Proposify vs PandaDoc: Which Proposal Tool says ‘Pick Me’ for Your Business?

Proposals aren’t just paperwork: they’re the silent salesperson that represents your brand when you’re not in the room. A good proposal can close a deal faster than your best rep on their best day. A bad one? Well, it can send your prospect ghosting before you even hit “send.”

That’s why companies are turning to proposal software like Proposify and PandaDoc. Both tools promise to save time, streamline workflows, and make proposals more persuasive. But beneath the glossy websites and feature lists, they serve slightly different purposes.

Proposify leans toward creative, design-forward teams who want proposals to feel polished and branded. PandaDoc, on the other hand, positions itself as a workhorse for scaling businesses that want document automation and serious workflow power.

So which is better for you? Let’s take a deep dive.

What is Proposify?

Proposify was built to take the pain out of creating proposals without sacrificing design. Instead of juggling Word docs, PDFs, and clunky design tools, it gives you a drag-and-drop editor, a huge library of templates, and easy ways to keep everything consistent across your team.

It’s particularly loved by agencies, consultants, and sales teams that care about client experience. Sending a Proposify proposal feels a little like delivering a well-designed presentation: it looks polished, modern, and on-brand. And if you want to go further, Proposify lets you embed pricing tables, add interactive quotes, and lock down sections of content so reps can’t accidentally go rogue on brand guidelines.

Other strengths include analytics (seeing when prospects open a proposal, how long they spend on each section, and where they might drop off), as well as integrations with popular CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce. For teams that want proposals to double as a branding tool, Proposify hits the sweet spot.

But it’s not without its limitations. While it shines for proposal-specific workflows, it’s not as flexible for contracts, HR docs, or general business documentation. And mobile capabilities are more limited. You can track proposals on your phone, but not really edit them. Still, for teams whose main priority is winning more deals with beautifully designed proposals, Proposify is a strong contender.

What is PandaDoc?

PandaDoc is less about design-first proposals and more about end-to-end document automation. It’s a platform built to handle proposals, contracts, quotes, onboarding paperwork, NDAs, renewals - you name it. In other words, if your business lives and dies by documents, PandaDoc wants to be your one-stop shop.

Its editor is powerful but more utilitarian than Proposify’s. The goal isn’t just to make proposals pretty; it’s to make them scalable. You can create a pricing catalog, insert dynamic data into templates, and set up approval workflows so documents move automatically from draft to client signature. You get to close deals faster and reduce admin work across the whole business.

Another area where PandaDoc excels is e-signatures. Every plan comes with legally binding e-signatures, along with completion certificates for compliance. Add to that 24/7 customer support, mobile-friendly signing, and deep CRM integrations, and it’s clear why PandaDoc is popular with fast-growing teams and enterprises.

The trade-off? While you can create attractive proposals in PandaDoc, the platform prioritizes function over form. If you’re an agency where aesthetics are the selling point, PandaDoc’s design options may feel restrictive compared to Proposify. But if your priority is workflow automation, document control, and scalability, PandaDoc has a lot more muscle.

Key differences between Proposify and PandaDoc

While both platforms fall under the “proposal software” umbrella, their DNA is different. Here are the main distinctions that set them apart:

1. Focus: Proposals vs. all documents

• Proposify is laser-focused on proposals. Its entire product is built around helping sales teams create branded, client-facing documents that win deals. It’s less interested in contracts, NDAs, or HR paperwork.
• PandaDoc positions itself as a full document automation platform. Proposals are just one piece of the puzzle, alongside contracts, onboarding docs, renewals, and more.

2. Design vs. functionality

• Proposify emphasizes style. With hundreds of sleek templates and design flexibility, it’s ideal if aesthetics are part of your sales pitch.
• PandaDoc emphasizes scale. It provides design tools, but they’re secondary to workflows, automation, and compliance.

3. Collaboration style

• Proposify helps you maintain brand control. Managers can lock content, enforce approval workflows, and keep reps consistent.
• PandaDoc encourages real-time collaboration, similar to Google Docs. Teams can comment, edit, and iterate together.

