Signal NFX Alternative (2026): Investor Network vs Firm Spreadsheet
Quick answer
Signal is a free investor network run by the venture firm NFX, with investor lists by sector, stage and location. Its price: Free. Its FAQ says NFX will never charge for it. (source, checked 10 Nov 2026.)
The Investor Database is a one-time download of 4,178 startup investors, built from public filings, registers and each firm's own website. One-time: $197 US file, $149 UK, $99 Europe, $297 all three, $49 for a single list.
Signal lists individual investors and looks for warm introductions. A firm list gives you the firm, its filings and who to write to.
How does Signal NFX compare with The Investor Database?
| Signal NFX | The Investor Database | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | 32,821 investors added (its own counter) | 4,178 investors: 3,019 in the US, 416 in the UK, 725 in Europe, 18 elsewhere |
| Price | Free. Its FAQ says NFX will never charge for it | One-time: $197 US file, $149 UK, $99 Europe, $297 all three, $49 for a single list |
| Contacts included | No contact details on list pages. Intro paths appear after you sign in with Gmail | 14,148 named decision-makers at 3,520 firms, and 1,290 firm email addresses |
| Export | Not published | Excel and CSV download |
| Free tier | Everything. A list page loads 8 investors, then a load-more button | 25 rows free on every list page, and a 100-investor sample file |
| Data source | Investor profiles with community edits (477,526 edits on its counter) | SEC Form D and Form ADV filings, UK and EU registers, and each firm's own website |
| Checked | source, checked 10 Nov 2026 | our method, data as of November 2026 |
Which one should you pick?
Pick Signal NFX if
- You want named individual investors, not firms
- Your Gmail network may hold a warm introduction and you want the tool to find it
- You do not need a spreadsheet
Pick The Investor Database if
- You want a file you keep: one payment, no renewal
- You want US firms tied to SEC filings: 2,390 of the 3,019 US investors carry a Form D filing date
- You raise in the UK or Europe too: 416 UK and 725 European investors are in the same file, with SEIS and EIS funds tagged
- You want to see 25 rows of any list before you pay
Skip it if you need the largest count: several tools on this page list more investors than we do.
What other Signal NFX alternatives are there?
| Tool | Best for | Price and billing period | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenVC | Free search across a global directory, with deck submission built in | Free. Premium: $99 per month or $299 per year | source, checked 10 Nov 2026 |
| VC Sheet | Short curated lists of funds by theme, with a fund contact email on fund pages | Free | source, checked 10 Nov 2026 |
| Crunchbase | Researching a named company or investor and its funding history | Pro: $49 per month billed annually (first-year offer, shown against $79) or $99 per month billed monthly. Business: from $199 per month billed annually | source, checked 10 Nov 2026 |
| PitchBook | Institutional teams that need deal, fund and valuation data | Not published. Quote on request, set by seats and firm type | source, checked 10 Nov 2026 |
| InvestorLists.vc | A larger US database with an AI agent, on an annual plan | Listed at $997 a year, shown discounted to $497 a year when checked on 10 Nov 2026. Annual only, renews | source, checked 10 Nov 2026 |
| PitchBuilder | A low-cost spreadsheet of UK investors only | £69 one-time (regular price shown as £99) | source, checked 10 Nov 2026 |
The full table, with coverage, contacts, export and free tier for each, is on the comparison page.
One-time payment. No subscription. No account.
Or get the free sample file (100 investors) first.
Questions
How much does Signal NFX cost?
Free. Its FAQ says NFX will never charge for it. Source: https://signal.nfx.com/faq, checked 10 Nov 2026.
Is Signal NFX free?
Everything. A list page loads 8 investors, then a load-more button. Free options on our comparison page: OpenVC, VC Sheet. The Investor Database shows 25 rows of every list free.
Can I export Signal NFX data to a spreadsheet?
Signal NFX does not publish an export option. The Investor Database is delivered as Excel and CSV files.
What is the difference between Signal NFX and The Investor Database?
Signal lists individual investors and looks for warm introductions. A firm list gives you the firm, its filings and who to write to.
Is The Investor Database a subscription?
No. One-time: $197 US file, $149 UK, $99 Europe, $297 all three, $49 for a single list. You download the file and keep it. If a row is wrong we fix it, and the terms set out when you get a replacement file or a refund.
Related
OpenVC vs Signal NFXInvestor databases comparedWhere to buy an investor listWhat is in the investor databaseInvestor email list: fill ratesHow to build an investor listHow many VC firms are in the USInvestor matching toolVenture capital firms in the US (2,975)Active venture capital firms in the US (1,574)Startup investors in the UK (416)InvestorLists.vc alternativePitchBuilder alternativeOpenVC alternativeCrunchbase alternative
Sources and check dates
Every fact about another tool on this page comes from that tool's own website on the date shown. "Not published" means its page did not show the figure when we looked.
- Signal NFX, coverage: 32,821 investors added (its own counter). https://signal.nfx.com/investor-lists, checked 10 Nov 2026.
- Signal NFX, price: Free. Its FAQ says NFX will never charge for it. https://signal.nfx.com/faq, checked 10 Nov 2026.
- Signal NFX, contacts included: No contact details on list pages. Intro paths appear after you sign in with Gmail. https://signal.nfx.com/investor-lists/top-saas-seed-investors, checked 9 Nov 2026.
- Signal NFX, export: Not published. https://signal.nfx.com/investor-lists, checked 10 Nov 2026.
- Signal NFX, free tier: Everything. A list page loads 8 investors, then a load-more button. https://signal.nfx.com/investor-lists/top-saas-seed-investors, checked 9 Nov 2026.
- Signal NFX, data source: Investor profiles with community edits (477,526 edits on its counter). https://signal.nfx.com/investor-lists, checked 10 Nov 2026.
Disclosure: The Investor Database publishes this page and sells one of the products on it, which is why it is listed last. We have not tested the other tools' data, so this page says nothing about their accuracy. If a fact here is out of date, email [email protected] and we will correct it.