GrantOps vs Boast.ai: SR&ED Software Compared (2026)

GrantOps vs Boast.ai: The Short Answer

For Canada-only R&D companies, GrantOps wins in 2026 on three dimensions that matter most: direct development-tool integration, subscription-plus-8% economics, and program breadth. GrantOps charges a flat 8% success fee on the awarded refund versus the 15-25% of claim value that percentage-based providers typically charge, connects to GitHub, Jira, Linear, and Slack via OAuth, and tracks 6,000+ tracked funding programs. Choose Boast.ai only if you need US R&D tax credit coverage alongside Canadian SR&ED; that cross-border capability is its genuine advantage.

---

At a Glance (2026)

• Pricing: GrantOps charges a flat 8% success fee plus $99-499/month; Boast.ai uses percentage-based pricing in line with the 15-25%-of-claim industry standard.
• Dev-tool integration: GrantOps connects to GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Jira, Linear, Asana, Trello, Monday.com, and Slack via OAuth; Boast.ai offers limited direct developer-tool integration.
• Geographic coverage: GrantOps is Canada-only; Boast.ai covers both US and Canadian R&D tax credits.
• Program breadth: GrantOps tracks 6,000+ Canadian funding programs in the app (SR&ED, IRAP, CanExport, NRC IRAP Clean Technology, provincial); Boast.ai is focused on R&D tax credits.
• Provincial credits: GrantOps supports Ontario OITC, Quebec RS&DE, BC BCITC/IDMTC, and Alberta AITC with dedicated guides; Boast.ai supports Canadian provincial credits.
• Security: Both are enterprise-grade; GrantOps has SOC 2 (Type I) in progress, with controls documented at trust.grantops.ai.

---

Two Platforms, Two Approaches to SR&ED

If you are comparing SR&ED software in Canada in 2026, two names come up consistently: GrantOps and Boast.ai. Both platforms help Canadian companies claim SR&ED tax credits, but they take fundamentally different approaches to the problem.

GrantOps is a purpose-built SR&ED and grants platform that connects directly to your entire development stack, continuously captures engineering evidence, and produces a complete chain of audit-ready artifacts. Boast.ai is a more established R&D tax credit platform with cross-border coverage spanning both the US and Canada.

This comparison breaks down the differences honestly. The right choice depends primarily on one question: do you need US R&D tax credit coverage? If not, GrantOps wins on every dimension that matters for Canadian companies.

---

Quick Comparison

---

GrantOps: What It Does

GrantOps is a purpose-built claim preparation system for Canadian R&D funding. The core premise is straightforward: your development team is already generating the evidence needed for SR&ED claims through their daily work. GrantOps connects to your entire development stack via OAuth, captures that evidence continuously, and produces a complete chain of interconnected, audit-ready artifacts with quality gates at every stage.

How it works in practice:

1. You connect your development tools, including GitHub, Jira, Linear, Slack, and dozens of other development, project management, and communication tools your team already uses
2. GrantOps continuously scans commits, pull requests, and project tickets to identify SR&ED-eligible activities year-round, not once a year
3. The platform produces a full artifact chain: risk analysis, cost ledgers, calculations methodology, science narratives, evidence packages, and hour validation
4. Built-in quality gates enforce CRA compliance checkpoints before anything moves forward
5. Every artifact cross-references the others, creating an extensive, defensible audit trail that stands up to CRA review

Key differentiators:

• Complete artifact system, not just document generation. GrantOps does not just produce documents. It enforces compliance checkpoints at every stage and ensures every artifact references and validates against the others. A science narrative links to the evidence that supports it, which links to the cost ledger entries, which link to the hour validation. This interconnected trail is what makes claims defensible.
• Continuous year-round monitoring. Rather than a once-a-year scramble to reconstruct what your team worked on, GrantOps captures evidence continuously throughout the year. This means your SR&ED documentation is always current and always backed by real engineering data.
• Flat pricing. GrantOps charges $99-499/month plus a flat success fee of 8%. Whether your claim is $100,000 or $1,000,000, the monthly subscription stays the same. This is a fundamentally different model from percentage-based pricing, and it means you keep more of your refund.
• True multi-program coverage. GrantOps tracks 6,000+ Canadian funding programs in the app (4,200+ currently open) including IRAP, CanExport, NRC IRAP Clean Technology, and provincial programs. This is not generic coverage. GrantOps produces program-specific artifacts tailored to each program's requirements, whether you are filing SR&ED, applying for IRAP, or pursuing CanExport funding.
• SOC 2 (Type I) in progress. Enterprise-grade security controls, documented at trust.grantops.ai.

