Grant Assistant vs Grantboost for Nonprofits
Choosing between Grant Assistant's expert-trained AI and Grantboost's accessible platform? Both tools promise to accelerate your grant writing, but Grant Assistant brings deep expertise from 7,000+ winning proposals and compliance checking backed by FreeWill, while Grantboost offers immediate access with a free tier or $19.99/month Pro plan serving 5,000+ teams. Your decision hinges on whether specialized grant expertise justifies premium pricing—or whether affordable, easy-to-use AI assistance delivers the results you need.
Quick Verdict
Choose based on your nonprofit's grant strategy and budget:
Choose Grant Assistant if:
- •You write complex federal, USAID, or large foundation grants requiring deep expertise
- •Compliance checking and RFP analysis are critical to avoiding eligibility gaps
- •You need enterprise-grade security with explicit zero data training guarantees
- •Time savings is priority #1—70-90% reduction in proposal time
- •You have budget for custom pricing and value white-glove expert support
Choose Grantboost if:
- •Budget is your primary constraint—free tier or $19.99/month vs custom pricing
- •You write smaller foundation grants ($5K-$50K) where speed matters most
- •You want immediate self-service access—no sales calls or demos required
- •You're a small team or solo grant writer needing accessible AI assistance
- •You need flexible character/word count control to match funder requirements
At-a-Glance Comparison
| Feature | Grant Assistant | Grantboost | Winner / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Custom (demo required) | Free (40 boosts/month) or $19.99/month Pro | 💰 Grantboost (10-25x more affordable) |
| AI Training Data | 7,000+ winning proposals | Industry best practices + templates | 🏆 Grant Assistant (specialized expertise) |
| Ease of Use | Requires demo + onboarding | Survey-based setup, immediate access | ⚡ Grantboost (easier for beginners) |
| Compliance Checking | ✓ RFP analysis, eligibility gaps | ✗ Not included | 🎯 Grant Assistant (critical for complex grants) |
| Free Trial | Demo only (no self-service trial) | Free tier with 40 boosts/month | ✅ Grantboost (extensive free access) |
| Best For | Complex federal/international grants | Smaller foundation grants | Context dependent on grant types |
| User Base | Enterprise nonprofits (FreeWill-backed) | 5,000+ teams, 3.5M+ words/month | 🔥 Grantboost (proven at scale) |
| Word/Character Count Control | Standard output control | Customizable limits per section | 📏 Grantboost (precise control) |
| Security Guarantees | Zero data training, enterprise-grade | Standard security practices | 🔒 Grant Assistant (explicit guarantees) |
| Support Model | White-glove expert support | Self-service, Teams tier has priority support | 🤝 Grant Assistant (expert guidance) |
The Grant Writing AI Landscape: Expertise vs Accessibility
As nonprofits race to secure funding in an increasingly competitive landscape, AI grant writing tools have emerged as critical force multipliers. Two platforms—Grant Assistant and Grantboost—exemplify fundamentally different approaches to solving the same problem. Grant Assistant, acquired by FreeWill in late 2024, represents the "expert AI" approach: specialized training on 7,000+ winning proposals, sophisticated compliance checking, and white-glove support aimed at organizations pursuing complex federal and international grants. Grantboost, serving 5,000+ teams and processing 3.5 million words monthly, embodies the "democratized AI" model: accessible pricing starting at free, immediate self-service access, and user-friendly features designed to help any nonprofit writer accelerate their grant drafting.
The decision between these platforms isn't simply about comparing feature lists. It reflects deeper strategic questions about your nonprofit's grant portfolio, budget constraints, and organizational capacity. Organizations writing $250K+ federal grants or complex USAID proposals face vastly different needs than community organizations pursuing $10K-$50K foundation grants. Grant Assistant's specialized training on successful federal proposals and automated compliance checking directly addresses the pain points of high-stakes, regulation-heavy grant applications. Meanwhile, Grantboost's survey-based workflow and flexible word count controls solve the everyday friction points of foundation grant writers who need to quickly draft compelling narratives within strict formatting requirements.
