The Best Proposal Automation Tools for B2B Sales Teams (2025)

Sales Reps Spend 72% of Their Time Not Selling. Proposals Are a Big Reason Why.

Salesforce research found that reps spend just 28% of their week actually selling. The rest disappears into CRM updates, internal meetings, and one of the biggest time sinks of all: building, formatting, and chasing proposals.

It gets worse. According to Proposify's State of Proposals report, the average sales close rate across industries sits around 20%. But teams using proposal automation software see close rates of 36% -- nearly double. The difference isn't magic. It's speed, consistency, and the ability to see exactly how a buyer engages with your document before you follow up.

The proposal management software market is projected to grow from $2.5 billion in 2024 to $5.8 billion by 2032, driven by a simple reality: the companies that send better proposals faster are winning more deals. This guide compares eight of the best platforms available today -- with real pricing, honest assessments of strengths and weaknesses, and a framework for choosing the right one.

What Actually Matters in a Proposal Tool

Before diving into specific products, it helps to know which features separate genuinely useful tools from feature-bloated shelfware. Based on how top-performing sales teams actually use these platforms, here are the capabilities that move the needle:

Speed to Send

Templates, content libraries, and drag-and-drop editors that let reps build a polished proposal in minutes rather than hours. The goal is getting a proposal in front of a buyer while the conversation is still warm. Research from Chili Piper shows that 78% of customers buy from the vendor that responds first.

Engagement Tracking

Knowing when a prospect opens your proposal, which sections they spend time on, and whether they've forwarded it to other stakeholders. This turns follow-up from guesswork into a targeted conversation. Proposify's data shows that winning proposals are viewed an average of 2.5 times before close -- if you can't see those views, you're flying blind.

Built-In E-Signatures

Proposals with an integrated e-signature option close 40% faster than those requiring a separate signing step. Reducing friction at the finish line is one of the highest-ROI moves you can make.

CRM Integration

If proposal data doesn't flow back into Salesforce, HubSpot, or whatever CRM your team uses, you're creating a data silo that makes pipeline reporting unreliable. Native integrations matter more than a long list of Zapier connections.

Follow-Up Automation

The ability to trigger email sequences based on proposal activity -- opened but not signed, nearing expiration, forwarded to a new contact. This is where proposal tools cross from document management into sales acceleration.

The 8 Best Proposal Automation Tools, Compared

1. PandaDoc

Best for: Mid-market sales teams that need an all-in-one document workflow.

PandaDoc is the most widely adopted proposal AI-powered sales platform in B2B, and for good reason. Its drag-and-drop editor is genuinely intuitive, the template library is extensive, and the CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive) are deep -- not just surface-level syncs.

PandaDoc's analytics dashboard shows you exactly which pages a prospect spent time on, which is invaluable for tailoring your follow-up. The platform also handles the full document lifecycle: proposals, contracts, quotes, and invoices.

Pricing: Free plan available (limited to 3 active docs). Essentials starts at $19/user/month (annual billing). Business plan at $49/user/month unlocks unlimited documents, API access, and advanced analytics.

Limitations: The free plan is extremely limited. Some users report that advanced customization requires higher-tier plans, and SMS signature delivery adds per-message fees ($0.10-$0.50).

2. Proposify

Best for: Teams that care about proposal design and want granular close-rate analytics.

Proposify positions itself as the proposal tool built specifically for closing, and their State of Proposals report (analyzing 1.3 million proposals) gives them credibility. The template designs are consistently strong, the approval workflows keep managers in the loop without creating bottlenecks, and the analytics go deeper than most competitors.

The standout feature is real-time notifications when a proposal is viewed, plus detailed breakdowns of time spent per section. This intelligence directly feeds your follow-up strategy.

Pricing: Basic starts at $29/user/month (annual). Team plan at $41/user/month adds unlimited sending and automated reminders. Business at $65/user/month for approval workflows and API access (requires 10+ users).

Limitations: The Basic plan caps you at 5 document sends per month, which is restrictive. The per-user pricing adds up quickly for larger teams.

3. Qwilr

Best for: Teams that want web-based, interactive proposals instead of static PDFs.

