Cone vs FigsFlow: Breaking Down the Key Differences
In a competitive market, businesses need strong proposals to attract clients and provide a smooth experience. But with so many options, choosing the right proposal software can feel overwhelming.
This guide compares FigsFlow and Cone, highlighting their features, ease of use, and value to help you make the right choice. Let’s explore which one works best for you.
Key Features to Consider
Before we dive in, let’s look at the essential features that make proposal software stand out, helping you create professional proposals and stay ahead.
⇒ User Interface & Ease of Use
Good software should simplify tasks with an intuitive interface, making it easy to find what you need without extra effort.
⇒ User Access
Proposal software should have strong access controls to secure sensitive data. Only authorised users should be able to edit or create proposals.
⇒ Customer Support
Reliable support is crucial. A great proposal software should offer ongoing assistance to quickly resolve any issues and ensure smooth usage.
⇒ Security
Protecting client data is non-negotiable. Proposal software must have robust security features to keep sensitive information safe.
⇒ Automation
Proposal software should automate repetitive tasks, letting you focus on the more important aspects of proposal creation.
⇒ Proposal Tracking
It should track how proposals are performing, offering insights like whether they’ve been read, how engaged the prospect is, and the approval status.
⇒ Design & Customisation
Proposals should be visually appealing and easy to personalise. Good software helps you create professional-looking proposals effortlessly.
⇒ Integration
The software should integrate well with other tools you use for smooth workflows and operations across platforms.
⇒ Reporting & Analysis
It should provide insights into proposal performance, including win rates, conversion stats, and revenue generated to help measure success.
⇒ Price
Cost matters but the software should deliver value that justifies its price—offering the features you need without being overpriced.
Comparison
Based on the ten core features, here’s how FigsFlow and Cone compare:
Now that we’ve covered the key factors for comparing two leading proposal software let’s see how each performs in these areas.
User Interface & Ease of Use
The user interface is crucial to the success of proposal software. Great software combines sleek design with intuitive navigation to help users easily find and use features.
FigsFlow excels in this area with a sleek design, thanks to the dedicated FigsFlow design team. Feature placements are well-thought-out, and related features are grouped together within each module for smooth navigation.
Related features are bundled together within relevant modules and placed in logical locations, making it easy for users to find what they need without hassle.
Cone offers a similarly impressive UI/UX with easy navigation and a clear process flow. One area where Cone outshines FigsFlow is the ability to add brochures and videos alongside the proposal. Cone also allows for sharing proposals via email and a link, whereas FigsFlow only supports email sharing.
However, when it comes to signatures, FigsFlow stands out by allowing multiple signatories, whereas Cone only supports one signatory at a time.
User Role Access
All FigsFlow packages support user access, with the admin being able to limit actions for enhanced security. Based on user requirements, admins can assign or restrict four core actions—Create, Read, Update, and Delete—across various modules.
- Proposal Management System
- General Setting
- Service Setting
- Client Setting
- Template Setting
- Proposal Report
- User Management System
- Role Setting
- User setting
Cone supports a similar role access that users can assign. The access to the module is based on the following roles:
- Admin
- Standard User
- Restricted User
User access is crucial especially when handling sensitive data. Unauthorised edits or deletions can cause big issues. FigsFlow’s superior control over user roles gives it the edge in this area.
Software Support
FigsFlow offers three core support options after subscribing: Onboarding Support, Email Support, and Live Chat Support. The type of support depends on the service package. The good news is that basic onboarding support is available with the basic package. If you upgrade to the Basic package, you’ll receive guided onboarding and email support. From the Standard package onwards, you get a dedicated relationship manager, email and live support.
FigsFlow also provides an extensive knowledge base to help users get the most out of the software. This includes user guides, blogs, video tutorials, and webinars, all presented in an easy-to-follow format.
Conversely, Cone provides chat support for all its packages, along with email and in-app support. Additionally, Cone offers a comprehensive knowledge base (help center) with straightforward manuals and easy-to-understand videos available in every module, guiding users through the software’s features.
