FigsFlow vs GoProposal
A proposal portrays the company’s impression—it communicates on your behalf what you can bring to the table for the price your client is paying. Although various factors come into play in generating proposals, research shows that, on average, companies dedicate up to 23.8 hours to writing a request for proposal (aka RFP), which could engage up to seven people.
While crafting a tailored proposal for high-value clients could take even longer depending upon the parameters such as the complexity of the scope of the work, size of the company, and so forth, generating a professional proposal beating the time is of the essence.
Although software companies have been introducing flagship software to ease things at customers’ end for generating professional proposals, the focus has always been on convenience and speed without forgoing the human touch.
The article is focused on showcasing the feature comparison between two top-notch proposal-generating software – GoProposal and FigsFlow, which have strived to enrich the essence of a world-class proposal software for accountants.
Key Features for Distinction
While many aspects of proposal software make it stand out in the market, here we have considered some key elements you may want to consider before subscribing to one.
1. User Interface & Ease of Use
Software must be convenient. The principle of any software is to ease the task, and it all starts with a user-friendly interface, without users having to make an effort to locate the features.
2. User access
Proposal software might want access control over the data and information on the software. Given the fact that information is sensitive, limiting access control over creating and editing data is crucial.
3. Software Support
Great proposal software should always have a dedicated support line. While no system can be guaranteed foolproof, however, this can be mitigated with the help of ongoing support, whether online or offline.
4. Security
Security is undoubtedly a ‘must-have’ when it comes to proposal software. Data is sensitive—clients’ data on no accounts can be compromised.
5. Automation
Proposal software must be designed to be efficient. All the mundane and routine tasks the software can handle should be handled by software, freeing users to focus on other qualitative factors.
6. Proposal Tracking
An ideal proposal software must be able to track the proposal’s progress once the prospects receive them. This should at least provide the basic metrics such as read, engagement, and approval status.
7. Design and Customisation
Proposals and their presentations should be aesthetically pleasing. They should be a sight for sore eyes. Proposals software should make it possible to generate attractive and promising proposals.
8. Supported Integration
As users interact with various other software, the proposal software should fit in within the ecosystem of different applications, allowing them to integrate within the software. Although all integrations may not be possible, proposal software must allow all the market-relevant and popular integrations into their software for seamless transactions.
9. Reporting and Analysis
A proposal software must provide its users with insights into the overview of the proposals that are generated and sent to prospects. These insights should serve basic statistics such as won status, revenue, conversion rate, etc.
10. Price
Budgeting plays a significant role when purchasing. Hence, it should always justify its value over the price the users pay rather than keeping it cheap.
Comparison Summary
Based on the ten core features, here is how FigsFlow and GoProposal perform.
| Basis | FigsFlow | GoProposal |
|---|---|---|
| User Interface and Ease of Use | Rating: 4.9/5 | Rating: 4.5/5 |
| Average Proposal Generation Time | Under 1 minute | Under 2 minutes |
| User Role Access | Available | Available |
| Software Support | Available | Available |
| Security | Secured | Secured |
| Automation | Available | Available |
| Proposal Tracking | Available | Available |
| Design and Customisation | Wide Options | Limited Options |
| Integration | Supports popular applications and third-party integrations | Supports popular integrations |
| Reporting and Analysis | Available | Available |
| Price | Starts at £10/month | Starts at £65/month |
Let’s Start Comparing
While we have considered the fundamental variables for comparing two leading proposal software, let’s delve deeper to see how they perform under each category.
User Interface and Ease of Use
User interface and user experience play a significant role in determining the success of the software. Great software never compromises on sleek designs and easy navigation of the features within the software. Let’s discover what each proposal software has to deliver under the segment.
The FigsFlow comes with a sleek design, all thanks to the FigsFlow design team! The feature placements are exactly where they need to be, and related features within the module are accommodated together to enhance easy navigation.
The related features are bundled together within relevant modules and rightly placed where appropriate. So, users can be accustomed to locating the feature without any hassle.
GoProposal has a similar state-of-the-art UI/UX proposal. Features are easy to navigate, and the process flow is well-defined.
One aspect in which FigsFlow dominates GoProposal is the time required to generate the proposal. The time needed to create and process proposals to ‘Live’ status from FigsFlow is relatively lower than GoProposal.
So, if time is a major concern when generating professional proposals, FigsFlow will not disappoint you. However, if you are happy with compromising time, either proposal software could be handy.
