How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- The cheapest credible entry points are Prospero ($12/user/month, billed annually, unlimited proposals) and Better Proposals ($13/user/month, billed annually).
- PandaDoc ($19/user/month, Starter) is the only tool with a free tier, and it is e-sign focused, not a free proposal plan.
- Qwilr ($35/user/month) and Proposify ($19/user/month) lead on interactive proposals and engagement analytics for sales teams.
- Honest finding: there is no strong free proposal software in this set; every tool except PandaDoc's limited eSign tier is trial-only.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 PandaDoc | Growing SMB sales teams that live inside documents | $19/user/month (Starter, billed annually) | Yes (free eSign plan, limited uploads) |
 Proposify | Agencies, consultants and sales teams needing consistency and brand control | $19/user/month (Basic, billed annually) | No (14-day free trial, no credit card) |
 Qwilr | Sales-led SMB teams and agencies where the proposal is part of the pitch | $35/user/month (Starter, billed annually) | No (14-day free trial, no credit card) |
 Better Proposals | Freelancers, agencies and small service businesses wanting polished proposals fast | $13/user/month (Starter, billed annually) | No (14-day free trial, no credit card) |
 Nusii | Freelancers and small creative agencies wanting predictable flat pricing | $29/month flat (Freelancer plan, 1 user, 5 active proposals) | No (14-day free trial) |
 GetAccept | SMB and mid-market B2B sales teams wanting proposal plus buyer engagement | $25/user/month (eSign tier) | No (free trial available, duration unverified) |
 Prospero | Freelancers and very small teams sending a lot of proposals | $12/user/month (billed annually) | No (14-day free trial, no credit card) |
 Bidsketch | Freelancers, consultants and small agencies wanting unlimited proposals without per-seat pricing | $29/month flat (Solo plan, billed monthly; $23/month billed annually) | No (14-day free trial) |
 HoneyBook | Solo freelancers and small creative businesses wanting proposals plus contracts, invoicing and payments | $29/month flat (Starter, billed annually) | No (free trial available; 60-day money-back guarantee) |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Frequently asked questions
Is there really no free proposal software?
Almost none. PandaDoc offers a free eSign plan, but it is capped and built for signing, not for building proposals. Bidsketch has a $0 tier for non-profits per one directory (unverified on the vendor page). Every other tool on this list is free-trial-only. If your budget is zero, you are writing proposals in Google Docs and signing with a free e-signature tool.
How much does proposal software cost?
For a solo freelancer: $12 to $29 per month (Prospero $12 annual, Better Proposals $13 annual, Nusii $29 flat, Bidsketch $29 flat). For a 5-person sales team: roughly $95 to $175 per month on PandaDoc or Proposify Starter/Basic. Qwilr starts at $35 per user per month. HoneyBook is flat per account ($29 to $109 per month) regardless of proposal volume.
What is the difference between PandaDoc and Proposify?
PandaDoc is the broader document platform: proposals, quotes, contracts, e-signatures, payments and analytics in one flow, with a free eSign tier and deep CRM connectivity. Proposify is purpose-built for sales proposals, with approval workflows and role-based element locking that stop reps editing pricing or legal terms. PandaDoc fits teams living in documents; Proposify fits agencies needing brand and pricing control.
Do I need e-signatures in my proposal tool?
If clients sign your proposals, yes: built-in signing removes the print-scan-email loop and every tool here includes it. E-signatures on these platforms are generally ESIGN and UETA compliant with audit trails (PandaDoc and Qwilr state this explicitly; others describe theirs as legally binding). If you only need signatures occasionally, PandaDoc's free eSign tier covers it.
Can clients pay from inside the proposal?
On several tools, yes. PandaDoc, Qwilr (QwilrPay), Better Proposals and GetAccept collect payment via Stripe or PayPal at signing. HoneyBook runs the full proposal-to-invoice-to-payment pipeline. If getting paid faster matters, shortlist the tools with native payment collection rather than bolting it on.
Which proposal software is best for agencies?
Proposify for brand control and approval workflows across reps. Better Proposals for the cheapest polished entry ($13/user/month). Qwilr if the proposal itself is part of the pitch and visual polish wins deals. Nusii if you want flat pricing with unlimited users at $49 per month.
