Proposal management software exists to simplify the proposal writing process and increase revenue more than ever before. Many organizations find it challenging to create proposal documents, which results in decreased numbers and lost sales. There are dozens of proposal management tools to choose from, and all have distinct features that set them apart. To help you with the selection process, I’ll outline the key differences of some of the top platforms, including their features and their pros and cons.
Best Proposal Management Software Shortlist
Here is the shortlist of the best proposal management software across a range of different use cases:
- Proposify
- Better Proposals
- Qwilr
- Proposable
- RFPIO
- Concord
- Ombud
- QuoteWerks
- Prospero
- HoneyBook
- Loopio
- PandaDoc
What is Proposal Management Software?
Proposal management software is a cloud- or web-based application that allows users to write, edit, send, and manage business proposals. Proposal management tools help various organizational departments organize different types of documents, such as business proposals, welcome letters, contracts, quotes, and marketing collateral. These platforms simplify and automate the proposal creation process and communicate it with internal and external stakeholders.
Overviews of the 12 Best Proposal Management Software
Here are the brief summaries of each proposal management software available to help you close more deals.
1. Proposify - Best for proposal design
Proposify provides extensive proposal design capabilities that allow revenue teams to customize every part and element of a proposal. The vendor also offers design and training services to help companies create eye-catching designs.
Why I picked Proposify: The platform is a proposal creation software that will help you simplify and enhance the process. Proposify provides an editor that provides hands-on proposal creation capabilities without having you rely on word processing tools. It uses a drag-and-drop interface that allows you to add and edit multiple sections on your proposal.
Proposify Standout Features and Integrations
Features are available from Proposify that will help you throughout the proposal process, including analytics and metrics that provide insights into your documents’ performance that help you better understand your sales process. You can also use the data to optimize sales documents by enhancing future proposals based on formats and layouts that worked for you in the past.
Integrations include native connections to platforms such as Basecamp, Freshbooks, HubSpot, Intercom, Olark, Pipedrive, QuickBooks, Salesforce, Stripe, Zoho, and other software options. You can also use a paid Zapier account to create integrations to third-party applications such as ActiveCampaign, Asana, Copper, Highrise, Mailchimp, Microsoft Teams, monday.com, Salesflare, Slack, Zendesk Sell, and other software options.
Proposify costs from $49/user/month and offers a 14-day free trial.
Pros
- Clean-looking proposals.
- Provides instant proposal data.
- Customizable templates.
Cons
- Not user-friendly.
- Occasional loading errors.
2. Better Proposals - Best for collaboration
Better Proposals helps revenue teams get paid faster and maintain a high-quality product through its collaboration capabilities.
Why I picked Better Proposals: Collaboration is essential when working with proposals, so I added Better Proposals to this article because of its teamwork capabilities. With Better Proposals, you can get the entire team on the same page thanks to its tools that simplify the proposal process. These tools include pipeline visibility that allows everyone to see what the rest of the team is working on at any moment and improve efficiency.
Better Proposals Standout Features and Integrations
Features include tools to help your teams convert more deals and increase the number of paying clients. For example, Better Proposals provides artificial intelligence and automatic recommendations to identify what’s working in your industry.
Integrations include native integrations, such as ActiveCampaign, Asana, Freshsales, HubSpot CRM, Insightly, PayPal, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Stripe, Zoho, and other software options. If you have a paid Zapier account, you can create custom integrations with thousands of apps to automate your processes.
Better Proposals costs from $13/user/month and offers a 14-day free trial.
Pros
- Simplifies sales processes.
- Excellent customer support.
- Creates professional proposals.
Cons
- Has some bugs.
- Can’t print proposals.
3. Qwilr - Best for web-based proposals
Qwilr modernizes proposal processes by helping teams create interactive, web-based proposals.
Why I picked Qwilr: I went in a different direction when adding Qwilr to this list because the platform doesn’t create amazing PDF proposals. What Qwilr does is design proposals as interactive, mobile-responsive web pages. You can use various elements such as interactive pricing tables, multimedia files, brand colors, and other creative sections that act as one interactive web-based proposal.
