Nonprofit Tools
GristvsMake

Grist vs Make for nonprofits

Choose Grist if…

Organisations wanting a spreadsheet-like database with real access controls

Not ideal for: Teams wanting polished ready-made apps without any set-up

Choose Make if…

Organisations wanting powerful automations at a low cost

Not ideal for: Staff wanting the simplest possible set-up

GristMake
Our rating●●●●○●●●●○
PriceFree plan · paid from US$8/user/month (Pro, billed annually)Free plan · paid from US$9/month (Make plan, 5,000 credits)
Nonprofit offer50% off the Pro plan for non-profit organisations; the Free plan also covers up to 5,000 records at no cost.The Make NGO programme gives selected registered nonprofits a free 12-month Pro plan with 40,000 operations per month, renewable by reapplying each year.
TypeSpecialistSpecialist
SuitsVolunteer-run, Small, MediumVolunteer-run, Small, Medium
Available in🌍 Anywhere🌍 Anywhere
Strengths
  • Generous free plan and 50% nonprofit discount
  • Open source with a self-host option
  • Strong permission controls for sensitive data
  • Free year of Pro for selected NGOs
  • Powerful and cost-effective
  • EU data centre option
Watch out for
  • Less well known so fewer ready-made templates and consultants
  • Region choice on hosted service is an Enterprise feature
  • Learning formulas takes some effort
  • Steeper learning curve than Zapier
  • NGO programme needs yearly reapplication and is selective
  • Pricing terminology (credits, operations) has changed
Key features
  • Spreadsheet formulas on a relational database
  • Granular access rules by row and column
  • Custom widgets, charts and layouts
  • Visual scenario builder
  • Thousands of app integrations
  • Routers, filters and error handling

Our ratings: Grist: Strong open-source spreadsheet-database with fine-grained access control. Make: Capable visual automation with a free year for selected NGOs.

General information, not professional advice. Prices and nonprofit offers change and our research is AI-assisted, so confirm with the vendor before you buy. Names and logos belong to their owners. Full disclaimer

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