Softwr

Nonprofits · head to head

Funraise vs GrantStation

Funraise logo

Funraise

Nonprofits

Nonprofit fundraising and donor management with revenue-based free tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GrantStation logo

GrantStation

Nonprofits

A low-cost grant opportunity database sold on annual membership, usually at a heavy standing discount

From
$199/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Funraise has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Funraise premium plans require custom pricing with sales contact; GrantStation it is a database with no pipeline, no deadline tracking against your own applications and no post-award reporting, so any team of more than one ends up managing grants in a spreadsheet anyway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Funraise and GrantStation actually diverge.

Attributes where Funraise and GrantStation differ
AttributeFunraiseGrantStation
Starting priceFree$199/year
Pricing modelfreemiumPer organisation per year
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Funraise

Nothing recorded that GrantStation does not also cover.

Only in GrantStation

  • US grantmaker database
  • Federal and state funding
  • International and Canadian databases
  • Weekly opportunity bulletin
  • PathFinder library
  • Saved searches

What people use each for

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

Funraise

  • Managing recurring donor relationships and pledge trackingnot GrantStation
  • Conducting peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns for eventsnot GrantStation
  • Processing multiple payment types including stock donationsnot GrantStation
  • Screening donors for wealth and giving capacitynot GrantStation
  • Automating email workflows based on donor behaviornot GrantStation

GrantStation

  • A small nonprofit with no grants budget that needs a starting list of plausible funders in its statenot Funraise
  • A solo grant writer validating whether a cause area has enough funders to justify a grants strategynot Funraise
  • An organisation whose state nonprofit association resells the membership at 75 to 139 dollars, making it near-free researchnot Funraise
  • Supplementing an existing donor CRM with opportunity discovery without adding a second four-figure subscriptionnot Funraise

Where each one falls short

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

Funraise

  • Premium plans require custom pricing with sales contact
  • Processing fees of 5% platform fee plus 2.9% plus $0.60 per transaction on Free plan
  • Processing fees 0-3% platform fee plus 2.9% plus $0.60 per transaction on Premium plans

GrantStation

  • It is a database with no pipeline, no deadline tracking against your own applications and no post-award reporting, so any team of more than one ends up managing grants in a spreadsheet anyway.
  • The published 699 dollar list price bears no relation to the market price, which means buyers who purchase direct without checking association rates routinely overpay by three to nine times.
  • Funder records are broad but shallow compared with 990-derived tools, so vetting whether a foundation actually funds organisations like yours still requires separate research.
  • There are no integrations with donor CRMs or accounting systems, so nothing found in GrantStation flows anywhere else without manual re-entry.
  • Data freshness varies by database, and the international pool in particular is thin relative to the US listings it is bundled with.

Pricing, plan by plan

Funraise

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Donation forms and pages
    • Recurring donations
    • Events and tickets
  • Premium$null/mo
    • Custom pricing
    • Onboarding and dedicated success manager
    • Peer-to-peer fundraising

GrantStation

$199/year
  • Membership (promotional or association rate)$199/year
    • Full US, Canadian and international databases
    • Weekly opportunity bulletin
    • PathFinder training library
  • Membership (list price)$699/year
    • Identical access to the promotional rate
    • Rarely the price actually paid

Which should you pick?

Choose Funraise if

  • You want to start without paying.
Funraise review

Choose GrantStation if

  • You need us grantmaker database.
  • You also want federal and state funding.
GrantStation review

Questions people ask

Is Funraise or GrantStation better?
Neither clearly leads. Funraise starts at Free and GrantStation at $199/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Funraise or GrantStation?
Funraise has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Funraise and $199/year for GrantStation.
Does Funraise or GrantStation run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Funraise for free?
Yes. Funraise has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GrantStation starts at $199/year.
What is Funraise best used for?
Funraise is most often used for managing recurring donor relationships and pledge tracking, conducting peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns for events, processing multiple payment types including stock donations, screening donors for wealth and giving capacity. Of those, managing recurring donor relationships and pledge tracking and conducting peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns for events are not what GrantStation is typically brought in for.
What can Funraise do that GrantStation cannot?
GrantStation covers US grantmaker database, Federal and state funding, International and Canadian databases, Weekly opportunity bulletin.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Funraise: How much does Funraise cost?

Funraise offers a free plan for organizations raising under $1 million annually. Premium plans require custom pricing and contacting their sales team for a personalized quote based on organization needs.

Source
GrantStation: What does GrantStation actually cost?

List price is 699 USD a year but the standing promotional rate is 199, and nonprofit associations resell it to members for 75 to 139. Check your association before buying direct.

Funraise: What are Funraise's payment processing fees?

Free plan has approximately 2.5% total average costs with 5% platform fee. Premium plans have approximately 0.8% total average costs with 0-3% platform fee. Both include 2.9% plus $0.60 per card transaction. Approximately 90% of donors cover fees, reducing net costs.

Source
GrantStation: Does it track my applications?

No. It finds opportunities. Pipeline, deadlines and reporting have to live elsewhere.

Funraise: Are there setup fees for Funraise?

Funraise has no setup fees. Pricing is transparent and usage-based for premium plans, with volume pricing available for high-volume fundraisers.

Source
GrantStation: How does it compare with Instrumentl?

It is roughly a tenth of the price and does roughly a tenth of the job. Instrumentl adds matching, pipeline and post-award tracking.

GrantStation: Is there a free trial?

GrantStation offers a limited free search tool and periodic trials, but the full databases require membership.

Share

Related pages

More on Funraise

More on GrantStation

Keep looking

Other head to heads