Is GrantStation or Handbid better?

Neither clearly leads. GrantStation starts at $199/year and Handbid at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, GrantStation or Handbid?

GrantStation starts at $199/year and Handbid at On request.

Does GrantStation or Handbid run on more platforms?

GrantStation runs on Web. Handbid runs on Web, IOS, Android.

What is GrantStation best used for?

GrantStation is most often used for a small nonprofit with no grants budget that needs a starting list of plausible funders in its state, a solo grant writer validating whether a cause area has enough funders to justify a grants strategy, an organisation whose state nonprofit association resells the membership at 75 to 139 dollars, making it near-free research, supplementing an existing donor crm with opportunity discovery without adding a second four-figure subscription. Of those, a small nonprofit with no grants budget that needs a starting list of plausible funders in its state and a solo grant writer validating whether a cause area has enough funders to justify a grants strategy are not what Handbid is typically brought in for.

What can GrantStation do that Handbid cannot?

GrantStation covers US grantmaker database, Federal and state funding, International and Canadian databases, Weekly opportunity bulletin. Handbid covers Mobile bidding, Silent auctions, Live auctions, Fund-a-need.

Nonprofits · head to head

GrantStation vs Handbid

GrantStation

Nonprofits

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

From: $199/year
Rated: -

Full review Website

Handbid

Nonprofits

Mobile-first auction and event fundraising platform

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: 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.; Handbid the pricing page publishes no plan, no rate, no minimum and no per-event fee; it states there are no preset tiers and directs every visitor to a pricing consultation
They diverge on capability: GrantStation covers US grantmaker database, Handbid covers Mobile bidding.
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GrantStation and Handbid actually diverge.

Attributes where GrantStation and Handbid differ
Attribute	GrantStation	Handbid
Starting price	$199/year	On request
Pricing model	Per organisation per year	subscription
Platforms	Web	Web, IOS, Android
Founded	Unknown	2011

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 GrantStation

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

Only in Handbid

Mobile bidding
Silent auctions
Live auctions
Fund-a-need
Ticketing
Salesforce
Stripe
PayPal

What people use each for

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

GrantStation

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

Handbid

Mobile bidding for charity and fundraising auctionsnot GrantStation
Event ticketing, registration and check-in with tap to paynot GrantStation
White-labelled online auctions for schools, nonprofits and corporate eventsnot GrantStation

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Handbid

The pricing page publishes no plan, no rate, no minimum and no per-event fee; it states there are no preset tiers and directs every visitor to a pricing consultation
There is no self-serve signup path; the only routes offered are Start Chatting, a consultation or a demo booking
Because packages are assembled per event, the cost of white-label auctions, text-to-give and support levels is not published

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Handbid

On request

Starter$199/month
- Basic auction features
- Up to 50 items
Professional$499/month
- Unlimited items
- Live streaming
- Fund-a-need
Enterprise$999/month
- Multi-event license
- White labeling
- Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose GrantStation if

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

GrantStation review

Choose Handbid if

You need mobile bidding.
You work on Web, IOS, Android.
You also want silent auctions.

Handbid review

Questions people ask

Is GrantStation or Handbid better?: Neither clearly leads. GrantStation starts at $199/year and Handbid at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GrantStation or Handbid?: GrantStation starts at $199/year and Handbid at On request.
Does GrantStation or Handbid run on more platforms?: GrantStation runs on Web. Handbid runs on Web, IOS, Android.
What is GrantStation best used for?: GrantStation is most often used for a small nonprofit with no grants budget that needs a starting list of plausible funders in its state, a solo grant writer validating whether a cause area has enough funders to justify a grants strategy, an organisation whose state nonprofit association resells the membership at 75 to 139 dollars, making it near-free research, supplementing an existing donor crm with opportunity discovery without adding a second four-figure subscription. Of those, a small nonprofit with no grants budget that needs a starting list of plausible funders in its state and a solo grant writer validating whether a cause area has enough funders to justify a grants strategy are not what Handbid is typically brought in for.
What can GrantStation do that Handbid cannot?: GrantStation covers US grantmaker database, Federal and state funding, International and Canadian databases, Weekly opportunity bulletin. Handbid covers Mobile bidding, Silent auctions, Live auctions, Fund-a-need.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Handbid: How much does Handbid cost?

Handbid does not use standard pricing tiers. Instead, the company provides custom quotes based on your event needs, event volume, and support requirements. Handbid emphasizes no commission on funds raised.

Source

GrantStation: Does it track my applications?

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

Handbid: Does Handbid take a commission on auction proceeds?

No. Handbid does not charge a percentage of funds raised. Platform fees are separate from payment processing.

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.

Handbid: What payment processing fees does Handbid charge?

Handbid's payment processing fees are: Visa/Mastercard/Discover 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction, American Express 3.95% + $0.30 per transaction, and ACH 1.5% flat with no per-transaction fee.

Source

GrantStation: Is there a free trial?

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

Handbid: What is included in Handbid licenses?

All Handbid licenses include unlimited items, guests, and bidders; all auction formats (silent, live, paddle raise); ticketing and check-in; money handling and reporting; platform updates; and live phone support during events.

Source

GrantStation vs Handbid

GrantStation

Handbid

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in GrantStation

Only in Handbid

What people use each for

GrantStation

Handbid

Where each one falls short

GrantStation

Handbid

Pricing, plan by plan

GrantStation

Handbid

Which should you pick?

Choose GrantStation if

Choose Handbid if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on GrantStation

More on Handbid

Keep looking

Other head to heads