--- {"title": "GrantStation vs OpenGrants in 2026", "description": "GrantStation and OpenGrants compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each costs, how to start, and what to check first.", "url": "https://cdings.com/grantstation-vs-opengrants/", "date": "2026-10-16"} --- GrantStation and OpenGrants compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each costs, how to start, and what to check first. GrantStation and OpenGrants compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each says it costs, how to start, and what to check first. GrantStation says its database holds more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities. [^1] OpenGrants does not publish detailed tool descriptions in the sources reviewed here. | Option | Free entry | Paid prices | Card payment fee | |---|---|---|---| | GrantStation | Free weekly funding updates by sign-up [^1] | 41 cents a day for GS Membership [^1] | Not published | | OpenGrants | Not published | Not published | Not published | | Raise Buddy | Free 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 GrantStation says it offers a database of more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities, with AI-assisted tools to help refine searches across the U.S., Canada, and internationally. [^1] [^1] It also offers a Decision Matrix for comparing prospects and a Proposal Reviewer for refining proposals before they are submitted. [^1] [^1] OpenGrants does not publish detailed tool descriptions in the sources reviewed here, so what it does for a small-business owner cannot be stated from those sources. If you want a large database of funder records and curated funding opportunities with tools to compare prospects and review proposals, GrantStation's sources describe that. [^1] [^1] [^1] 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] ## What GrantStation and OpenGrants 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 it covers funders in the U.S., Canada, and internationally, with AI-assisted tools to help refine searches. [^1] It says its funder research includes 990 data and giving history. [^1] GrantStation says it offers a Decision Matrix for comparing funding prospects and ruling out poor fits. [^1] It says it offers a Proposal Reviewer that helps identify strengths and gaps in a proposal before it is submitted. [^1] GrantStation says members can connect with a real Member Services person for help. [^1] It says membership includes planning tools such as calendars, goal-setting tools, the Grant Diversification Assessment, and Benchmarker. [^1] It also offers free weekly funding updates and expert insights by sign-up. [^1] OpenGrants does not publish tool descriptions in the sources reviewed here, so what it is built for cannot be stated from those sources. ## 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 membership at 41 cents a day. [^1] The sources reviewed here do not state a monthly or annual price for OpenGrants, so check its own pricing page before you commit. 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, with the advisors' review and the AI assistant connection. [^2] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [^2] A guest's search list ends after 5. [^2] None of the sources gives a card payment fee, so that part is not published for any of the three tools. ## Getting started GrantStation says you can sign up for free weekly funding updates and expert insights. [^1] It says members can connect with a real Member Services person for help. [^1] Its sources reviewed here say nothing more about the sign-up steps or setup process. OpenGrants does not publish sign-up or setup details in the sources reviewed here, so those steps cannot be stated from those sources. For Raise Buddy, no install is needed for the web app. [^2] The app works on the web and on 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 What does the plan you need cost each month, and is it 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? Does the tool help you compare funding prospects side by side, and does it review your proposal before you submit it? 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? Can you reach a real person for help, and is that included in the price? ## How to choose If you want a large database of funder records and curated funding opportunities, GrantStation's sources describe that. [^1] If you want tools to compare funding prospects and review proposals before you submit them, GrantStation's sources describe that. [^1] [^1] 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, SBA loans and equity crowdfunding, 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 to try before paying, Raise Buddy has a free plan. [^2] GrantStation offers free weekly funding updates by sign-up. [^1] ## Frequently asked questions ### Is GrantStation membership free? GrantStation advertises its GS Membership at 41 cents a day. [^1] It also offers free weekly funding updates and expert insights by sign-up, but the membership itself is paid. [^1] Check GrantStation's own pricing page for the full monthly or annual cost 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, with the advisors' review and the AI assistant connection. [^2] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [^2] ### What does GrantStation's database include? GrantStation says its database holds more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities. [^1] It says it covers funders in the U.S., Canada, and internationally, with AI-assisted tools to help refine searches. [^1] Its funder research includes 990 data and giving history. [^1] ### 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 help with proposal writing? GrantStation says it offers a Proposal Reviewer that helps identify strengths and gaps in a proposal before it is submitted. [^1] It also offers a Decision Matrix for comparing funding prospects and ruling out poor fits. [^1] The sources reviewed here do not say whether GrantStation writes proposals or only reviews them, so check what it does before you sign up. 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] - [Visit Raise Buddy](/go/start) ## Sources [^1]: GrantStation, grantstation.com, read 2026-10-07 (https://grantstation.com) [^2]: Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)