This comparison examines both platforms through the lens of nonprofit decision-makers: development directors evaluating ROI, grant writers assessing practical utility, and executive teams balancing capability against cost. We'll explore how Grant Assistant's 70-90% time savings claim stacks up against Grantboost's proven track record with thousands of teams, analyze the true cost implications of custom pricing versus transparent monthly fees, and help you determine which platform aligns with your organization's grant writing reality.
Whether you're a resourced organization with significant grant revenue at stake or a small nonprofit maximizing every dollar, understanding the trade-offs between specialized expertise and accessible affordability will help you make the right choice. Let's break down exactly what each platform offers, where they excel, and which one deserves a place in your grant writing workflow.
What Is Grant Assistant?
Grant Assistant is expert-trained AI grant writing software acquired by FreeWill in late 2024, specifically built to help nonprofits and international development organizations win more funding while dramatically reducing proposal preparation time. Unlike general-purpose AI writing tools adapted for grant work, Grant Assistant was purpose-built by former USAID leaders who understood the unique challenges of complex federal and international grant applications. The platform is trained on over 7,000 winning grant proposals, giving it deep pattern recognition for what actually resonates with funders—particularly for high-stakes government and large foundation grants.
Core Capabilities
RFP Analysis & Summarization
Automatically analyzes lengthy RFPs, extracts key requirements, and identifies critical deadlines and eligibility criteria
Compliance Checking
Reviews proposals for eligibility gaps, missing requirements, and compliance issues before submission
Expert-Trained Content Generation
Generates proposal content based on patterns from 7,000+ successful grants, not generic AI models
Opportunity Matching
AI-powered matching to best-fit funding opportunities based on your mission and track record
The platform's security architecture is a major differentiator for organizations handling sensitive programmatic data. Grant Assistant provides explicit guarantees that your organizational information is never used to train AI models—a critical consideration for nonprofits working with vulnerable populations or proprietary program methodologies. This enterprise-grade security approach, backed by FreeWill's reputation in the nonprofit sector, gives development teams confidence to input detailed program data, financial information, and strategic plans without worrying about data leakage.
Organizations report dramatic time savings with Grant Assistant, with most completing proposals in one-third of their usual time—translating to 70-90% reductions in hours spent. One nonprofit went from program design to full grant submission in just 10 days using the platform, compared to their typical 4-6 week timeline. Another organization won a $30,000 grant generated by Grant Assistant in their first month of use. These results stem from the platform's specialized training: it doesn't just help you write faster, it helps you write better by incorporating proven strategies from thousands of successful proposals.
The trade-off for this specialized expertise is accessibility. Grant Assistant requires a demo consultation to access custom pricing—there's no self-service free trial or transparent monthly fee. This enterprise sales model makes sense for the platform's target market (organizations pursuing six-figure grants where the investment easily pays for itself), but it creates a barrier for smaller nonprofits evaluating options. The platform is backed by FreeWill's team of grant writing experts who provide white-glove support, but this premium service model comes with premium pricing that may not fit every organization's budget.
What Is Grantboost?
Grantboost is an accessible AI-powered grant writing platform designed to help nonprofits secure funding with ease, regardless of their size or grant writing experience. Unlike enterprise-focused tools requiring sales consultations, Grantboost takes a self-service approach: complete a brief survey about your team, mission, and funding goals, and the AI immediately starts helping you draft customized grant proposals. The platform serves over 5,000 grant writing teams and processes more than 3.5 million words monthly, demonstrating both scale and practical utility across a diverse nonprofit landscape.