User Role Access
While all the packages on the FigsFlow support user access, the admin can limit the specific action on the FigsFlow, enhancing the system’s security. Based on the user’s requirements, the admin can assign or restrict the user to four core actions: Create, Read, Update, and Delete. These actions are available in the following modules:
- Proposal Management System
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General Setting
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Service Setting
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Client Setting
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Template Setting
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Proposal Report
- User Management System
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Role Setting
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User Setting
GoProposal supports similar role access that users can assign. The access can be for Dashboard, Proposals and Configuration. The action available under each module includes:
- Dashboard
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Statistics
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GoProposal Academy
- Proposals
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Proposals
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Invoices
- Configuration
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Pricing Tool
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Application Settings
Since the user access functionality plays a significant role, especially when the data is of a sensitive nature, deleting or editing them without authorisation could create a great deal of havoc. So, the verdict under the user access setting is shared by FigsFlow and GoProposal.
Software Support
There are three core supports available in FigsFlow after subscribing to the software—onboarding support, email support, and live chat support. The type of support might vary based on the service you have subscribed to. The great news is you will have basic onboarding support starting from the basic package on FigsFlow. If you move a little higher to the Basic package, you will receive initial guided onboarding support followed by email support. With the Standard package onwards, however, you get a dedicated relationship manager along with email and live support.
Additionally, FigsFlow also offers a great deal of knowledge about its software to help users navigate and make the best use of the software. Their knowledge base is easy to follow and provides step-by-step instructions through user guides, blogs, video tutorials, and webinars.
With the GoProposal, however, you get chat support for every package you subscribe to. GoProposal claims they deliver VIP support. However, except for bank holidays, the website’s chat support is available from Monday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm.
In addition, GoProposal has a knowledge base that guides users thoroughly through the features of its software. The manuals are straightforward to follow to navigate the features the software has to offer. Furthermore, they have their own Learning Management System (LMS) called GoProposal Academy, which delivers relevant courses and training regarding sales and pricing.
FigsFlow offers a wide range of support depending on the package. However, it does not include any support for the Lite package. On the contrary, with GoProposal, the level of support is uniform irrespective of the package you subscribe to. Since the level of support is subjective, both software share equal points.
Security
Data is sensitive, and hence, data security is the prerequisite. Both GoProposal and FigsFlow have taken data security very seriously and have implemented sophisticated measures to prevent data exfiltration.
Both GoProposal and FigsFlow have implemented the Extended Validation SSL (Secured Socket Layer) for end-to-end data encryption, which enforces stronger data encryption while implementing the strict verification process. Additionally, for password security, both proposal software have deployed SHA-2 and 2048-bit encryption, enhancing the login credentials with a state-of-the-art cryptographic hash function that resists cryptographic vulnerabilities like collision attacks.
Additionally, GoProposal has added security, namely SOC2 compliance, a security framework developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) that focuses on data protection, privacy, and security controls for cloud-based and SaaS companies to ensure that service providers securely manage customer data.
With the rising cyberattacks and stringent global client data security laws, security plays a crucial role. With the added layer of protection, GoProposal outpaces FigsFlow in this category.
Automation
Why do the mundane and recurring tasks yourself when automation can do them for you? Both these proposal software have so much to offer under automation. Let’s check them out.
Proposal Reminder
Prospects receive massive numbers of proposals for the service they have requested from various accountants. So, it is very difficult for them to keep track of the proposals. However, FigsFlow has resolved this issue by introducing the ‘Proposal Reminder’ with custom settings.
GoProposal, on the other hand, also has an email reminder feature. However, the remainder goes to the user rather than the client.
Proposal Auto-Expiry
Once the client does not sign the proposal on FigsFlow and expires after a set period, the proposal is automatically marked as ‘Lost’. This saves users from marking the deal as ‘lost manually’.
However, with GoProposal, the feature is not available.
Email Notification Automation After Proposal Has Been Signed
Both FigsFlow and GoProposal have the native feature to email the clients and the respective team members once the proposal has been signed. The email template can be configured to send to different parties, which is automatically triggered once the proposal is signed.
Reactivating Lost Proposal
FigsFlow has the feature of reactivating the lost proposal that might have been lost for various reasons (for example, because the prospect did not sign it before the expiry date). This saves users the trouble of recreating the proposal and focusing on the prospecting deals.
GoProposal, however, does not have the feature available.
Hence, although many features are similar under automation for GoProposal and FigsFlow, reactivating the lost proposal and auto-expiry feature makes FigsFlow stand out and win the favour.
Proposal Tracking
Crafting a proposal is challenging, but what if the crafted proposal cannot be tracked when disseminated? Let’s see what each proposal software has to offer in this segment.