While FigsFlow offers varying levels of support depending on the package, it does not support the Lite package. In contrast, Cone offers consistent support across all packages, though response times differ based on your subscription (48 hours for the Essentials package and 24 hours for the Growth package).
Security
Data security is a top priority as sensitive information must be protected. Both Cone and FigsFlow have implemented sophisticated measures to prevent data breaches.
The platforms use end-to-end encryption for stronger protection through strict verification processes. FigsFlow uses SHA-2 and 2048-bit encryption for passwords, whereas Cone employs AES-256-bit encryption to enhance login security with a robust cryptographic hash function resistant to vulnerabilities like collision attacks.
Cone also boasts an additional layer of security with SOC-2 Type-1 compliance, a framework from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) that focuses on data security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy.
Security is paramount given the increasing cyber threats and stringent global data protection laws. Cone’s added security measures give it an edge over FigsFlow here.
Automation
Why handle repetitive tasks yourself when automation can do it for you? Both FigsFlow and Cone offer robust automation features—let’s explore them.
Proposal Reminder
Prospects often receive numerous proposals from various providers, making it hard for them to track them all. FigsFlow addresses this with a ‘Proposal Reminder’ feature, allowing custom settings for timely follow-ups.
Cone also offers an email reminder feature, allowing users to set the number of reminders and the interval between them. These reminders can be customised for each contact individually. Additionally, Cone includes a feature that sends reminders before a contract term ends.
Proposal Auto-Expiry
In FigsFlow, if a proposal isn’t signed under the set timeframe, it is automatically marked as “Lost,” saving users from manually updating the status.
Cone has a similar feature—if a proposal isn’t signed before its validation period ends, it is labelled as “Contract Ended”.
Automated Email Notifications After Proposal Signing
FigsFlow automatically emails clients and team members once a proposal is signed. Users can configure email templates to notify different parties, with the system triggering notifications instantly.
Cone also provides email notifications and status updates via a notification icon. The proposal module gives a clear overview of signed proposals.
Reactivating Lost Proposals
FigsFlow allows users to reactivate lost proposals that may have expired due to inaction from the prospect. This saves time by eliminating the need to recreate proposals, letting users focus on closing deals.
Cone, however, does not have the feature available. The closest option to reactivating the proposal is duplicating it and resending it to the clients/prospects.
Furthermore, Cone allows the user to recall and edit the proposals sent. This feature allows users to withdraw the proposal if an error is detected in the live proposal. The proposal can then be corrected and made live again.
Hence, although many features are similar under automation for Cone and FigsFlow, the feature of reactivating the lost proposal distinguishes FigsFlow from Cone, while the feature to recall the live proposal gives Cone an advantage over FigsFlow.
Proposal Tracking
Crafting a proposal is hard enough—but what if you can’t track it once it’s sent? Let’s see how each software handles this.
FigsFlow makes tracking easy. As soon as a proposal goes live, its status and the LOE update to “Live,” keeping you in the loop.
Whether or not the proposal lands in the prospect’s email inbox, the Point of Contact (PoC) status is updated accordingly with the relevant colour codes.
Once the prospect has signed the proposal, the status is marked as ‘Won’, which indicates that the client has decided to engage with us.
Cone offers similar proposal tracking features. If a proposal is created but not sent, it’s marked as “Draft”. Once sent, the status updates to “Sent”.
When the client receives and opens the proposal, Cone tracks engagement using two key metrics: Total Web Views and Last Viewed time. If the proposal isn’t signed before the deadline, it’s marked as “Contract Ended”. When the client signs it, the status updates to “Won.”
Moreover, Cone chronologically logs all activities for each contact, offering a detailed engagement history.
FigsFlow and Cone provide precise and reliable tracking, but Cone offers deeper insights, such as the number of views and the last engagement timestamp.
Design & Customisation
You rarely get a second chance to make a first impression; this is where design and customisation matter.
Font & Colour Customisation
FigsFlow allows extensive customisation for LOEs and Proposals. You can choose from a wide range of fonts and colours to match your brand, with popular fonts pre-loaded and the ability to specify colours using hex codes.
