---
{"title": "OpenGrants vs SBIR.gov in 2026", "description": "OpenGrants and SBIR.gov compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each costs, how to start, and what to check first.", "url": "https://cdings.com/opengrants-vs-sbir-gov/", "date": "2026-10-19"}
---
OpenGrants and SBIR.gov compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each costs, how to start, and what to check first.

OpenGrants and SBIR.gov 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenGrants | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| SBIR.gov | Free (government site) | 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

SBIR.gov is the official site for the Small Business Innovation Research program, where federal agencies post funding for research and development by small businesses. The sources reviewed here do not describe OpenGrants in detail, so check its own pages to see what it covers. Raise Buddy lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for from a description of your business. [^1]

If you want a list of funding that fits your business, with a plain verdict on whether you can apply, Raise Buddy's sources describe that. [^1] If you want SBIR program postings and official rules for federal research grants, SBIR.gov is the official source for that.

## What OpenGrants, SBIR.gov is built for

The sources reviewed here do not provide facts about what OpenGrants says it does. Check its own site for what it covers, how it works, and what it costs before you rely on it.

SBIR.gov is the federal government's official site for the Small Business Innovation Research program. It lists solicitations from participating federal agencies for research and development awards to small businesses. The sources reviewed here do not describe its features beyond that, so check the site itself for how to search, apply, and track awards.

## 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

The sources reviewed here do not state a price for OpenGrants, so check its own pricing page before you commit. SBIR.gov is a free federal government site, so there is no charge to use it.

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]

Neither source gives a card payment fee, so that part is not published for Raise Buddy. SBIR.gov does not charge any fee because it is a government site.

## Getting started

The sources reviewed here do not describe the sign-up steps for OpenGrants or SBIR.gov. Check each site for how to register and begin searching.

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 it lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for. [^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?
- If you want SBIR awards, does the tool list every participating agency, or only some?

## 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 federal research and development awards from participating agencies, SBIR.gov is the official source for those solicitations.

If you want to try before paying, Raise Buddy has a free plan. [^1] SBIR.gov is free to use because it is a government site.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is SBIR.gov free to use?

SBIR.gov is a free federal government site for the Small Business Innovation Research program. There is no charge to search solicitations or read official rules. The sources reviewed here do not describe sign-up steps, so check the site for how to register.

### 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 cost money?

The sources reviewed here do not state a price for OpenGrants. Check its own pricing page before you sign up to see what plans exist and what each one costs per month.

### 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 SBIR.gov list grants outside the US?

The sources reviewed here do not say which countries SBIR.gov covers or what it lists, so check its own pages before you rely on it. If you need funding sources from outside the US, check whether a tool such as Raise Buddy covers the countries you work in. [^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)