GrantStation vs SBIR.gov in 2026
GrantStation vs SBIR.gov compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each costs, how to start, and what to check first.
CDings is published by the makers of Raise Buddy and ProductCost, which are compared here alongside other tools.
GrantStation offers a searchable database of more than 150,000 funder records and 15,000 curated funding opportunities across the U.S., Canada, and internationally. [1] SBIR.gov is the portal for Small Business Innovation Research awards. GrantStation costs 41 cents a day for its membership. [1] SBIR.gov does not publish a fee on the facts reviewed here. Raise Buddy lists grants, loans, credits and prizes from a description of your business. [2]
| Option | Free entry | Paid prices | Card payment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrantStation | Free weekly funding updates by sign-up [1] | GS Membership at 41 cents a day [1] | Not published |
| SBIR.gov | 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 gives a small-business owner a searchable database of funder records and curated funding opportunities, with planning tools and a proposal reviewer. [1] [1] SBIR.gov covers Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. GrantStation says it covers funders across the U.S., Canada, and internationally, and offers AI-assisted tools to refine searches. [1] GrantStation says its membership costs 41 cents a day. [1] SBIR.gov does not publish a price on the facts reviewed here. Raise Buddy takes a website or a short description of what a business does and lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding it may be able to apply for. [2] If the reader wants a broad funder database with planning tools, GrantStation's sources describe that. [1] If the reader wants a list of funding matched to a description of the business, Raise Buddy's sources describe that. [2]
What GrantStation, SBIR.gov is 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] It offers a Decision Matrix for comparing funding prospects and ruling out poor fits. [1] It offers a Proposal Reviewer that helps identify strengths and gaps in a proposal before it is submitted. [1] Its membership includes planning tools such as calendars, goal-setting tools, the Grant Diversification Assessment, and Benchmarker. [1] It offers free weekly funding updates and expert insights by sign-up. [1] Its members can connect with a real Member Services person for help. [1] SBIR.gov covers Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. The facts reviewed here do not describe additional features for SBIR.gov.
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 do not state whether GrantStation offers monthly billing or a free trial, so check its own pricing page before you commit.
SBIR.gov does not publish a subscription or access fee on the facts reviewed here. Check the official site for any costs tied to application or participation.
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 three sources gives a card payment fee, so that part is not published for any of them.
Getting started
GrantStation says it offers GS Membership at 41 cents a day. [1] It offers free weekly funding updates and expert insights by sign-up, so a reader can start receiving those before joining. [1] Its members can connect with a real Member Services person for help. [1] The sources reviewed here do not describe the exact sign-up steps in more detail.
The sources reviewed here do not describe the registration or application steps for SBIR.gov. Check the official site for how to register, find opportunities, and submit a proposal.
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, Claude or any compatible AI assistant can search, and the assistant gets ten tools. [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 or membership cost each month or each year, and is the full price published before you sign up?
- Does the tool cover the kind of funding you want, such as grants, loans, prizes or research awards, and the country you operate in?
- Does it say plainly whether your business can apply, and does it quote the funder?
- Does it help you compare funding prospects or review a 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?
- Is the interface in the language you work in?
How to choose
If you want a searchable database of more than 150,000 funder records with planning tools such as calendars, goal-setting, and a Grant Diversification Assessment, GrantStation's sources describe that. [1] [1]
If you want a tool that compares funding prospects and rules out poor fits before you apply, GrantStation offers a Decision Matrix for that. [1]
If you want help refining a proposal before you submit it, GrantStation offers a Proposal Reviewer that identifies strengths and gaps. [1]
If you want a list of funding matched to a description of your business, Raise Buddy's sources describe that. [2]
If you want options 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 U.S., GrantStation says it covers Canada and international funders, [1] and Raise Buddy's sources list programs from several countries. [2]
If you want to try before paying, GrantStation offers free weekly funding updates by sign-up. [1] Raise Buddy has a free plan. [2]
Frequently asked questions
How much does GrantStation cost?
GrantStation advertises its GS Membership at 41 cents a day. [1] The sources reviewed here do not state whether monthly billing is available or whether a free trial is offered. Check GrantStation's own pricing page for the full annual or monthly 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]
Does GrantStation help with proposal writing?
GrantStation 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 drafts proposals from scratch, so check what it covers before you join.
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 SBIR.gov charge a fee to apply?
The sources reviewed here do not state a subscription, access, or application fee for SBIR.gov. Check the official SBIR.gov site for any costs tied to registration or proposal submission.
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]
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