Cone has similar customisation features, allowing you to set brand colours using hex codes and choose fonts from its library. However, Cone goes a step further by letting you customise the background image of templates.
Template Customisation
FigsFlow provides full control over template design. A dedicated module stores all templates for Proposals, LOEs, Emails and Cover Letters. You can personalise each template with custom cover images, logos and unique designs. Also, headings are fully customisable to match your brand’s style.
FigsFlow supports adding unlimited templates, testimonials, links and custom textbox within the proposal and LOE body. The content placement within the proposal and LOE body can be changed through the drag-and-drop feature. The selected theme colour is reflected throughout the proposal and LOEs.
In addition, the cover page for both LOE and Proposal are customisable with custom images and logos.
FigsFlow includes a provision for clients who prefer signing physical documents by embedding a cover letter within the proposal, allowing for easy printing and signing.
Conversely, Cone has unlimited custom templates with highly flexible sections that can be modified individually. Cone provides pre-loaded templates for users unsure about creating dynamic templates that can be customised as needed. Moreover LOEs and Proposals can be combined into a single document. The Growth package further enhances customisation by allowing users to embed videos and PDFs within templates.
Customisation Verdict
Both platforms have extensive customisation for LOEs, Proposals, Emails and Cover Letters. Yet their focus differs—FigsFlow tailors its templates largely for accountants, bookkeepers and tax advisers, whereas Cone caters to a broader range of professionals. Cone has an edge with its media and document embedding feature, boosting proposal interactivity.
Supported Integrations
Since both tools are designed for accountants and bookkeepers, they integrate with popular business applications.
FigsFlow supports HubSpot, Companies House, Stripe and custom email. The HubSpot and Companies House integration allows users to import contacts directly into FigsFlow without switching between apps for smooth and secure data retrieval. The team has also announced upcoming integrations in their next update.
Cone integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, ZohoBooks, GoCardless, Stripe and Companies House (UK) across all subscription levels. But Zapier and Custom Email integration are only available with the higher-tier Growth plan.
As integration varies per user requirements, it is difficult to determine which is the best. However, as a general rule of thumb, if software has the option to integrate popular and relevant applications that are industry-specific, it should work in the ideal business environment.
Based on this, it seems Cone allows some popular software, such as QuickBooks and Xero, to be integrated into its system, making it an ideal choice for accountants and bookkeepers. FigsFlow also integrates with popular CRM systems like HubSpot and government databases like Companies House.
Since Cone supports diverse integration, Cone wins here.
Reporting and Analysis
Reporting and analysis are yet another interesting feature available in both proposal software.
With FigsFlow, you will have an overview of 5 core insights as described below:
- Total Deals: Indicates the total deal that was registered on FigsFlow for any given period
- Deals Won: Indicates the total deal that was won in any given period of time
- Annualised Revenue: Generates total revenue that is collected in any given period of time
- Total Revenue Generated Based on Service: Bifurcates revenue based on product line and provides insights into high-performing product lines
- Conversion Rate: Generates report on total deals won against the total deal registered on FigsFlow in any given period of time
The best thing about the FigsFlow reporting is that it gives the comparison report monthly, quarterly and annually. So users get a picture of how a business performs in a given period and plan accordingly.
Cone on the other hand, has some core insights to look into.
- Funnel (Deal Stage vs. Total value and number of deals)
- Deals Lost by Reason
- Clients (Total clients added over time)
- Conversion rate
- Cash Deposit
- Total collected
- This month
- Projected next month
- Projected annual collection
- Revenue
- Average monthly revenue
- Average revenue per client
- Projected next month
- At-risk clients (showing clients with invoices due over 90 days)
- Receivables
- To be overdue
- Overdue
In addition, Cone also allows filtering data using based on a custom data range.
After reviewing both platforms, Cone has more dynamic reporting than FigsFlow, making it the stronger option in this category.
Pricing
With all the features considered, pricing becomes a key factor in assessing value for money. Let’s break down what each software offers.
