# SmartSimple Cloud Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is SmartSimple Cloud the right Grant Management solution for you? Explore 31 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/166429/SmartSimple-GMS-360/reviews --- SmartSimple Cloud 4.3 (31) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of SmartSimple Cloud Ease of use 4.1 Customer Service 4.3 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews EC Eoghan C Business AnalystGovernment Administration, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Highly configurable web based software with good integration options.“ October 22, 2020 MM Martina M Research & Funding AdministratorResearch, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It can be difficult to keep up with all the new features and at times difficult to decide if a new feature is worth implementing.“ October 22, 2020 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 31 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use June M. Oboist/English Hornist Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SmartSimple - innovative technology making top grades for its grant making software GMS360" March 30, 2019 4.0 SmartSimple GMS360 has enabled our foundation to move from paper process to a cloud-based digital solution. SmartSimple developers worked with us closely to customize an excellent system which allowed us to manage our grant making processes and workflows more easily. Contracting is now a breeze and highly secure, automated configurations eliminate manual staff tasks saving time, and our external users find using SmartSimple pretty intuitive. We are excited to add on other components which will help our program team organize their work in the field, track collaborative interactions, and house a library of documents and materials for sharing. Most importantly, the SmartSimple team promotes strong relationships with their clients. They are dedicated to continue to improve and expand their software based on client feedback and needs, and to provide excellent support coverage. Pros I especially like the newly designed user interface upgraded in the past year. It's clean, simple, professional, more intuitive and aligns well with our website branding. Cons As someone who moved into a system administrator role with no previous experience in a cloud-based system, it took awhile to learn system configurations. GMS360 is a very robust system with a lot of features. If you're not tech savvy, the learning curve can be steep and challenging. Review Source MW Michelle W. Client Services Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Thank you SmartSimple!" March 11, 2020 5.0 Overall, very positive! Pros Web based, can be used from any computer, from home or the office! Cons If the web is having issues, can cause a lag, but in the many years I've used, the pros definitely outweighed the cons! Switched from [AlayaCare](https://www.capterra.com/p/147424/AlayaCare/) We were forced to switch as there was one automated report that would not work with SmartSimple that our company was required to provide. Review Source UM Una M. Senior Commercialisation Specialist Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### " When the SmartSimple portal fails" March 11, 2026 1.0 Pros SmartSimple providers need to be quicker to fix the system when it looses inputted data and stops working. Cons 4 days is too long for the SmartSimple providers to fix the portal when Researchers are waiting to upload proposals. Review Source Response from Foundant Technologies March 13, 2026 Hello, Thank you for your feedback — we apologize for the disruption caused by the portal downtime and understand the impact this had on your researchers. Your comments were passed directly to our team and they have resolved the issue. We appreciate your patience and welcome you to reach out to us directly if you have any outstanding concerns. The SmartSimple Cloud Team MM Martina M. Research & Funding Administrator Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Marine Instiute SmartSimple Unite for Government" October 22, 2020 5.0 We have had a very positive experience working with SmartSimple Unite for Government. It has allowed us to move away from a paper-based system and streamline our processes and procedures. We have expanded our system to allow us to record data required for national reporting requirements and feed into our organisational strategic goals and national strategies. The move to remote working for ourselves and our clients during 2020 was seamless due to the ability to access the system and all files and templates from any location. Our users were able to continue to access their projects and reporting schedules as normal with no new learning curve required. We as an organisation were able to continue our services to our current users and also create new funding/research calls throughout 2020 without having to amend our expectations or timelines. It was business as usual in a very unusual year. Pros The continual ability to update and configure our system is extremely useful. Our system is up and running for a number of years and working as required. However, it is very useful to update certain sections when we have a need to do so or choose implement a new feature without compromising our functionality. It allows us to update aspects when we have the time to do so without impacting our users and keeps the system fresh. We can choose what features we wish to implement and work to our own timelines. We can edit the system for specific user roles while keeping the system the same for other user roles. Particular favourite features include versioning and