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Proposals · head to head

17hats vs Better Proposals

17hats logo

17hats

Proposals

Small business client workflow with quotes, contracts, invoices and automated follow up sequences

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Better Proposals logo

Better Proposals

Customer Success

Create Proposals That Win

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Better Proposals has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 17hats the interface is visibly older than newer competitors, which matters because the client facing documents are part of how a small business presents itself.; Better Proposals documents are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Starter and 50 on Premium
  • They diverge on capability: 17hats covers Workflow automation, Better Proposals covers Proposal templates.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 17hats and Better Proposals actually diverge.

Attributes where 17hats and Better Proposals differ
Attribute17hatsBetter Proposals
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryProposalsCustomer Success
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 17hats

  • Workflow automation
  • Quotes and contracts
  • Invoicing and payments
  • Lead capture forms
  • Questionnaires
  • Bookkeeping basics
  • Calendar and time tracking

Only in Better Proposals

  • Proposal templates
  • Digital signatures
  • Analytics
  • Payment collection
  • Custom branding
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Stripe

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

17hats

  • A photographer or event professional running the same booking sequence dozens of times a yearnot Better Proposals
  • Automating deposit invoices and reminders so that chasing payment stops being a weekly tasknot Better Proposals
  • Capturing enquiries through a public form that starts a quote and contract workflow without manual entrynot Better Proposals
  • A sole trader who wants client records, contracts and basic bookkeeping in one place rather than threenot Better Proposals

Better Proposals

  • Sending branded sales proposals with digital signaturesnot 17hats
  • Taking payment at the point of signaturenot 17hats
  • Tracking when a prospect opens and reads a proposalnot 17hats
  • Reusable content library and templatesnot 17hats
  • Approval workflows before a proposal goes out, on the Enterprise tiernot 17hats

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

17hats

  • The interface is visibly older than newer competitors, which matters because the client facing documents are part of how a small business presents itself.
  • The workflow builder takes real time to learn and configure, so the automation benefit arrives weeks after purchase rather than on the first day.
  • A consultancy where no two engagements are alike gets little from the workflow engine, which is most of what the price pays for.
  • It is built around a single operator, so a business adding staff or subcontractors runs into structural limits rather than a higher tier.
  • Payments run through third party gateways, so card processing fees apply in addition to the subscription and should be included when comparing cost per booking.

Better Proposals

  • Documents are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Starter and 50 on Premium
  • The Starter plan at $13 a month is a single user
  • Custom domains, CRM integrations and the API all need Premium at $21 per user per month
  • Approvals, content locking and advanced permissions are Enterprise only at $42 per user per month
  • The Nudge follow-up feature is a $10 per user per month add-on, and custom design starts at $1,495

Pricing, plan by plan

17hats

On request
  • 17hats$undefined/year
    • Quotes, contracts and electronic signature
    • Invoicing and online payment
    • Workflow automation sequences

Better Proposals

Free
  • Starter$13/month
    • 1 maximum user seat
    • 10 monthly send limit
    • Digital signatures, interactive pricing, payment integrations
  • Premium$21/month
    • Unlimited user seats
    • 50 monthly send limit
    • Custom domain, CRM integrations, API/Zapier access
  • Enterprise$42/month
    • Unlimited user seats
    • Unlimited monthly sends
    • Content locking, simultaneous editing, manager approvals

Which should you pick?

Choose 17hats if

  • You need workflow automation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want quotes and contracts.
17hats review

Choose Better Proposals if

  • You need proposal templates.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want digital signatures.
Better Proposals review

Questions people ask

Is 17hats or Better Proposals better?
Neither clearly leads. 17hats starts at On request and Better Proposals at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 17hats or Better Proposals?
Better Proposals has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for 17hats and Free for Better Proposals.
Does 17hats or Better Proposals run on more platforms?
17hats runs on Web, iOS, Android. Better Proposals runs on Web.
Can I use Better Proposals for free?
Yes. Better Proposals has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 17hats starts at On request.
What is 17hats best used for?
17hats is most often used for a photographer or event professional running the same booking sequence dozens of times a year, automating deposit invoices and reminders so that chasing payment stops being a weekly task, capturing enquiries through a public form that starts a quote and contract workflow without manual entry, a sole trader who wants client records, contracts and basic bookkeeping in one place rather than three. Of those, a photographer or event professional running the same booking sequence dozens of times a year and automating deposit invoices and reminders so that chasing payment stops being a weekly task are not what Better Proposals is typically brought in for.
What can 17hats do that Better Proposals cannot?
17hats covers Workflow automation, Quotes and contracts, Invoicing and payments, Lead capture forms. Better Proposals covers Proposal templates, Digital signatures, Analytics, Payment collection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

17hats: What is the main reason to choose it?

The workflow engine. If your bookings follow the same sequence every time, that sequence can be automated once and reused.

Better Proposals: Does Better Proposals charge per user or per team?

Starter tier ($13/month) is limited to 1 user seat. Premium ($21/month) and Enterprise ($42/month) allow unlimited user seats at their respective prices.

Source
17hats: Is it worth it for bespoke consulting work?

Rarely. Without repeatable engagements the automation, which is the main value, has nothing to automate.

Better Proposals: How much can I save with annual billing on Better Proposals?

Annual billing saves up to 35% compared to monthly billing. Starter becomes $19/month (billed annually), Premium becomes $29/month, and Enterprise becomes $49/month.

Source
17hats: Does it handle bookkeeping?

At sole trader level. It is not a replacement for accounting software once complexity grows.

Better Proposals: Is there a free trial for Better Proposals?

Yes, 14-day free trial available with no credit card required to get started.

Source
17hats: Can I add team members?

It is designed for a single operator, and multi person use is awkward rather than supported properly.

17hats: How long before it saves time?

Not immediately. Budget for a configuration period before the workflow automation starts paying back.

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