Looking for a Better Proposals alternative?

Better Proposals is solid proposal software for freelancers. It's been around since 2015, has 200+ templates, and gets good reviews. The two reasons people look for an alternative: there's no free tier, and there's no AI writing. If those things matter to you, keep reading.

Why people look for a Better Proposals alternative

What BidMaker offers instead

BidMaker has a free plan: 3 proposals a month with AI generation included (1 free/month). If you're testing whether proposal software actually moves your close rate, starting free before paying $19-$29/month is a reasonable way to find out. Pro is $29/month for unlimited proposals and 20 AI generations.

Pricing

BidMaker

Free (3 proposals/mo), Pro $29/mo, Business $59/mo

Better Proposals

Starts at $19/mo (Starter, 10 proposals/mo)

Feature by feature

Feature BidMaker Better Proposals
Free plan Better Proposals starts at $19/mo for 10 proposals/month
AI proposal generation Better Proposals doesn't have AI generation
E-signatures Better Proposals includes e-signatures on all plans Business ($59/mo)
PDF export
Shareable proposal link
Proposal templates Better Proposals has 200+ templates across many industries
Client acceptance tracking
Custom branding Pro ($29/mo)+
Payment collection (Stripe) Better Proposals integrates with Stripe for payment at acceptance
CRM integration Better Proposals integrates with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zapier
Proposal expiry / follow-ups Both support proposal expiry dates
Template library for service trades Both have cleaning, landscaping, contracting templates

Who should switch

Choose BidMaker if...

  • You want AI to write the first draft from your job description
  • You want to start free before committing to a paid plan
  • You run a cleaning, landscaping, or contracting business
  • You want something lean — no extra features you'll never use

Choose Better Proposals if...

  • You want 200+ ready-to-use templates across many industries
  • You need Stripe payment collection at acceptance
  • You want Zapier or HubSpot integration
  • You need e-signatures without upgrading to the top tier

Start for free — no credit card

3 proposals/month. AI generation included. Takes about 5 minutes to get a proposal out.

Try BidMaker free

Common questions about switching

What's the biggest difference between BidMaker and Better Proposals?

Two things: AI generation and free tier. BidMaker writes a proposal from your job description — you fill in a few fields and get a full draft. Better Proposals doesn't have this. BidMaker also has a free plan (3 proposals/month); Better Proposals requires a paid subscription from day one.

Better Proposals has more templates — does that matter?

If you're a generalist freelancer working across many industries, yes. Better Proposals has 200+ templates for everything from graphic design to architecture. BidMaker's templates are focused on service trades. More templates matters less when the AI can generate a custom first draft in 30 seconds.

Which is cheaper?

Depends on volume. Better Proposals Starter is $19/mo for 10 proposals/month. BidMaker Free is $0 for 3 proposals/month. BidMaker Pro is $29/mo for unlimited proposals. If you send more than 10 proposals a month, Better Proposals Starter runs out and you'd need their $49/mo Premium plan — at which point BidMaker Pro is actually cheaper.

Does BidMaker have Stripe payment collection?

No. You can accept a proposal and collect an e-signature, but payment happens separately. Better Proposals lets clients pay via Stripe at the moment of acceptance, which removes a step from your close process.

Other alternatives

Want a side-by-side breakdown of features and pricing? See the full BidMaker vs Better Proposals comparison

Proposal templates for service businesses