---
{"title": "Grants.gov vs Skip Compared in 2026", "description": "Grants.gov and Skip compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each says it costs, how to start, and what to check first.", "url": "https://cdings.com/grants-gov-vs-skip/", "date": "2026-10-16"}
---
Grants.gov and Skip compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each says it costs, how to start, and what to check first.

Grants.gov and Skip 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grants.gov | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Skip | 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

The reviewed sources do not describe, in plain words, what Grants.gov does for a small-business owner. The reviewed sources do not quote Skip's own pages, so what Skip does cannot be stated from them.

Raise Buddy takes a website or a short description of what a business does and lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding the business may be able to apply for. [^1] Each match says whether the business can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, in the funder's own words. [^1]

If the need is a list of funding that fits a business, with a plain verdict on whether it can apply, Raise Buddy's sources describe that. [^1] For what Grants.gov and Skip do for a small business, check what each says about itself on its own site.

## What Grants.gov, Skip is built for

Those reviewed pages give no further account of what Grants.gov is built for, so its full purpose cannot be described from these sources.

The reviewed sources do not quote Skip's own pages, so what Skip is built for cannot be stated from them.

## 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 also covers 25 other 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 reviewed sources do not state a price for Grants.gov, so check its own site for any cost. The reviewed sources do not quote Skip's own pages, so Skip's price cannot be stated from them.

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, with the advisors' review and the AI assistant connection. [^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 reviewed sources gives a card payment fee for any tool here, so that part is not published.

## Getting started

The reviewed sources say nothing about how to sign up or set up a Grants.gov account. The reviewed sources do not quote Skip's own pages, so how to start with Skip cannot be stated from them.

For Raise Buddy, no install is needed for the web app. [^1] The app works on the web and on 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 search, and the assistant gets ten tools. [^1] Only English is shown for now, even though five more languages are planned. [^1]

## Things to check before you choose

- What does Grants.gov's own site say about what it does and what it costs?
- Does the tool list the kind of funding you want, such as grants, loans or prizes, and does it cover 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?
- If the tool covers only federal grants, does it also list funding from states, foundations or other countries?

## 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 options beyond grants, such as SBA loans or equity crowdfunding, Raise Buddy's sources say it covers 25 other ways to raise money. [^1]

If you want funding sources from outside the US, Raise Buddy's sources list programs from several countries. [^1]

If you want to try before paying, Raise Buddy has a free plan. [^1] The reviewed sources do not state whether Grants.gov or Skip charges for use, so check each one's own site.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Grants.gov free to use?

The reviewed sources do not state a price for Grants.gov. They also give no account of what Grants.gov does for a small business beyond its maintenance and holiday schedule. Read Grants.gov's own site for any cost and for what it offers before you sign up.

### 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]

### When is Grants.gov closed or under maintenance?

The reviewed sources say nothing about Grants.gov's maintenance or holiday schedule. Check Grants.gov's own site for its most current schedule before planning a call.

### 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]

### What does Skip cost?

The reviewed sources do not quote Skip's own pages, so Skip's price cannot be stated from those sources. Check Skip's own site for any cost, free trial or plan details before you sign up. The reviewed sources also say nothing about what Skip does, so read its own pages for that too.

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] - [Visit Raise Buddy](/go/start)

## Sources

[^1]: Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)