The best Grata alternative depends on what you use Grata for. Inven is better for finding private companies in many countries, and PitchBook is better for learning who owns a company and what it has bought. Skip SourceScrub, which Datasite is merging into Grata, and Cyndx, which is closing down. Most PE teams keep one database of private companies and add one source of companies that are already for sale, such as Axial or broker websites.
How do the alternatives compare?
| Tool | Best for | What it says it covers | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grata | Finding private companies in the lower middle market | 22M+ companies, 800,000+ past deals | Not published; Growth, Scale, and Alpha plans |
| Inven | Finding private companies in many countries | 65M+ companies in 160+ markets | Not published |
| PitchBook | Who owns a company, the funds behind it, and its past deals | 12.75M companies, 3M deals | Not published; sold per user |
| SourceScrub | Finding companies through conferences and lists | 17M companies from 290,000 sources and lists | Not published; merging into Grata |
| Cyndx | None; the company is closing down | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Axial | Teasers from M&A advisors that match your criteria | $500K to $25M of EBITDA | No subscription; success fee when you buy |
| PrivSource | Deals posted by advisors, and deals sent to us privately, that match what you want to buy | Broker, advisor, and banker websites, daily | Free to start; $299 a month |
We checked Grata, Inven, SourceScrub, Cyndx, and Axial's pricing page on November 12, 2026. PitchBook's numbers come from its July 2026 release. The PrivSource count covers August 17 to November 12, 2026.
Is SourceScrub still a separate choice?
It is for now, but not for long. Datasite bought Grata in June 2025 and SourceScrub in August 2025. It said SourceScrub's data and capabilities "will be integrated into Grata."
On November 12, 2026, SourceScrub still sold its own plans, all priced on request, and Datasite had not published a date for the move. Because one company owns both, a switch from Grata to SourceScrub leaves you with the same vendor. If you use SourceScrub today, our guide to SourceScrub alternatives covers what to keep through the move.
When is Inven better than Grata?
Inven is better when you buy companies in more than one country. It says it covers 65 million companies in more than 160 markets, about three times the number Grata gives. Grata says it maps 22 million companies and focuses on founder-owned and lower-middle-market businesses.
If you only buy in the U.S., the larger number may not help you. The way to find out is to run the same narrow search in both demos and count the companies you had not heard of before.
When is PitchBook better than Grata?
PitchBook is better when you need to know who owns a company and what it has bought. PitchBook says it tracks 3 million deals, and Grata says it tracks more than 800,000.
Use PitchBook to check whether a company you want already has a PE owner, and to see which of its competitors sold and to whom. Do not rely on it alone to find companies your platform could buy. A founder-owned company that never took outside money leaves little record in a database of past deals.
Will the vendor still be there next year?
Cyndx, an AI tool for searching private companies, now says on its homepage that it will "wind down and dissolve." Customers who built lists there have to export them and start again with another tool.
Before you sign with any vendor, ask for a clause in the contract that lets you export your data. Our guide to AI tools that help PE firms find deals lists five questions to ask in the demo.
Why add a source of companies for sale?
A database of private companies tells you who owns a business, not who wants to sell it. Grata says its signs that an owner may want to sell come only with its top plan, Alpha. Even then, a sign is still a guess about who might sell.
Many companies in the lower middle market are already for sale through brokers and M&A advisors. Those listings are spread thin. In PrivSource data from August to November 2026, the ten advisors with the most listings posted only about a third of them.
Axial charges buyers no subscription, but it takes a success fee on the Lehman scale when you buy a company you first found there. Our Axial vs Grata vs SourceScrub comparison works through that fee.
Which tools should you keep?
If you buy founder-owned companies in the U.S., keep Grata and plan time to write to owners. If you buy across borders, test Inven against Grata on one narrow search. If you need to know who owns companies and what they have bought, buy one PitchBook seat. If you pay for SourceScrub, ask Datasite for the date of the move before you renew. If you want companies that are already for sale, add a source of them next to your database.
Where PrivSource fits
PrivSource charges buyers $299 a month and never charges a success fee. Our AI agent searches broker, M&A advisor, and banker websites for deals that match what you want to buy, and advisors also send us deals that are not posted anywhere. Each deal comes with the reasons it may be worth a look and the places it may fall short. Telling us what you want to buy is free. Apply for buy-side access.
