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Nonprofits · head to head

Classy vs OpenGrants

Classy logo

Classy

Nonprofits

Platform for modern nonprofit fundraising

From
$300/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenGrants logo

OpenGrants

Nonprofits

Low-cost grant search across federal, state and private funders, with a paid consultant marketplace alongside

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenGrants has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Classy email receipts come from platform rather than organization email, causing issues with spam filtering; OpenGrants coverage of private foundations is thinner and less curated than Candid or Instrumentl, so a prospect list built solely from OpenGrants will miss foundations that never post public opportunity notices.
  • They diverge on capability: Classy covers Online fundraising platform, OpenGrants covers Grant search.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Classy and OpenGrants actually diverge.

Attributes where Classy and OpenGrants differ
AttributeClassyOpenGrants
Starting price$300/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownPer user per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded2006Unknown

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 Classy

  • Online fundraising platform
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising
  • Event management
  • Donation management
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Salesforce
  • Slack

Only in OpenGrants

  • Grant search
  • Saved searches and alerts
  • Funder profiles
  • Opportunity tracking
  • Consultant marketplace
  • Free tier

What people use each for

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

Classy

  • Business operationsnot OpenGrants
  • Productivitynot OpenGrants
  • Automationnot OpenGrants

OpenGrants

  • A small nonprofit with no research budget that needs to know whether relevant grants exist before hiring anyonenot Classy
  • A startup hunting SBIR, state innovation and economic development funding across multiple agenciesnot Classy
  • A freelance grant writer covering several clients who cannot pass on a several-hundred-dollar monthly database costnot Classy
  • An organisation wanting to hire a grant writer for one application without running a procurementnot Classy

Where each one falls short

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

Classy

  • Email receipts come from platform rather than organization email, causing issues with spam filtering
  • Limited customization options for donation page templates and design
  • No live phone support, only email tickets with slow response times
  • Salesforce integration reportedly has implementation issues and does not follow best practices
  • High pricing and onboarding complexity unsuitable for small organizations

OpenGrants

  • Coverage of private foundations is thinner and less curated than Candid or Instrumentl, so a prospect list built solely from OpenGrants will miss foundations that never post public opportunity notices.
  • The index leans on public opportunity feeds, which means it is strongest on government funding and weakest on the relationship-driven private philanthropy that most nonprofits actually rely on.
  • Matching is keyword driven rather than fit-scored, so users receive alerts for opportunities they are ineligible for and must qualify each one by hand.
  • The consultant marketplace is a directory with variable quality rather than a vetted panel, so buyers carry the risk of choosing a weak grant writer themselves.
  • It is a US-focused index, offering little to organisations seeking UK, EU or Canadian funding.

Pricing, plan by plan

Classy

$300/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Classy review.

OpenGrants

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core grant search
    • Limited results and saved searches
    • No card required
  • Subscription$9/month
    • Full search access
    • Saved searches and alerts
    • Funder profiles

Which should you pick?

Choose Classy if

  • You need online fundraising platform.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want peer-to-peer fundraising.
Classy review

Choose OpenGrants if

  • You need grant search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want saved searches and alerts.
OpenGrants review

Questions people ask

Is Classy or OpenGrants better?
Neither clearly leads. Classy starts at $300/month and OpenGrants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Classy or OpenGrants?
OpenGrants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $300/month for Classy and Free for OpenGrants.
Does Classy or OpenGrants run on more platforms?
Classy runs on Web, Mobile. OpenGrants runs on Web.
Can I use OpenGrants for free?
Yes. OpenGrants has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Classy starts at $300/month.
What is Classy best used for?
Classy is most often used for business operations, productivity, automation. Of those, business operations and productivity are not what OpenGrants is typically brought in for.
What can Classy do that OpenGrants cannot?
Classy covers Online fundraising platform, Peer-to-peer fundraising, Event management, Donation management. OpenGrants covers Grant search, Saved searches and alerts, Funder profiles, Opportunity tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Classy: What is the pricing structure for Classy/GoFundMe Pro?

GoFundMe Pro pricing is custom and enterprise-based, starting around $300+ per month plus per-transaction platform fees. Organizations typically sign annual subscriptions with tiered pricing based on feature set and fundraising volume, with multi-year contracts locking in commitments.

Source
OpenGrants: How much does it cost?

$9 a month or $99 a year after a seven day trial, with a free tier of core search retained.

Classy: Does Classy integrate with Salesforce?

Yes, GoFundMe Pro (Classy) offers deep Salesforce integration with real-time sync of donations, supporters, and campaigns to Salesforce. Data syncs to Gift Transactions, Gift Commitments, and Person Accounts for unified donor insights.

Source
OpenGrants: Why is it so much cheaper than Candid?

Because it indexes public and semi-public opportunity feeds with automation rather than employing researchers to code foundation records from tax filings. You trade depth of private foundation intelligence for price.

Classy: How customizable are donation pages on Classy?

Classy offers limited design customization for donation pages, with most campaigns using similar templates. While organizations can build highly branded experiences, there are constraints compared to some competitors.

Source
OpenGrants: Does it cover private foundations?

Partially. It is strongest on federal and state programmes. For systematic private foundation research, Candid remains the reference source.

OpenGrants: Is the consultant marketplace vetted?

It is a directory, not a vetted panel. Check references and past awards yourself.

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