FigsFlow has some stunning features that are under proposal tracking. Once the proposal is generated and made live, the status of the proposal and LOE is updated to ‘Live’.
Whether or not the proposal lands in the prospect’s email inbox, the status of the Point of Contact (PoC) 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.
GoProposal also has a similar status for proposal tracking. When the proposal is generated and sent to the prospect, the status is marked as ‘Sent’ and ‘Live’ simultaneously.
- Once the proposal lands within client’s inbox, the status is updated to ‘Received’.
- Once the prospect opens the email that has proposal attached, the status is updated as ‘Opened’.
- Finally, once the proposal is signed by the prospect, the status is updated as ‘Won’.
Design and Customisation
You hardly get a second chance to make a first impression. This is where design and customisation come into play. This segment focuses on the design, aesthetics, and customisation of the proposals and LOEs.
Font and Colour Customisation
Starting with the FigsFlow, both LOE and proposals are customisable to a greater extent. FigsFlows allows you to select various colours and fonts that align with your brand. It has all the popular fonts pre-loaded, and you can be specific with your colours with hex code.
GoProposal has features similar to FigsFlow – the brand colour can be configured using hex code, and the font can be selected from the library.
Templates Customisation
In addition, FigsFlow allows you to have complete control over designing the templates. The software has a dedicated module to store all your templates related to proposals, LOEs, Emails and Cover letters. You can customise each template with unique designs, adding a a custom cover image and logo. Additionally, each heading is customisable.
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 changed through the 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 logo.
Besides, for the clients who wish to sign the physical document, FigsFlow has the provision of a cover letter within the proposal that can be printed for signing the document.
On the other hand, GoProposal also allows the setting up of unlimited custom templates. However, there is a limitation in adding more content within the proposal template. For instance, the GoProposal template only supports at most three testimonials and three graphic images in each template. Furthermore, adding more segments within the template is impossible. Hence, their proposal-building framework has limitations.
With the wide range of customisation features within LOE, Proposal, Email, and Cover letter templates, FigsFlow has so much to offer when it comes to aesthetics and presentation of the proposals and LOE. With the library of templates and a dedicated template module that is easy to configure, FigsFlow outpaces GoProposal in this segment.
Supported Integration
As both proposal software are designed to address the needs of generating proposals and LOEs for accountants and bookkeepers, they both support the popular integrations in their software.
FigsFlow integrations include HubSpot, Companies House, Stripe, and custom email. With HubSpot and Companies House integration, users can directly import the contact to FigsFlow without switching between the applications on FigsFlow, allowing seamless and secure data retrieval. In addition, the team has promised to bring out more integration in their next update.
On the other hand, GoProposal allows an integration of the core accounting software such as Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, Dext Precision, Zapier, GoCardless, AccountancyManager, Senta, and Karbon. These integrations allow users to interact with various software within the same ecosystem.
As integration varies per user requirements, it isn’t easy to determine which is the best. However, as a general rule of thumb, if the software can integrate popular and relevant industry-specific applications, it should work in the ideal business environment.
Based on this, it seems GoProposal allows some popular software, such as QuickBooks and Xero, to be integrated into its system, making it an ideal choice for accountants and bookkeepers. However, FigsFlow also integrates with other popular CRM systems, such as HubSpot, and government databases, such as Companies House. So, both of these share equal points here as they have their significance.
Reporting and Analysis
Reporting and analysis are other interesting features available on 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
- Annualised Revenue: Generates total revenue that is collected in any given period
- 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
The best thing about the FigsFlow reporting is that it gives the comparison report on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. So, users get a picture of how a business is performing in a given period of time and strategise accordingly.
GoProposal on the other hand, have 5 core insights to look into.
- Proposal Produced
- Proposal Won
- Total Monthly Revenue
- Average Monthly Revenue
- One-off Revenue
In addition to this, GoProposal also allows us to compare the reports with the monthly target and track the business performance in track.
The proposal can be filtered using 4 filers:
- Proposal Status: Live, Won, Lost
- Monthly Targets: Proposals, Renewals and Extra Work Orders
- Time: Monthly, 60 days, Quarterly, Semi-annual, Annual, Custom date range
The interface also logs the most recent activity that is carried out within the proposal software.
After assessing the reporting and analysis, it seems that GoProposal has comparatively more dynamic filters than FigsFlow. The monthly target features present in the GoProposal outpace FigsFlow. Hence, the verdict is in favour of GoProposal.
Price
Considering all the features, price becomes a significant factor based on the value these software delivers. Let’s find out what each software offers under the price segment based on the value they bring to the table.
