Software · head to head
Cause IQ vs Charity Navigator
The short version
- Only Charity Navigator has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Cause IQ pricing is not published; Charity Navigator charity Navigator is a free 501(c)(3) nonprofit service funded by donor donations rather than charging the charities it rates, so it has no vendor pricing model to compare (own about-us page).
- They diverge on capability: Cause IQ covers Donor management, Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cause IQ and Charity Navigator actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cause IQ | Charity Navigator |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Mobile-responsive |
| Founded | 2013 | 2001 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Cause IQ
- Donor management
- Event management
- Online giving
- Volunteer tracking
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Salesforce
- Google Analytics
Only in Charity Navigator
- Nonprofit ratings
- Financial analysis
- Donor reviews
- Impact metrics
- Fundraising data
- GiveWell
- BBB Wise Giving Alliance
Both cover
- Web support
- Mobile-responsive support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cause IQ
- Prospect research across nonprofit organisationsnot Charity Navigator
- Benchmarking a nonprofit client against peersnot Charity Navigator
- Building target lists for firms serving the sectornot Charity Navigator
- Enriching existing records with nonprofit financial datanot Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator
- Business operationsnot Cause IQ
- Productivitynot Cause IQ
- Automationnot Cause IQ
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Cause IQ
- Pricing is not published
- Sold to firms selling into the nonprofit sector rather than to nonprofits running their own operations
Charity Navigator
- Charity Navigator is a free 501(c)(3) nonprofit service funded by donor donations rather than charging the charities it rates, so it has no vendor pricing model to compare (own about-us page).
Pricing, plan by plan
Cause IQ
On request- Standard$95/month
- Donor management
- Event management
- Advanced$200/month
- Prospect research
- Fundraising reports
- Advanced analytics
Charity Navigator
Free- Free ProfileFree
- Nonprofit profile
- Ratings
- Financial data
Which should you pick?
Choose Charity Navigator if
- You need nonprofit ratings.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
- You also want financial analysis.
Questions people ask
- Is Cause IQ or Charity Navigator better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cause IQ starts at On request and Charity Navigator at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cause IQ or Charity Navigator?
- Charity Navigator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Cause IQ and Free for Charity Navigator.
- Does Cause IQ or Charity Navigator run on more platforms?
- Cause IQ runs on Web. Charity Navigator runs on Web, Mobile-responsive.
- Can I use Charity Navigator for free?
- Yes. Charity Navigator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cause IQ starts at On request.
- What is Cause IQ best used for?
- Cause IQ is most often used for prospect research across nonprofit organisations, benchmarking a nonprofit client against peers, building target lists for firms serving the sector, enriching existing records with nonprofit financial data. Of those, prospect research across nonprofit organisations and benchmarking a nonprofit client against peers are not what Charity Navigator is typically brought in for.
- What can Cause IQ do that Charity Navigator cannot?
- Cause IQ covers Donor management, Event management, Online giving, Volunteer tracking. Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings, Financial analysis, Donor reviews, Impact metrics. Both handle Web support, Mobile-responsive support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Cause IQ: Does Cause IQ offer a free plan?
Yes. Cause IQ offers a free plan with basic nonprofit searches using 8 filters and limited profile access. Core and Pro plans are paid subscriptions.
SourceCause IQ: What is included in Cause IQ's pricing?
Core Plan costs $349/month (or $199/month for 501(c)(3) nonprofits) with access to 400+ filters. Pro Plan costs $5,988/year with three user licenses and unlimited exports. Annual discounts available.
SourceCause IQ: Does Cause IQ integrate with Salesforce?
Yes. Cause IQ provides direct Salesforce integration to create, update, and enrich Leads, Contacts, and Accounts with nonprofit data. Bulk operations and field mapping are supported.
SourceCause IQ: Does Cause IQ have an API?
Yes. Cause IQ provides a REST API that returns JSON responses. The API allows programmatic searches for nonprofits, EIN lookups, and access to over 400 organization fields.
SourceCause IQ: How much nonprofit data does Cause IQ contain?
Cause IQ aggregates data from over a dozen sources covering 1.73 million organizations, 9.86 million people (board members and key personnel), and 52,143 vendor profiles.
Source