What is NGP VAN?
NGP VAN (also called VoteBuilder for Democratic campaigns) is the dominant voter data and campaign management platform used by Democratic campaigns, labor unions, and progressive organizations. It has been the industry standard for over a decade and includes voter file access, canvassing tools (MiniVAN), volunteer management, and fundraising tools.
What is cicada.run?
cicada.run is a voter data platform built for campaigns that need immediate, barrier-free access to voter contact information. Instead of a complex setup process, campaigns draw any area on a map and instantly receive verified voter contact data — phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses — with no onboarding wait.
Pricing
NGP VAN does not publicly list its pricing. Most campaigns access NGP VAN through state party agreements, which means pricing depends on negotiations that smaller campaigns often cannot navigate. cicada.run publishes all pricing on its website: $450/month for state legislative races, $1,200/month for congressional races, and $3,500/month for statewide races.
Setup and access time
NGP VAN typically requires onboarding, state party coordination, and a setup process that can take days to weeks. cicada.run provides immediate access after signup — campaigns can start pulling voter contact data the same day they sign up, with no setup fees.
Geographic targeting
cicada.run's map-based interface lets campaigns draw any custom area and retrieve voter data for that exact geography. A unique capability is travel-time targeting: pull all voters within a 15-minute walk, 10-minute drive, or 20-minute bike ride from any location. This is designed specifically for door-knocking optimization. NGP VAN provides precinct-based and geography-based filtering but does not offer travel-time radius targeting.
Canvassing
Both platforms include mobile canvassing apps. NGP VAN's MiniVAN is widely used and deeply integrated with the Democratic voter file. cicada.run's canvassing app is built into the same platform as voter data selection, so campaigns move from targeting to canvassing without switching tools.
Which is right for your campaign?
NGP VAN is the established choice for campaigns embedded in the Democratic Party ecosystem with state party access. cicada.run is designed for campaigns that need immediate access, want transparent pricing, or are running independent, nonpartisan, or Republican races. For state legislative and county campaigns where NGP VAN access can be complicated or slow, cicada.run provides a direct path to verified voter contact data with no barriers.