FigsFlow’s Pricing Structure
FigsFlow follows a four-tier pricing model, starting at £10/month, covering:
✅ 2 users
✅ Up to 10 LOEs per month
✅ Storage for 100 contacts
This entry-level plan suits firms with basic needs and minimal transactions.
For sole practitioners and small businesses, the Basic subscription allows:
✅ Up to 30 LOEs per month
✅ Storage for 250 contacts
For firms with higher transaction volumes, the Standard package supports:
✅ 5 users
✅ Up to 60 LOEs per month
✅ Storage for 600 contacts
For large enterprises, the £90/month plan includes:
✅ 10 users
✅ Unlimited LOEs
✅ Storage for 1,200 contacts
All packages come with onboarding support. If you require dedicated customer support, the Standard plan and above provide a dedicated relationship manager to assist with any issues.
Cone’s Pricing Structure
Cone has a two-tier pricing model with a lower starting price but fewer features in the base plan:
✅ Essentials Package (£8/month)
- 1 user
- Unlimited proposals
- Cone’s badge branding (cannot be removed)
✅ Growth Package (£11/month per user)
- Includes everything in Essentials
- Advanced integrations (e.g., accounting software, Zapier)
- Client reminders
- Sales pipeline management
- Automated billing and payment collection
Both plans are billed annually.
Cone’s entry-level plan is cheaper than FigsFlow but the branding limitation may be a dealbreaker for some. The Growth package, however, provides more automation and integration features, making it more suitable for businesses looking for scalability.
Market Niche
Both FigsFlow and Cone cater to professionals but their target audiences differ.
✅ FigsFlow
- Primarily designed for Accountants, Tax Advisers, and Bookkeepers.
- Developed in collaboration with industry professionals, ensuring tailored features and ready-to-use templates.
- While other professionals can use it, its core functionality is built for the accounting and advisory sector.
✅ Cone
Targets a broader range of industries, including:
- Legal firms
- Agencies & freelancers
- Real estate
- IT services
- Architecture & event management
More flexible in customisation and integrations, making it suitable for businesses beyond accounting.
User Reviews
Still unsure which software is right for you? We’ve gathered user ratings and feedback from online sources to make your decision easier.
Starting with FigsFlow, the users have the following ratings:
- G2 Reviews: 5/5 | Based on 2 reviews
- Google Reviews: 5/5 | Based on 4 reviews
- Trustindex Reviews: 4.9/5 | Based on 15 reviews
On the other hand, the users have the following ratings for Cone:
- G2 Reviews: 4.8/5 | Based on 10 reviews
- Trustpilot reviews: No reviews found
- Capterra reviews: No reviews found
- Xero Appstore reviews: No reviews found
Billing
Cone has a billing module that tracks invoices and payments, whereas FigsFlow currently lacks this feature. We hope the FigsFlow team will add it in the future.
Final Verdict
FigsFlow caters mainly to accountants, bookkeepers and tax advisers, with a smaller niche. By contrast, Cone serves a wider market including legal firms, agencies, freelancers, real estate, IT services, architecture and event management, in addition to accounting and tax firms.
Both software has customisable, send-ready templates and have excellent client reviews.
They provide strong reporting and analysis dashboards to track revenue and product performance and feature great UI/UX design and commendable support. The time to generate proposals is similar for both, making them efficient and productive. However, Cone allows for the addition of brochures and videos to higher-tier subscriptions.
FigsFlow stands out with its 30-day free trial, offering more time to explore the software, whereas Cone provides a 14-day trial. Cone has the edge if you’re looking for advanced features like proposal editing and recalling. Additionally, Cone’s proposal tracking provides detailed insights into client engagement, and its billing feature helps track payments.
Cone’s pricing is also more affordable, starting at £8 per month for unlimited proposals. FigsFlow starts at £10 per month for two users and up to 10 Letters of Engagement (LOEs) monthly.
In conclusion, both proposal software have valuable features. The right choice depends on your business needs, and it’s worth trying both to see which best fits your requirements.
Dipesh Pant
Dipesh Pant, with 5 years of experience in customer relations, sales, and client management, blends real estate expertise with an academic background in Information Management.