OpenGrants alternatives in 2026
Compare OpenGrants alternatives for finding grants: GrantStation, Candid, GrantWatch, Grants.gov and Raise Buddy, with facts and questions to check.
CDings is published by the makers of Raise Buddy and ProductCost, which are compared here alongside other tools.
Several tools besides OpenGrants help small businesses find grants, and they vary in price, scope and what they do once a match turns up. The options below are GrantStation, Candid Foundation Directory, GrantWatch, Grants.gov and Raise Buddy, each with the facts its source states, so an owner can compare them directly.
| Option | Own fee or price | Card fee | Free way to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenGrants | not published | not published | not published |
| GrantStation | 41 cents a day [1] | not published | Free weekly funding updates [1] |
| Candid Foundation Directory | Premium monthly from $219/month [2] | not published | Free registration [3] |
| GrantWatch | not published | not published | not published |
| Grants.gov | not published | not published | not published |
| Raise Buddy | Plus $14.99 a month, Pro $199 a month [4] | not published | Free plan opens programs up to $1,000 [4] |
Why small-business owners look past OpenGrants
No facts about OpenGrants are published on this page, so there is no stated price, database size or feature list to weigh. Its own site is the place to confirm what a plan costs, what it searches and who it is built for. Some owners want a narrower search tool, a lower-cost option or a different geographic scope, and the options below differ on those points.
GrantStation: curated funding opportunities and planning tools
GrantStation says its GS Membership is 41 cents a day. [1] It says its funder records span the U.S., Canada and international funders, with AI-assisted tools to help refine a search. [1] It offers a Decision Matrix for comparing funding prospects and ruling out poor fits. [1] Its membership includes planning tools such as calendars, goal-setting tools, the Grant Diversification Assessment and Benchmarker. [1]
Candid Foundation Directory: search organizations and grant data
Candid says its site lists 3 million annual grant transactions. [3] It says registration is free. [3] A Premium monthly plan starts at a $219/month starting price, billed monthly. [2] Candid says it offers APIs that provide real-time data updates. [3] A Premium annual plan has a $100/month starting price [2], with $1,199 billed annually. [2] Candid can also provide custom nonprofit data sets. [3]
GrantWatch: grant discovery through post-award reporting
GrantWatch says it has 13,781 Human Verified grants, including 9,877 nonprofit grants. [5] It says paid MemberPlus+ members can collaborate for free in its pipelines. [5] It says claiming an official organization profile can provide up to 1 million free GWI Tokens. [5] It says you can track each grant and donor through pipelines with 12 stages. [5] It also says it has 4.69 million IRS 990 records. [5]
Grants.gov: federal funding opportunities
Its facts here say little more, so check its own site for what it lists and whether your business type is covered.
Raise Buddy: match your business with funding sources
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. [4] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [4] It includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own Form 990-PF tax returns. [4] It covers 25 ways to raise money, such as angel investors, SBA loans and equity crowdfunding, each with its official rules and a first step. [4] It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [4] The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000. [4] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000. [4] Pro is $199 a month and opens every program, with advisors' review and AI connection. [4] Only English is shown for now, even though five more languages are planned. [4]
How to pick the right OpenGrants alternative
An owner who wants a membership with curated opportunities and a way to compare prospects across the U.S., Canada and internationally can look at GrantStation. [1] An owner who wants to search funders without limits and research grant history can look at Candid Foundation Directory, which offers unlimited searches and profile views. [2]
For federal programs, check Grants.gov's own site for what it lists and whether your business type is covered. For funding beyond grants, such as loans, credits and prizes, matched from a description of your business, Raise Buddy does that, and each match states whether you can apply. [4] [4]
Before choosing, check what each tool charges for your business size, whether it covers your country, and whether you need tracking after you apply. For OpenGrants itself, no facts are published here, so check its own site for pricing, database scope and who it serves.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to OpenGrants?
A few options here offer a free way to start. Candid says registration is free [3]. GrantStation offers free weekly funding updates by sign-up [1]. Raise Buddy has a Free plan that opens programs up to $1,000 [4]. Check what each free tier includes before relying on it.
What does GrantStation cost?
GrantStation advertises its GS Membership at 41 cents a day [1]. Check on its site how that daily rate is billed and what the membership covers.
What does Candid Foundation Directory cost?
A Premium monthly plan starts at a $219/month starting price, billed monthly [2]. A Premium annual plan has a $100/month starting price [2], with $1,199 billed annually. [2] An Ultimate annual plan has a $142/month starting price [2], with $1,699 billed annually. [2]
Does Grants.gov list grants for individuals?
For whether Grants.gov lists grants for individuals, check Grants.gov's own site.
What does Raise Buddy cost?
The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000. [4] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000. [4] Pro is $199 a month and opens every program, with advisors' review and AI connection. [4] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [4]
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. [4]
Try Raise BuddySources
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