Expirely vs Instrumentl: Which Fits Small Nonprofits Better?

Both Expirely and Instrumentl help nonprofits find and manage grants. But one costs $49/month, the other costs $399/month. Does the 8x price difference deliver 8x more value? Let's find out.

The Bottom Line: Price vs Value

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Where Expirely Wins

1. Larger Foundation Database

Expirely provides access to 41,000+ foundations—more than double Instrumentl's 20,000. More foundations = more opportunities = higher success rate.

2. Drastically Lower Price

At $49-$99/month, Expirely costs 1/4 to 1/5 the price of Instrumentl. That's an annual savings of $4,000-$5,500 that can fund programs, salaries, or additional grant applications.

3. SMS Deadline Alerts

Expirely sends text message reminders for upcoming deadlines. Instrumentl only offers email notifications, which are easier to miss.

4. No Credit Card for Free Trial

Expirely's 14-day trial requires zero payment information. Instrumentl requires a credit card upfront.

Where Instrumentl Wins

1. More Polished Analytics

Instrumentl's analytics dashboard is more refined with deeper foundation insights and historical giving trends visualizations.

2. Longer Track Record

Instrumentl has been around since 2014, giving them a decade of refinement. Expirely is newer (2024) but has rapidly caught up in features.

3. More Granular Federal Grant Filters

If federal grants are your primary focus, Instrumentl offers slightly more detailed filtering options for Grants.gov opportunities.

Real-World Budget Comparison

Let's say you're a small nonprofit with a $500,000 annual budget. Here's what the price difference means:

What $4,200 can fund instead:

• A part-time grant writer for 6 months
• 10-15 additional grant applications with professional editing
• Program supplies and materials for your beneficiaries
• Staff professional development and training

Who Should Choose Expirely?

• ✓
  Small nonprofits with budgets under $2M — You need powerful tools but can't afford enterprise pricing
• ✓
  Organizations focused on foundation grants — Access to 41,000+ foundations is a game-changer
• ✓
  Teams that value cost-efficiency — Get 90% of the features at 20% of the cost
• ✓
  Nonprofits wanting SMS deadline alerts — Never miss a grant deadline with text reminders

Who Should Choose Instrumentl?

• ✓
  Well-funded organizations with $5M+ budgets — You can afford the premium price
• ✓
  Organizations with dedicated grant departments — Multiple full-time grant professionals justify the cost
• ✓
  Federal grant heavy portfolios — If 80%+ of your grants are federal, Instrumentl's filters might be worth it

The Verdict

For 90% of small nonprofits, Expirely is the better choice. You get:

• A larger foundation database (41,000+ vs 20,000+)
• AI writing tools comparable to Instrumentl's
• The same core tracking features (Kanban, deadlines, documents)
• SMS deadline alerts Instrumentl doesn't offer
• All for $4,000-$5,500 less per year

Instrumentl is excellent if you have a large budget and federal grant focus. But for most organizations, that extra $4,000+ per year is better spent on mission-critical work.