--- {"title": "Single Stop vs Propel vs Benefit Buddy in 2026", "description": "Compare Single Stop, Propel, and Benefit Buddy for a household: what each source says it does, what it costs, and how to start.", "url": "https://cleverdings.com/policylink-benefit-finder-vs-propel/", "date": "2026-10-28"} --- Compare Single Stop, Propel, and Benefit Buddy for a household: what each source says it does, what it costs, and how to start. Single Stop is a nonprofit that helps people identify public benefits and local resources that can improve financial stability. [^1] Propel is a free app for checking EBT balances and accessing benefits tools. [^2] For each benefit, Benefit Buddy says whether you qualify, what step is in the way, or which question would settle it. [^3] Single Stop screens for dozens of federal and state programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. [^1] Its screening and community-resource capabilities work across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. [^1] Propel is completely free and says its app has over 5 million users. [^2] [^2] Benefit Buddy covers programs like SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, plus your state's versions under their own names. [^3] | Option | Own price | What its source says it is | |---|---|---| | Single Stop | Not published for an individual; customers license it and provide it free to the people they serve [^1] | A nonprofit that helps people identify public benefits and local resources [^1] | | Propel | Completely free to use [^2] | A free app for checking EBT balances and accessing benefits tools [^2] | | Benefit Buddy | Finding benefits is free; Plus costs $4.99 a month [^3] | Asks about your household and says whether you qualify for each benefit [^3] | ## The short answer Single Stop is a nonprofit that helps people identify public benefits and local resources that can improve financial stability. [^1] Propel is a free app for checking EBT balances and accessing benefits tools. [^2] For each benefit, Benefit Buddy says whether you qualify, what step is in the way, or which question would settle it. [^3] Single Stop screens for dozens of federal and state programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. [^1] Its screening and community-resource capabilities work across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. [^1] Propel is completely free and says its app has over 5 million users. [^2] [^2] Benefit Buddy covers programs like SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, plus your state's versions under their own names. [^3] ## What Single Stop, Propel is built for Single Stop is a nonprofit organization that helps people identify public benefits and local resources. [^1] It screens for dozens of federal and state assistance programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. [^1] Its benefits screening and community-resource capabilities are available across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. [^1] Propel describes itself as the simplest way to check your EBT balance, save money and much more. [^2] Propel is completely free. [^2] Its page says the app has over 5 million users. [^2] The facts here for both tools are short. They do not say which specific programs each asks about, how results are shown, or what benefits tools hold. Before relying on either, open the tool and see what it asks and what it returns for your household. ## What Benefit Buddy is built for Benefit Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. It checks government help, your state's own programs, and perks in your health plan, insurance, cards and job against your household. [^3] You tell it about your household in a few sentences and answer a few questions. [^3] It covers programs like SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, plus your state's versions under their own names. [^3] For each benefit it says whether you qualify, what one step stands in the way, or which question would settle it. [^3] It also checks your household against perks already in your health plan, insurance, cards and job. [^3] You can tick benefits off as you use them or dismiss ones you don't want. [^3] You can name your Medicare Advantage plan to see its extras, with dollar amounts the plan states. [^3] It lists FEMA disaster declarations with Individual Assistance by county, daily, with sign-up deadlines. [^3] You can add a document such as a tax return, W-2, 1099, IRS transcript or DD-214 instead of writing. [^3] ## Pricing and fees Single Stop: its sources here publish no price, so check with the organization that offers it. Propel: the app is completely free to use. [^2] Propel does not publish a price beyond that, so check the app for any other cost. Benefit Buddy: finding benefits is free for everyone, signed in or not. [^3] Plus costs $4.99 a month. [^3] Benefit Buddy does not say what Plus adds, so check that before paying. ## Getting started Benefit Buddy is made for the web and phones. [^3] You can try a shared demo account without signing in; it resets every day. [^3] An AI assistant such as Claude can use Benefit Buddy to walk through your questions. [^3] Single Stop and Propel: their sources here give no sign-up or setup steps. Single Stop reaches people through organizations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. [^1] Propel is a free app for checking EBT balances. [^2] Visit the app or the organization that offers it to see what it asks first. ## Things to check before you choose Ask these of either tool: - Which programs does it cover, and does it show your state's own versions? - Does it tell you why you do or do not qualify, and what step is missing? - What information does it ask for, and can you skip what you would rather not share? - Can you save your progress or mark what you have already used? - Does it cover perks outside government programs, such as those from insurance or your job? - What does it cost, and what does a paid plan add, if there is one? - How does it show the date its program information was last updated? ## How to choose If you want a free app to check your EBT balance, Propel describes itself as a free app for that. [^2] [^2] If you want a nonprofit that helps identify public benefits and local resources, Single Stop describes itself that way. [^1] If you want to describe your household in a few sentences and get a status per benefit, Benefit Buddy says it does this. [^3] [^3] If you want to check benefits and local help across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Single Stop's sources say its capabilities cover that area. [^1] ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Propel free to use? Propel says its app is completely free to use. [^2] It is a free app for checking EBT balances and accessing benefits tools. [^2] The facts here do not say what those benefits tools hold, so open the app to see what it offers for your household. ### Is Single Stop free for people using it? The facts available for Single Stop here do not publish a price. Single Stop is a nonprofit that helps people identify public benefits and local resources. [^1] Check with the organization that offers it to see whether it is free for people using it. ### Does Benefit Buddy cost anything? Finding benefits is free for everyone, signed in or not. [^3] Plus costs $4.99 a month. [^3] Benefit Buddy does not say what Plus adds, so check that before you pay for it. ### Does Single Stop cover a reader's state? Single Stop's benefits screening and community-resource capabilities are available across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. [^1] It screens for dozens of federal and state assistance programs across that area. [^1] ### Can Propel be tried before signing up? The facts available for Propel here give no sign-up steps. It is a free app for checking EBT balances and accessing benefits tools. [^2] Check whether the app asks for an account when it first opens. Finding benefits is free; Plus costs $4.99 a month. [^3] - [Visit Benefit Buddy](/go/start) ## Sources [^1]: Single Stop, singlestop.org, read 2026-10-20 (https://singlestop.org) [^2]: Propel, propel.app, read 2026-10-07 (https://www.propel.app) [^3]: Benefit Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)