GrantIQ vs Idox GRANTfinder
GrantIQ vs Idox GRANTfinder: AI matching and freemium vs enterprise database
Idox GRANTfinder is an established paid funding database used mainly by councils and larger organisations. GrantIQ is an eligibility-first matching tool with a free tier. They suit different buyers — here's how to tell which is you.
Idox GRANTfinder is one of the longest-established grant databases in the UK, widely used by local authorities, housing associations, and larger charities. GrantIQ is a newer, eligibility-first platform with a free tier. Both help you find funding, but they're built for different buyers and work in different ways.
If you're comparing them, the useful question isn't which has more listings — it's whether you want a database to search or a tool that tells you what you can win.
At a glance
| | GrantIQ | Idox GRANTfinder | | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Eligibility-first matching + drafting software | Established funding database / research service | | Primary users | Charities, SMEs, community groups, academics, consultants | Local authorities, housing associations, larger charities | | Pricing | Free tier; Starter £39/mo; Professional £149/mo; 14-day trial | Subscription / quote-based, per Idox's public materials | | How you find funding | Grants scored against your profile with a go/no-go verdict | You search and filter listings yourself | | Eligibility | Plain-language eligibility read on every match, before you apply | You assess eligibility yourself from the listing | | Application drafting | AI-drafted sections grounded in your own evidence | Not an application-writing tool | | Coverage | 100+ UK and EU sources incl. devolved nations, refreshed daily | Broad UK coverage; strong local-authority focus | | Getting started | Self-serve sign-up, free tier | Sales / subscription process |
Details reflect each product's public information at the time of writing; check current terms before deciding.
Where Idox GRANTfinder is the stronger choice
Being fair about it: if you're a local authority, housing association, or large charity with a research team and a budget, GRANTfinder is a proven, broad database with deep roots in the public sector. Organisations that need one authoritative subscription database for a whole team to work have long relied on it, and that's a legitimate fit.
Where GrantIQ is the stronger choice
GrantIQ is built for the buyer GRANTfinder isn't primarily aimed at: smaller organisations and individuals who don't have a research team, and who want to spend their limited time only on grants they can actually win.
- Eligibility, not just listings. GRANTfinder returns funding you then have to qualify yourself. GrantIQ screens each grant against your profile and gives a go/no-go verdict with the reasons cited — so you know what to skip.
- A genuinely free way in. GrantIQ has a free tier and public per-month pricing. GRANTfinder's pricing is subscription- or quote-based and oriented to larger organisations.
- It also helps you write. GrantIQ can draft application sections grounded in your own track record; GRANTfinder is a discovery database, not a drafting tool.
- Devolved-nation awareness. GrantIQ tags funding by locality (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and sub-UK regions), so a Scotland-only grant isn't shown as UK-wide.
Which should you pick?
- Choose Idox GRANTfinder if you're a council or large organisation that wants a broad, established database and has a team and budget to work it.
- Choose GrantIQ if you're a charity, SME, community group, academic, or consultant who wants to be told which grants fit — with a free way to start and help drafting the application.