The best proposal software
Your proposal is not a document. It is the last sales call, the one that happens without you in the room. The buyer opens it at 10 p.m., skims the pricing table, and decides whether you understood their problem. Proposal software exists to win that moment: interactive pricing they can adjust, e-signatures they can complete on a phone, and analytics that tell you exactly when they opened it. These nine cover the real market, from $12 freelancer tools to sales-room platforms.
#1
PandaDoc
Best for: Growing SMB sales teams that live inside documents
Visit pandadoc.com
Starting price$19/user/month (Starter, billed annually)
Free planYes (free eSign plan, limited uploads)
PandaDoc is the broadest document platform on this list. Proposals, quotes, contracts, e-signatures, payments and engagement analytics run in one flow, with a drag-and-drop editor, a large template library and real-time analytics showing opens and time per section. Starter is $19 per user per month billed annually ($35 monthly); Business is $49 ($65 monthly); Enterprise is custom.
The honest catch is the add-on stack. Salesforce, API access, web forms and bulk send are extras or annual-only, so the headline price is not the whole price. E-signatures are ESIGN and UETA compliant with a certificate per signed document. The free eSign plan is genuinely useful for signing but limited for building proposals. For sales teams that need creation, tracking, approvals and signing in one place, the breadth justifies the per-seat math.
What we like- Free tier exists for basic e-signing
- Deep feature set covering proposals, quotes, contracts, e-signatures, payments and analytics in one flow
- Strong CRM connectivity with payment collection via Stripe, PayPal, Square and QuickBooks Payments
Watch out for- Real costs climb with add-ons (Salesforce, API, web forms, bulk send are extras)
- Per-seat pricing means a lean team with high document volume pays for headcount, not output
#2
Proposify
Best for: Agencies, consultants and sales teams needing consistency and brand control
Visit proposify.com
Starting price$19/user/month (Basic, billed annually)
Free planNo (14-day free trial, no credit card)
Proposify is built for one problem: reps freelancing with your pricing. Role-based locking plus internal approvals, rare at this price, protect pricing and legal terms from rep edits, while interactive pricing tables let buyers adjust options themselves. Basic is $19 per user per month billed annually ($29 monthly); Team is $41 ($49 monthly); Business starts at $3,900 per year.
The catch is volume and CRM depth. Sending is limited on Basic, and Salesforce plus advanced permissions live on Business, so real CRM depth costs real money. Plans are seat-based with included collaborator seats by tier. E-signatures are built in and legally binding. For agencies where every proposal must look and price identically, the locking and approvals are the reason to buy.
What we like- Approval workflows and role-based element locking catch pricing and legal errors before sending
- Reusable content library with a done-for-you template design service
- Interactive buyer-adjustable pricing tables and embedded video
Watch out for- Lower tiers cap monthly sends
- Salesforce integration and advanced permissions sit on the Business tier
#3
Qwilr
Best for: Sales-led SMB teams and agencies where the proposal is part of the pitch
Visit qwilr.com
Starting price$35/user/month (Starter, billed annually)
Free planNo (14-day free trial, no credit card)
Qwilr does not make documents; it makes web pages. Proposals arrive as live, trackable pages with interactive pricing, embedded video, e-signatures and payment collection in one flow, and pages can be updated after sending. Starter is $35 per user per month billed annually ($49 monthly); Growth is $55 (5-user minimum, annual only); Scale is $75 (10-user minimum).
The tier structure is the whole evaluation. You can outgrow Starter quickly and pay for seats you do not need to reach Salesforce or conditional content. E-signatures are ESIGN and UETA compliant with audit trails. The template library runs 100-plus templates. For teams where visual polish wins deals, the page format converts better than PDFs; for freelancers watching dollars, the entry price stings.
What we like- Proposals are interactive web pages with live pricing tables buyers can adjust
- Real-time engagement analytics with alerts when buyers view, accept or stall
- E-signatures plus QwilrPay payment collection in the same page
Watch out for- Steep entry price for solo users
- Tier minimums (Growth needs 5 seats, Scale 10) punish small teams needing advanced features
#4
Better Proposals
Best for: Freelancers, agencies and small service businesses wanting polished proposals fast
Visit betterproposals.io
Starting price$13/user/month (Starter, billed annually)
Free planNo (14-day free trial, no credit card)
Better Proposals is the budget pick that does not look like one. At $13 per user per month billed annually ($19 monthly), you get 250-plus designed templates, e-signatures on every plan, Stripe and PayPal payments inside the proposal, and open notifications. Premium is $21 ($29 monthly); Enterprise is $42 ($49 monthly).