Qwilr Standout Features and Integrations
Features include one-click automation that allows you to simplify proposal generation via templates. This will help your teams increase sales process speeds and move deals out the door without the need for creating personalized proposals by hand.
Integrations are available from Qwilr, such as HubSpot, Pipedrive, QuickBooks, Salesforce, Slack, Stripe, and Zoho CRM. You can also use a paid Zapier account to create custom integrations.
Qwilr costs from $35/user/month and offers a 14-day free trial + free demo.
Pros
- Creates consistent proposals.
- Allows users to easily reuse content.
- Easy to use.
Cons
- API access is only in the highest tier.
- Interface is clunky.
4. Proposable - Best for collecting e-signatures
Proposable provides teams with a well-designed framework that not only creates proposals but it also enables them to receive payments and customer e-signatures.
Why I picked Proposable: Collecting signatures can be a tedious task when a customer is ready to work with you, so I wanted to add Proposable to this list because of its e-signature capabilities. Proposable allows you to collect e-signatures and other vital data your team needs to close the deal. With Proposable, you can easily collect payments because you only need to set the price, and the system will notify the customer to pay after accepting your proposal.
Proposable Standout Features and Integrations
Features from Proposable that make it an excellent option include its drag-and-drop proposal creation tools, as well as its email and SMS notifications when potential customers view your documents. Proposable also provides in-depth analytics capabilities that provide a better understanding of sales pipelines.
Integrations include connections with standard business systems, such as Capsule, Highrise, HubSpot CRM, Insightly, Microsoft Dynamics, Netsuite, Pipedrive, Salesforce, and Stripe. Proposable also allows those with paid Zapier accounts to create custom integrations.
Proposable costs from $19/user/month for up to five proposal deliveries and offers a 14-day free trial.
Pros
- Easily creates proposals.
- Extensive template options.
- Simple navigation.
Cons
- Mobile proposal layouts are clunky.
- Cost for unlimited storage is expensive.
5. RFPIO - Best for creating proposals with AI
RFPIO is a response management platform that provides AI capabilities to simplify the process of organizing and responding to proposal requests.
Why I picked RFPIO: If you’re operating an agency or business that regularly sends proposals to put your organization ahead of the competition when bidding on a project, I added RFPIO to help. The platform relies on artificial intelligence to accelerate your proposal creation process. RFPIO will also help you evaluate whether you’re likely to win a request for proposal, so your teams can spend less time creating bids that won’t matter.
RFPIO Standout Features and Integrations
Features include RFPIO’s intelligent recommendation engine, which can suggest content from a response library that will answer the needs of a request for proposal best. As a result, you can bring in the right stakeholders into a project and quickly create proposals that answer the requirements of specific requests for proposals you receive.
Integrations include native connections with some of the systems many revenue teams use for their operations. These integrations include Dropbox, Highspot, HubSpot, Jira, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Teams, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Seismic, Slack, and other software options.
RFPIO costs from $499/month and offers a free demo available.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Excellent collaboration tools.
- Quickly organizes content library.
Cons
- No free trial.
- User interface has technical glitches.
6. Concord - Best all-in-one proposal lifecycle management tool
Concord provides an all-in-one proposal lifecycle management tool that has everything revenue teams need to create, negotiate, sign, and manage documents in one place.
Why I picked Concord: I added Concord to this list because it can change the way you manage your proposal lifecycle process. It’s an all-in-one system that will accelerate business growth while maintaining proposal compliance. Concord does this by managing the entire lifecycle of any type of proposal, including everything from online negotiations to e-signatures and proposal follow-through.
Concord Standout Features and Integrations
Features include Concord’s analytics and reporting capabilities that will help you collect all the insights you need regarding your proposals. The platform lets you compare fields from all your previous documents so you can see the terms, amounts, or conditions of all your proposals.
