Honest comparison
Candid Foundation Directory vs Grant Shifter
Candid’s Foundation Directory has been the definitive US foundation research database for decades, and its successor platform, Candid search, carries that data forward. Grant Shifter is a different shape of tool: grant management and discovery with AI matching and application drafting, at a fraction of the price, with a US catalog that is federal-first today. Which one fits depends on whether deep US foundation prospect research or the full find-to-write workflow is the job.
Candid Foundation Directory is built for
US fundraisers doing serious foundation prospect research: development teams and consultants who need decades of IRS Form 990 giving history, 300,000+ grantmaker profiles, and 29 million+ recorded grants.
Grant Shifter is built for
Nonprofits and small businesses that want the whole workflow in one place: a free federal grant directory, AI matching with reasons shown, funder research, and drafting applications from their own content, from CA$0 to $39 per month.
The honest take
- On US foundation data, Candid is the benchmark and we are not close today. Candid grew out of the Foundation Center and GuideStar, and its database (300,000+ grantmaker profiles, 29 million+ grants, built on IRS 990 filings) is the deepest there is. If US foundation prospect research is the whole job, they are the right tool.
- A transition worth knowing about: Candid retired the legacy Foundation Directory Online platform on July 20, 2026 and moved subscribers to its successor, Candid search. Pricing as of August 2026: Premium at US$219/month or US$1,199/year, Ultimate at US$1,699/year, Enterprise custom. Free basic access exists with registration, and Candid partners with libraries to offer free access locations.
- Grant Shifter covers the parts of the job that come around the database: a free public directory of live US federal opportunities sourced from grants.gov, AI matching that scores every grant against your profile with the reasons shown, and drafting that turns your existing content into funder-ready applications. Our US foundation data and state coverage are expanding now, and our Canadian foundation data is already built on verified CRA T3010 filings.
For US organizations
If you are a US organization choosing today (August 2026): use Candid when the job is researching US private foundations. Use Grant Shifter for the free federal directory of roughly 1,000 live grants.gov opportunities, free AI matching with reasons, and application drafting, from CA$0 with paid plans at CA$39/month (about US$28). Plenty of teams will sensibly use both until our US foundation data lands; we would rather tell you that than overclaim.
See what Grant Shifter offers US organizations or browse the free US federal grant directory.
Side by side
| Candid Foundation Directory | Grant Shifter | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | US$219/mo · US$1,199/yr annual | CA$0 free tier · CA$39/mo paid |
| Pricing shown on website | ||
| US foundation database | 300,000+ grantmaker profiles | Expanding; not our strength yet |
| US foundation giving history | Decades of IRS 990 data | Expanding now |
| Canadian funder giving data (verified filings) | Limited | CRA T3010 verified gifts |
| Canadian grant catalog | Limited | 2,400+ live, updated weekly |
| Free public grant directory (no account) | ||
| AI matching with reasons shown | ||
| AI drafting from your own content library | Writing assistance on paid plans | |
| Template reformatting (any funder form) | ||
| Application pipeline & deadline tracking | Prospect lists | |
| Free access option | Basic search with registration; partner libraries | Permanent free tier |
Candid pricing verified from candid.org in August 2026 (Candid search Premium US$219 monthly or US$1,199/year annual; Ultimate US$1,699/year; Enterprise custom). Candid retired the legacy Foundation Directory Online platform on July 20, 2026; Candid search is its successor. Check candid.org for current pricing.
Try the difference free
Create a free account and Grant Shifter matches your organization against every live grant in our catalog in about a minute, reasons included. No credit card, no sales call.
Get matched freeCandid Foundation Directory is a trademark of its respective owner. Grant Shifter is not affiliated with or endorsed by Candid Foundation Directory. Comparison reflects publicly available information as of August 2026; tell us at mocha@mochasmindlab.com if anything here is out of date.