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Nonprofits · head to head

Little Green Light vs OpenGrants

Little Green Light logo

Little Green Light

Nonprofits

Affordable donor management for small nonprofits

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: Little Green Light pricing is driven purely by constituent record count, so inactive and lapsed records still raise the bill; 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: Little Green Light covers Donor database, OpenGrants covers Grant search.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Little Green Light and OpenGrants actually diverge.

Attributes where Little Green Light and OpenGrants differ
AttributeLittle Green LightOpenGrants
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Little Green Light

  • Donor database
  • Prospect tracking
  • Relationship management
  • Task management
  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • Google Drive
  • Web support

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.

Little Green Light

  • Donor management and gift tracking for small nonprofitsnot OpenGrants
  • Segmenting constituents for appeals and mailingsnot OpenGrants
  • Online donation forms with pay-as-you-go processingnot OpenGrants

OpenGrants

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

Where each one falls short

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

Little Green Light

  • Pricing is driven purely by constituent record count, so inactive and lapsed records still raise the bill
  • The base plan is $45 per month for up to 2,500 constituents, rising to $135 per month at 50,000
  • Above 50,000 records each additional 10,000 tier adds $15 per month
  • An account is hard-capped at 200,000 constituent records
  • Online donation processing costs from 2.2% plus $0.30 per transaction to the payment processor
  • The 10% saving requires annual rather than monthly billing

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

Little Green Light

Free
  • Up to 2,500 constituents$45/month
  • Up to 5,000 constituents$60/month
  • Up to 10,000 constituents$75/month
  • Up to 20,000 constituents$90/month

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 Little Green Light if

  • You need donor database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want prospect tracking.
Little Green Light 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 Little Green Light or OpenGrants better?
Neither clearly leads. Little Green Light starts at Free and OpenGrants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Little Green Light or OpenGrants?
Little Green Light starts at Free and OpenGrants at Free.
Does Little Green Light or OpenGrants run on more platforms?
Little Green Light runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. OpenGrants runs on Web.
Can I use Little Green Light for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Little Green Light best used for?
Little Green Light is most often used for donor management and gift tracking for small nonprofits, segmenting constituents for appeals and mailings, online donation forms with pay-as-you-go processing. Of those, donor management and gift tracking for small nonprofits and segmenting constituents for appeals and mailings are not what OpenGrants is typically brought in for.
What can Little Green Light do that OpenGrants cannot?
Little Green Light covers Donor database, Prospect tracking, Relationship management, Task management. OpenGrants covers Grant search, Saved searches and alerts, Funder profiles, Opportunity tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Little Green Light: How much does Little Green Light cost?

Little Green Light uses tiered pricing starting at $45/month for up to 2,500 constituents, scaling up to $135/month for up to 50,000 constituents. All tiers include unlimited users and all features. Annual prepayment offers a 10% discount.

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.

Little Green Light: Is there a free trial for Little Green Light?

Yes, Little Green Light offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, giving full access to all platform features during the trial period.

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.

Little Green Light: What additional fees does Little Green Light charge?

Online donation processing charges 2.2% plus $0.30 per transaction paid to the payment processor. There are no setup fees, cancellation fees, or contracts.

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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