Allay and Instrumentl
They do different jobs. Instrumentl helps you find and win grants. Allay helps you manage the ones you've already won.
| Instrumentl | Allay | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Finding funders and opportunities, writing and tracking applications, and on higher plans, managing awards | Managing grants you've already won |
| Finding funders | 37k+ active opportunities and 450k+ funder profiles, with matching and funder researchAs published | Not offered. Allay does not find grants or funders. |
| Price a month | Discover $299, Pre-Award $499, Full Lifecycle $999, paid upfront annually. Or $349, $579 and $1,159 paid monthly. Enterprise is custom. | $15 for 5 active grants, $49 for 25, $99 for unlimitedEvery plan includes everything |
| Team members | Up to 3, 5 or 15 users, by plan | Your whole team, no seat fees |
| Getting started | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14 days free, no card needed |
| Award letters | Award Assistant pulls out deadlines and requirementsPre-Award plan and up | Soyo reads award letters for you to review |
| Spending against budget | Spenddown, budget vs actuals and over or under alerts, with Sage Intacct, QuickBooks Online and Financial Edge NXTFull Lifecycle plan and up | Tracked per grant, alongside QuickBooks Online. Nothing changes there without your OK. |
| Claims and reports | Deadline reminders and task owners. Budget vs actuals export to Excel. | Claims and funder reports on every plan. Soyo drafts report narratives a person reviews. |
Prices checked Nov 8, 2026, from Instrumentl's pricing page. Prices and features change, so check instrumentl.com/pricing for theirs.
When Instrumentl is the better choice
You need new funders. If finding grants is the main job, Instrumentl does it and Allay doesn't. Its funder profiles show giving history and past grantees.
You write a lot of applications. Pipeline tracking, application tools and calendar sync keep a busy season in order.
You want one tool from search to closeout. The Full Lifecycle plan covers prospecting, applications and spending in one place.
When Allay fits
After the award. Budgets, spending, claims, deadlines and funder reports for the grants you already have.
A small team, a small budget. From $15 a month, with claims and reports on every plan and no seat fees.
Reports that don't start blank. Soyo drafts the narrative and you make it yours. You can also send a report to a funder inside Allay, in pilot.
Using both
Many teams find grants in one tool and manage awards in another. That can work well here. Use Instrumentl's Discover or Pre-Award plan to find funders and track applications, then bring each award into Allay once the letter arrives.
If you'd rather keep everything in one place and the budget allows it, Instrumentl's Full Lifecycle plan does both. If you mostly manage a steady set of renewing grants and rarely prospect, Allay on its own may be enough. Both start free without a card, so try each with one real grant.
Bring a grant you've won
Set up one award you already have. Soyo will show you the next step.