---

Boast.ai: What It Does

Boast.ai is an established R&D tax credit platform that has built a recognizable brand in the market. The company has raised significant venture funding and developed a substantial content library with over 50 educational blog posts.

Key strengths:

• US and Canadian coverage. Boast operates in both countries, supporting SR&ED in Canada and R&D tax credits in the United States. For companies with operations on both sides of the border, this cross-border capability is a genuine differentiator that eliminates the need for separate platforms.
• Established brand. Boast has a larger domain rating and longer market presence than newer entrants. For companies that prioritize working with established vendors, this matters.
• Educational content. The platform has invested heavily in content marketing, producing guides on SR&ED, IRAP, and related topics. This content library serves as a useful resource for companies learning about R&D tax credits.

Key considerations:

• Percentage-based pricing. Boast.ai typically uses a percentage-based pricing model, which is consistent with the traditional consultant approach. On larger claims, this can approach the cost of a full-service consultant. A company should model their expected claim value before committing, because the total cost scales directly with claim size.
• Broader focus. Because Boast covers both US and Canadian R&D credits, the platform is not exclusively focused on the nuances of the Canadian SR&ED program. Companies that only file in Canada may find that a purpose-built SR&ED platform offers deeper specialization.

---

Why GrantOps Is Not Just Another AI Tool

There is an important distinction that gets lost in the noise around "AI-powered" software. Generic AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Claude can write text, but they cannot build a defensible SR&ED claim. They have no context on your company, no access to your engineering data, and no understanding of CRA compliance requirements. Asking ChatGPT to write your T661 narrative is like asking it to file your taxes: it can produce words that look plausible, but nothing that would survive professional scrutiny.

GrantOps is not an AI wrapper. It is a complete claim preparation system that produces interconnected, audit-ready artifacts:

• Risk analysis flags potential CRA audit triggers before you file, so you can address weaknesses proactively rather than discovering them during a review
• Cost ledgers provide detailed expenditure breakdowns with supporting calculations tied to actual project data
• Calculations methodology documents proxy vs traditional method decisions with a full audit trail showing how each number was derived
• Science narratives produce CRA-aligned technical descriptions tied to actual evidence from your dev tools, not generic boilerplate
• Evidence packages are linked directly to commits, PRs, and tickets in your source systems, giving CRA reviewers a clear path from claim to proof
• Hour scoping and validation analyzes time allocation, validates staff vs contractor hours, and ensures eligible expenditure accuracy
• Staff vs contractor definitions classify workers correctly for SR&ED eligibility with supporting documentation for each classification
• Quality gates are built-in checkpoints that validate completeness and CRA compliance before submission, catching errors before they become audit risks

The critical difference is that every artifact references and cross-validates against the others. A science narrative links to the evidence that supports it. That evidence links to the cost ledger entries. Those entries link to the hour validation and staff classifications. This interconnected trail is what makes claims defensible under CRA review, and it is something no generic AI tool can produce.

This is not "AI-assisted document writing." It is a full system purpose-built for Canadian R&D funding programs, including SR&ED, IRAP, CanExport, and more.

---

Head-to-Head: SR&ED Claim Preparation

The core job of any SR&ED platform is helping you prepare and file your claim. Here is how the two platforms differ in their approach to the key components.

T661 Form and Technical Narratives

The T661 form is the heart of every SR&ED claim. CRA evaluates claims primarily on the quality of the technical narratives, specifically whether they demonstrate technological uncertainty, systematic investigation, and technological advancement.

GrantOps does not just generate T661 narratives. It produces a full artifact chain: risk analysis, cost ledger, calculations methodology, science narrative, and evidence package, all interconnected and cross-validated. The science narratives are generated from actual engineering evidence captured through your connected development tools. Because the AI has access to your real commits, pull requests, and tickets, the narratives reference specific technical details rather than generic descriptions. Built-in quality gates validate CRA compliance before anything is finalized, and the output is audit-ready by default.

Boast.ai provides claim preparation tools and has experienced staff who work with clients on their filings. The platform assists with the documentation process, though the level of automation in narrative generation and the depth of interconnected artifact production differs from GrantOps's system-level approach.

For companies that want a complete, defensible artifact chain produced directly from their engineering activity, GrantOps delivers significantly deeper automation and audit readiness.

Eligible Expenditure Calculations

Both platforms support expenditure calculations for SR&ED claims. GrantOps explicitly supports both the proxy method and the traditional method for calculating eligible expenditures, with a documented calculations methodology that records the rationale for method selection, supporting data, and a full audit trail. This gives companies flexibility based on their accounting structure while maintaining defensibility under CRA review.

---

Head-to-Head: Development Tool Integration

This is where the two platforms diverge most significantly.

