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Nonprofits · head to head

NeonCRM vs OpenGrants

NeonCRM logo

NeonCRM

Nonprofits

Cloud-based CRM for nonprofits

From
On request
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

  • Only OpenGrants has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: NeonCRM neonCRM operates as Neon CRM under Neon One, whose own pricing page gates every figure rather than listing one; 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: NeonCRM covers Donor management, OpenGrants covers Grant search.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NeonCRM and OpenGrants actually diverge.

Attributes where NeonCRM and OpenGrants differ
AttributeNeonCRMOpenGrants
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: 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 NeonCRM

  • Donor management
  • Event management
  • Volunteer tracking
  • Email campaigns
  • Reporting
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Zapier

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.

NeonCRM

  • Business operationsnot OpenGrants
  • Productivitynot OpenGrants
  • Automationnot OpenGrants

OpenGrants

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

Where each one falls short

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

NeonCRM

  • NeonCRM operates as Neon CRM under Neon One, whose own pricing page gates every figure rather than listing one

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

NeonCRM

On request
  • Starter$50/month
    • Donor management
    • Event management
  • Professional$150/month
    • Volunteer tracking
    • Advanced analytics
    • Integrations

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 NeonCRM if

  • You need donor management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want event management.
NeonCRM 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 NeonCRM or OpenGrants better?
Neither clearly leads. NeonCRM starts at On request and OpenGrants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NeonCRM or OpenGrants?
OpenGrants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for NeonCRM and Free for OpenGrants.
Does NeonCRM or OpenGrants run on more platforms?
NeonCRM runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. OpenGrants runs on Web.
Can I use OpenGrants for free?
Yes. OpenGrants has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NeonCRM starts at On request.
What is NeonCRM best used for?
NeonCRM is most often used for business operations, productivity, automation. Of those, business operations and productivity are not what OpenGrants is typically brought in for.
What can NeonCRM do that OpenGrants cannot?
NeonCRM covers Donor management, Event management, Volunteer tracking, Email campaigns. OpenGrants covers Grant search, Saved searches and alerts, Funder profiles, Opportunity tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

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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