Raise Buddy vs GrantStation in 2026
Raise Buddy and GrantStation compared for small-business owners: what each does, what each says it 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.
Raise Buddy lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for from your website or a description. [1] GrantStation says its database holds more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities. [2]
| Option | Paid price | Free tier | Card or extra fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrantStation | 41 cents a day, no total or term published [2] | Not published | Not published |
| Raise Buddy | Plus $14.99 a month, Pro $199 a month [1] | Free plan opens programs up to $1,000 [1] | Not published |
The short answer
GrantStation says its database holds more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities. [2]
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. [1]
GrantStation offers a way to compare funding prospects and rule out poor fits. [2] Each Raise Buddy match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [1]
What GrantStation is built for
GrantStation says its database holds more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities. [2]
Its membership includes planning tools such as calendars, goal-setting tools, the Grant Diversification Assessment and Benchmarker. [2]
It says it covers funders in the U.S., Canada and internationally, with AI-assisted tools to help narrow a search. [2]
GrantStation also offers free weekly funding updates and expert insights by sign-up. [2]
The facts available here do not say how GrantStation handles loans, credits or other non-grant funding, so check that on its own pages if you need it.
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]
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 includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own Form 990-PF tax returns. [1]
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. [1]
It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [1]
Pricing and fees
GrantStation advertises membership at 41 cents a day. [2] No total for a month or a year, free tier or other fee is published in the facts used here. Check the full price and what the term is on its own pricing page before you sign up.
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 connection. [1] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [1]
A guest who has not signed up sees a search list that ends after 5. [1]
No card fee or extra charge on top of another service is published for either tool in the sources used here, so the table says not published.
Getting started
GrantStation advertises membership at 41 cents a day. [2] The sources do not describe the steps to set up an account or a profile, so check how long it takes and what you need to enter before paying.
For Raise Buddy, the starting point is a paste of your website or a short description of what you do. [1] If you prefer, you can upload a photo or PDF of a tax form or IRS letter, and it builds a draft profile that you confirm. [1]
No install is needed for the web app. [1] Raise Buddy is built for the web and for phones. [1] Only English is shown for now, even though five more languages are planned. [1]
On the Pro plan, ten AI personas read your organisation and matches and write what to do first; none of them is a real person. [1] On Pro, an AI assistant can search for you. [1]
After you find a match, you apply on the funder's own site, and Raise Buddy keeps track of where each application stands. [1]
Things to check before you choose
These questions apply to either tool.
- Does it cover the places where you can actually apply? Ask this of GrantStation and Raise Buddy alike.
- Do you need funding other than grants, such as loans or credits? Ask each tool to show an example.
- What is the full cost over a year, and what does each plan open? Ask for the total, not the daily or monthly rate.
- Who do you reach when you are stuck, and is that a person or an AI?
- Do you want to compare many funders yourself, or get a short list with a verdict on each?
- Which language do you need the tool to be in? Raise Buddy shows only English for now. [1]
- Do you want help writing and reviewing a proposal, and from whom?
- Where do you submit the application, and does the tool keep track of it afterwards?
How to choose
If you want to find funding matches among funder records and funding opportunities, GrantStation says its database holds more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities. [2]
If you want to plan a grants program, GrantStation says its membership includes planning tools such as calendars, goal-setting tools, the Grant Diversification Assessment and Benchmarker. [2]
If you want to compare funding prospects and rule out poor fits, GrantStation offers a way to do that. [2]
If you want funders in Canada or internationally as well as the U.S., GrantStation says it covers them. [2]
If you want a list built from your website or a short description, Raise Buddy says it does that. [1]
If you want a plain verdict on whether you can apply, Raise Buddy says each match gives one. [1]
If you want other ways to raise money such as SBA loans, Raise Buddy says it covers them. [1]
If you want to start at no cost, Raise Buddy has a Free plan. [1]
Frequently asked questions
How much does GrantStation cost?
GrantStation advertises membership at 41 cents a day. [2] The sources used here give no monthly or yearly total, so check its own pricing page for the full amount, the length of the term and anything else you would be charged before you sign up.
Is Raise Buddy free?
Raise Buddy has a Free plan that opens programs up to $1,000. [1] Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000, and Pro is $199 a month and opens every program. [1] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [1]
How many funders does GrantStation list?
GrantStation says its database holds more than 150,000 funder records and more than 15,000 curated funding opportunities. [2]
Does Raise Buddy submit grant applications for you?
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]
Can a reader talk to a person at GrantStation or Raise Buddy?
The sources used here do not say how GrantStation support works. Raise Buddy's Pro plan has ten AI reviewers who write what to do first, and none of them is a real person. [1] Check each tool's own pages for other support options.
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]
Try Raise BuddySources
Related comparisons
- Grant finders compared in 2026
- Best grant finders for animal shelter directors in 2026
- Best grant finders for arts and craft studio owners in 2026
- Grant finders for arts organization managers in 2026
- Best grant finders for auto repair shop owners in 2026
- Grant finders for bakery owners in 2026
- Best grant finders for bike shop owners in 2026
- Best grant finders for bookstore owners in 2026
- Best grant finders for business advisors
- Grant finders for business consultants in 2026