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Nonprofits · head to head

OneCause vs Submittable

OneCause logo

OneCause

Nonprofits

Event management and auction fundraising platform, now part of Bonterra

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Submittable logo

Submittable

Nonprofits

Application, review and grant management for funders running open calls at volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OneCause no transparent pricing published; all plans require contacting sales at 888-475-5214 or online form for custom quotes; Submittable pricing is not published and tier jumps are steep, so an organisation that grows past a submission or form limit can face a renewal quote well above the previous year with limited negotiating room mid-programme.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OneCause and Submittable actually diverge.

Attributes where OneCause and Submittable differ
AttributeOneCauseSubmittable

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web), 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 OneCause

Nothing recorded that Submittable does not also cover.

Only in Submittable

  • Configurable application forms
  • Blind and multi-stage review
  • Reviewer management
  • Grant payments
  • Impact reporting
  • Applicant messaging
  • API and integrations

What people use each for

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

OneCause

  • Managing ticketing, sponsorships, and registration for fundraising eventsnot Submittable
  • Running silent and live auctions with mobile bidding capabilitiesnot Submittable
  • Coordinating peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns like walks and runsnot Submittable
  • Processing donations with gift matching and recurring contributionsnot Submittable

Submittable

  • A foundation running an open grant round where a volunteer panel must score hundreds of applications without seeing applicant identitiesnot OneCause
  • A corporate giving team collecting employee-nominated grant requests and needing an audit trail for financenot OneCause
  • An arts council managing fellowship and residency applications with multi-stage juriesnot OneCause
  • A city agency distributing relief funds and required to show equitable review and decision recordsnot OneCause

Where each one falls short

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

OneCause

  • No transparent pricing published; all plans require contacting sales at 888-475-5214 or online form for custom quotes

Submittable

  • Pricing is not published and tier jumps are steep, so an organisation that grows past a submission or form limit can face a renewal quote well above the previous year with limited negotiating room mid-programme.
  • It is built around the application funnel rather than the funder's relationship with grantees, so long-term relationship management, pledge tracking and multi-year commitments are weaker than in a purpose-built grants CRM.
  • Applicant-facing forms are constrained by the platform's templates, and organisations wanting a fully branded application experience on their own domain will find the customisation shallow.
  • Reporting is serviceable for programme counts but limited for board-level financial reporting, so many finance teams still export to spreadsheets to reconcile awards against the general ledger.
  • Payment disbursement capability varies by tier and region, and organisations funding recipients outside the United States often still pay grants through their bank rather than through the platform.

Pricing, plan by plan

OneCause

On request
  • Professional$undefined/mo
    • Foundational fundraising software
    • Ticketing, tables, sponsorships, auctions, donations
    • Suited for galas, luncheons, golf outings
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Large or multiple ticketed events
    • Event Ambassador Fundraising
    • Event Series
  • Nationals$undefined/mo
    • National organizations managing affiliate chapters
    • Organization Structure & Hierarchy
    • Event Templates

Submittable

On request
  • Submittable$undefined/year
    • Application forms and applicant portal
    • Reviewer workflow and scoring rubrics
    • Grant award and reporting modules on higher tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose OneCause if

Nothing in the data separates OneCause from Submittable on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

OneCause review

Choose Submittable if

  • You need configurable application forms.
  • You also want blind and multi-stage review.
Submittable review

Questions people ask

Is OneCause or Submittable better?
Neither clearly leads. OneCause starts at On request and Submittable at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OneCause or Submittable?
OneCause starts at On request and Submittable at On request.
Does OneCause or Submittable run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is OneCause best used for?
OneCause is most often used for managing ticketing, sponsorships, and registration for fundraising events, running silent and live auctions with mobile bidding capabilities, coordinating peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns like walks and runs, processing donations with gift matching and recurring contributions. Of those, managing ticketing, sponsorships, and registration for fundraising events and running silent and live auctions with mobile bidding capabilities are not what Submittable is typically brought in for.
What can OneCause do that Submittable cannot?
Submittable covers Configurable application forms, Blind and multi-stage review, Reviewer management, Grant payments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OneCause: How much does OneCause cost?

OneCause does not publish pricing online. All plans require a custom quote. Contact OneCause at 888-475-5214 or submit a request through their website for pricing information.

Source
Submittable: What does Submittable actually cost?

It is not published. Reported entry points are in the low thousands of dollars a year, with price driven by submission volume, number of forms and seats. Get the tier limits written into the contract before signing.

OneCause: What pricing tiers does OneCause offer?

OneCause offers three main tiers: Professional (foundational fundraising software), Enterprise (large/multiple event management), and Nationals (national organizations with affiliate chapters). All require custom quotes.

Source
Submittable: Is it a grants management system or a submission manager?

Both, depending on tier. The review side is its strength. Award tracking, payments and grantee reporting sit on higher tiers and are less deep than a dedicated grants CRM.

OneCause: Is there a Pay As You Go option?

OneCause indicates Pay As You Go availability is offered within the Professional plan, but specific costs require contact with sales.

Source
Submittable: Can reviewers work anonymously?

Yes. Blind review, staged rounds and conflict of interest flagging are core features rather than paid extras.

Submittable: Is there a nonprofit discount?

Nonprofit pricing exists but is applied inside the quote rather than published as a percentage, so compare quotes rather than assuming a standard rate.

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