GrantOps connects directly to your entire development stack via OAuth. This includes GitHub, Jira, Linear, Slack, and an extensive and growing library of integrations spanning source control, project management, communication, and other tools your team already uses. The platform continuously scans commits, pull requests, and project tickets to identify SR&ED-eligible work automatically. For engineering-led companies, this means evidence capture happens passively as part of the team's normal workflow. No one has to stop and document their SR&ED activities separately. Whatever tools your team works in, GrantOps connects to them.

Boast.ai takes a different approach to evidence collection. The platform does not offer the same depth of direct integration with developer tools. Companies using Boast may need to provide documentation through other means, which can involve more manual effort from the engineering team.

For companies where the R&D team lives in development tools, the GrantOps integration model eliminates significant friction. GrantOps connects to any tool your team already uses, so there is no gap between how your engineers work and how your SR&ED evidence is captured.

---

Head-to-Head: Pricing Model

Pricing philosophy is one of the starkest differences between the two platforms.

GrantOps charges a flat SaaS subscription of $99-499/month plus an 8% success fee on recovered funding. The subscription is not percentage-based, so the monthly cost is predictable regardless of claim size. As your claims grow, you keep proportionally more of your refund. Full pricing details are available on the GrantOps pricing page.

Boast.ai typically uses a percentage-based pricing model. While specific rates are not publicly disclosed, percentage-based models in the SR&ED industry typically run 15-25% of claim value. On a $200,000 claim, that could mean $30,000-$50,000 in fees. On a $500,000 claim, $75,000-$125,000.

Here is what the math looks like at different claim sizes:

The difference compounds over multiple claims and multiple years. For companies filing multiple SR&ED claims annually, the subscription-plus-8% model becomes dramatically more cost-effective. A CPA firm preparing 10 client claims would see the gap widen even further.

To be fair, percentage-based pricing does mean you pay nothing if your claim is unsuccessful. That risk-sharing model has legitimate value for companies uncertain about their claim eligibility. But for companies confident in their SR&ED activities, the subscription-plus-8% model preserves significantly more of the refund.

---

Head-to-Head: Beyond SR&ED

SR&ED is the largest R&D incentive in Canada, but it is far from the only one.

GrantOps tracks 6,000+ Canadian funding programs in the app (4,200+ currently open) including IRAP, CanExport, NRC IRAP Clean Technology, and provincial programs across every province. This is not just a directory listing. GrantOps produces program-specific artifacts for each program: IRAP applications get IRAP-tailored documentation, CanExport submissions get CanExport-specific deliverables, and provincial-program applications get the artifacts each program requires. The platform matches your business profile to eligible programs and assists with application documentation, giving you a single system for the full landscape of Canadian government funding.

Boast.ai focuses primarily on R&D tax credits. The platform has published content about IRAP and other programs, but its core product is built around tax credit claims rather than broad grant discovery and application support with program-specific artifact production.

If your company only needs SR&ED, GrantOps already wins on depth of automation and pricing. If you also want to pursue IRAP, CanExport, NRC IRAP Clean Technology, or provincial programs, the gap widens further because GrantOps handles all of them natively with dedicated artifacts for each.

---

How This Compares to ChronoInnovation

Readers comparing Boast.ai often also look at Chrono Innovation, a Montreal software company (not a traditional consultancy) whose funding service sits alongside its product-engineering business. Its published pricing page lists a Funding Roadmap + Filing engagement at $4,000 CAD per year plus a 10% success fee (waived on Chrono projects), with a free 30–45 minute assessment first.

For a full breakdown, see GrantOps vs ChronoInnovation.

Disclosure: GrantOps publishes this comparison. Competitor pricing was taken from each vendor's public pricing page on October 14, 2026; Boast.ai does not publish rates.

How This Compares to ChronoInnovation

Readers comparing Boast.ai often also look at Chrono Innovation, a Montreal software company (not a traditional consultancy) whose funding service sits alongside its product-engineering business. Its published pricing page lists a Funding Roadmap + Filing engagement at $4,000 CAD per year plus a 10% success fee (waived on Chrono projects), with a free 30–45 minute assessment first.

For a full breakdown, see GrantOps vs ChronoInnovation.

Disclosure: GrantOps publishes this comparison. Competitor pricing was taken from each vendor's public pricing page on October 14, 2026; Boast.ai does not publish rates.

Head-to-Head: For CPA Firms

Accounting firms preparing SR&ED claims for multiple clients have specific needs that go beyond what individual companies require.