emulate session. Versioning allows us to quickly update our application templates inline with revised organisational terminology and reporting requirements without the need to over-write older fields. The emulate options allows us to assist our users in real-time without having to re-create their issues or logging them out of their system. We can access their system while they are on a call to us and talk them through their queries while viewing exactly what they are viewing. Cons It can be difficult to keep up with all the new features and at times difficult to decide if a new feature is worth implementing. However, attending various events which include presentations from other clients and the ability to speak to other clients using specific features helps us to make a more informed decision whether to invest the time in implementing these features. Reason for choosing SmartSimple Cloud We chose SmartSimple Unite for Government as it was clear from their demonstration their system could meet all our requirements. We had compiled a very detailed specification document outlining our 'must have' needs and 'nice-to-have' items and this system ticked all those boxes. The configurability of system allowed us to have complete control and knowledge of our system and create our instance from scratch rather than try to fit our requirements into an existing system. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Oboist/English Hornist Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SS continues to get better and better! " June 7, 2018 4.0 Pros The biggest appeal for GMS360 when we signed on was that it offered so much potential for the development of an excellent multi-faceted system to serve our foundation's overall needs moving forward. I was also taken by the ethical and moral values of the founders to fulfill their goals in providing high quality, cutting edge technology solutions to help their client's achieve their purpose and goals. This relationship trust was major in our decision on choosing a company we knew we would have a longtime relationship with. Cons I did not like how much the system had to evolve over the last 3 years in order to provide the functionalities that we needed. I still think better solutions are needed to create end user reports for presentation. The vast improvements in the past year in design, navigation, and configuration tools have made me feel better about all this! Review Source Mel S. Financial Analyst Used the software for: 2+ years ### "They've been great at applying their technical expertise to making our business more efficient." November 9, 2017 5.0 SmartSimple has drastically reduced the time it takes to complete tasks. Being able to complete what once were sequential tasks concurrently with the press of a button has made us more efficient and also reduced human error. We are constantly looking at ways to incorporate the tool into our daily activities and we look for ways to improve our processes. Pros The ability for a non-IT user to make configuration changes. There is always a good transition when there are new upgrades and I have yet to have an issue when the system is upgraded. I like the simplicity of the portals and the user interface. Cons Not having a back button/previous page button within the system, which can sometimes extend the time it takes to make configuration changes. Not having the option to apply changes in the backup system to production while in backup. Review Source PK Price K. Operations Manager Philanthropy Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Versatile Software for Managing Many Processes" March 20, 2019 5.0 Pros SmartSimple can be configured in so many different ways to manage any process. I like that we can use the same platform to manage our grants and contracts. The workflows are a great feature for moving items through our process. Once you are comfortable configuring in SmartSimple it is easy to adapt forms to many uses. The SmartSimple team is great to work with and they really care about their clients. Cons Creating workflows is complex. They are such a powerful tool but it is challenging to build them without support. Since the platform is so configurable there are often many solutions to a problem and depending on who you are working with you may get a different solution which may not be the most efficient approach. Configuration can be intimidating since there are so many features available. It is important to have a system administrator who is comfortable with basic coding. Review Source DB David B. Director, Performance, Impact, Evaluation Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Highly flexible platform to model business processes, workflows, and notifications. " June 27, 2017 4.0 Automation of transactions through integration; increased management visibility into critical business processes, greater productivity through process standardization and centralized data access. Pros Great for business process management, data collection and retrieval, report generation, configuration options, security controls, and ongoing platform improvements. I appreciate that a non-programmer business analyst can configure and adapt the system to meet most all internal business process models and needs. Cons Would like to see additional features to support forms import capabilities and standard excel like budget management capabilities. Review Source Response from Foundant Technologies August 24, 2017 Hi David, I just wanted to take a few moments to thank you for submitting a thoughtful review. It's always valuable to receive feedback and hear from our client base. Most of our enhancements are as a direct result of feedback from users like you. Let's connect to further discuss your ideas on the additional features you mentioned. Regards, Eric Lauer, Director of Customer Experience JS John S. System Admin Political Organization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Just don't" July 3, 2022 2.0 It was okay but required full time staff to manage the product. Bluntly there are better cheaper products out there then this dumpster fire - use them (eg Wizehive) Pros Very little - it did work but dealing with the admin on this product is not worth the hassle. Cons It was expensive for what it did. The support dept I spoke to were useless and at times bent the truth. Reason for choosing SmartSimple Cloud I inherited SmartSimple so it was not my choice. