--- {"title": "Hello Alice vs OpenGrants in 2026", "description": "Hello Alice and OpenGrants 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/hello-alice-vs-opengrants/", "date": "2026-10-17"} --- Hello Alice and OpenGrants compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each says it costs, how to start, and what to check first. Hello Alice and OpenGrants 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 | |---|---|---|---| | Hello Alice | Not published | Not published | Not published | | OpenGrants | 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 sources reviewed here provide no verified facts about what Hello Alice or OpenGrants does, so this page does not describe what they do and points to each tool's own pages to check. 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] It also says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [^1] Raise Buddy's sources say it covers 25 ways to raise money, such as grants, loans, credits and prizes, each with its official rules and a first step. [^1] ## What Hello Alice and OpenGrants are built for The sources reviewed here provide no verified facts about what Hello Alice or OpenGrants does, so what each tool is built for is not described on this page. Check each tool's own pages for what it does before you choose. ## 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 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 Check each tool's own pricing page for the cost before you commit. 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 three sources gives a card payment fee, so that part is not published for any tool. ## Getting started The sources reviewed here provide no verified facts about how to sign up for Hello Alice or OpenGrants, so the start-up steps for each are checked on its own 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 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 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? - 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 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 angel investors, SBA loans or equity crowdfunding, 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] If you want to try before paying, Raise Buddy has a free plan. [^1] ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Hello Alice free for small-business owners? The sources reviewed here provide no verified facts about what Hello Alice charges, so check its own pricing page for the cost 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] ### Does OpenGrants publish its pricing? The sources reviewed here provide no verified facts about what OpenGrants charges, so check its own pricing page for the monthly cost and any free trial 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 Hello Alice work outside the US? The sources reviewed here provide no verified facts about which countries Hello Alice covers, so ask which countries its grant database covers before you sign up. Raise Buddy's sources list programs from the UK, Australia, France, Japan, Spain and Austria. [^1] 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)