Key Features
Survey-Based Setup
Simple onboarding survey captures your organization's mission, programs, and funding needs to personalize AI output from day one
Best Practice Templates
Access proven grant writing templates incorporating industry best practices and successful proposal strategies
Flexible Word/Character Count Control
Specify exact word or character limits for each section to perfectly match funder application requirements
Boost AI Bot
Interactive AI assistant generates customized grant proposal answers, incorporating your organizational voice and funder requirements
The platform's pricing model prioritizes accessibility. The free tier—40 boosts per month—is generous enough for many small nonprofits to write multiple grant proposals without paying anything. This isn't a limited trial designed to convert you to paid; it's a genuinely functional free tier that provides real value. For $19.99/month, Grantboost Pro removes all limits with unlimited boosts and early access to new features. For teams with multiple grant writers, the Teams plan at $29.99/month adds prioritized feature requests and dedicated priority support.
What Grantboost lacks in specialized compliance features, it makes up for in user-friendliness and immediate utility. The platform doesn't require you to understand complex grant writing terminology or navigate enterprise software interfaces. You paste in your grant opportunity details (or start from scratch), specify your word/character count needs, and let the AI generate a draft. Review, customize to match your organization's voice, and you have a solid starting point in minutes instead of hours. This straightforward workflow resonates with the 5,000+ teams using the platform—it solves the blank page problem and accelerates the writing process without requiring extensive training.
Grantboost is particularly strong for foundation grants in the $5K-$50K range, where the focus is on compelling storytelling and alignment with funder priorities rather than navigating complex federal regulations. The platform helps you draft strong narratives about your programs, articulate measurable outcomes, and customize your message for different funders—the core competencies needed for most foundation grant applications. For organizations writing dozens of smaller grants rather than a few large federal proposals, Grantboost's volume-friendly pricing and ease of use make it a compelling choice.
Head-to-Head Feature Comparison
Let's examine the key differences across seven critical dimensions that matter most to nonprofit grant writers.
1. AI Training & Specialized Expertise
How the underlying AI models were trained and what expertise they bring
Grant Assistant: Expert-Trained AI
Grant Assistant's core differentiator is its training on over 7,000 winning grant proposals, including complex federal grants (USAID, NSF, NIH) and large foundation applications. This specialized dataset means the AI has learned the subtle patterns, language conventions, and structural elements that actually result in funded proposals—not just grammatically correct writing. The platform was built by former USAID leaders who understood that successful federal grant writing requires specific expertise that general AI models simply don't possess.
Grantboost: Best Practice Templates + General AI
Grantboost uses industry best practice templates combined with general AI language models to generate grant content. While not trained on thousands of winning proposals, the platform incorporates proven grant writing strategies and allows you to customize output to match your organizational voice. The Boost AI bot learns from your survey inputs and adapts its suggestions to your specific mission and programs.
Winner: Grant Assistant (for complexity), Grantboost (for accessibility)
Grant Assistant's specialized training is objectively superior for complex grants. Grantboost's general AI approach works well for most foundation grants at a fraction of the cost.
2. Compliance Checking & RFP Analysis
How each platform helps you avoid costly eligibility mistakes
Grant Assistant: Comprehensive Compliance Features
Grant Assistant's compliance checking is a major differentiator. The platform analyzes RFPs to extract eligibility requirements, identifies potential compliance gaps in your proposal, and flags sections that don't fully address funder criteria. This automated review catches the kinds of mistakes that can disqualify an otherwise strong application—missing required components, insufficient detail on specific requirements, or misalignment between your proposed budget and narrative. For federal grants where a single compliance error can mean automatic rejection regardless of proposal quality, this feature alone can justify the platform cost.
Grantboost: No Dedicated Compliance Features
Grantboost doesn't include automated compliance checking or RFP analysis tools. The platform helps you write compelling content and match funder priorities, but it's your responsibility to ensure your proposal meets all requirements. For foundation grants with less rigid formatting and eligibility criteria, this isn't typically a problem—the focus is on storytelling and alignment rather than technical compliance.
