CDings Plain comparisons of small-business tools

Grantmakers.io vs GrantStation in 2026

Grantmakers.io and GrantStation compared for small-business owners: what each says it does, what each says it costs, how to start, and what to check first.

By CDings ยท

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

Grantmakers.io and GrantStation both help people look for funding, and this page sets out what each says it does, what each says it costs, how to start, and what to check first. GrantStation advertises its GS Membership at 41 cents a day. [1] The sources reviewed here say nothing about Grantmakers.io, so check its own site for what it offers.

OptionFree entryPaid pricesCard payment fee
GrantStationNot publishedGS Membership at 41 cents a day [1]Not published
Grantmakers.ioNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Raise BuddyFree 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

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] GrantStation says its database holds more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities. [1] It says members can connect with a real Member Services person for help. [1] If you want a list of funding matched to a description of your business, with a plain verdict on whether you can apply, Raise Buddy's sources describe that. [2] [2] If you want funder research across the United States, Canada and abroad, with planning tools and a Member Services person, GrantStation's sources describe that. [1] [1] [1]

What GrantStation and Grantmakers.io are built for

GrantStation says its database holds more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities. [1] It says members can search those records across the U.S., Canada and internationally, with AI-assisted tools to help refine the search. [1] It says funder research covers priorities, giving history, awards, 990 data, funding patterns and fit. [1] GrantStation says members can use a Decision Matrix to compare prospects, rule out poor fits and focus on the strongest opportunities. [1] It says a Proposal Reviewer helps identify strengths, uncover gaps and refine a proposal before submitting. [1] It says membership includes planning tools such as calendars, goal-setting tools, the Grant Diversification Assessment and Benchmarker. [1] It says anyone can sign up for free weekly funding updates and expert insights. [1] The sources reviewed here say nothing about what Grantmakers.io does, so check its own pages for its features before you decide.

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] It includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own Form 990-PF tax returns. [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]

Pricing and fees

GrantStation advertises its GS Membership at 41 cents a day. [1] The sources reviewed here give no monthly or yearly price for GrantStation, so check its own pricing page for the total before you sign up. They also state no card payment fee for GrantStation, so that part is not published. The sources reviewed here say nothing about Grantmakers.io's prices, so check its own pricing page for what it costs. 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. [2] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [2] Raise Buddy's sources give no card payment fee, so that part is not published.

Getting started

GrantStation says anyone can sign up for free weekly funding updates and expert insights. [1] Its sources reviewed here say nothing more about the sign-up steps, so check its own site for how membership begins. The sources reviewed here say nothing about how Grantmakers.io is set up, so check its own pages for 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] AI assistants connect by adding the connection address. [2] On the Pro plan, you can connect an AI assistant such as Claude so it can search Raise Buddy, with ten tools to use. [2] Only English is shown for now, even though five more languages are planned. [2]

Things to check before you choose

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 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 funding sources from outside the US, Raise Buddy's sources list programs from several countries. [2] If you want a large funder database with planning and proposal help, plus a real Member Services person, GrantStation's sources describe those. [1] [1] [1] [1] If you want to know what Grantmakers.io offers and costs, its own pages are the place to check, because the sources here say nothing about it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does GrantStation cost?

GrantStation advertises its GS Membership at 41 cents a day. [1] The sources reviewed here give no monthly or yearly total, so check GrantStation's own pricing page for what the membership adds up to over a year and what it covers before you sign up.

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. [2] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [2]

What does Grantmakers.io cost?

The sources reviewed here say nothing about Grantmakers.io's prices or features. Check Grantmakers.io's own pages for what it charges and what its database covers before you choose 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. [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]

Does GrantStation include planning and proposal help?

GrantStation says membership includes planning tools such as calendars, goal-setting tools, the Grant Diversification Assessment and Benchmarker. [1] It says a Proposal Reviewer helps identify strengths and uncover gaps before submitting. [1] The sources reviewed here say nothing about whether Grantmakers.io offers similar help, so check its own pages.

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 Buddy

Sources

  1. GrantStation, grantstation.com, read 2026-10-07
  2. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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