. Check SBIR.gov's own pages for what it covers.
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. [3] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [3]
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. [3] It includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own Form 990-PF tax returns. [3]
It covers 25 ways to raise money, such as angel investors, SBA loans and equity crowdfunding, each with its official rules and a first step. [3] It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [3]
Pricing and fees
Candid says registration is free. [1] Candid lists a Premium monthly plan starting at $219 a month, billed monthly. [2] It also lists a Premium annual plan at $100 a month as a starting price, $1,199 billed annually. [2] An Ultimate annual plan starts at $142 a month, $1,699 billed annually. [2] The sources reviewed here give no prices for SBIR.gov, so check its own pages.
Raise Buddy's free plan opens programs up to $1,000. [3] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000. [3] Pro is $199 a month and opens every program, with the advisors' review and the AI assistant connection. [3] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [3]
Neither source gives a card payment fee, so that part is not published for any of the tools.
Getting started
For Candid, registration is free. [1] Its sources reviewed here say nothing more about the sign-up steps. The sources reviewed here give no sign-up detail for SBIR.gov, so check its own website.
For Raise Buddy, no install is needed for the web app. [3] The app is built for the web and phones. [3] You paste your website or describe what you do, and the list of funding follows. [3] If you have a tax form or IRS letter, you can add a photo or PDF and confirm the draft profile it produces. [3]
AI assistants connect by adding the connection address. [3] On the Pro plan, Claude or any compatible AI assistant can search, and the assistant gets ten tools. [3] Only English is shown for now, even though five more languages are planned. [3]
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?
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. [3] [3]
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. [3]
If you want to search a directory of foundations and the grants they record, Candid's sources describe a search of 1.9 million organizations. [1] [1]
If you want a free way in, Candid says registration is free. [1] Raise Buddy has a free plan. [3]
Frequently asked questions
Is Candid Foundation Directory free?
Candid says registration is free. [1] The sources reviewed here also list paid plans, so registration being free and what a paying account gets are two different things. Check what the free account lets you do before you pay. Candid lists a Premium monthly plan starting at $219 a month, billed monthly. [2]
How much does Raise Buddy cost?
The free plan opens programs up to $1,000. [3] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000. [3] Pro is $199 a month and opens every program, with the advisors' review and the AI assistant connection. [3] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [3]
What does Candid's Premium plan include?
Candid says the monthly plan includes unlimited searches and profile views. [2] It allows grant downloads of up to 250 grants per month. [2] It allows up to 750 profiles per month in limited downloads. [2] Check which of these limits matters for the way you plan to use the directory.
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. [3] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [3]
What does SBIR.gov cost?
The sources reviewed here give no facts about SBIR.gov, so check its own website for costs, sign-up steps and what it covers before you start. Compare that with what Candid's paid plans state. [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. [3]
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