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Operations Director - United Health Foundation Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Positive relationship with an agile, dynamic vendor" November 1, 2017 4.0 Well, I just ate. Pros Very configurable to meet our ever growing, dynamic environment that calls for quick, responsive solutioning. Cons Challenges with the software are found with determine the nuances to utilize all functionality of the system. SmartSimple has so many areas of opportunity, but the creation of fundamental understanding takes time. Review Source CO Catherine O. Program Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Grants application system" March 18, 2019 4.0 This has provided major time savings for us. From hours sending out notices after a grant round down to minutes. It also provides a permanent record of applications and reports. Finally, the SmartSimple is able to keep us up to date with data formats and requirements for data security. Pros Ease of use and user friendly. Other than some access issues (primarily because of firewalls and security at outside institutions trying to apply) my users have been overwhelmingly positive about the ease of use of the platform. It has also been very helpful and efficient for internal use and saved us considerable time in the office. Cons My concerns deal more with the initial construction of the system and the fact that we are a thin organization with few staff - thus we don't have the insights into the workings of the system that a larger firm might have with multiple users working with it from multiple different vantage points. Initially, we struggled to learn it all and all of the various uses of the system. Review Source GB Greg B. Analyst Philanthropy Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "SmartSimple is our new GMS!" July 26, 2019 5.0 Pros SmartSimple is fully customizable and scalable to our grantmaking needs. As an organization that processes almost 2,000 grants a year, we needed a robust grants management system. So far, we are very pleased. Cons There were some challenges with the inital porting of our legacy grants prior to launch (information not being captured) but now that my organization is fully dedicated to SmartSimple, our data is secure. Alternatives considered [Fluxx Grantmaker](https://www.capterra.com/p/146625/Fluxx-Software-for-Grantmakers/) Review Source BM Bobbi M. Program Manager Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Smart Simple for use in home health care provision" March 3, 2020 4.0 Our business used it for client charting and reporting. Pros I like the ease of use and the ability to colour code for client status and the ability to save notes and reports in draft. Cons Lack of ability to expand to mobile options to be used with LHIN APO and APR software. Reason for choosing SmartSimple Cloud Ease of use and functionality. Review Source MD Mark D. Grants Associate Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Hard to build user interface that meets all our workflow/reporting needs w/o becoming system expert." June 29, 2017 4.0 Pros Its flexibility and its complexity which means it can accommodate most of our workflow needs and querying needs Cons Its slow response time and the shear number of clicks needed to accomplish simple system tasks; the "behind the scenes" functionalities for building the workflows, the screens, the reports - in short the setup portion of the software is complex and difficult to learn Review Source Response from Foundant Technologies August 24, 2017 Hi Mark, thank you for taking the time to write a review. As we believe deeply in a client-centric approach, receiving feedback directly from our user community is the best way to improve our platform. A key focus in our current development roadmap is to enhance our administrative screens and increase efficiency for users performing system administration and configuration tasks. This began in our May 2017 upgrade and will continue on an ongoing basis. I'd be more than happy to connect and walk you through these enhancements. Also, please attend our upcoming August 2017 upgrade webinar where I'll overview our latest platform functionality and enhancements. Regards, Eric Lauer, Director of Customer Experience CO Celeste O. IT Resource Coordinator Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The use of SmartSimple's GMS 360 has revolutionized our grants management processes in many ways." November 2, 2017 5.0 Having a grants management software that is easy to configure and continually improving has enabled us to elevate our processes and streamline our contact information management and reporting protocols, which makes it easier for our grantees to ultimately get back to their work with an easy reporting experience. Pros We particularly like the various user portal options, configurable options for every single