Grantlas vs Candid (Foundation Directory)
Candid is the reference database the sector grew up on. Grantlas turns foundation data into a ranked shortlist with reasons and red flags, then tracks what you apply to.
Prices and features checked October 22, 2026
Candid covers more ground: 1.9 million organizations, staff contacts, compliance data, and free access at partner libraries. Grantlas is narrower and more opinionated: it ranks funders and open grants against your profile, explains each Fit, flags dead ends, and reminds you before deadlines. Paid monthly, Grantlas is $99 to Candid Premium's $219.
At a glance
| Feature | Grantlas | Candid |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✗ No (7-day trial) | ✓ Limited |
| Paid, monthly | $99/mo | $219/mo (Premium) |
| Paid, yearly | $999/yr | $1,199/yr (Premium) · $1,699/yr (Ultimate) |
| Coverage | 137,257 funders | Search 1.9M organizations |
| Giving history | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Peer funders | ✓ Peer prospecting | ✓ Funders of your peers (Premium+) |
| Fit and written reason on every match | ✓ Included in every plan, no per-prompt credits | AI assistant: 25 credits/mo on Premium, 250 on Ultimate |
| Red flags | ✓ Yes | Not listed |
| Open federal, state and local grants | ✓ 2,839, ranked against you | RFP recommendations (AI tool) |
| Proposal and LOI drafting | In Claude or ChatGPT, connected to Grantlas. Every plan | LOI writer (AI tool, uses credits) |
| Deadline reminders and calendar | ✓ Every plan: email reminders and Google, Outlook or Apple calendar | Not listed |
| Board reports (win rate, money awarded) | ✓ Every plan | Not listed |
| Staff contacts | Board and trustee listings | ✓ Key staff with LinkedIn |
| Compliance data | ✗ No | ✓ Ultimate |
| Works in Claude and ChatGPT | ✓ Yes | ✓ Claude, all accounts. ChatGPT not listed |
| Free access options | ✗ No (7-day trial) | Partner libraries; a free year of Premium for small orgs with a Gold Seal (Go for Gold, until Dec 31, 2026) |
What you'd pay
| You are… | Grantlas | Candid | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paying monthly | $99/mo | $219/mo | $1,440 a year less |
| Paying yearly | $999/yr | $1,199/yr Premium | $200 a year less |
| Consultant with 2 to 5 clients | $199–$297/mo Pro | Premium per seat; Enterprise for 10+ users | No direct comparison |
| Small org with Candid's Gold Seal | $99/mo | $0 for a year (Go for Gold) | No direct comparison |
Which one fits
Pick Candid if
- You need to look up any nonprofit, not only funders.
- You want staff contacts and compliance status.
- You want funding-trend visualizations (Ultimate).
- You can use it free at a partner library or through Candid's small-nonprofit program.
Pick Grantlas if
- You want a shortlist ranked against your organization, with the reason for each.
- You want red flags before you write a word.
- You want foundations and government grants in one list.
- You want a Tracker with reminders 60 to 3 days out, a calendar feed and board reports.
- You'd rather draft in Claude or ChatGPT, with your Grantlas research connected.
- You'd rather pay $99 month to month than $219.
Side by side
Coverage
Candid lets you search 1.9 million organizations, with financials, staff contacts and grants given and received. Grantlas focuses on the people who write checks: 137,257 private foundations and grantmaking charities from IRS filings, plus open government grants.
Bottom line: For looking up any nonprofit, Candid wins. For finding who'll fund yours, Grantlas is built for that one job.
Knowing if you're a fit
Candid's AI fundraising assistant returns matches with reasoning, metered by credits: 25 a month on Premium. Grantlas gives every match a Fit and a written reason with no per-prompt credits, and shows red flags first: invitation only, wrong geography, no new grantees, grant size mismatch.
Bottom line: Search as much as you want. The reason comes with the match.
Open grants
Grantlas pulls open and upcoming grants from grants.gov, state portals, state arts agencies, humanities councils and community foundations, updated nightly, and ranks them against your profile next to foundations.
Bottom line: Foundations and government grants in one ranked list.
After you find a funder
Grantlas tracks each funder or grant from research to award in your own stages, with tasks, dated notes and report due dates on the grants you win, and keeps its Fit and reason attached. Reminders go out by email 60, 30, 14, 7 and 3 days before every deadline, task and report due date, and every date can sit in Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar. Board reports show your win rate and money awarded by fiscal year and funder, sent as one link.
Bottom line: Candid helps you find a funder. Grantlas also gets the application out on time.
Writing the proposal
Candid lists an AI LOI writer, and each prompt uses the plan's monthly credits. We think drafting belongs in the assistant you already write in. Connect Grantlas to Claude or ChatGPT, included in every plan, and ask for the letter there: it pulls in your profile, the funder's giving by year and how to apply, and its Fit and red flags.
Bottom line: Draft where you already write, with your research already in it.
Price
Paid yearly, the two are close: $999 vs. $1,199. Paid monthly, Grantlas is less than half: $99 vs. $219. If you're a small nonprofit, check whether you qualify for free Candid access first. If you do, take it.
Bottom line: Month to month, Grantlas costs $120 less.
Questions
How much does Candid Foundation Directory cost in 2026?
Candid Premium is $219 a month paid monthly or $1,199 a year. Ultimate is $1,699 a year. There's a free plan with limited search results.
Is Grantlas a Foundation Directory replacement?
For finding and vetting funders, yes. For looking up any nonprofit's staff, financials or compliance status, Candid covers more.
Does Grantlas use the same data as Candid?
Both start from IRS filings. Candid adds data it collects directly from organizations. Grantlas adds a Fit, a written reason and red flags for your organization.
Does Grantlas use credits?
No. There are no credits to buy or count: searches are unlimited, and Fit analysis comes with every plan.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, 7 days. See your first matches before you enter a card.
More comparisons
- Grantlas vs Instrumentl →Same first question, $250 a month less.
- Grantlas vs Grant Frog →Funder research with a Tracker, not a grants office.
- Grantlas vs GrantStation →A ranked shortlist, not a directory to sort.
- Grantlas vs GrantWatch →Ranked for your nonprofit, not a list for everyone.
- Grantlas vs Grantable →Find the funder first, then write where you already write.
- Instrumentl alternatives →From free to $219 a month, sorted by who each tool fits.
- Foundation Directory alternatives →Candid Search and five other ways to find foundation funders.
- Instrumentl vs Candid →Instrumentl runs the whole process; Candid costs less.
- Candid vs GrantStation →GrantStation costs less; Candid goes deeper.
Prices and features checked October 22, 2026
Instrumentl, Candid, Foundation Directory, Grant Frog, GrantStation, GrantWatch, Grantable, Grantsights and Engrant are trademarks of their owners. Grantlas isn't affiliated with any of them. Prices and features come from each company's public pages on the date shown and can change. If something here is out of date, email team@grantlas.com and we'll fix it within a week.