Qwilr takes a fundamentally different approach: proposals are delivered as responsive web pages rather than PDF attachments. This aligns with Gartner's prediction that 80% of B2B interactions would occur in digital channels by 2025.

Interactive pricing tables let buyers configure their own package, embedded ROI calculators keep them engaged, and the accept-and-pay flow eliminates the proposal-to-contract handoff entirely. The result is a buying experience that feels modern rather than transactional.

Pricing: Business plan at $35/user/month (annual). Enterprise pricing is custom, averaging $6,500-$22,000/year depending on team size.

Limitations: Some buyers in traditional industries (legal, government, manufacturing) still prefer PDF proposals. The price gap between Business and Enterprise is significant.

4. GetAccept

Best for: Sales teams that want a digital sales room with proposal capabilities built in.

GetAccept goes beyond proposals into full digital sales room territory. You create a shared space where buyers can access proposals, contracts, case studies, and demo videos in one place. Video messaging lets reps record personalized walkthroughs, and the live chat feature enables real-time buyer questions without leaving the proposal.

For complex B2B deals with multiple stakeholders, this shared-room model solves a real problem: keeping all decision-makers aligned on the same content.

Pricing: eSign-only at $25/user/month. Deal Room at $39/user/month. Full Suite at $79/user/month includes CPQ, contract management, and advanced analytics.

Limitations: The full value requires the higher-tier plans. Teams that just need simple proposal creation may find the digital sales room features unnecessary overhead.

5. Responsive (formerly RFPIO)

Best for: Enterprise teams that respond to a high volume of RFPs, RFIs, and security questionnaires.

Responsive (rebranded from RFPIO in 2023) is purpose-built for RFP response management. Its AI engine can auto-populate answers from your content library, suggest relevant case studies, and learn from past winning submissions. The platform handles the collaborative nature of RFPs well -- routing sections to subject matter experts, tracking completion status, and managing approval workflows.

According to industry data from Loopio, the average RFP win rate climbed to 45% in 2025, and organizations report that RFPs contribute an average of 39% of total company revenue. If RFPs are a meaningful part of your business, a dedicated tool pays for itself.

Pricing: Custom pricing only. Expect $30,000+ annually for mid-market deployments based on user count and feature needs.

Limitations: Expensive and enterprise-focused. Overkill for teams that send proposals but rarely respond to formal RFPs. Opaque pricing makes it hard to compare.

6. Loopio

Best for: Mid-market companies that need RFP response management without enterprise pricing.

Loopio competes directly with Responsive in the RFP space but tends to be more accessible for mid-market teams. The content library is well-organized with automatic content freshness scoring (flagging outdated answers), and the collaboration features make it easy to pull in SMEs for specific sections.

Related: AI sales tools guide.

Related: cold email templates guide.

Related: buyer signal data.

Loopio also publishes genuinely useful research -- their annual RFP statistics report is worth reading regardless of which tool you choose.

Pricing: Starts at approximately $20,000/year (Foundations plan). Mid-market deployments (10-20 users) typically run $30,000-$35,000 in year one. Per-user costs average around $120/month.

Limitations: Significant annual commitment. Add-on costs can escalate quickly -- the Assist Package can more than double your contract value. Most buyers upgrade to higher tiers within 12-18 months.

7. Better Proposals

Best for: Small teams and agencies that want professional-looking proposals without a big investment.

Better Proposals delivers on its name with consistently attractive templates and a straightforward editing experience. The pricing table feature is interactive, the e-signature flow is smooth, and the analytics (opens, views, signatures) cover the essentials. For small agencies and consultancies, it's often the best balance of quality and cost.

Pricing: Starter plan has per-document limits. Premium at $21/user/month (annual) includes custom branding and CRM integrations. Enterprise pricing is custom.

Limitations: Less suitable for complex enterprise sales processes. Limited API access on lower tiers. The feature set is narrower than PandaDoc or Proposify.

8. QorusDocs

Best for: Microsoft-centric organizations that want proposal automation within their existing Office 365 workflow.

QorusDocs differentiates by building natively on Microsoft's ecosystem. If your team lives in Word, PowerPoint, and SharePoint, QorusDocs lets them create proposals without learning a new tool. The AI assistant (QPilot) suggests content from your library and automates formatting, while everything stays within familiar Microsoft interfaces.

