Softwr

Nonprofits · head to head

GuideStar vs Salesforce for Nonprofits

GuideStar logo

GuideStar

Nonprofits

Nonprofit profile and intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salesforce for Nonprofits logo

Salesforce for Nonprofits

Nonprofits

Enterprise CRM for nonprofit organizations

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; Salesforce for Nonprofits the Power of Us free grant covers only 10 Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud or Sales/Service Cloud licences; every licence beyond that is paid
  • They diverge on capability: GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile, Salesforce for Nonprofits covers Donor management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GuideStar and Salesforce for Nonprofits actually diverge.

Attributes where GuideStar and Salesforce for Nonprofits differ
AttributeGuideStarSalesforce for Nonprofits
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb, IOS, Android
Founded19951999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), 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 GuideStar

  • Nonprofit profile
  • Impact data
  • Donor verification
  • Financial transparency
  • Ratings
  • Salesforce
  • Mobile-responsive support

Only in Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • Donor management
  • Campaign tracking
  • Volunteer management
  • Program tracking
  • Advanced reporting
  • Stripe
  • Slack
  • Tableau

Both cover

  • Google Analytics
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

GuideStar

  • Business operationsnot Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • Productivitynot Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • Automationnot Salesforce for Nonprofits

Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • Nonprofit constituent CRM covering fundraising, programs, outcomes and volunteersnot GuideStar
  • Consolidating donor, grant and program data on the Salesforce platformnot GuideStar

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

Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • The Power of Us free grant covers only 10 Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud or Sales/Service Cloud licences; every licence beyond that is paid
  • Nonprofit Cloud Enterprise is $60 per user per month billed annually and Nonprofit Cloud Unlimited is $100 per user per month billed annually
  • The free licences require passing Salesforce eligibility criteria for the Power of Us program
  • Most Salesforce products are sold on annual contracts
  • Some products must scale together when you add or upgrade, which requires going through an Account Executive

Pricing, plan by plan

GuideStar

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

Salesforce for Nonprofits

Free
  • Nonprofit CloudFree
    • Donor management
    • Campaign tracking
    • Volunteer management
  • Professional$150/month
    • Advanced reporting
    • API integrations
    • Customization

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 Salesforce for Nonprofits if

  • You need donor management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want campaign tracking.
Salesforce for Nonprofits review

Questions people ask

Is GuideStar or Salesforce for Nonprofits better?
Neither clearly leads. GuideStar starts at Free and Salesforce for Nonprofits at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GuideStar or Salesforce for Nonprofits?
GuideStar starts at Free and Salesforce for Nonprofits at Free.
Does GuideStar or Salesforce for Nonprofits run on more platforms?
GuideStar runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Salesforce for Nonprofits runs on Web, IOS, Android.
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. Of those, business operations and productivity are not what Salesforce for Nonprofits is typically brought in for.
What can GuideStar do that Salesforce for Nonprofits cannot?
GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile, Impact data, Donor verification, Financial transparency. Salesforce for Nonprofits covers Donor management, Campaign tracking, Volunteer management, Program tracking. Both handle Google Analytics, Web support.
Share

Related pages

More on GuideStar

More on Salesforce for Nonprofits

Keep looking

Other head to heads