Integrations include native integrations with Box, DocuSign, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Salesforce. If you have a paid Zapier account, you can create over 4,000 custom integrations with systems such as Clio, Copper, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Pipedrive, Slack, Typeform, Zoho CRM, and other software options. You can also use Concord’s API to extend the platform’s capabilities for use with your systems.
Concord costs from $17/user/month and offers a 14-day free trial + free demo.
Pros
- Excellent customer service.
- Unlimited e-signature requests.
- Easy to use.
Cons
- User interface can be confusing.
- Can be difficult to find other user’s proposals.
7. Ombud - Best for response management
Ombud helps revenue teams with response management tools they can use to effectively respond to new business opportunities.
Why I picked Ombud: The platform automates response management to help your team accelerate the completion of requests for proposals, requests for information, due diligence questionnaires, and security questionnaires. Ombud provides a repository where you can collect your most essential knowledge, which you can share across sales and revenue teams. As you and your team create, update, and use the content from your repository, Ombud’s intelligent engine learns to ensure everyone accesses the best, most accurate information.
Ombud Standout Features and Integrations
Features are available from Ombud, including collaboration tools across the entire sales process. You can use the platform to monitor all ad-hoc proposal requests and responses throughout your sales cycle.
Integrations include native integrations such as Google Docs, Google Drive, Microsoft Authenticator, Microsoft Azure, Okta, OneLogin, Ping Identity, Salesforce, and Slack.
Ombud offers pricing upon request. They have a free demo available.
Pros
- Simple navigation.
- Easily secures business content.
- Quick response search tools.
Cons
- Some workflows are complex.
- Assigning questions is difficult.
8. QuoteWerks - Best for proposal view tracking
QuoteWerks is a web-based proposal tool that allows revenue teams to understand when potential customers view their documents or have questions for the sales team.
Why I picked QuoteWerks: If you’ve ever wondered what happens to your proposals after sending them, you can use QuoteWerks to understand when someone looks at your document. When QuoteWerks notifies you when the recipient is viewing your proposal, you can call the customer while they’re looking at it, when they’re most interested in it. QuoteWerks will send notifications on all proposal activity by email or on the QuoteValet Dashboard to help you convert more deals.
QuoteWerks Standout Features and Integrations
Features that help QuoteWerks stand out from the competition include the quote approval and peer reviews tool. With this feature, you can enforce rules that your sales reps need to get approval from you or another company leader before printing or emailing a proposal.
Integrations available include over 50 native connections, such as GoldMine, Google Contacts, HubSpot CRM, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Outlook, QuickBooks, Salesforce, Stripe, SugarCRM, Zoho CRM, and other software options. QuoteWerks also provides an API that allows you to create custom integrations with your current systems.
QuoteWerks costs from $13.75/user/month and has a free trial available.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Customizable templates.
- Simple user interface.
Cons
- Must run locally.
- Not much automation.
9. Prospero - Best for small businesses
Prospero is a proposal management tool that will help small businesses excel in the proposals they create.
Why I picked Prospero: When writing this article, I wanted to ensure there’s something available for small businesses, and I found that option with Prospero. You can make a favorable first impression with potential customers by using Prospero to create professional proposals that include your business’s branding, logo, and color scheme. Many small businesses experience regular cash flow issues, and Prospero will help with this by allowing you to close deals faster, thanks to its e-signature capabilities.
Prospero Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a content library that provides flexible elements you can use to create excellent proposals. After sending them out to potential customers, you can track how many times they view your proposal and how long they keep the proposal open.
Integrations include native integrations, such as Freshbooks, Morning, QuickBooks, Slack, Stripe, Wix, and Xero, with more connections coming soon. You can also use Integromat, Zapier, or Prospero’s API to create custom connections.
Prospero costs from $8/month and offers a 14-day free trial.
Pros
- Simple drag-and-drop creation tool.
- Easy to use.
- Excellent navigation.
Cons
- Exporting to PDF file isn’t perfect.