The caps decide the tier: Starter allows 1 user and 10 documents per month, Premium 50, so volume users land on Enterprise. Custom branding control is limited on lower tiers. E-signatures are described as legally binding on all plans. For a freelancer or small agency sending a handful of proposals a month, the entry price undercuts PandaDoc and Proposify with no meaningful quality gap.
What we like- One of the cheapest credible entry points with e-signatures included on all plans
- 250-plus professionally designed templates aimed at agencies and freelancers
- Payments inside the proposal with real-time open notifications
Watch out for- Document caps are the real price lever (Starter: 10/month, Premium: 50/month)
- Automation and approvals are basic until Enterprise
#5
Nusii
Best for: Freelancers and small creative agencies wanting predictable flat pricing
Visit nusii.com
Starting price$29/month flat (Freelancer plan, 1 user, 5 active proposals)
Free planNo (14-day free trial)
Nusii keeps the math simple: flat monthly rates, not per-seat. Freelancer is $29 per month, Professional $49 with unlimited users, Business $129. For a 4-person creative shop, $49 flat with unlimited users undercuts every per-seat rival. Proposal tracking, reminders and e-signing are included.
The limiter is active proposals: 5 on Freelancer, 20 on Professional, 50 on Business, so volume means jumping tiers. CRM depth is shallow and the template ecosystem is smaller than the big names. E-signature legality specifics are unverified in vendor materials. For small creatives sending a modest number of proposals, the flat pricing is refreshingly predictable.
What we like- Flat-rate pricing with unlimited users on the $49 Professional tier
- Aimed at creative agencies with fast proposal turnaround
- Tracking, reminders and e-signing included
Watch out for- Active-proposal caps (5/20/50) force jumps to Business at $129
- Narrower, Zapier-centric integration story
#6
GetAccept
Best for: SMB and mid-market B2B sales teams wanting proposal plus buyer engagement
Visit getaccept.com
Starting price$25/user/month (eSign tier)
Free planNo (free trial available, duration unverified)
GetAccept sells the deal room, not the document. Proposals live inside a buyer-facing space with video, live chat, mutual action plans and e-signatures, plus engagement analytics that go beyond opens into sales enablement. Pricing runs $25 per user per month for eSign, $39 for Deal Room, $49 for Contract Room and $79 for Full Suite, with enterprise variants above.
Plan sprawl is the honest catch: you must read the fine print to match features to tiers, and the eSign tier caps concurrent sendouts. E-signature compliance specifics are unverified on the vendor's own page. For B2B teams where the proposal is one step in a complex sale, the room concept earns its price. For simple send-and-sign workflows, it is overkill.
What we like- Digital sales room combines proposals, video, live chat and e-sign in one buyer-facing space
- Tiered rooms let you buy only the Deal Room or Contract Room layer you need
- Broad integrations with major CRMs and Stripe
Watch out for- Four plans plus enterprise variants make pricing genuinely confusing
- Full contract management sits behind higher tiers
#7
Prospero
Best for: Freelancers and very small teams sending a lot of proposals
Visit goprospero.com
Starting price$12/user/month (billed annually)
Free planNo (14-day free trial, no credit card)
Prospero is the raw value pick: $12 per user per month billed annually ($19 monthly) for unlimited proposals with every feature included. No tier-guessing, no document caps, no feature gates. AI assistance, proposal analytics, reminders, e-signatures and a content library all ride on the single plan.
The trade is scope. Teams needing approvals, role-based locking or deep CRM automation will outgrow it; this is a proposal builder, not a sales-operations platform. Integration depth is lighter (Stripe, QuickBooks, Zapier, Pipedrive), so check your CRM before committing. For a freelancer sending 20 proposals a month, nothing else touches the price.
What we like- One simple plan with unlimited proposals and all features included
- Freelancer-first pricing undercuts almost every rival
- AI assistance, analytics, reminders, e-signatures and a content library included
Watch out for- Simpler tool, not a sales-operations platform
- Thinner integration depth than the big names
#8
Bidsketch
Best for: Freelancers, consultants and small agencies wanting unlimited proposals without per-seat pricing
Visit bidsketch.com
Starting price$29/month flat (Solo plan, billed monthly; $23/month billed annually)
Free planNo (14-day free trial)
Bidsketch is the old hand: flat-rate proposals with 20-plus templates built on a problem, solution, benefits framework. Solo at $29 per month flat ($23 annually) covers 1 user with unlimited proposals and clients; Starter at $15 covers 25 clients but no e-signatures; Team at $79 covers 3 users; Business at $149 covers 8.