GrantOps offers a dedicated Partner Program designed specifically for CPA firms and advisory practices. Key features include:

• Unlimited client accounts under a single firm license
• White-label options for firms that want to brand the output as their own
• roughly 2x claims per team (published ROI model), meaning one staff member can handle the claim volume that previously required nine
• Purpose-built workflows for managing multiple client claims simultaneously

Boast.ai offers enterprise and team plans but does not publicly promote a dedicated partner program with the same depth of CPA-specific features.

For CPA firms looking to scale their SR&ED practice without proportionally scaling headcount, the GrantOps Partner Program is specifically built for that use case. For more information, visit the partner program page.

---

When to Choose GrantOps

For any Canadian company doing R&D, GrantOps is the clear choice. It is the better fit if:

• You want a complete, defensible artifact chain (risk analysis, cost ledgers, calculations, narratives, evidence packages) produced automatically from your engineering activity
• Your R&D team works in development tools like GitHub, Jira, Linear, Slack, or any of the dozens of other tools GrantOps connects to, and you want SR&ED evidence captured automatically
• You want to keep more of your refund with a flat monthly fee instead of paying 15-25% of your claim value
• You need coverage beyond SR&ED, including IRAP, CanExport, NRC IRAP Clean Technology, and 6,000+ tracked Canadian programs with program-specific artifacts for each
• You want built-in quality gates and compliance checkpoints that catch problems before you file
• You are a CPA firm looking to scale SR&ED services with a white-label partner program
• You want transparent security controls (SOC 2 Type I in progress)
• You operate exclusively in Canada and want a platform purpose-built for Canadian R&D funding programs
• You value continuous year-round evidence capture over a once-a-year scramble to reconstruct what happened

---

When to Choose Boast.ai

Boast.ai's primary advantage is US coverage. It is the better fit if:

• You need both US and Canadian R&D tax credit support in a single platform
• You have operations in both countries and want cross-border coordination of your R&D credits
• You prefer working with a more established brand with a longer track record

For Canada-only companies, GrantOps wins on depth of automation, breadth of program coverage, audit defensibility, and pricing economics. The only compelling reason to choose Boast over GrantOps is if you need US R&D tax credit support.

---

The Bottom Line

For Canadian companies, this comparison has a clear winner. GrantOps produces a complete chain of interconnected, audit-ready artifacts, connects to your entire development stack, enforces compliance quality gates at every stage, covers 6,000+ tracked funding programs with program-specific deliverables, and charges a published subscription plus an 8% success fee that lets you keep more of your refund. If you want a fully defensible claim backed by real engineering evidence, GrantOps is the clear choice.

Boast.ai brings cross-border US and Canadian coverage and an established brand. For companies with active US R&D operations that need both countries covered in a single platform, that dual coverage is a genuine advantage.

For Canada-only companies in 2026, GrantOps wins on every dimension: deeper automation, broader program coverage, stronger audit defensibility, and dramatically better economics. The only scenario where Boast is the better pick is if you need US R&D tax credit support.

Ready to see how GrantOps handles your SR&ED claims? Start your free trial or explore how SR&ED automation works.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GrantOps better than Boast.ai?

It depends on your needs. GrantOps is better for engineering-led companies that want AI to scan their development tools (GitHub, Jira, Linear) and auto-generate SR&ED documentation. Boast.ai may be better for companies that also need US R&D tax credit support or prefer a more established brand. Both automate SR&ED claims, but GrantOps uses a flat SaaS fee while Boast typically uses a percentage-based model.

How much does GrantOps cost compared to Boast.ai?

GrantOps charges $99-499/month plus a small success fee (8%). Traditional SR&ED consultants and some platforms charge 15-25% of the claim value. GrantOps's subscription-plus-8% model means you keep more of your refund as your claims grow larger.

Does GrantOps work with GitHub and Jira?

Yes. GrantOps connects directly to GitHub, Jira, Linear, Slack, and dozens of other development, project management, and communication tools via OAuth integrations. It scans commits, pull requests, and tickets to identify SR&ED-eligible activities automatically.

Can I use GrantOps for IRAP applications?

Yes. GrantOps tracks 6,000+ Canadian funding programs in the app (4,200+ currently open) including IRAP, CanExport, NRC IRAP Clean Technology, and provincial programs. It matches your business profile to eligible programs and assists with application documentation.

Does Boast.ai support Canadian provincial SR&ED credits?

Boast.ai supports Canadian SR&ED claims including provincial credits. GrantOps also supports all provincial credits (Ontario OITC, Quebec RS&DE, BC BCITC, Alberta AITC) and provides dedicated provincial guides for each.

Which SR&ED software is best for CPA firms?

GrantOps offers a dedicated Partner Program for CPA firms with unlimited client accounts, white-label options, and roughly 2x claims per team (published ROI model). This is designed specifically for advisory practices scaling their SR&ED services.