Bidsketch vs. Ignition

I think Bidsketch would work well for any small business or freelancer looking for a low-cost, simple to use proposal software solution. It's quick and easy to set up and provides everything you need for more cases. If you're looking for something with more flexibility or features that Bidsketch does not offer then you may need to keep looking.

Incentivized

Ignition (initially called Practice Ignition) performs quite well at proposal building, contract development, tracking and invoicing, payment and collections. The only issues where I see Ignition not being a good fit is in smaller firms that require a more feature rich plan. A perfect example is a solo firm has a limited number of proposals they can activate, and would have to spend extra for additional features like multiple e-signatures.

Incentivized

• Pre-written proposals for many scenarios.
• Integrations with 3rd party apps.
• Own domain for branding.

Incentivized

• Automatic Payments: You set up a proposal to collect payments once and you don't have to worry about bugging the client for payment every month.
• Amazing support: I have always received answers from the support team within the same day. They are very patient and understanding.
• Integrates with Xero: It integrates with our accounting software, making reporting faster.

Incentivized

• REALLY PRICEY for a small business/freelancer that doesn't do a lot of proposals each month. Would be nice if they offered a per proposal pricing for the smaller guys.
• Wish there was more customization of the design/layout to better fit in with branding.
• Also would like to be able to mark a proposal private.

Incentivized

• The charge back process is messy and not transparent enough. When there is a charge back, PI deducts the amount from other payments settling on the same day, and does not provide a break down of the amounts. This makes it impossible to track without getting help from support.
• PI should send email alerts monthly (or at some interval determined by user) for expiring engagements.
• PI should allow the client to make service selections -- we should be able to offer 2 or 3 options under a service offering, and the client chooses and sees the impact on monthly/annual pricing.
• PI should allow for more than 2 templates (Business and Individual).
• PI should integrate with Jet Pack Workflow to automate the creation of new jobs once a proposal is approved.

Incentivized

I'd say Bidsketch is very easy to use. I don't think most people would have any problem getting comfortable with this software. I was able to get up and running very quickly. Their template library is a great resource to get a professional proposal up and out the door fast.

Incentivized

The Ignition product is quite usable for the average user. The app has preloaded templates that can get even new-hires to navigate the software and set up proposals. The only area where I see the Ignition product lacking is the additional fees smaller firms may have to pay to get the full feature advantages of the product.

Incentivized

Although I didn't need to reach out to support much, they seemed to do a very good job. I've also heard great things about the team through people I've talked to so I wouldn't expect anyone to run into issues with regards to their support. Their support definitely was not a factor in my ultimately not sticking with the product.

Incentivized

We used DocSend to track our outgoing proposals but after testing Bidsketch we never returned back. It is simply better suited for us as we send out tens of proposals every week and the professional output and management of proposals won us over.

Incentivized

You aren't able to customize the design of the proposal, but it surpases everything we have ever tried. It's easy to use and quick to learn.

Incentivized

• The proposals do look professional (even if you can't fully customize to your brand) and make a great impression on the potential client.
• The cost of Bidsketch is prohibitive if you don't do a lot of proposal writing on a regular basis.

Incentivized

• We have reduced our A/R by 60% and expect to completely eliminate A/R by the end of this year.

Incentivized