This approach is particularly appealing for professional services firms, consulting companies, and enterprises that are already deeply invested in Microsoft 365.

Pricing: Typically $30-$50/user/month, with minimum commitments around $500/month. Custom quotes based on organizational needs.

Limitations: Heavily dependent on the Microsoft ecosystem -- less useful for Google Workspace teams. The AI features are built on Azure OpenAI, which may raise data privacy questions for some organizations.

Decision Framework: How to Choose the Right Tool

Rather than evaluating 47 features on a spreadsheet, start with these four questions:

1. What do you actually send?

• Custom proposals and quotes: PandaDoc, Proposify, Qwilr, Better Proposals
• RFP/RFI responses: Responsive, Loopio, QorusDocs
• Complex multi-stakeholder deals: GetAccept (digital sales rooms)

2. How large is your team?

• 1-5 users: Better Proposals or PandaDoc Essentials ($19-29/user/month)
• 5-25 users: Proposify Team or Qwilr Business ($35-49/user/month)
• 25+ users or enterprise: PandaDoc Business, GetAccept Full Suite, or Responsive ($49-79/user/month or custom)

3. What's your CRM?

• Salesforce: PandaDoc, Proposify, and GetAccept all offer strong native integrations
• HubSpot: PandaDoc and Proposify have the deepest HubSpot connections
• Microsoft Dynamics: QorusDocs is purpose-built for the Microsoft ecosystem

4. How important is the buying experience?

• Traditional PDF proposals: PandaDoc, Proposify, Better Proposals
• Interactive web-based proposals: Qwilr
• Full digital sales rooms: GetAccept

Where Proposal Automation Fits in the Sales Stack

Proposal tools don't operate in isolation. The most effective teams pair them with complementary technologies:

• CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot): The system of record. Proposal data should flow back automatically so pipeline reporting stays accurate.
• Sales engagement (Outreach, Salesloft): Handles the sequencing and follow-up cadences that surround the proposal. Some teams trigger proposal follow-up sequences from their engagement platform based on proposal activity data.
• Signal intelligence (Autobound, ZoomInfo, 6sense): Surfaces the intent signals and buyer context that help reps personalize proposals -- funding announcements, hiring activity, tech stack changes -- so the proposal speaks directly to what the buyer cares about right now.
• CPQ (DealHub, Conga): For complex pricing configurations, a CPQ tool feeds accurate quotes into your proposal system. GetAccept and PandaDoc both offer CPQ-like functionality natively.

Common Mistakes When Evaluating Proposal Tools

Having seen dozens of teams go through this evaluation, a few patterns consistently lead to poor outcomes:

• Over-indexing on template quantity. A library of 500 generic templates is less valuable than 10 well-designed templates customized to your actual use cases. Ask vendors about template customization depth, not library size.
• Ignoring adoption risk. The best proposal tool is the one your reps actually use. If your team lives in Outlook, a browser-only tool with no email integration will collect dust. Run a real pilot with your actual sellers before committing.
• Treating proposals as standalone documents. A proposal is one touchpoint in a broader deal cycle. Evaluate how well the tool connects to your existing workflow -- can it trigger follow-up sequences? Does the engagement data surface in your CRM? Gartner predicts that by 2030, 75% of B2B buyers will prefer sales experiences that prioritize human interaction over AI, which means proposal follow-up still needs a human touch.
• Skipping the pricing conversation. Several tools on this list have opaque pricing that escalates with add-ons. Always ask about per-user costs, overage fees, implementation costs, and year-two renewal pricing before signing.

The Bottom Line

Proposal automation isn't about replacing the human judgment that wins deals. It's about eliminating the mechanical work that slows deals down -- the formatting, the version control, the manual follow-ups that fall through the cracks when a rep is juggling 30 active opportunities.

The right tool depends on what you send (proposals vs. RFPs), how your team works (browser-based vs. Microsoft-native), and what you're willing to spend. Start with a free trial of one or two tools that match your use case, run a real pilot with your actual proposal workflow, and measure the impact on time-to-send and close rate. Those two metrics will tell you everything you need to know.