- Buggy at times.
10. Loopio - Best for automating requests for proposal answers
Loopio provides a built-in, one-click automation tool that automatically fills standard requests for proposal questions via library answers.
Why I picked Loopio: What makes Loopio unique is in that you create a request for a proposal response library, organize the content into categories, and tag the answers. Afterward, Loopio’s automation engine gathers the relevant content from your library to auto-populate a proposal. The auto-fill feature can also help you fill proposals with details from previous documents, so you can save time from copying and pasting content.
Loopio Standout Features and Integrations
Features available from Loopio that make it an ideal choice include the content library that provides a significant amount of structure and organization. The content library ensures everything is current to make sure you have robust content to make proposal writing and follow-ups straightforward.
Integrations include native connections to effectively create high-quality proposals using the systems you’re already using. These include Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Teams, Okta, OneDrive, Salesforce, SharePoint, Slack, and other software options.
Loopio offers pricing upon request. They have a free demo available.
Pros
- User-friendly platform.
- Sharpens RFP responses.
- Simplifies proposal processes.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- No artificial intelligence capabilities.
11. HoneyBook - Best for proposal progress tracking
HoneyBook helps businesses understand the status of every proposal they send so they can effectively follow up with potential customers. It enables revenue teams to know every proposal stage so they can confidently move to the next stage of the sales cycle or move on to the next deal.
Why I picked HoneyBook: The platform provides everything you need to create the right proposals and send them to potential customers. But the reason I added HoneyBook to this list is its ability to track your proposals’ progress until they’re accepted or rejected. You can track potential customers throughout your sales cycle and see where they are in your proposal pipeline.
HoneyBook Standout Features and Integrations
Features include ways to collect payments from customers after agreeing to your proposals. HoneyBook can handle payments, so you don’t have to hassle anyone for money. You can simply use the platform’s integrated payment feature and immediately start collecting payments.
Integrations include connections to over 60 third-party platforms to increase productivity, such as Basecamp, ClickUp, Freshbooks, Google Analytics, HubSpot CRM, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Stripe, Twilio, Wrike, and other software options. If you have a paid Zapier account, you can create custom integrations with your current systems.
HoneyBook costs from $8/month and offers a 7-day free trial.
Pros
- Simple navigation.
- Easy to use.
- Very low pricing.
Cons
- Only provides simple automation.
- Not many customization capabilities.
12. PandaDoc - Best for proposal templates
PandaDoc provides a vast library of pre-designed proposal templates for various use cases to help businesses reduce errors.
Why I picked PandaDoc: If you need to quickly create a proposal for a new potential client, I suggest choosing a template from PandaDoc to get you started. PandaDoc simplifies the proposal creation process with a drag-and-drop content library. You can use their templates to create personalized, on-brand proposals immediately with PandaDoc’s pre-built templates. You can choose from over 750 templates from their library, which includes everything from simple to more detailed proposals that covers various industries.
PandaDoc Standout Features and Integrations
Features that are available include an audit trail tool that allows you to monitor your proposal’s progress. You can also create different workspaces that enable you to collaborate with potential customers in real time.
Integrations from PandaDoc allow you to connect the platform to the tools you love most. Its native integrations include native connections with third-party applications, such as ActiveCampaign, HubSpot CRM, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Word, monday.com, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Slack, Zendesk Sell, Zoho CRM, and other software options. You can also use platforms such as Integromat or Zapier, or PandaDoc’s API to create custom integrations.
PandaDoc costs from $19/user/month and offers a 14-day free trial + free plan available.
Pros
- Well-designed system.
- Robust Zapier integration.
- Excellent user interface.
Cons
- Lower pricing tiers have restrictions.
- Fixing errors is complex.
Other Options
Here are some other options that I think are worth checking out:
- GetAccept - Best for digital sales rooms.
- RELAYTO - Best for interactive proposals.
- DealHub.io - Best for proposal approval workflows.
- DocSend - Best for securely sharing proposals.
