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Nonprofits · head to head

Charity Navigator vs Submittable

Charity Navigator logo

Charity Navigator

Nonprofits

Nonprofit intelligence and rating platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Submittable logo

Submittable

Nonprofits

Application, review and grant management for funders running open calls at volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Charity Navigator has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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).; Submittable pricing is not published and tier jumps are steep, so an organisation that grows past a submission or form limit can face a renewal quote well above the previous year with limited negotiating room mid-programme.
  • They diverge on capability: Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings, Submittable covers Configurable application forms.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Charity Navigator and Submittable actually diverge.

Attributes where Charity Navigator and Submittable differ
AttributeCharity NavigatorSubmittable
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb
Founded2001Unknown

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 Charity Navigator

  • Nonprofit ratings
  • Financial analysis
  • Donor reviews
  • Impact metrics
  • Fundraising data
  • GiveWell
  • BBB Wise Giving Alliance
  • Web support

Only in Submittable

  • Configurable application forms
  • Blind and multi-stage review
  • Reviewer management
  • Grant payments
  • Impact reporting
  • Applicant messaging
  • API and integrations

What people use each for

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

Charity Navigator

  • Nonprofit evaluation and researchnot Submittable
  • Charitable giving decisionsnot Submittable
  • Donor due diligencenot Submittable

Submittable

  • A foundation running an open grant round where a volunteer panel must score hundreds of applications without seeing applicant identitiesnot Charity Navigator
  • A corporate giving team collecting employee-nominated grant requests and needing an audit trail for financenot Charity Navigator
  • An arts council managing fellowship and residency applications with multi-stage juriesnot Charity Navigator
  • A city agency distributing relief funds and required to show equitable review and decision recordsnot Charity Navigator

Where each one falls short

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

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).

Submittable

  • Pricing is not published and tier jumps are steep, so an organisation that grows past a submission or form limit can face a renewal quote well above the previous year with limited negotiating room mid-programme.
  • It is built around the application funnel rather than the funder's relationship with grantees, so long-term relationship management, pledge tracking and multi-year commitments are weaker than in a purpose-built grants CRM.
  • Applicant-facing forms are constrained by the platform's templates, and organisations wanting a fully branded application experience on their own domain will find the customisation shallow.
  • Reporting is serviceable for programme counts but limited for board-level financial reporting, so many finance teams still export to spreadsheets to reconcile awards against the general ledger.
  • Payment disbursement capability varies by tier and region, and organisations funding recipients outside the United States often still pay grants through their bank rather than through the platform.

Pricing, plan by plan

Charity Navigator

Free
  • Free ProfileFree
    • Nonprofit profile
    • Ratings
    • Financial data

Submittable

On request
  • Submittable$undefined/year
    • Application forms and applicant portal
    • Reviewer workflow and scoring rubrics
    • Grant award and reporting modules on higher tiers

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.
Charity Navigator review

Choose Submittable if

  • You need configurable application forms.
  • You also want blind and multi-stage review.
Submittable review

Questions people ask

Is Charity Navigator or Submittable better?
Neither clearly leads. Charity Navigator starts at Free and Submittable at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Charity Navigator or Submittable?
Charity Navigator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Charity Navigator and On request for Submittable.
Does Charity Navigator or Submittable run on more platforms?
Charity Navigator runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Submittable runs on Web.
Can I use Charity Navigator for free?
Yes. Charity Navigator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Submittable starts at On request.
What is Charity Navigator best used for?
Charity Navigator is most often used for nonprofit evaluation and research, charitable giving decisions, donor due diligence. Of those, nonprofit evaluation and research and charitable giving decisions are not what Submittable is typically brought in for.
What can Charity Navigator do that Submittable cannot?
Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings, Financial analysis, Donor reviews, Impact metrics. Submittable covers Configurable application forms, Blind and multi-stage review, Reviewer management, Grant payments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Charity Navigator: Is Charity Navigator free to use?

Yes, Charity Navigator provides completely free access to its database of charity ratings, donor education resources, Giving Basket donation tool, and AI-powered charity recommendations.

Source
Submittable: What does Submittable actually cost?

It is not published. Reported entry points are in the low thousands of dollars a year, with price driven by submission volume, number of forms and seats. Get the tier limits written into the contract before signing.

Charity Navigator: How does Charity Navigator make money if its services are free?

Charity Navigator operates through donations to the organization itself. The site includes a 'Support Charity Navigator' link for users who wish to contribute.

Submittable: Is it a grants management system or a submission manager?

Both, depending on tier. The review side is its strength. Award tracking, payments and grantee reporting sit on higher tiers and are less deep than a dedicated grants CRM.

Charity Navigator: What information can I access for free on Charity Navigator?

Free access includes searching and rating charities, using the Giving Basket donation tool, accessing donor education materials, and using Horizon AI Search for personalized charity recommendations.

Submittable: Can reviewers work anonymously?

Yes. Blind review, staged rounds and conflict of interest flagging are core features rather than paid extras.

Submittable: Is there a nonprofit discount?

Nonprofit pricing exists but is applied inside the quote rather than published as a percentage, so compare quotes rather than assuming a standard rate.

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