Compare
Incubateer, Startup India and myScheme: which to use when
The official portals, Startup India and myScheme, are the source of truth for what a government scheme pays and who can apply. Incubateer is the layer on top: it scores which programmes a specific startup can actually win, across government and private money, and tracks the deadlines.
Why use Incubateer when the government already lists the schemes? It is a fair question, and the honest answer is that you should use the government portals. This page sets out what each one does, where the official portals are better, and where Incubateer fits.
Side by side
| Startup India | myScheme | Incubateer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | The Government of India's official portal for startups | A national platform for finding government schemes | An independent grant discovery platform for startups |
| Who runs it | DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry | The National e-Governance Division, with the Ministry of Electronics and IT | Mahesh Kadamkode, a solo founder in Kerala. Not a government body |
| Main job | DPIIT startup recognition, plus listings of startup schemes, Investor Connect and learning material | You enter details about yourself, it lists schemes that may fit, and you apply on the scheme's own site | You build a startup profile once, every programme is scored against it, and applications and deadlines are tracked |
| Central schemes | Yes, an aggregation of startup-focused central schemes | Yes, central schemes for citizens in general, not only startups | Yes, among 2,600+ Indian schemes |
| State schemes | A section on state and union territory startup policies | Yes, schemes from states and union territories | Yes, with matching by state |
| Accelerators and private programmes | Investor Connect links startups with investors. Its scheme listings are government schemes | Government schemes only | Accelerators, corporate programmes and cloud credits, plus 600+ investors listed separately |
| Gulf and global | India only | India only | All six GCC states with 130+ Gulf programmes, and a global catalog that is thinner outside India and the Gulf |
| Eligibility | Lists schemes and their rules. We found no scoring against your own profile | Matches schemes to the personal details you enter | A verdict on every programme: strong match, worth a look, possible fit or long shot. A published rule you fail marks it likely not eligible |
| Deadline tracking | Not on the pages we read | Not on the pages we read | Closing-soon view, deadlines on tracked applications, a calendar feed and a weekly email |
| Cost | The portal states that DPIIT recognition carries no government fee | No price shown on its pages | Nobody is charged today and no price is published |
| Authority on scheme rules | Yes, for DPIIT recognition and the schemes it runs | It links to each scheme's official page | No. It points you to the official page to confirm |
When to use each
- Use Startup India to get DPIIT recognition, and to read the official rules of a central startup scheme. Recognition is done there and nowhere else, and many state seed grants ask for it before they will look at you.
- Use myScheme when you want to see every kind of government scheme you might qualify for as a person or a business, across ministries, states and union territories. It answers a broader question than startup funding.
- Use Incubateer when you want one ranked list of what your startup can win, across central, state, private and Gulf programmes, with an honest verdict on each and the deadlines kept for you. Then open the official portal and confirm before you apply.
In practice the three work in order. Get recognised on Startup India. Shortlist on Incubateer. Confirm the rules and apply on the scheme's own portal.
Where the official portals are better
- They are the authority. A rule change, a new deadline or a closed call shows up on the official portal first. Any directory, ours included, follows it.
- Some things only happen there. DPIIT recognition is granted through Startup India. No third-party site can do it for you, and the portal warns that no agency has been appointed to file on your behalf.
- myScheme looks wider. It covers schemes for citizens in general, matched to personal details. Incubateer is built around funding for startups and the incubators backing them, so it does not try to answer that question.
Where Incubateer is different
- It scores fit for your startup. Stage, sector, state, DPIIT and Udyam status, revenue and team are read against each programme's published rules. A rule you fail outranks any score, and a question we never asked you is recorded as unknown rather than held against you. The methodology page explains how.
- It reaches past government money. Accelerators, corporate programmes, cloud credits and investors sit beside the schemes, because a founder choosing where to spend a month needs to see them together.
- It covers the Gulf. Founders in the six GCC states, and Indian founders moving there, see emirate and country programmes ranked by where they are.
- It keeps the dates. Programmes closing soon are on the open now page, and the deadlines of tracked applications go to a calendar feed and a weekly email.
What Incubateer is not: an authority on any scheme, or a promise of funding. Coverage is deepest in India and the Gulf, and many other countries have a few dozen programmes or fewer. When we are wrong about a scheme, the portal wins.
Common questions
Is Incubateer a government website?
No. Incubateer is an independent grant discovery platform built by Mahesh Kadamkode, a solo founder in Kerala. It is not run by, or affiliated with, DPIIT, Startup India or myScheme. It links to official portals and treats them as the source of truth for every scheme rule.
Do I still need Startup India if I use Incubateer?
Yes, if you want DPIIT recognition. Recognition is granted only through the Startup India portal, and the portal states that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry does not charge a fee for it. Several state seed grants, the 80-IAC tax holiday and the IPR fast-track ask for it, so it is usually the first thing worth doing.
Is myScheme the same as Startup India?
No. Startup India is DPIIT's portal for startups: recognition, startup-focused central schemes, state startup policies and learning material. myScheme is a national scheme finder built by the National e-Governance Division that lists central, state and union territory schemes for citizens in general, and matches them to details you enter about yourself.
Which is more accurate on what a scheme pays?
The scheme's own portal, always. Incubateer reads the figures in its guides off each scheme's official site on a recorded date, but a portal can change overnight. If Incubateer and an official portal disagree, the portal is right and we want to hear about it at hello@incubateer.com.
What does each one cost?
Startup India and myScheme are government portals. Startup India states that DPIIT recognition carries no government fee, and myScheme shows no price on its pages. On Incubateer nobody is charged today and no price has been published.