GrantForward vs Grantmakers.io in 2026
Compare what GrantForward and Grantmakers.io say they do and cost, and what to check before choosing one.
CDings is published by the makers of Raise Buddy and ProductCost, which are compared here alongside other tools.
GrantForward says it is a funding opportunity database and service built by academics for researchers, and its page offers a free search. [1] [1] Grantmakers.io says it is forever free and fully open source, built from public 990 tax returns. [2] [2] [2]
| Option | Free entry | Paid prices | Card payment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrantForward | Free search [1] | Institution trial and home subscription are offered; the sources give no price [1] | Not published |
| Grantmakers.io | Forever free [2] | The site's annual budget is $200 [2]; no user price | 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
GrantForward says it is a funding opportunity database and service built by academics for researchers. [1] Its page offers a free search. [1] Grantmakers.io says it is forever free and fully open source, and it provides foundation research built from public 990 tax returns. [2] [2] [2]
If you want a searchable list of funding from a service built by academics, GrantForward's sources describe that. [1] [1] If you want a foundation's giving history you can see for free without a paywall, Grantmakers.io's sources describe that. [2] [2]
What GrantForward, Grantmakers.io is built for
GrantForward describes itself as a funding opportunity database and service built by academics for researchers. [1] Its page offers a free search. [1]
Grantmakers.io says its service is forever free. [2] It provides foundation research based on public 990s, showing a foundation's complete giving history, who it funds, and how much it gives. [2] It says records are open with no barriers or paywalls. [2] It says it is fully open source. [2] Its page says the site's annual budget is $200. [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. [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]
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. [3] 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. [3] It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [3]
Pricing and fees
GrantForward's page offers a free search. [1] The sources reviewed here do not state a subscription price for GrantForward, so check its own page before you commit. Grantmakers.io says it is forever free, and its page says the site's annual budget is $200. [2] [2]
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] A guest's search list ends after 5. [3]
None of the sources gives a card payment fee, so that part is not published for any tool.
Getting started
GrantForward's page offers a free search. [1] Its sources reviewed here say nothing more about the sign-up steps. Grantmakers.io says it is forever free and fully open source, so the sources give no sign-up charge. [2] [2]
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, you can connect an AI assistant such as Claude so it 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 grants, loans, credits and prizes, and the country you operate in?
- Does the source list match your background, such as a researcher profile or a small business?
- Does it say plainly whether you 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 to browse a foundation's giving history and how much it gives, from public 990s and free of a paywall, Grantmakers.io's sources describe that. [2] [2] [2]
If you want a searchable funding list from a service built by academics, GrantForward's sources describe that. [1] [1]
If you want options beyond grants, such as SBA loans, Raise Buddy's sources say it covers 25 other ways to raise money, and its program list spans several countries. [3] [3]
Frequently asked questions
Is GrantForward free?
GrantForward's page offers a free search. [1] The sources reviewed here do not give a subscription price, so check GrantForward's own page before you commit. GrantForward says it is a funding opportunity database and service built by academics for researchers. [1]
Is Grantmakers.io free?
Grantmakers.io says its service is forever free. [2] It says it is fully open source. [2] Its page says the site's annual budget is $200. [2] The sources give no price for the person using it.
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]
Does Grantmakers.io show who a foundation gives to?
Grantmakers.io provides foundation research built from public 990s, showing a foundation's complete giving history, who it funds, and how much it gives. [2] It says records are open with no barriers or paywalls. [2] Ask whether the funders you care about are included before you rely on it.
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]
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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