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Insurance · head to head

Bold Penguin vs Novidea

Bold Penguin logo

Bold Penguin

Insurance

Business insurance marketplace for brokers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Novidea logo

Novidea

Insurance

Broker and MGA management platform built natively on Salesforce

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; Novidea salesforce licences are a separate recurring cost on top of the Novidea subscription, and for a broker with many occasional users that second bill changes the comparison against standalone systems entirely.
  • They diverge on capability: Bold Penguin covers Multi-carrier quoting, Novidea covers Native Salesforce architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bold Penguin and Novidea differ
AttributeBold PenguinNovidea
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modeltransactionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, API
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 Novidea

  • Native Salesforce architecture
  • Placement and submission tracking
  • Multi-currency and multi-entity
  • Commission and revenue management
  • Analytics
  • Client and broker portals

What people use each for

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

Bold Penguin

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

Novidea

  • An international broker consolidating offices that each run a different local agency systemnot Bold Penguin
  • A speciality wholesaler placing non-admitted and Lloyd's business that national agency systems handle poorlynot Bold Penguin
  • An MGA that needs binder, bordereaux and commission tracking in the same place as the client recordnot Bold Penguin
  • A broker group that already standardised on Salesforce and does not want a second client databasenot 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

Novidea

  • Salesforce licences are a separate recurring cost on top of the Novidea subscription, and for a broker with many occasional users that second bill changes the comparison against standalone systems entirely.
  • It is not built around United States personal lines carrier download, so an agency whose daily work depends on automated policy download from dozens of carriers will find the connectivity thin.
  • Because it inherits Salesforce, it also inherits Salesforce administration; you need someone who knows the platform, and that skill is priced by the Salesforce market rather than the insurance market.
  • Implementations involve mapping an existing book with its history into Salesforce objects, and brokers consistently underestimate how much data cleansing that exposes.
  • Salesforce platform changes and release cycles are outside the vendor control, so an upgrade that alters behaviour you depend on arrives on someone else calendar.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bold Penguin

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

Novidea

On request
  • Novidea Platform$undefined/year
    • Broker management on Salesforce
    • Placement and revenue tracking
    • Analytics dashboards

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 Novidea if

  • You need native salesforce architecture.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want placement and submission tracking.
Novidea review

Questions people ask

Is Bold Penguin or Novidea better?
Neither clearly leads. Bold Penguin starts at Free and Novidea at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bold Penguin or Novidea?
Bold Penguin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bold Penguin and On request for Novidea.
Does Bold Penguin or Novidea run on more platforms?
Bold Penguin runs on Web, Ios, Android. Novidea runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Can I use Bold Penguin for free?
Yes. Bold Penguin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Novidea 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 Novidea is typically brought in for.
What can Bold Penguin do that Novidea cannot?
Bold Penguin covers Multi-carrier quoting, Instant quotes, Online binding, Customer portal. Novidea covers Native Salesforce architecture, Placement and submission tracking, Multi-currency and multi-entity, Commission and revenue management.

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
Novidea: Do we need to buy Salesforce as well?

Yes. Novidea runs on Salesforce and the underlying platform licences are purchased separately. Include them in every cost comparison.

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
Novidea: Is it suitable for a United States retail agency?

Only if your book is commercial or speciality. If you depend on personal lines carrier download, an established agency management system is the better fit.

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
Novidea: What does it replace?

The broker management system and usually a separate CRM, plus the spreadsheets used for commission and receivables tracking.

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