Solidarity Tech vs. NGP VAN
Compare the modern all-in-one organizing CRM with the established campaign tech suite built around the Democratic voter file. See which platform fits your organizing model.
An honest comparison
Most comparison pages show the company writing them in the best light. We're taking a different approach. NGP VAN has been the default technology for Democratic campaigns for over a decade. Its core strength is voter file access. Solidarity Tech is a modern, all-in-one organizing CRM built for unions, advocacy groups, and grassroots campaigns. Here's an honest look at where each platform delivers value and where it falls short.
01
Separate tools vs. integrated platform
NGP VAN is a collection of separate tools built over many years: VAN for voter data, VPB Connect for phone banking, MiniVAN for canvassing, Mobilize for events, NGP for fundraising compliance. Each has its own interface and workflow. Solidarity Tech is a single integrated platform where calling, texting, email, events, donations, website building, and automations all live together and every action logs to one contact record.
02
Where each platform fits
If your work revolves around the Democratic voter file and election cycle field programs, NGP VAN provides that data infrastructure. If you organize year round and need a modern, integrated platform for relationship building, Solidarity Tech is built for unions, tenant organizations, advocacy groups, and grassroots campaigns where every interaction lives in a single contact record.
A quick summary
NGP VAN is a suite of campaign technology tools, now operating as a business unit within Bonterra. Its core is VAN (the Voter Activation Network), which provides access to the Democratic voter file with targeting, scoring, and universe building. Field organizing runs through MiniVAN (mobile canvassing) and VPB Connect (click-to-call phone banking). Fundraising compliance runs through NGP. These are separate products with separate interfaces, built over many years. Pricing is not published. You contact their sales team for a demo and a quote.
Solidarity Tech is a modern, all-in-one organizing CRM starting at $39/month with no setup fee. Phone banking with power and predictive dialers, P2P texting, broadcast texting, email campaigns with A/B testing, event management, a full website builder with custom domains, and donation pages are all integrated in a single platform. Our Professional plan includes texts at 1.4 cents per segment, calls at 3 cents per minute, unlimited team members with no per-seat fees, AI call transcriptions and summaries, live call coaching, and a native mobile field app for iOS and Android.
The fundamental difference: NGP VAN is a collection of separate tools centered on voter data. Solidarity Tech is one integrated platform centered on supporter relationships.
| Feature Details |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Organizing CRM | Voter file + campaign tools |
| Pricing | $39/month (public) | Contact sales (not published) |
| Team members | Unlimited (Pro) | Varies by contract |
| Phone banking | Power + predictive dialers | VPB Connect (click-to-call) |
| Live call coaching | Built-in (Pro) | No |
| Text messaging | P2P + broadcast (1.4¢) | Via partner tools |
| Contact assignment | Built-in agent system | No |
| Supporter tracking | Assessments + Wall Chart | Voter contact history |
| Mobile app | Phonebank + textbank + field | MiniVAN (canvassing only) |
| Website builder | Full site + custom domains | No |
| Multilingual | 92 languages | English primarily |
| Voter file access | No | SmartVAN (Democratic voter file) |
| Canvassing (door-to-door) | Via mobile app | MiniVAN (purpose-built) |
| Fundraising compliance (FEC) | No | NGP (purpose-built) |
Solidarity ideal customer checklist
You organize year round, not just during elections
NGP VAN is built around election cycles. Unions, tenant organizations, and advocacy groups don't stop organizing when the election ends. Solidarity Tech is built for sustained relationship building: assign contacts to team members, track supporter development through custom assessments, and build your leadership pipeline with Wall Chart visualization.
You want one integrated platform, not a patchwork of separate tools
NGP VAN is a collection of separate products built over many years: VAN for data, VPB Connect for calling, MiniVAN for canvassing, Mobilize for events, NGP for fundraising. Each has its own interface and learning curve. Solidarity Tech puts calling, texting, email, events, donations, website building, and automations in a single modern platform where every action logs to one contact record.
You need transparent, affordable pricing
NGP VAN does not publish pricing. You schedule a demo and negotiate a contract. Solidarity Tech pricing is public: $39/month Starter, $199/month Professional, $499/month Business. No setup fees. No per-seat charges on Professional. You can sign up today without talking to sales.
You don't need the Democratic voter file
The voter file is the main reason organizations use NGP VAN. If your organizing model doesn't revolve around voter data (unions, tenant groups, issue advocacy, mutual aid), that core value proposition isn't relevant to you. Many organizations stay on VAN out of habit or because their field staff already know it, not because it's the best tool for their work.
Built for organizing, not campaign infrastructure
NGP VAN has been around for a long time. The voter file access, SmartVAN targeting, and MiniVAN canvassing are familiar to anyone who has worked on Democratic campaigns. That familiarity is part of why organizations still use it. But familiar and modern are not the same thing. The interfaces haven't changed much. The tools are still separate products that don't talk to each other seamlessly. And if your work isn't centered on the Democratic voter file, much of what you're paying for isn't relevant.
Solidarity Tech is built for a different organizing model. Assign contacts to team members who build relationships over time. Track supporter development with custom assessment levels. Create follow-up tasks with reminders. Visualize your leadership pipeline with Wall Chart. Run phone banks with built-in power and predictive dialers, live call coaching, and AI call transcriptions. Send P2P texts and broadcast messages. Build a full branded website with petitions, donation pages, events, surveys, and legislator contact tools.
Our mobile app puts phonebanking, textbanking, and field recruiting in everyone's pocket. Multilingual support covers 92 languages with automatic volunteer-to-contact language matching. Everything works together in one platform because it was designed that way from the start.
| Feature Details |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Power dialer (built-in) | ||
| Predictive dialer (built-in) | ||
| Live call coaching | ||
| AI call transcriptions | ||
| Assign contacts to team members | ||
| Custom assessment levels | ||
| Wall Chart visualization | ||
| Full website builder | ||
| 92-language multilingual | ||
| Multi-channel automations | ||
| Public pricing (no sales call) | ||
| Democratic voter file (SmartVAN) | ||
| MiniVAN door-to-door canvassing | ||
| FEC compliance reporting (NGP) | ||
| ActBlue integration |
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