Winner: Grant Assistant (by default—Grantboost doesn't compete here)
If compliance checking matters to your grant portfolio, Grant Assistant is the only option. Most foundation grants don't require this level of automated compliance review.
3. Ease of Use & Onboarding Experience
How quickly can your team start writing better grants?
Grant Assistant: Demo-Required Onboarding
Grant Assistant requires a demo consultation through FreeWill to access the platform and receive custom pricing. This enterprise sales model means you can't simply sign up and start using the tool—you'll need to schedule time with their team, go through a product demonstration, and negotiate pricing based on your organizational needs. The benefit is personalized onboarding and expert guidance on how to maximize the platform for your specific grant types. The downside is the time commitment and lack of immediate access for evaluation.
Grantboost: Immediate Self-Service Access
Grantboost offers immediate self-service signup—complete a brief survey about your organization, and you can start generating grant content within minutes. The platform's user interface is intentionally simple: paste your grant opportunity details, specify word/character counts, and generate a draft. There's no complex enterprise software to learn or extensive training required. The free tier with 40 boosts per month means you can thoroughly evaluate the platform before spending a dollar. This accessibility has driven adoption among 5,000+ teams who need to start writing grants immediately rather than scheduling demos.
Winner: Grantboost (significantly easier for first-time users)
Grantboost's self-service model and simple interface remove friction. Grant Assistant's guided onboarding provides more support but requires more time investment.
4. Pricing Models & Budget Accessibility
What will you actually pay to use these platforms?
Grant Assistant: Custom Enterprise Pricing
Grant Assistant uses custom pricing that requires a demo consultation to obtain. While exact pricing isn't publicly listed, the enterprise software model typically results in fees of $200-500+/month depending on organizational size and needs. For organizations pursuing six-figure grants, this investment can easily pay for itself if the platform helps you win even one additional grant or saves dozens of staff hours. However, the lack of pricing transparency and absence of a low-cost entry point creates a barrier for smaller nonprofits with limited budgets.
Grantboost: Transparent, Accessible Pricing
Grantboost offers completely transparent pricing with three tiers: Free (40 boosts/month), Pro at $19.99/month (unlimited boosts), and Teams at $29.99/month (multiple users + priority support). The free tier is genuinely functional—40 boosts per month can support writing multiple foundation grant applications. This pricing is 10-25x more affordable than typical enterprise grant software, making AI assistance accessible to small and mid-sized nonprofits that couldn't justify custom pricing models.
Winner: Grantboost (dramatically more affordable and accessible)
Grantboost's free tier and $19.99/month pricing makes AI grant writing accessible to organizations of any size. Grant Assistant's custom pricing fits specific high-value use cases.
5. Flexibility & Output Customization
How much control do you have over the AI's output?
Grant Assistant: Structured Templates
Grant Assistant provides structured templates optimized for different grant types (federal, foundation, corporate) that guide you through the proposal development process. The platform's strength is in applying proven proposal structures and ensuring you address all required components. While you can customize the output, the focus is on leveraging expert-trained templates rather than providing granular control over every parameter.
Grantboost: Precise Word/Character Count Control
Grantboost excels at customization with precise word and character count controls for each proposal section. Many foundation grants specify exact limits (e.g., "Project Description: 500 words maximum" or "Executive Summary: 1,000 characters"). Grantboost lets you specify these limits upfront, and the AI generates content that fits perfectly within the constraints—eliminating the need for extensive editing to cut text down or expand thin sections. This seemingly simple feature saves significant time and frustration when working with strict funder formatting requirements.
Winner: Grantboost (for precise output control)
Grantboost's word/character count controls solve a specific pain point for foundation grant writers. Grant Assistant prioritizes expert structure over granular customization.
6. Security & Data Privacy Guarantees
How is your sensitive organizational data protected?