4. Analytics

• Proposify provides sales-focused insights: who opened your proposal, how long they viewed each section, and where they dropped off.
• PandaDoc delivers broader insights, not just about proposal engagement but also about bottlenecks in your document workflows.

5. Mobile capabilities

• Proposify is limited on mobile. You can track activity, but editing and sending documents isn’t really possible.
• PandaDoc offers stronger mobile functionality, letting you edit, send, and sign documents on the go.

6. Support

• Proposify offers standard business-hours support with a chatbot and resources.
• PandaDoc gives you 24/7 live chat support, which can make a big difference for global teams.

7. Pricing models

• Both start at $19 per user per month for the most basic plan on an annual contract, but PandaDoc also has a free e-sign plan, which is appealing for smaller teams who want to start lean.
• Proposify keeps its pricing straightforward but focuses on proposal-specific features rather than broad automation.

At a glance: Core feature comparison

Here’s how the two stack up side by side:

Deep Dive: Feature-by-Feature

Document & proposal creation

Let’s start with the basics: actually making the thing you’re going to send.

Proposify is like Canva for proposals. You drag, you drop, you rearrange until it looks like something your design team would actually be proud to sign off on. Its sweet spot is proposals that need to look like an extension of your brand - clean layouts, sharp visuals, and interactive pricing tables that make your client feel like they’re shopping for a Tesla instead of reviewing a document.

PandaDoc, meanwhile, is more like a document factory. Its mission isn’t to win design awards, it’s to pump out proposals, contracts, quotes, NDAs, and anything else your business might need. If you need 50 sales quotes generated this week and three employment contracts signed tomorrow, PandaDoc is built to handle that at scale.

Templates & branding

Proposify’s templates are clearly made by people who’ve sat in on way too many agency pitch meetings. Sleek, customizable, and client-ready, they’re built to impress. You can even lock down sections so your more “creative” sales reps don’t decide Comic Sans looks fun today.

PandaDoc also has templates - more of them, in fact - but their vibe is less “ad agency pitch deck” and more “corporate efficiency.” They’re incredibly functional, especially with dynamic data fields that can automatically pull in client names, pricing, and contract terms from your CRM. They won’t win design awards, but they’ll save you hours of copy-pasting.

Collaboration & workflow

Here’s where the philosophies really split.

Proposify wants to keep things tidy. Managers can approve or reject content before it goes out the door, and content libraries make sure everyone is singing from the same brand hymn sheet. It’s about control - keeping reps from freelancing the messaging.

PandaDoc, on the other hand, is more of a team sport. You can co-edit in real time, leave comments, track versions, and automate next steps. It’s less about policing brand compliance and more about streamlining the workflow.

E-Signatures

Both Proposify and PandaDoc include legally binding e-signatures. No third-party integrations, no extra cost—it’s built right in.

Where they differ is in the details. Proposify keeps it simple: you send, they sign, deal done. PandaDoc goes further with completion certificates that track IP addresses and timestamps, which is especially handy if you’re in a regulated industry and need extra compliance proof.

And then there’s Qwilr, which takes the whole process one step further by adding QwilrPay. Not only can your client sign your proposal in seconds, but they can also pay on the spot. Imagine sending a proposal at 10 a.m. and seeing the payment hit your account by lunch. Convenience and cash flow optimization at its finest.

Analytics & engagement tracking

Let’s be honest: this is one of the best parts of proposal software. Who doesn’t want to know if their prospect actually read the proposal, or just downloaded it and left it to die in their “Documents” folder?

Proposify gives you a clear, sales-friendly view. You can see when a proposal was opened, how long a prospect lingered on each section, and where they might have lost interest. Perfect ammo for a well-timed follow-up: “Hey, noticed you spent quite a bit of time on pricing yesterday. Want to jump on a quick call?”

PandaDoc also offers engagement analytics, but it layers in workflow insights, too. Not only do you know what the client saw, you know where documents are getting stuck internally. Maybe legal takes an extra week every time. Maybe finance never approves pricing above a certain threshold. With PandaDoc, you can identify and fix those traffic jams.

Integrations & automation

If your proposals live in a silo, you’re already behind. Integrations are where these tools prove their worth.

