What is NationBuilder?
NationBuilder is a campaign management platform that combines a CRM, website builder, fundraising tools, and voter data access in one subscription. It is designed as an all-in-one platform for political campaigns, nonprofits, and advocacy organizations. NationBuilder pricing starts at around $29/month for basic plans but scales significantly for campaigns needing voter data and larger contact lists.
What is cicada.run?
cicada.run is a focused voter data and field operations platform. Its core value is giving campaigns immediate access to geo-targeted voter contact lists — without the complexity of a full CRM or website builder. Campaigns draw a geographic area on a map, and voter contact data is immediately available for download or use in the built-in canvassing and call time tools.
Key differences
Scope: focused vs. all-in-one
NationBuilder is built to be a campaign's central hub — website, donor database, email marketing, and voter data all in one place. cicada.run is purpose-built for voter outreach: getting verified contact data fast and moving directly to canvassing and call time. If you need a CRM and website platform, NationBuilder has broader functionality. If your priority is fast voter data access and field operations, cicada.run is more direct.
Voter data and targeting
cicada.run's map-based voter targeting and travel-time radius targeting (reach all voters within a 15-minute walk, for example) are capabilities specifically designed for modern field operations. NationBuilder's voter data filtering is functional but does not offer the same geographic precision.
Setup and speed
cicada.run offers immediate access with no setup fees and same-day data access. NationBuilder requires building out a full platform — importing data, setting up your website, configuring your CRM — which takes time and technical effort before you can run your first canvassing list.
Which should you choose?
Choose NationBuilder if you need a full-stack campaign platform with website, email, and donor management. Choose cicada.run if your priority is getting accurate voter data quickly and running efficient field operations — canvassing, call time, and contact tracking — without the overhead of managing a full CRM.