Softwr

Nonprofits · head to head

Candid vs Mightycause

Candid logo

Candid

Nonprofits

Funder and nonprofit data subscriptions from the organisation formed by Foundation Center and GuideStar

From
$219/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mightycause logo

Mightycause

Nonprofits

Fundraising platform for nonprofits and causes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mightycause has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Candid grant records derive largely from Form 990 filings, which are published with a lag, so the database describes what a funder did up to eighteen months ago rather than what it intends to fund now.; Mightycause no paid tiers or premium upgrade options available
  • They diverge on capability: Candid covers Foundation Directory, Mightycause covers Campaign creation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Candid and Mightycause actually diverge.

Attributes where Candid and Mightycause differ
AttributeCandidMightycause
Starting price$219/monthFree
Pricing modelPer user per month by tiersubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, Mobile-responsive
FoundedUnknown2008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofits).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Candid

  • Foundation Directory
  • 990 based grant records
  • Nonprofit Profiles
  • Charity check
  • Data APIs and bulk feeds
  • Candid Learning
  • Funding Information Network

Only in Mightycause

  • Campaign creation
  • Donation collection
  • Email campaigns
  • Donation tracking
  • Social sharing
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Google Analytics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Candid

  • A development director building a list of foundations that have actually funded organisations of your size, sector and geography in the past three yearsnot Mightycause
  • A funder verifying US tax exempt status before releasing a grant paymentnot Mightycause
  • A software vendor embedding nonprofit organisation data and charity verification into its own productnot Mightycause
  • A nonprofit maintaining a transparency seal on its public profile because institutional funders check it before givingnot Mightycause

Mightycause

  • Nonprofits running online donation and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns without a software subscription feenot Candid

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Candid

  • Grant records derive largely from Form 990 filings, which are published with a lag, so the database describes what a funder did up to eighteen months ago rather than what it intends to fund now.
  • Foundation Directory is a research database, not a pipeline tool: there is no proposal tracking, deadline management or task assignment, so most teams pay for a grants tracker alongside it.
  • Monthly pricing is high relative to the budget of a small nonprofit, and the same database is available free in person through partner libraries in the Funding Information Network, which makes the subscription hard to justify for occasional research.
  • Coverage is US-centric and built on the US tax filing system, so it is of limited use to organisations seeking funding from UK, EU or Commonwealth foundations.
  • Many funders do not accept unsolicited proposals at all, and the database cannot reliably tell you which, so prospect lists built from it still require manual qualification before outreach.

Mightycause

  • No paid tiers or premium upgrade options available

Pricing, plan by plan

Candid

$219/month
  • Foundation Directory Essential$219/month
    • Search US grantmakers and grant records
    • Saved searches and prospect lists
    • Single user
  • Foundation Directory Professional$1499/month
    • Full grantmaker, grant and recipient search
    • Trustee and key staff search
    • Advanced filters and larger exports
  • Data licensing$undefined/year
    • API and bulk data feeds
    • Charity check and organisation verification
    • Priced by volume and use case, quoted

Mightycause

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Campaign creation
    • Donation collection
  • Professional$50/month
    • Advanced features
    • Email campaigns
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose Candid if

  • You need foundation directory.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want 990 based grant records.
Candid review

Choose Mightycause if

  • You need campaign creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want donation collection.
Mightycause review

Questions people ask

Is Candid or Mightycause better?
Neither clearly leads. Candid starts at $219/month and Mightycause at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Candid or Mightycause?
Mightycause has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $219/month for Candid and Free for Mightycause.
Does Candid or Mightycause run on more platforms?
Candid runs on Web, API. Mightycause runs on Web, Mobile-responsive.
Can I use Mightycause for free?
Yes. Mightycause has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Candid starts at $219/month.
What is Candid best used for?
Candid is most often used for a development director building a list of foundations that have actually funded organisations of your size, sector and geography in the past three years, a funder verifying us tax exempt status before releasing a grant payment, a software vendor embedding nonprofit organisation data and charity verification into its own product, a nonprofit maintaining a transparency seal on its public profile because institutional funders check it before giving. Of those, a development director building a list of foundations that have actually funded organisations of your size, sector and geography in the past three years and a funder verifying us tax exempt status before releasing a grant payment are not what Mightycause is typically brought in for.
What can Candid do that Mightycause cannot?
Candid covers Foundation Directory, 990 based grant records, Nonprofit Profiles, Charity check. Mightycause covers Campaign creation, Donation collection, Email campaigns, Donation tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Candid: Is Candid the same as GuideStar?

GuideStar is now part of Candid, merged with Foundation Center in 2019. GuideStar nonprofit profiles continue under the Candid brand.

Mightycause: How much does Mightycause cost?

Mightycause is completely free to use. The platform provides full fundraising capabilities at zero cost per month for nonprofit organizations.

Source
Candid: Can I use Foundation Directory for free?

Yes, in person. Hundreds of partner libraries and nonprofit resource centres in the Funding Information Network provide free access, which is a genuine alternative to a subscription for occasional research.

Mightycause: Is Mightycause free forever?

Yes, Mightycause charges zero dollars per month for all nonprofit organizations using its fundraising platform.

Source
Candid: How current is the grant data?

It is drawn largely from Form 990 filings and lags real time by roughly a year to eighteen months. Treat it as evidence of past funding behaviour, not current priorities.

Mightycause: Are there any hidden costs or add-on fees?

No hidden costs are mentioned. Mightycause emphasizes that it provides a complete feature set for nonprofit fundraising at no cost, positioning itself as an alternative to paid fundraising tools.

Source
Candid: Does Candid help outside the United States?

Only marginally. The data model is built on US tax filings and US registered organisations.

Share

Related pages

More on Candid

More on Mightycause

Keep looking

Other head to heads