CDings Plain comparisons of small-business tools

Pocketed vs SBIR.gov in 2026: funding tools compared

Pocketed and SBIR.gov compared with Raise Buddy for small-business owners: what each does, costs, setup, and checks before choosing.

By CDings ยท

CDings is published by the makers of Raise Buddy and ProductCost, which are compared here alongside other tools.

SBIR.gov says SBIR provides equity-free funding through federal agencies to American small businesses. [1] You paste your website or describe what you do, and Raise Buddy lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for. [2] The facts reviewed here do not describe what Pocketed does, so check Pocketed's own pages for its features.

OptionFree entryPaid pricesCard payment fee
PocketedNot publishedNot publishedNot published
SBIR.govNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Raise BuddyFree 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

The facts reviewed here do not describe what Pocketed does, so its own pages are the place to check.

SBIR.gov says SBIR/STTR programs are an important source of early-stage technology funding for small businesses. [1] 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. [2]

If you want federal technology funding where the government takes 0% equity or IP ownership, SBIR.gov's pages describe that. [3] If you want a list of funding matched to your business, with a plain verdict on whether you can apply, Raise Buddy's sources describe that. [2]

What Pocketed and SBIR.gov are built for

The facts reviewed here cover SBIR.gov only, so this section describes that tool alone.

SBIR.gov says America's Seed Fund awards funding that takes no equity to develop your technology and chart a path toward commercialization. [1] Non-dilutive means the funding does not take a share of your company. SBIR.gov says SBIR provides equity-free funding through federal agencies to American small businesses. [1] SBIR.gov says the government takes 0% equity or IP ownership. [3]

SBIR.gov says the first stage is Proof of Concept, lasting 6-12 months and providing $50,000 to $275,000. [3] It says the second stage is Technology Development, lasting 24 months and providing $750,000 to $1.8 million. [3]

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 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

The facts reviewed here do not state a price for Pocketed, so check Pocketed's own pages for its price.

SBIR.gov says the first stage provides $50,000 to $275,000 over 6-12 months. [3] It says the second stage provides $750,000 to $1.8 million over 24 months. [3] The facts reviewed here do not state an applicant fee for SBIR.gov.

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] For a guest, each search list stops after the first 5. [2]

Card payment fees are not published for Pocketed, SBIR.gov or Raise Buddy.

Getting started

The facts reviewed here do not state sign-up or setup steps for Pocketed or SBIR.gov, so check each site for its own steps.

For Raise Buddy, the web app needs nothing installed. [2] It 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 Schedule C, Form 1120, 1065 or 990, or an IRS letter, you can add a photo or PDF and confirm the draft profile it produces. [2]

To connect an AI assistant, you add Raise Buddy's address to it. [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

How to choose

If you want funding matched to a description of what your business does, with a verdict on whether you can apply, Raise Buddy's sources describe that. [2] [2]

If you want federal technology funding where the government takes 0% equity or IP ownership, SBIR.gov's pages describe that. [3]

If you want options beyond grants, Raise Buddy covers 25 ways to raise money, such as angel investors, SBA loans and equity crowdfunding. [2]

If you want funding sources from several countries, Raise Buddy's program list includes programs from the UK, Australia, France, Japan, Spain and Austria. [2]

If you want to know what Pocketed offers, check its own pages, because the facts reviewed here do not say what it does.

Frequently asked questions

Is SBIR.gov free for small businesses?

The SBIR.gov pages reviewed here do not state a fee for applicants, so that part is not covered by these facts. SBIR.gov says SBIR provides equity-free funding through federal agencies to American small businesses. [1] It also says the government takes 0% equity or IP ownership. [3] Check the program's own pages for any application costs before you apply.

How much does Raise Buddy cost?

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]

What does Pocketed do?

The facts reviewed for this page do not describe what Pocketed does, including its features, prices or setup steps. Because those details are missing from these sources, they cannot be compared here. Check Pocketed's own pages for what it offers, and then use the checklist above to compare it with the other options before choosing.

How much funding does SBIR.gov provide?

SBIR.gov says the first stage, Proof of Concept, lasts 6-12 months and provides $50,000 to $275,000. [3] The second stage, Technology Development, lasts 24 months and provides $750,000 to $1.8 million. [3] It says America's Seed Fund awards funding that takes no equity to develop your technology and chart a path toward commercialization. [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] Read the funder's instructions for how and where to send each application before you start.

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]

Try Raise Buddy

Sources

  1. SBIR.gov, sbir.gov/about, read 2026-10-10
  2. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  3. SBIR.gov, sbir.gov, read 2026-10-10

Related comparisons