Alternative to Salesforce CPQ

When it comes to CRM, Salesforce is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable players on the market. So, how does CPQ, their proposal and quoting software, fare against Better Proposals? Here are some key differences between the two.

Salesforce CPQ

Better Proposals

Digital signatures
Digital Signatures
Ready to use templates
Ready to use templates

200+

Document analytics
Document analytics
Integrations
Integrations

11

40+

Free trial
Free trial
Custom domain
Custom domain
Custom branding
Custom branding
Document tracking
Document tracking
Live chat
Live chat
Document Checker
Document Checker
Payment integrations
Payment integrations

CPQ & Billing plan

Stripe, GoCardless, PayPal

Proposals

While you can send proposals to your clients using CPQ, it is not exactly clear how the details will work. The main concern here is the fact that Salesforce CPQ doesn't provide an exact number of templates available to the users. In addition to that, it's unclear how customizable the proposal and quote templates are. Now, we don’t know why that is, but we do know that it makes matters more uncertain for the end user. Ultimately, you want to know what kind of document you'll be sending out on behalf of your company.

With Better Proposals, you can do just that. There are more than 200 pre-written and pre-designed templates at your disposal, and you can easily customize them to suit your needs. On top of that, you have the option to search by industry and make sure that your proposal's design fits the job. And if you want to speed up the process of getting your proposal signed, Better Proposals has got your back. By using the digital signature feature it offers on all plans, the process of emailing back and forth is completely eliminated.

200+ free templates

No design skills required

Process, share, and store your proposals quicker, easier, and more securely than ever.
And the best part is, you won't need a team to make it perfect.

Ease of use

When it comes to usability, implementing Salesforce CPQ seems to be more complicated than Better Proposals. Users have left numerous reviews reporting a steep learning curve with CPQ. And while the factor of familiarity goes in favor of CPQ due to the recognizable Salesforce interface, the setup might not be worth the hassle. By all accounts, Salesforce CPQ is not an intuitive tool to use, and it will take some time for your staff to figure it out.

Integrations box

On the other hand, Better Proposals can save you time (and resources) not only during the proposal stage, but also during implementation. Its simple editor doesn't require training to figure out, but it's available if you want some extra support.

Pricing

In the pricing category, Salesforce CPQ is hands down the more expensive option. Starting at $75/month per person for the basic plan, the cost can go up substantially for larger teams. And if you need to set up your system in a way that requires manager approval, you'll need to scale up to the next plan - for $150/month per user. Another important thing to notice is the fine print that comes with the pricing, namely the contract duration. For all plans that offer pricing per user, you'll need to sign a contract for at least a year.

When it comes to Better Proposals, there are more pricing options. Depending on the size of your team and the features you need, the software will cost you as little as $19/month per user. There's also the option of setting up manager approvals with the $49/month plan. And even though this plan has a two-user minimum, $98/month is still more affordable than Salesforce CPQ. To top it all off, Better Proposals also offers you a free trial so you can see first hand what the software can do for your company. And once you’re ready to commit, you can keep your subscription on a monthly basis.

Payment integrations

When it comes to collecting payment, Better Proposals once again offers you more affordable options. You have three integrations available: PayPal, GoCardless, and Stripe. Whereas Better Proposals allows you to get those integrations on all plans, Salesforce CPQ is a bit more complex.

stripe logo card paypal logo paypal logo

If you don't want to send your proposals and invoices separately, but you want to use CPQ, you'll need to get the CPQ & Billing plan. Since there's no set price for it, you'll also need to request a custom quote through their website.

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Why our customers love us

Love Better Proposals! My clients are always super impressed when they get them and often ask how to set it up. Definitely one of the best investments I've made.

Mukarram Ismail

Mukarram Ismail
CEO of AgoraWave

Every business is struggling in some way or another at the moment but one thing we're finding easy is get proposals signed and deals done thanks to how quick and easy it is for us to create proposals and our clients to sign them

Myusp Tim

Tim Coe
Marketing Consultant

I save over 100 hours a month using Better Proposals. It's the best investment one can make to improve their work schedule and client conversion

Yousif Jabak

Yousif Jabak
Jabak.Y


Conclusion

While Salesforce CPQ is a powerful tool, its complexity and price tag go against it. At the end of the day, what you end up paying for it isn't only what's on your annual invoice. With the software and staff training, you could be wasting valuable resources when there's a simpler solution for your company. So, if you want a tool that unites simplicity and functionality and adapts to all company sizes and industries, consider Better Proposals. You can even try it out for free.

Documents that work for you, not against you

Start sending beautifully designed, error-free documents that inspire immediate trust with your clients.
Automate tasks, track your deals, and always follow up at the right time.

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