Grant Assistant: Enterprise-Grade Security
Grant Assistant provides explicit guarantees that your organizational data is never used to train AI models—a critical assurance for nonprofits handling sensitive client information, proprietary program methodologies, or confidential partnerships. Backed by FreeWill's reputation in the nonprofit sector, the platform operates with enterprise-grade security standards appropriate for handling detailed program data, financial information, and strategic plans. For organizations subject to HIPAA, FERPA, or other regulatory requirements, these explicit security commitments matter significantly.
Grantboost: Standard Security Practices
Grantboost follows standard security practices for SaaS platforms but doesn't provide the same explicit data training guarantees as Grant Assistant. For most foundation grant applications—which focus on program descriptions, outcomes, and organizational background rather than sensitive client information—standard security is typically sufficient. Organizations should review Grantboost's privacy policy to understand how their data is handled, particularly if inputting confidential programmatic details.
Winner: Grant Assistant (explicit security guarantees)
Grant Assistant's zero data training guarantee and enterprise security standards provide stronger assurances for organizations handling sensitive information.
7. Support Model & Expert Guidance
What help can you get when you're stuck?
Grant Assistant: White-Glove Expert Support
Grant Assistant's enterprise pricing includes access to FreeWill's team of grant writing experts who can provide guidance on strategy, review your proposals, and help you leverage the platform's advanced features effectively. This white-glove support model means you're not just buying software—you're getting expert consulting to improve your grant success rates. For organizations new to federal grant writing or pursuing particularly high-stakes opportunities, this human expertise can be invaluable.
Grantboost: Self-Service + Priority Support (Teams)
Grantboost takes a self-service approach at the Free and Pro tiers, with documentation and platform guidance available but no direct access to grant writing experts. The Teams tier ($29.99/month) adds priority support and prioritized feature requests. This model works well for experienced grant writers who understand the fundamentals and need AI assistance to accelerate drafting rather than strategic guidance on grant development.
Winner: Grant Assistant (expert human support)
Grant Assistant's white-glove support provides strategic value beyond software access. Grantboost's self-service model fits experienced grant writers who don't need consulting.
Pricing Breakdown: What You'll Actually Pay
The pricing gap between these platforms is substantial—understanding the total cost of ownership helps you evaluate true ROI for your grant writing program.
Grant Assistant Pricing
Custom enterprise pricing model
Grantboost Pricing
Transparent, accessible pricing
ROI Considerations
The pricing difference is dramatic—Grantboost costs 10-25x less annually than Grant Assistant's typical pricing. However, ROI isn't just about platform cost; it's about whether the tool helps you secure funding. For an organization pursuing a $250K federal grant, Grant Assistant's specialized compliance checking and expert-trained AI could make the difference between winning and losing. If that grant expertise increases your success rate by even 5-10%, the $2,400-$6,000 annual platform cost is negligible compared to the potential revenue.
Conversely, for a small nonprofit writing 10-15 foundation grants annually in the $5K-$25K range, Grantboost's $239/year Pro plan (or free tier) provides substantial AI assistance at a price point that fits tight budgets. Even if Grantboost helps you win just one additional $10K grant, the ROI is 40x on the Pro plan. The platform's value isn't in replacing specialized federal grant expertise—it's in making AI-assisted grant writing accessible to organizations that could never justify enterprise pricing.
Budget-constrained nonprofits should also consider the opportunity cost of NOT using AI tools. If your development director spends 40 hours manually writing a proposal that could be drafted in 12 hours with AI assistance, those 28 saved hours (at a fully-loaded cost of $40-60/hour) represent $1,120-$1,680 in staff time. Even Grantboost's $20/month investment pays for itself in time savings on a single grant application.
Nonprofit Discounts & Special Pricing
Neither platform offers traditional nonprofit discounts, but their pricing models reflect different philosophies about accessibility for mission-driven organizations.