FigsFlow has a 4-tier pricing strategy. The price starts at £10/month, which supports two users, allows for the generation of up to 10 Letters of Engagement (LOE) per month, and allows for the storage of up to 100 contacts within the subscription. This package is best suited to firms with basic needs who have few transactions and do not require any advanced functionality. However, if you are a sole practitioner and small business, a basic subscription is best for you, where you can generate up to 30 LOEs and store up to 250 contacts. On the other hand, if your transaction is higher than small businesses, the Standard package is something you might want to check out, as it supports up to 5 users while allowing you to generate up to 60 LOEs per month and store up to 600 contacts. The package comes at £90 a month for the large enterprise, allowing up to 10 users while generating unlimited LOEs and storing up to 1,200 contacts. All of the packages support onboarding support. However, suppose you are looking for dedicated support. In that case, it is recommended to consider a Standard subscription and above, as it assigns a dedicated relationship manager to look into your issues for you.
GoProposal, on the other hand, also has a 4-tier pricing structure. However, the starting price is £65 per month for the Solo package, which allows five proposals and one user. Moving to a higher price segment, you get the Basic package at £95 per month with 10 proposals and one user. The most popular price segment includes 50 proposals with access to 2 users, which costs £130 a month. Businesses with large transactions would need a Premium package costing £205 a month, which allows for generating unlimited proposals and access to 10 users. All the packages include GoProposal AML (KYC & Risk assessment) and OverSuite (Smart Engagement Letter Suite).
Additionally
While we have covered the core comparison, let’s look at the suitability of the proposal software based on two additional criteria.
Market Niche
While FigsFlow functionality supports other professional bodies, its core functionality and interface are designed to service accountants, tax advisers, and bookkeepers. As FigsFlow is designed by closely collaborating with accounting and advisory professionals, the software encompasses all the core features and send-ready templates integrated into the software.
On the other hand, GoProposal’s target market is accountants and bookkeepers. Their features, default product lines, and pricing functions are designed seamlessly for accounting professionals and bookkeepers.
Both the software caters to small to large business firms with their proposal-generating software.
Since both proposal software have a similar market niche, an equal point has been awarded to each proposal software.
Reviews
After all this comparison, you may still be sceptical about which proposal software best fits you, and we can feel that! We have collected the online ratings for both proposal software to save you the trouble of researching. Let’s check out their thoughts on each of these software.
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 14 reviews
On the other hand, the users have the following ratings for GoProposal
- Trustpilot reviews: 2.9/5 | Based on 2 reviews
- Capterra reviews: 4.6/5 | Based on 5 reviews
- Xero Appstore reviews: 5/5 | Based on 91 reviews
- Intuit QuickBooks reviews: 4.8/5 | Based on 35 reviews
As GoProposal has greater positive reviews from the clients, the verdict is under GoProposal’s favour for this segment.
Final Verdict
If you are running out of time and need to decide immediately, you have just come to the right section because this section covers the conclusion and summary of this article.
Both software are undeniably the best for users delivering accounting and advisory services and have the same target market. Both of them have send-ready templates that are relevant and customisable. In addition, both the software have taken data security seriously and implemented contemporary security solutions for data protection. No wonder both of them have excellent reviews and ratings from clients who are using the proposal regularly.
Another great thing about both the proposal software is that they both generously deliver a 30-day trial, allowing users to explore the software and its features independently. In addition, they both have a fantastic reporting and analysis dashboard to keep track of the revenue and performing product lines. Furthermore, they both offer an excellent proposal tracking feature and are very precise. Lastly, the software’s design and user experience are sleek, and the features are easy to navigate.
However, if speed matters and customisation matters to you the most, FigsFlow is a go-to software for you, as the average proposal generation time is less than a minute, and it allows adding multiple sections to proposals and LOEs with easy customisation, making each proposal a ‘bespoke’ proposal. On top of all, the subscription is a lot cheaper for the value it generates and the ongoing support you receive.
On the other hand, if budget and time are not a bigger issue for you and you work with various other accounting software simultaneously, GoProposal could be your lifesaver because it allows you to integrate popular accounting software such as QuickBooks and Xero. On top of all, their ‘Oversuite’ add-ons, which can be integrated within GoProposal software, allow you to build and generate compelling, auto-updated engagement letters meeting the highest compliance standards. With over 60 service schedules available, the service would incur additional costs starting at £40 per month.
In summary, as both proposal software offers a 30-day trial, why not use it best and try both features to see what each software offers? After all, you never know what something feels like until you have tried it alone.
Dipesh B. 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.