application and object, and the premium support option as well as easy ongoing improvements. Cons We dislike the workload that testing causes for our staff, but we understand that this is necessary with all software because a positive user experience is very important to us. Review Source MN Melissa N. Partner Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Outstanding and always comfortable" April 19, 2018 5.0 It helped me to participate in a SmartSimple survey and was very user friendly Pros The flexibility it allows us to make customizations on the fly. This software allows us to grow at a pace that works for our company. We always have easy access to support and especially now that support has extended hours this has proven even easier! Cons I honestly can't think of any to mention. We always have support which very important to us. Even if there has been an enhancement request that hasn't been possible, we are most often given alternative suggestions or work arounds for what we were trying to do. Review Source Ramkumar A. Manager of Applications, Information Technology Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Right product for Grants Management" May 2, 2019 5.0 Pros The application can be customized to any business process where you would like to track an entity. This flexibility to seamlessly customize the application without depending on the vendor is a big win for non-profit companies. Cons There is really nothing I can say as a drawback of this application as they continuously are evolving with technology. Review Source MO Mustapha O. Application Analyst Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The block party was overall great, especially for the client demo." April 19, 2018 5.0 Pros Upgrading existing features on the system and introducing new ones through the regular upgrades. The system is flexible in term of the configuration. Most of the time there is more than one way to configure something on the system. Cons Sometimes, some enhancements take a lot of time which might not be convenient in some cases. Also, transitioning to new features for an old system might be a bit challenging, maybe if Smartsimple could come up with a way to help its clients to make that transition a lot easier and smother, that would be very helpful. Review Source AB Ann B. Director, Grants Management Philanthropy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Smart Simple Review HU" March 11, 2019 5.0 Tracking outgoing grants, grant applications, grantee reporting, compliance, organizations and contacts. Pros Its configurable and no customizations are necessary. There are lots of choices and the customer support is the best in the business. Cons Its totally configurable - a pro and a con - so you need to know what you want. But, SmartSimple is very supportive. Review Source EC Eoghan C. Business Analyst Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent for grants management" October 22, 2020 5.0 Pros Highly configurable web based software with good integration options. It really helps our organisation track grants and report on them for key stakeholders. Cons Our system was configured some time ago so certain parts need to be reconfigured to be more standard. Review Source KG Kim G. Program manager Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Review" March 12, 2020 4.0 Pros Ease of use, colour options for organizing information, saving documentation in drafts, linking pay to completion of entering visits. Cons The speed of going from screen to screen is the largest downfall Review Source NA Nestor A. Grants Manager Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My experience has been satisfactory overall. Flexible system." April 19, 2018 4.0 Pros The ability to customize and shape to our needs is great. Flexibility of its use. It has definitely helped streamline processes that would slow our operations greatly in the past Cons Due to its flexibility it can create lag based on the extreme customization done. Having most of my experience in classic mode, it appeared not as intuitive as expected. Reporting tools could be improved. Review Source KT Kim T. Operations Mananger Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy to learn; however there are a lot of items and features to learn. Sometimes overwhelming." April 19, 2018 4.0 Grantees receives their payments faster. We receive our reports and contracts quicker. Less manual work. Automated checks and balances. Pros I love the flexibility and expansion capabilities of the software. Love all the workflows and automation to help reduce manual work. Cons If there was an update to make pulling variables into templates , workflows, etc. instead of writing a syntax. I can never find the right syntax. Review Source TD Tanya D. Client Services Coordinator Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Smartsimple" March 11, 2020 5.0 Smartsimple made my job a lot easier. I was able to locate information quickly Pros It was user friendly. Very easy to navigate Cons There was nothing that I didn't like about the program Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Project Manager and Business Analyst Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "SmartSimple allows my clients to efficiently manage their grants in a way they could not before" November 1, 2017 5.0 Pros The flexibility of the system and the simple user-interface. Another pro would be that it's highly configurable for our clients to meet their needs. Cons It could be a little "prettier". The organization of the settings could be a little more manageable. Review Source Talk to a Capterra advisor for free and get results within 15 minutes.