Grant Assistant: Negotiable Custom Pricing
Grant Assistant's custom pricing model means nonprofits can potentially negotiate rates based on their organizational size, grant portfolio, and budget constraints. FreeWill's deep roots in the nonprofit sector suggest they understand the financial realities of mission-driven organizations and may be willing to structure pricing that fits. However, without transparent published rates, smaller nonprofits may find the demo requirement and custom pricing conversation intimidating or inaccessible.
Organizations should be prepared to clearly articulate their grant writing volume, the types of grants they pursue, and the potential revenue at stake when discussing pricing. Demonstrating that you're pursuing $500K+ in annual grants makes it easier to justify platform investment than if you're writing occasional $10K foundation proposals.
Grantboost: No Discount Needed—Already Affordable
Grantboost doesn't offer specific nonprofit discounts because its base pricing is already designed to be accessible. The free tier with 40 boosts per month provides real functionality without requiring any payment, effectively serving as an unlimited free trial for organizations writing moderate volumes of grants. At $19.99/month for unlimited access, the platform costs less than many nonprofits spend on a single grant writing reference book or online course.
This pricing philosophy reflects Grantboost's mission to democratize access to AI grant writing tools. Rather than charging enterprise rates and offering "nonprofit discounts" that still exceed small organization budgets, they've structured pricing to be fundamentally affordable from the start.
Ease of Use & Learning Curve
The usability gap between these platforms is significant, reflecting their different target audiences and value propositions.
Grant Assistant: Guided Expertise
Grant Assistant's onboarding process includes a demo consultation where FreeWill's team walks you through the platform's capabilities and helps you understand how to apply it to your specific grant types. This guided approach ensures teams understand the platform's advanced features—RFP analysis, compliance checking, template customization—but it also means you can't simply dive in and start experimenting. The learning curve is moderate: experienced grant writers will recognize the workflow, but new users need to invest time understanding how to structure their inputs to get optimal AI outputs.
The platform assumes a baseline level of grant writing knowledge. You're expected to understand concepts like logic models, theory of change, evaluation frameworks, and funder due diligence. Grant Assistant enhances this expertise with AI; it doesn't replace fundamental grant writing skills. This makes it powerful in the hands of experienced development professionals but potentially overwhelming for newcomers to the field.
Grantboost: Immediate Accessibility
Grantboost prioritizes immediate usability. The initial survey takes 5-10 minutes to capture your organization's mission, programs, and funding goals. Once complete, you can start generating grant content immediately. The interface is deliberately simple: paste your grant opportunity details, specify word/character counts, and click "Boost" to generate a draft. There's no complex menu structure, no enterprise software jargon, no required training modules.
This simplicity is Grantboost's superpower for small nonprofit teams. An executive director who writes grants as one of many responsibilities can open Grantboost, generate a strong first draft of a project narrative in 15 minutes, and spend their limited time customizing and refining rather than staring at a blank page. The platform lowers the barrier to entry for AI-assisted grant writing, making it accessible even to organizations without dedicated development staff.
Learning Curve Comparison
- • Demo required before access
- • Moderate learning curve (1-2 weeks to proficiency)
- • Best for experienced grant writers
- • White-glove support aids onboarding
- • Self-service signup, immediate access
- • Minimal learning curve (30 minutes to first draft)
- • Accessible to grant writing beginners
- • Simple interface, intuitive workflow
Integration & Compatibility
Both platforms operate primarily as standalone tools, with different ecosystem integration strategies.
Grant Assistant: FreeWill Ecosystem
Grant Assistant's acquisition by FreeWill positions it within a broader nonprofit fundraising ecosystem. FreeWill is known for its planned giving tools, and the integration of grant writing software suggests potential future synergies—imagine being able to reference your organization's donor database or fundraising metrics directly within grant proposals. While the current platform operates independently, FreeWill's ecosystem approach may provide integration opportunities for organizations already using their other tools.
