Comparison
The Great Grantsby vs GrantForward
GrantForward is a grant discovery tool for US universities. It combines federal and private funder databases into a searchable catalogue, typically sold as an institutional subscription to research offices. The Great Grantsby is built around European academic funding, sold directly to PIs, and delivered as a weekly digest rather than a search portal.
Comparison verified . Based on publicly available pricing and product information.
The Great Grantsby
European grant intelligence for individual PIs — weekly digest, personalised match score, AI summaries.
GrantForward
US-centric grant catalogue for research offices — large database, institutional licence, search-first workflow.
Pricing
The Great Grantsby
Free tier + €10/month Pro (individual PI)
GrantForward
Institutional subscription, typically negotiated per university. Individual researcher access depends on whether your institution has licensed the platform.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Grantsby | GrantForward |
|---|---|---|
| Primary audience | European academic PIs | US university research offices |
| Coverage focus | EU / UK / Nordic research councils + ERC + Horizon Europe | US federal and private funders primarily |
| Access model | Direct-to-researcher subscription | Institutional licence — depends on your university |
| Delivery | Weekly personalised email digest | Search portal + saved search alerts |
| Personalised match score | Yes, 0–100 with explanation per grant | Relevance ranking based on saved searches |
| AI summary of each grant | Yes | No |
| Free tier for individuals | Yes | No individual option — institution must subscribe |
Choose The Great Grantsby if…
- ✓European-based research labs and PIs
- ✓Individual researchers who want a weekly digest in their inbox
- ✓Early- and mid-career researchers tracking ERC, NWO, MSCA, DFG, ANR, FWO deadlines
- ✓Labs with €10/month budgets who do not want a five-figure institutional contract
Choose GrantForward if…
- ✓US universities with a research office budget for bulk access
- ✓Faculty at institutions that already have a GrantForward licence
- ✓Research administrators running portfolio-level funder searches
Our verdict
GrantForward is a database-style product sold to institutions. The Great Grantsby is a personalised digest sold to individual PIs. If your university has GrantForward, use it — but expect US-centric results. For ERC, NWO, and MSCA deadlines landing in your inbox every Monday, The Great Grantsby is the better fit at a fraction of the institutional price.
FAQ
+Can I buy GrantForward as an individual researcher?
GrantForward is primarily sold as an institutional licence to US universities. If your institution is not subscribed, individual access options are limited. The Great Grantsby is sold directly to researchers at €10/month.
+Does GrantForward cover Horizon Europe?
GrantForward's coverage is strongest for US federal and private funders. European research council programmes are not the primary focus. The Great Grantsby scans ERC, MSCA, Horizon Europe, and 27 other European sources weekly.
+Do I need to run searches manually in The Great Grantsby?
No. You create your profile once and new matching grants are surfaced in your weekly digest and dashboard automatically — no saved searches to maintain.
Other comparisons
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