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Insurance · head to head

Bold Penguin vs Ivans

Bold Penguin logo

Bold Penguin

Insurance

Business insurance marketplace for brokers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ivans logo

Ivans

Insurance

Carrier to agency data exchange infrastructure that sits under most US insurance agency management systems

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bold Penguin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bold Penguin no public pricing available; entirely quote-based sales model; Ivans applied Systems owns both Ivans and competing agency management systems, so the neutral infrastructure that every AMS depends on is controlled by one of the AMS vendors, a conflict that rival vendors have complained about for years.
  • They diverge on capability: Bold Penguin covers Multi-carrier quoting, Ivans covers Ivans Download.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bold Penguin and Ivans actually diverge.

Attributes where Bold Penguin and Ivans differ
AttributeBold PenguinIvans
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modeltransactionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded2019Unknown

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

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 Bold Penguin

  • Multi-carrier quoting
  • Instant quotes
  • Online binding
  • Customer portal
  • Commission tracking
  • Mobile app
  • API access
  • Reporting

Only in Ivans

  • Ivans Download
  • Ivans Exchange
  • Ivans Distribution
  • Market Appetite
  • Download analytics for carriers
  • Commission download

What people use each for

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

Bold Penguin

  • Routing and triaging commercial insurance submissionsnot Ivans
  • Automating submission to bind through the Terminal platformnot Ivans
  • Handling complex middle market submissions with SubmissionLinknot Ivans
  • Policy checking with ClauseLinknot Ivans

Ivans

  • An agency evaluating a new management system that needs to confirm, carrier by carrier and line by line, which data will actually download before it signsnot Bold Penguin
  • A carrier launching a new line that wants agency systems to receive policy data automatically rather than by rekeying from a portalnot Bold Penguin
  • An MGA that wants its book visible to retail agencies in the same download flow as admitted carriersnot Bold Penguin
  • An agency operations lead auditing why commission reconciliation keeps failing, which usually turns out to be a missing or misconfigured download connectionnot Bold Penguin

Where each one falls short

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

Bold Penguin

  • No public pricing available; entirely quote-based sales model
  • B2B enterprise solution with custom pricing based on organizational needs
  • No published tiers or plan features; feature set and cost determined during sales consultation

Ivans

  • Applied Systems owns both Ivans and competing agency management systems, so the neutral infrastructure that every AMS depends on is controlled by one of the AMS vendors, a conflict that rival vendors have complained about for years.
  • Download coverage is decided by carriers, not by Ivans or your AMS, so a carrier that does not publish a line simply does not download it and no amount of configuration in your system will fix it.
  • Eligibility requires that you are appointed and writing the line in that state, meaning newly appointed agencies wait on carrier-side setup with little visibility into where the request sits.
  • Data quality varies sharply by carrier, and agencies routinely find that some carriers send incomplete or oddly mapped policy data that then has to be cleaned inside the AMS, undermining the point of automating it.
  • Pricing is opaque and largely invisible to agencies because it is bundled into AMS and carrier agreements, which makes it impossible to judge what the network actually costs your business or to negotiate it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bold Penguin

Free
  • Broker AccessFree
    • Multi-carrier quotes
    • Instant quoting
    • Commission tracking

Ivans

On request
  • Ivans$undefined/year
    • Ivans Exchange is provided to agencies at no additional charge, with a possible fee for Citizens of Florida business
    • Carrier and MGA participation, Ivans Distribution and appetite products are quoted
    • Pricing is generally embedded in the agency management system or carrier agreement rather than billed separately to the agency

Which should you pick?

Choose Bold Penguin if

  • You need multi-carrier quoting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want instant quotes.
Bold Penguin review

Choose Ivans if

  • You need ivans download.
  • You also want ivans exchange.
Ivans review

Questions people ask

Is Bold Penguin or Ivans better?
Neither clearly leads. Bold Penguin starts at Free and Ivans at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bold Penguin or Ivans?
Bold Penguin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bold Penguin and On request for Ivans.
Does Bold Penguin or Ivans run on more platforms?
Bold Penguin runs on Web, Ios, Android. Ivans runs on Web.
Can I use Bold Penguin for free?
Yes. Bold Penguin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ivans starts at On request.
What is Bold Penguin best used for?
Bold Penguin is most often used for routing and triaging commercial insurance submissions, automating submission to bind through the terminal platform, handling complex middle market submissions with submissionlink, policy checking with clauselink. Of those, routing and triaging commercial insurance submissions and automating submission to bind through the terminal platform are not what Ivans is typically brought in for.
What can Bold Penguin do that Ivans cannot?
Bold Penguin covers Multi-carrier quoting, Instant quotes, Online binding, Customer portal. Ivans covers Ivans Download, Ivans Exchange, Ivans Distribution, Market Appetite.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bold Penguin: What is Bold Penguin's pricing model?

Bold Penguin uses a custom, quote-based pricing model. Specific costs and billing periods are not published publicly; pricing is determined through consultation with the sales team based on organizational needs.

Source
Ivans: Do agencies pay for Ivans?

Ivans Exchange is provided to agencies at no additional cost, with a noted exception for business written with Citizens of Florida. The economics sit with carriers and with the agency management system vendors.

Bold Penguin: Does Bold Penguin offer standard subscription plans?

Bold Penguin does not publish standard pricing tiers or subscription plans. The company directs interested parties to book a demo or contact sales through 'Let's Talk' forms to discuss custom solutions and pricing.

Source
Ivans: Why is a carrier not downloading?

Almost always eligibility or carrier-side publication: you must be appointed and writing that line in that state, and the carrier must publish that line for download. Check the connection status in Ivans Exchange first.

Bold Penguin: How can I get a Bold Penguin price quote?

To obtain pricing information, visit the Bold Penguin website and submit a demo request or contact form. A sales representative will assess your needs and provide a customized pricing proposal.

Source
Ivans: Is Ivans owned by Applied Systems?

Yes. That matters because Applied also sells Applied Epic and EZLynx, so a competing AMS depends on infrastructure run by a competitor.

Ivans: Can you switch AMS and keep your downloads?

Connections have to be re-pointed to the new system, which is a per-carrier request through Ivans Exchange and is a common source of migration delay.

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