Grantboost: Standalone Platform
Grantboost functions as a standalone writing assistant without direct integrations to CRMs, grant management systems, or donor databases. You'll copy and paste content between Grantboost and your other tools (Google Docs, Word, grant management platforms). For most foundation grant applications, this workflow is perfectly adequate—you're primarily drafting narrative content, not pulling live data from integrated systems. The lack of integration also means no vendor lock-in or compatibility concerns; Grantboost works alongside whatever other tools your organization uses.
Technical Compatibility
Both platforms are cloud-based web applications accessible through modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). No software installation required, and both work on Mac, Windows, and Linux systems. Generated content can be exported to standard formats (Word, PDF, plain text) for submission through funders' online portals or email.
Neither platform currently offers public APIs for custom integrations, though Grant Assistant's enterprise positioning suggests they may accommodate custom integration requests for large clients.
Which Tool Should You Choose?
Your decision should align with your grant portfolio, budget reality, and organizational capacity. Here's a decision framework based on common nonprofit scenarios:
Choose Grant Assistant if:
- Your grant portfolio includes complex federal or international development grants
If you're pursuing USAID, NIH, NSF, or other federal funding where compliance checking and specialized expertise directly impact success rates, Grant Assistant's training on 7,000+ winning proposals and automated compliance review justify the premium pricing.
- You're pursuing high-value grants ($100K+) where expert AI training matters
For large foundation grants or multi-year government funding, the difference between good and excellent proposal quality can mean hundreds of thousands in revenue. Grant Assistant's specialized training helps you write better, not just faster.
- You need enterprise-grade security for sensitive data
Organizations handling sensitive client information (health, social services, education) benefit from Grant Assistant's explicit zero data training guarantees and enterprise security standards.
- White-glove expert support adds value to your team
If your development team benefits from strategic consulting on grant approach, proposal review, and expert guidance beyond software access, Grant Assistant's support model provides this value.
- You have budget for enterprise tools ($200-500+/month)
Organizations with grant revenue justifying this investment and budget allocated for professional development tools will find Grant Assistant's cost worthwhile.
Choose Grantboost if:
- Budget constraints are a primary factor in your decision
Grantboost's free tier or $19.99/month pricing makes AI grant writing accessible to small and mid-sized nonprofits that couldn't justify custom enterprise pricing. The free tier alone provides substantial value.
- You primarily write foundation grants ($5K-$50K)
For community foundations, family foundations, and corporate giving programs where compelling storytelling matters more than federal compliance, Grantboost provides the AI assistance you need without enterprise complexity.
- You want immediate self-service access to evaluate AI grant writing
Grantboost's free tier lets you thoroughly test the platform before committing. If you need to evaluate AI grant writing tools quickly without scheduling demos, Grantboost removes that friction.
- You're a small team or solo grant writer needing to move fast
Organizations without dedicated development staff benefit from Grantboost's simplicity. Executive directors wearing multiple hats can draft grant narratives in 30 minutes instead of 4 hours.
- Precise word/character count control is important to your workflow
If you regularly work with strict formatting requirements (500-word project descriptions, 1,000-character executive summaries), Grantboost's customizable output limits save significant editing time.
Consider Both if:
- You have a diverse grant portfolio spanning federal and foundation funding
Organizations pursuing both complex federal grants and numerous smaller foundation grants could use Grantboost's free tier for foundation applications while reserving Grant Assistant for high-stakes federal proposals where compliance expertise justifies the cost.
- You want to evaluate both approaches before committing
Start with Grantboost's free tier to experience AI grant writing immediately, then request a Grant Assistant demo to compare specialized expertise against accessible affordability with hands-on experience.