Proposify covers the basics: HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, QuickBooks, and a few others. It’s enough to keep your pipeline connected without reinventing the wheel.

PandaDoc takes integrations to another level. It plugs into CRMs, payment gateways, productivity platforms, and even offers a robust API for custom setups. It’s automation candy for RevOps teams who want every stage of the sales cycle to talk to each other.

Qwilr, though, combines both power and polish. It integrates directly with CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce, but because proposals are web pages, you can also embed almost anything - from Calendly bookings to Loom videos and LookerStudio dashboards. Suddenly, your proposal isn’t just a doc—it’s an entire sales experience, integrated with every tool in your stack.

Mobile capabilities

Here’s where the experience diverges sharply.

Proposify has a mobile app, but it’s mostly for tracking activity. You can see if someone viewed your proposal, but you won’t be building or editing a polished doc on your iPhone anytime soon.

PandaDoc leans harder into mobile. You can edit, send, and sign documents on the go, which makes it handy for field sales reps or teams that live on the road.

Customer support

Support can make or break your experience with software.

Proposify offers business-hours support, a chatbot, and a knowledge base. It’s fine, but if you’re in another timezone or burning the midnight oil, you might find yourself on your own.

PandaDoc flexes harder here with 24/7 live chat support. If you’re a global team or you like to send desperate “help me” messages at 2 a.m., PandaDoc has your back.

Pricing & value

Money talk time.

We know that both Proposify and PandaDoc start at $19 per user/month. Proposify keeps things simple: one straightforward plan, one main set of features. PandaDoc, on the other hand, has more pricing flexibility, including a free e-signature plan for those who only need the basics. Of course, the more automation and integrations you want, the higher the price goes.

User feedback & real-world insights

Software Advice user sentiment paints a clear picture of the trade-offs. Proposify customers often highlight how polished their proposals look and how much time they save compared to cobbling together documents in Google Docs or InDesign. The analytics are a favorite feature, giving reps confidence about when and how to follow up.

On the flip side, Gartner Peer Insights reveals that some Proposify users say the editor can be finicky when making major changes to templates. There are also occasional complaints about the mobile limitations.

G2 PandaDoc users rave about how it cuts down administrative work, especially for teams handling not just proposals, but also contracts, renewals, and HR paperwork. The breadth of integrations and the smooth e-signature process are big wins.

However, some users note that the design flexibility isn’t as strong, and customer onboarding can feel like it takes time to master because the platform is so feature-rich.

Which platform should you choose?

The million-dollar question. The simple answer: it comes down to your priorities:

Choose Proposify if:

• You’re an agency, consultancy, or sales team where design matters as much as the numbers.
• You want proposals that feel like branded presentations.
• You value simplicity over broad document automation.

Choose PandaDoc if:

• You want an all-in-one tool for proposals, contracts, and more.
• Your team thrives on automation and needs integrations across your tech stack.
• You need features like mobile editing, 24/7 support, or compliance-focused e-signatures.
  

Qwilr: A fresh alternative worth considering

Of course, there’s another option. Qwilr.

If Proposify is design-first and PandaDoc is workflow-first, Qwilr combines the best of both worlds. A Qwilr proposal isn’t a document—it’s your brand throwing a dinner party online. Sleek, interactive, and impossible to ignore, it works just as well on a phone in an Uber as it does on a big screen in the boardroom.

Qwilr also integrates with CRMs, offers engagement analytics, and even includes embedded payments. That means you can send a proposal, have it signed, and get paid- everything under one roof.

For modern teams that want their proposals to wow prospects and streamline workflows, Qwilr delivers a compelling alternative.

Choosing your winning solution

Both Proposify and PandaDoc are excellent tools, but they’re built for different users. If your proposals are your product (like in creative agencies or consulting firms), Proposify will help you stand out. If you’re scaling fast, need automation, and want a single hub for all documents, PandaDoc is the safer bet.

At the end of the day, it’s not about choosing the “best” tool in general, it’s about choosing the best tool for your team. And if you’re still on the fence, Qwilr might just give you the perfect mix of beautiful design and powerful workflow automation. Sign up for a free trial and see for yourself.