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Software · head to head

GuideStar vs Constant Contact

GuideStar logo

GuideStar

Software

Nonprofit profile and intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Constant Contact logo

Constant Contact

Software

Email marketing and event management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GuideStar guideStar and Foundation Directory are being retired and merged into a single Candid platform, per Candid's own learning.candid.org help pages, with existing subscribers redirected to log in at app.candid.org; Constant Contact core plan started at $9.99 per month and Plus plan at $45 per month, both scaling by contact list size rather than a flat rate (Internet Archive capture, 2022)
  • They diverge on capability: GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile, Constant Contact covers Email marketing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GuideStar and Constant Contact actually diverge.

Attributes where GuideStar and Constant Contact differ
AttributeGuideStarConstant Contact

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Mobile-responsive), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (1995).

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 GuideStar

  • Nonprofit profile
  • Impact data
  • Donor verification
  • Financial transparency
  • Ratings

Only in Constant Contact

  • Email marketing
  • Event management
  • Contact management
  • Automation
  • Analytics
  • Zapier
  • Facebook

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics
  • Web support
  • Mobile-responsive support

What people use each for

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

GuideStar

  • Business operations
  • Productivity
  • Automation

Constant Contact

  • Business operations
  • Productivity
  • Automation

Both are used for business operations, productivity, automation, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

GuideStar

  • GuideStar and Foundation Directory are being retired and merged into a single Candid platform, per Candid's own learning.candid.org help pages, with existing subscribers redirected to log in at app.candid.org
  • Candid's own pricing page lists Candid Premium (annual) at $1,199 per year in USD, and $219 per month if billed monthly, with an Ultimate annual tier at $1,699 per year adding compliance monitoring features
  • Candid's free tier limits search results, profile views and dashboards; full grants and profile data downloads are capped even on Premium annual, at 1,000 grants downloads and 5,000 profile downloads per month

Constant Contact

  • Core plan started at $9.99 per month and Plus plan at $45 per month, both scaling by contact list size rather than a flat rate (Internet Archive capture, 2022)

Pricing, plan by plan

GuideStar

Free
  • ProfileFree
    • Nonprofit profile
    • Basic data
  • Gold$300/month
    • Enhanced profile
    • Donor verification
    • Impact reporting

Constant Contact

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic email marketing
    • Contacts up to 100
  • Plus$45/month
    • Advanced features
    • Event management
    • Automation

Which should you pick?

Choose GuideStar if

  • You need nonprofit profile.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want impact data.
GuideStar review

Choose Constant Contact if

  • You need email marketing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want event management.
Constant Contact review

Questions people ask

Is GuideStar or Constant Contact better?
Neither clearly leads. GuideStar starts at Free and Constant Contact at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GuideStar or Constant Contact?
GuideStar starts at Free and Constant Contact at Free.
Does GuideStar or Constant Contact run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile-responsive, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use GuideStar for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GuideStar best used for?
GuideStar is most often used for business operations, productivity, automation.
What can GuideStar do that Constant Contact cannot?
GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile, Impact data, Donor verification, Financial transparency. Constant Contact covers Email marketing, Event management, Contact management, Automation. Both handle Salesforce, Google Analytics, Web support, Mobile-responsive support.
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Related pages

More on GuideStar

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