Getting Started with Your Choice
Once you've decided which platform aligns with your nonprofit's needs, here's how to get started effectively:
Getting Started with Grant Assistant
- Request a demo through FreeWill's website, providing details about your organization and grant portfolio
- Schedule your consultation with their team to see the platform and discuss custom pricing
- Prepare sample grants to discuss during the demo—bring real RFPs you're working on to see how the platform handles your specific use cases
- Negotiate pricing that fits your budget, clearly articulating your grant volume and potential ROI
- Complete onboarding with FreeWill's team to learn advanced features and best practices
Getting Started with Grantboost
- Sign up for the free tier (no credit card required) at Grantboost.io
- Complete the survey about your organization's mission, programs, and funding goals (5-10 minutes)
- Start with a real grant—paste in a current grant opportunity you're working on
- Specify word/character counts for each section based on funder requirements
- Generate, review, customize—use the AI draft as your starting point and refine it with your organizational voice
- Upgrade to Pro ($19.99/month) if you exceed 40 boosts or want unlimited access
Tips for Success with Either Platform
- Start with complete information: The better your inputs (detailed program descriptions, specific outcomes, clear target populations), the better your AI-generated outputs will be.
- Use AI as a first draft, not a final product: Both platforms work best when you review, customize, and refine the AI-generated content to match your organization's authentic voice.
- Build organizational templates: Create reusable content about your mission, programs, and outcomes that you can reference across multiple grant applications.
- Track your success rates: Monitor whether AI-assisted proposals perform better than manually written grants to quantify ROI.
Need Help Deciding?
Choosing the right AI grant writing tool depends on your nonprofit's unique grant portfolio, budget, and organizational capacity. We help nonprofits evaluate technology decisions based on their specific context, not vendor marketing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for nonprofits: Grant Assistant or Grantboost?
It depends on your budget and grant complexity. Grant Assistant is better for complex federal/international grants with its 7,000+ winning proposal training and compliance checking (custom pricing, typically $200+/month). Grantboost is better for budget-conscious teams writing smaller foundation grants ($19.99/month or FREE with 40 boosts/month). Choose Grant Assistant for expertise; choose Grantboost for affordability and ease of use.
How much does Grant Assistant cost compared to Grantboost?
Grantboost costs $19.99/month or is completely free with 40 boosts/month. Grant Assistant uses custom pricing requiring a demo consultation, typically ranging from $200-500+/month depending on organizational needs. Grantboost is 10-25x more affordable but lacks Grant Assistant's specialized compliance features.
Does Grant Assistant have a free trial?
Grant Assistant does not offer a self-service free trial. You must request a demo through FreeWill to see the platform and receive custom pricing. Grantboost offers a free tier with 40 boosts/month, allowing you to test the platform extensively before upgrading to Pro at $19.99/month.
Can Grantboost handle federal or government grants?
Grantboost can assist with federal grant writing as a general AI copilot, but it lacks specialized training for complex government proposals. Grant Assistant was built by former USAID leaders and is specifically trained on federal and international development grants, making it the better choice for complex government funding applications.
Which tool is easier to use for first-time grant writers?
Grantboost is significantly easier for first-time grant writers. Its survey-based setup, immediate self-service access, and best practice templates make it ideal for beginners. Grant Assistant requires a demo consultation and onboarding, which provides more guidance but has a steeper initial learning curve.
Is my data secure with Grant Assistant and Grantboost?
Grant Assistant explicitly guarantees that your organizational data is never used to train AI models and operates in fully secure environments backed by FreeWill. Grantboost follows standard security practices but doesn't provide the same explicit guarantees. For organizations handling highly sensitive program data, Grant Assistant's security commitments may be more reassuring.
How much time can these AI grant writing tools save?
Grant Assistant users report 70-90% time savings, completing proposals in one-third the usual time. Grantboost serves 5,000+ teams who process 3.5M+ words monthly, demonstrating significant time savings through AI-powered drafting. Both tools accelerate grant writing substantially, though Grant Assistant shows more dramatic documented results for complex proposals.
Can I use both Grant Assistant and Grantboost together?
Yes, you could use Grantboost's free tier for smaller foundation grants and quick drafts, while reserving Grant Assistant for complex federal or international proposals where compliance checking and expert training justify the higher cost. However, most nonprofits choose one based on their primary grant types and budget.