Grants.gov vs GrantStation in 2026

Grants.gov and GrantStation side by side for a small-business owner, with Raise Buddy as a third option: pricing, setup and what to check.

By CDings · 2026-10-09

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

Grants.gov states that federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities on Grants.gov. ^[1] GrantStation says it lets you search funder records and curated grants. ^[2] Raise Buddy is another option that lists grants, loans, credits, prizes, and other funding a business may be able to apply for. ^[3]

Option	Price or fee	What is included
Grants.gov	not published	Grants.gov says federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities on it. ^[1]
GrantStation	GrantStation advertises its paid membership at 41 cents a day. ^[2]	GrantStation says it has more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities. ^[2]
Raise Buddy	Free plan opens programs up to $1,000, Plus is $14.99 a month for programs up to $5,000, and Pro is $199 a month for every program. ^[3]	The first three matches in each section open on every plan. ^[3]

The short answer

Grants.gov states that federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities on Grants.gov. ^[1] GrantStation says it lets you search funder records and curated grants. ^[2] Raise Buddy can list grants, loans, credits, prizes, and other funding a small-business owner may be able to apply for after the owner pastes a website or describes what the business does. ^[3]

What Grants.gov and GrantStation are built for

Grants.gov says federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities on Grants.gov. ^[1]

It says it covers funders in the U.S., Canada and internationally, with AI-assisted tools to help narrow a search. ^[2]

What Raise Buddy is built for

Raise Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site.

Raise Buddy can list grants, loans, credits, prizes, and other funding a small-business owner may be able to apply for after the owner pastes a website or describes what the business does. ^[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] Each match can say whether the owner can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, using the funder's own words. ^[3] Raise Buddy can keep track of where each application stands, but the application is made on the funder's own site. ^[3]

Pricing and fees

GrantStation advertises its paid membership at 41 cents a day; the source gives only that daily price. ^[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 a review from advisors and AI connection. ^[3] Separately, the first three matches in each section open on every plan. ^[3] No source shown gives a Grants.gov price.

Getting started

GrantStation says members can connect with a real Member Services person when they need help. ^[2]

The Raise Buddy web app needs nothing installed. ^[3] Check what sign-up and setup steps Grants.gov and GrantStation require, since the sources shown do not say.

Things to check before you choose

Does the tool cover the funding sources that matter for the business? Raise Buddy's program list includes government grant lists from other countries, such as the UK's Find a Grant and Australia's GrantConnect. ^[3] Does Grants.gov list anything for a business like yours, given that it says federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities there? ^[1] Do GrantStation's funder records include funders near you? Does Raise Buddy's tracking only follow applications, given that you apply on the funder's own site? ^[3]

How to choose

If you want a database of funders to research, GrantStation says it lets you search funder records and curated grants. ^[2] If you want funding matched to a description of your business, Raise Buddy lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding after you paste your website or describe what you do. ^[3] If you want private foundations, Raise Buddy includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own Form 990-PF, the tax return a private foundation files. ^[3] If you want other ways to raise money, Raise Buddy covers 25 of them, such as SBA loans and equity crowdfunding, each with official rules and a first step. ^[3]

Frequently asked questions

Is Grants.gov or GrantStation better for finding grants?

The answer depends on the type of funding information needed. Grants.gov states that federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities on Grants.gov. ^[1] GrantStation says it lets you search funder records and curated grants. ^[2]

Does GrantStation help compare funding options?

GrantStation says it lets you search funder records and curated grants. ^[2] GrantStation says its funder research includes giving history and Form 990 data, which are nonprofit tax filings. ^[2]

Can Raise Buddy find funding options for a small business?

Raise Buddy says a user can paste a website or describe what the business does, and it lists grants, loans, credits, prizes, and other funding that may be available to apply for. ^[3] Each match can say whether the user can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, using the funder's own words. ^[3]

Does Raise Buddy store tax documents or a business tax ID number?

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]

Is Raise Buddy available in multiple languages?

Raise Buddy says only English is shown for now, even though five more languages are planned. ^[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]

Try Raise Buddy