Responsive (formerly RFPIO) vs Better Proposals
A side-by-side comparison of Responsive and Better Proposals for UK suppliers — features, pricing, and who each tool best suits. Honest about where each is genuinely stronger.
TL;DR
Responsive (formerly RFPIO): Responsive (rebranded from RFPIO) is a US-headquartered enterprise RFP/RFI/security-questionnaire response platform with a strong answer library, automation rules, and AI assist features. Largely serves US/EU enterprise sales teams.
Better Proposals: Better Proposals is a SMB-focused proposal software with strong templating and e-signature, popular with agencies and consultants writing client proposals. Not designed for formal public-sector tender responses.
Responsive vs Better Proposals: side-by-side
| Feature | Responsive (formerly RFPIO) | Better Proposals |
|---|---|---|
| Category | RFP response | Proposal software |
| Origin | USA · founded 2015 (rebranded from RFPIO in 2022) | Croatia · founded 2016 |
| Primary audience | Mid-market and enterprise proposal teams | SMBs, freelancers, agencies |
| Pricing model | Annual enterprise contracts, custom-quoted; commonly starting in the £10k–£20k/yr range | Per-seat SaaS, plans typically starting around £19/user/month |
| UK public sector focus | No | No |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Live UK tender feed | No | No |
| Bid library | Yes | Yes |
| Tender-pack parser | Yes | No |
| AI bid drafting | Limited / assist | Limited / assist |
Where Responsive is stronger
- Deep answer-library management at scale (10,000+ entries)
- Mature integrations with Salesforce, Microsoft 365 and major sales platforms
Where Better Proposals is stronger
- Very low per-seat cost and easy onboarding for freelancers
- Quick branded-proposal turnaround
Best for Responsive
US/EU enterprise sales teams managing high-volume vendor RFPs with a large dedicated proposal function.
Best for Better Proposals
Freelancers and small agencies sending short client proposals.
There's also a third option
BidWriter — AI bid writing built for UK SMEs
If you're a UK supplier bidding into public sector contracts, BidWriter is purpose-built for the job — UK public sector specialism, AI drafting, integrated live tender feed, free plan, and per-seat pricing from £49/mo. No annual enterprise contract required.
FAQs
What's the difference between Responsive (formerly RFPIO) and Better Proposals?
Responsive is rfp response for mid-market and enterprise proposal teams. Better Proposals is proposal software for smbs, freelancers, agencies. The full feature-by-feature breakdown is in the table on this page.
Which is better for UK public sector — Responsive (formerly RFPIO) or Better Proposals?
Responsive has no specific UK public sector focus; Better Proposals has no UK public sector focus. For UK suppliers bidding into government, framework agreements and NHS, the more specialist option is usually the better starting point — but worth weighing against the rest of the comparison table.
Is Responsive (formerly RFPIO) cheaper than Better Proposals?
Responsive's pricing: Annual enterprise contracts, custom-quoted; commonly starting in the £10k–£20k/yr range. Better Proposals's pricing: Per-seat SaaS, plans typically starting around £19/user/month. Whichever fits your team's size, contract length, and per-bid economics best is the right answer — both can work out cheaper depending on your situation.
Who should pick Responsive (formerly RFPIO)?
US/EU enterprise sales teams managing high-volume vendor RFPs with a large dedicated proposal function.
Who should pick Better Proposals?
Freelancers and small agencies sending short client proposals.
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