Grantmakers.io vs GrantWatch in 2026
Compared for small-business owners: what GrantWatch and Grantmakers.io say they do and cost, what Raise Buddy does, and what to check before you choose.
CDings is published by the makers of Raise Buddy and ProductCost, which are compared here alongside other tools.
Grantmakers.io vs GrantWatch compared for small-business owners: what each says it does, what each says it costs, how to start, and what to check first.
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. [1] GrantWatch says it helps nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, schools, researchers, tribal organizations, and individuals find grants, research funders, write proposals, manage applications, track awards, and oversee post-award reporting in one system. [2]
| Option | Free entry | Paid prices | Card payment fee | |---|---|---|---| | GrantWatch | Not published | Not published | Not published | | Grantmakers.io | Not published | Not published | Not published | | Raise Buddy | Free plan opens programs up to $1,000 [1] | Plus $14.99 a month (up to $5,000); Pro $199 a month (every program) [1] | Not published |
| Option | Free entry | Paid prices | Card payment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrantWatch | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Grantmakers.io | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Raise Buddy | Free plan opens programs up to $1,000 [1] | Plus $14.99 a month (up to $5,000); Pro $199 a month (every program) [1] | Not published |
The short answer
GrantWatch describes a single system that covers the whole of grant work: finding grants, researching funders, writing proposals, managing applications, tracking awards, and handling post-award reporting. [2] [2] 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, with a plain verdict on whether you can apply. [1] [1]
If you want one system that handles a business's grant work from finding an opportunity through reporting after an award, GrantWatch's sources describe that. [2] The facts reviewed here say nothing about what Grantmakers.io does, so judge it from its own pages.
What Grantmakers.io and GrantWatch are built for
GrantWatch says it supports the full grant lifecycle from prospecting through post-award reporting. [2] It says it helps nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, schools, researchers, tribal organizations, and individuals find grants, research funders, write proposals, manage applications, track awards, and oversee post-award reporting in one system. [2] It says its search covers 13,781 Human Verified grants, including 9,877 nonprofit grants, plus 374,397 funder profiles. [2] [2] It says its dashboard recommends grants and donors matched to an organization's location and focus areas. [2] GrantWatch says it can find matching grants using keywords, focus areas, and organization type. [2] It says its CRM starts pre-populated with funder and grantee records, its grant and donor pipelines have 12 stages, and paid MemberPlus+ members can collaborate in them for free. [2] [2] [2] It says its grant calendar and alerts track deadlines, milestones, application schedules, and funding opportunities, and it draws on 4.69 million IRS 990 records. [2] [2]
The facts reviewed here do not describe Grantmakers.io, so check its own pages to see what it does.
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. [1] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [1]
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. [1] It includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own Form 990-PF tax returns. [1]
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. [1] 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. [1]
It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [1]
Pricing and fees
The GrantWatch facts reviewed here do not state a subscription price, so check its own pricing page before you commit. The facts reviewed here do not state a price for Grantmakers.io either.
Raise Buddy's free plan opens programs up to $1,000. [1] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000. [1] Pro is $199 a month and opens every program. [1] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [1] A guest's search list ends after 5. [1]
None of the sources reviewed here gives a card payment fee for any of the tools, so that part is not published for GrantWatch, Grantmakers.io or Raise Buddy.
Getting started
The GrantWatch facts reviewed here say nothing about the steps to sign up. GrantWatch says claiming an official organization profile gives greater visibility, a badge for the website, and up to 1 million free GWI Tokens. [2] The facts say nothing about setting up Grantmakers.io, so check its own help pages.
For Raise Buddy, no install is needed for the web app. [1] The app is built for the web and phones. [1] You paste your website or describe what you do, and the list of funding follows. [1] If you have a tax form or IRS letter, you can add a photo or PDF and confirm the draft profile it produces. [1]
AI assistants connect by adding the connection address. [1] On the Pro plan, Claude or any compatible AI assistant can connect so it can search Raise Buddy. [1] Only English is shown for now, even though five more languages are planned. [1]
Things to check before you choose
- What does the plan you need cost each month, and is the price 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, and does Grantmakers.io or GrantWatch state what it does before you pay?
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. [1] [1]
If you want one system that handles grant work from prospecting through post-award reporting under one roof, GrantWatch's sources describe that. [2] [2]
If you want options beyond grants, such as angel investors, Raise Buddy's sources say it covers 25 ways to raise money. [1]
If you want funding sources from outside the US, Raise Buddy's sources list programs from several countries. [1]
The facts reviewed here do not describe Grantmakers.io, so compare it against the same questions before you choose.
Frequently asked questions
What does GrantWatch say about pricing?
The GrantWatch facts reviewed here do not state a subscription price. GrantWatch does say that claiming an official organization profile can provide up to 1 million free GWI Tokens and a badge for the website. [2] Check GrantWatch's own pricing page to see whether a paid plan is needed and what it costs.
How much does Raise Buddy cost?
The free plan opens programs up to $1,000. [1] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000. [1] Pro is $199 a month and opens every program, with the advisors' review and the AI assistant connection. [1] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [1]
Can GrantWatch help manage an award after winning?
GrantWatch says it supports the full grant lifecycle from prospecting through post-award reporting. [2] It says it helps users manage applications, track awards, and oversee post-award reporting in one system. [2] The facts say nothing about exactly how the post-award reporting works, so ask how much of it you still handle yourself before you sign up.
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. [1] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [1]
Does Grantmakers.io cover grants for small businesses?
The facts reviewed here do not describe Grantmakers.io, so nothing can be said from them about whether it covers grants for small businesses. Check Grantmakers.io's own pages to see who it is for, what countries and kinds of funding it covers, and what it costs before you choose.
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. [1]
Try Raise BuddySources
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