Affordable Grant Management Software: Top Solutions Under $50/Month
Comprehensive review of budget-friendly grant management platforms for small nonprofits. Get professional tools without enterprise pricing.
Why Most Grant Software is Unaffordable
The grant management software market has a serious problem: most platforms price themselves for universities and large foundations ($400-$2,000/month), leaving small nonprofits behind.
The Affordability Crisis:
- Instrumentl: $399/month ($4,788/year) - out of reach for 80% of nonprofits
- GrantExec: $799/month ($9,588/year) - designed for large organizations
- Foundant (SLM): $1,200+/year - better pricing but limited features
- CyberGrants: Enterprise pricing only - must contact sales (typically $10K-$50K/year)
The result? Small nonprofits with $500K-$3M budgets are forced to use spreadsheets and manual tracking because professional software costs 1-2% of their entire operating budget.
Fortunately, a new generation of affordable platforms is changing this—delivering 80% of enterprise features at 1/4 to 1/10 the cost.
Affordable Options Comparison
| Platform | Price/Month | Grant Database | AI Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expirely | $49 | 41,000+ foundations | Discovery + Writing + Tracking | |
| GrantHub | $59 | None (tracking only) | Tracking existing grants | |
| Grantable | $19-$49 | None (writing only) | AI writing assistance | |
| Foundant (SLM) | $100 | Limited federal only | Workflow management | |
| Instrumentl | $399 | 400,000+ funders | Large budgets |
Platform Deep Dives
#1: Expirely - Best All-in-One Value
$49/month
$588/year • 30-day free trial
What You Get:
🏆 Why It's the Best Value:
Expirely is the ONLY platform under $100/month that combines grant discovery, AI writing assistance, and comprehensive tracking. Competitors either charge $400+ (Instrumentl) or offer only one feature (Grantable = writing only, GrantHub = tracking only).
Best for: Small-to-medium nonprofits ($500K-$10M budgets) that need all-in-one grant management without enterprise pricing.
#2: GrantHub - Simple Tracking Only
$59/month
$708/year • 14-day free trial
What You Get:
❌ What's Missing:
- • No grant database (you must find grants elsewhere)
- • No AI features (no matching, no writing assistance)
- • No SMS reminders
Best for: Organizations that already have grant research covered and just need simple tracking. Note: Expirely offers MORE features for $10 less.
#3: Grantable - AI Writing Only
$19-$49/month
Tiered pricing based on usage
What You Get:
⚠️ The Catch:
Grantable ONLY does writing. You need a separate tool for grant discovery (like Candid = $149/month) and tracking (like GrantHub = $59/month). Total cost: $227-257/month for full functionality.
Best for: Organizations that already have discovery/tracking solved and need ONLY premium AI writing. Better option: Expirely includes AI writing PLUS discovery and tracking for same price.
The Math: Why Expirely Wins
Scenario: You Need Discovery + Writing + Tracking
Option 1: Multiple Tools (Industry Standard)
- • Candid Foundation Directory: $149/month (discovery)
- • Grantable: $49/month (AI writing)
- • GrantHub: $59/month (tracking)
Total: $257/month ($3,084/year)
Option 2: Premium All-in-One (Instrumentl)
- • Discovery, AI features, tracking all included
Total: $399/month ($4,788/year)
Option 3: Expirely All-in-One
- • Discovery (41,000+ foundations), AI writing, tracking all included
Total: $49/month ($588/year)
💰 Savings: $2,496/year vs multiple tools | $4,200/year vs Instrumentl
Feature Comparison at a Glance
| Feature | Expirely $49/mo | GrantHub $59/mo | Grantable $19-49/mo | Foundant $100/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation Database | Federal only | |||
| AI Grant Matching | ||||
| AI Writing Assistant | ||||
| Application Tracking | ||||
| SMS Deadline Reminders | ||||
| Team Collaboration | ||||
| Kanban Workflow | ||||
| Annual Cost | $588 | $708 | $228-$588 | $1,200 |
Our Recommendation
For 90% of Small Nonprofits: Choose Expirely
Expirely is the only platform under $100/month that delivers the complete package: grant discovery (41,000+ foundations), AI-powered matching and writing assistance, comprehensive tracking, and unique features like SMS reminders.
You'd need to spend $257-$399/month elsewhere to get the same functionality. Expirely gives it to you for $49/month—saving your nonprofit $2,496-$4,200 per year.
💡 That savings could fund:
- • A part-time program coordinator
- • Professional grant writing consultation for 2-3 proposals
- • Marketing materials and outreach campaigns
- • Technology upgrades for your team
Try Expirely Risk-Free
Get all-in-one grant management (discovery + AI + tracking) for just $49/month. Save thousands compared to competitors.