- QorusDocs - Best for fast proposal creation.
- Ignition - Best for billing and payment collection through proposals.
- Zomentum Grow - Best for SaaS companies.
- FastSpring Interactive Quotes - Best for real-time proposal analytics.
How I Selected the Best Proposal Management Software
Perhaps you’re wondering how I selected the best proposal management software for this list? To build this top list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of proposal management software with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of RevOps experience to pinpoint the features that add a lot of value.
Selection Criteria for Proposal Management Software
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best proposal management software for this article:
Core Functionality:
Regardless of your industry, there are some core functionalities that proposal management software provides for everyone. These include:
- Creating personalized proposal documents via pre-built templates; data from record systems, such as customer relationship management platforms, cost price quote software, or other sources; and content from marketing or legal departments.
- Sharing interactive, online proposals with branded, personalized email and an instant notification via text message after prospective customers open the proposal to allow sales reps to follow up at an appropriate time.
Key Features:
The following features are often what make proposal management software useful for businesses and industries everywhere. These capabilities will help you eliminate the need to write proposals by hand with your word-processing tools. Here are some of the standard key features you’ll find in proposal management tools.
- Proposal Templates: This helps you create proposals quickly and save you from writing them from scratch via mostly finished documents that need the final, personalized touches.
- Proposal Creation Automation: Proposal management software allows you to automate much of the creation process by collecting customer details from various systems, such as your CRM and content from your knowledge library.
- Analytics: After sending a proposal to customers, you can use your proposal management software to track how many times they open it, when they’re reading it, the time they spend reading it, the sections they look over the most, and other vital details.
- Optimized Proposal Formats: Modern proposal management software will allow you to send links to your potential customer that will send them to a completed proposal that’s optimized for different devices, and they can open from anywhere at any time.
- Electronic Signing: E-signature capabilities enable your customers to sign your proposal electronically, which is as legally binding as it is on paper.
- Payment Acceptance: Your proposal software will allow you to connect various processors to proposals and receive payments.
Usability:
When using proposal management software, you should be comfortable with its user interface. Luckily, finding this out isn’t difficult. Many top proposal management platforms offer some type of trial, either a free trial for a set amount of time or a free forever plan. You can start signing up for two or three free trials or accounts that you’re considering, which should give you access to the platform’s back end, where you can test out its usability.
Software Integrations:
I’m guessing that your business uses a significant number of other programs and third-party applications to handle your company’s operations. The proposal management software you choose shouldn’t exclude itself from these tools. They should efficiently integrate together to automate redundant processes and increase productivity.
Value for Price:
It’s important to pick a proposal platform that you can afford, and luckily most tools aren’t expensive. It’s also crucial to choose proposal management software that offers scalable plans, especially if you have larger sales teams or a fast-growing business. No matter what plan level you decide to use from your vendor of choice, the platform should provide all the features that are non-negotiable for your organization to be successful.
People Also Ask
As you can see, proposal management software can help you close more deals. However, you might have other questions to be certain these tools are right for your organization. Here are some of the common questions people ask when searching for new proposal management tools.
What are the benefits of proposal management software?
Is there a difference between proposal management software and request for proposal software?
Who uses proposal management software?
Other RevOps Software
Typically, organizations will implement multiple types of software for their teams to use to reach their goals. Here are some other types of RevOps software suggestions:
- Sales Forecasting Software
- Sales Automation Software
- Lead Retrieval Software
- CRM for Small Business
- Contract Management Software
Conclusion
Businesses that use proposal management software have an average 45% proposal win rate. Whether you’re operating a small business, a medium-sized company, or a large enterprise, there’s likely a proposal management platform that will help you experience the same win rate. I encourage you to do your research, reread this article, and search for online reviews to get an understanding of each platform I listed above. Afterward, you should sign up for a few free trials and choose the solution that suits your needs best. If you need any more RevOps assistance, you should sign up for the RevOps Team newsletter, where you’ll receive software suggestions and advice from top revenue operations professionals.