The product feels its age: users complain about dated design and pasted-text formatting issues, and template editing is less flexible than modern rivals. E-signatures are described as legally binding. The vendor claims upsell features lift revenue 32 percent on average; treat that as a vendor claim. For freelancers who want unlimited everything at a flat price and do not care about pretty, it still works.
What we like- Flat pricing with unlimited proposals and clients on Solo
- Custom client landing pages with e-signatures and proposal analytics
- Integrations with 300-plus apps per vendor
Watch out for- Dated design with user complaints about formatting
- Starter tier lacks e-signatures, so the real entry price for signing is $29
#9
HoneyBook
Best for: Solo freelancers and small creative businesses wanting proposals plus contracts, invoicing and payments
Visit honeybook.com
Starting price$29/month flat (Starter, billed annually)
Free planNo (free trial available; 60-day money-back guarantee)
HoneyBook is not a proposal tool; it is a clientflow platform where proposals are step one. The proposal-to-contract-to-paid pipeline with a client portal is the smoothest on this list for service businesses: no re-entry between proposal, contract, invoice and payment. Starter is $29 per month billed annually ($36 monthly) flat per account; Essentials $49 ($59 monthly); Premium $109 ($129 monthly).
The price walls are the catch. Essentials caps at 2 users, so a third teammate forces Premium at $109 per month, and card processing fees (2.9 percent plus $0.25, higher for Amex) stack on top. Prices have been raised sharply before. Fewer sales-CRM integrations than proposal-first tools. For a solo creative, the all-in-one replaces three subscriptions; for a growing team, price the walls before committing.
What we like- Full clientflow in one place, with proposals flowing into contracts, invoices and payments through a client portal
- Unlimited clients and projects on every plan
- Strong fit for photographers, designers and coaches
Watch out for- Flat pricing jumps hard with team size (a third user forces Premium at $109/month)
- Payment processing fees stack on top of the subscription
The free question, answered honestly
Nobody sells a strong free proposal tool, and the market is telling you why: proposals are high-value documents, and the vendors charge accordingly. PandaDoc's free eSign tier is the only $0 option, and it is built for signing, not for building proposals. Everything else is a 14-day trial.
The practical free stack is Google Docs for writing and a free e-signature tool for signing. If that sounds like enough, you do not need proposal software yet. The moment you want templates, tracking, interactive pricing and payment collection, the entry price is $12 to $13 per month (Prospero, Better Proposals). That is the real floor; budget from there.
Per-seat vs. flat: which pricing model fits you
Proposal software prices two ways. Per-seat (PandaDoc, Proposify, Qwilr, GetAccept, Prospero) scales with headcount: a 5-person team on PandaDoc Starter pays about $95 per month. Flat (Nusii, Bidsketch, HoneyBook) scales with nothing: Nusii Professional is $49 per month whether you have 2 users or 20.
Solo freelancers should default to flat or cheap per-seat: Prospero at $12, Better Proposals at $13, Nusii at $29. Growing teams should model both: 5 seats on Proposify Basic is $95 per month against Nusii Business at $129 flat with 50 active proposals. Watch the caps that replace per-seat costs on flat plans: document limits (Better Proposals), active proposals (Nusii), user walls (HoneyBook). The cheapest headline is rarely the cheapest at your volume.
How we chose
We started with the categories buyers search: proposal software, free proposal software and quote software. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own pricing page, checked plan names and prices against public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on Reddit, and compared feature lists, template libraries, e-signature compliance, CRM integrations and team-size fit. Where a price could not be verified on the vendor's page we wrote "See website" rather than guessing, and we stated plainly that no strong free proposal tool exists in this set.
Sources we checked (11)
- https://www.pandadoc.com/pricing/
- https://www.proposify.com/pricing/
- https://qwilr.com/pricing/
- https://betterproposals.io/pricing/
- https://www.nusii.com/pricing/
- https://www.getaccept.com/pricing/
- https://goprospero.com/pricing/
- https://www.bidsketch.com/pricing/
- https://www.honeybook.com/pricing/
- https://www.g2.com/categories/proposal-management
- https://www.capterra.com/proposal-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.