Proposals · head to head
Indy vs Paperbell
Indy
Proposals
Freelance workflow suite covering proposals, contracts, invoices and time tracking with a usable free tier
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Paperbell
Proposals
Packaged offer, contract, scheduling and payment flow built for coaches selling sessions rather than projects
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Indy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Indy the free tier caps documents per month, and an active freelancer passes those caps quickly enough that the free plan is a trial in practice rather than a permanent option.; Paperbell it only models packaged session based work, so anyone selling project scoped deliverables will find the proposal side too rigid to use.
- They diverge on capability: Indy covers Contract library, Paperbell covers Package based offers.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Indy and Paperbell actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (quote), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Proposals).
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 Indy
- Contract library
- Proposals
- Invoicing
- Time tracking
- Task and calendar
- Free tier
Only in Paperbell
- Package based offers
- Contract signature
- Payment plans
- Session counting
- Scheduling
- Intake questionnaires
Both cover
- Client portal
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Indy
- A new freelancer who needs a real signed contract before there is revenue to fund a subscriptionnot Paperbell
- Testing whether an all in one freelance bundle suits your workflow before committing money to onenot Paperbell
- Part time or side project freelancing with low monthly document volume that stays inside the free capsnot Paperbell
- Replacing an unsigned emailed quote with a proposal that converts into a contract and an invoicenot Paperbell
Paperbell
- A coach selling a fixed six session package who is currently using three separate tools to sell itnot Indy
- Replacing a scheduling subscription, an e signature subscription and an invoicing tool with one accountnot Indy
- Selling coaching packages on instalments where remaining sessions must be tracked against paymentnot Indy
- A therapist or consultant who needs an intake questionnaire attached to the purchase rather than emailed afterwardsnot Indy
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Indy
- The free tier caps documents per month, and an active freelancer passes those caps quickly enough that the free plan is a trial in practice rather than a permanent option.
- Project management and task tracking are shallow, so anyone running several concurrent projects will keep a separate tool and lose the single system benefit.
- Reporting on income, utilisation and profitability is thin next to a dedicated accounting or time tracking product.
- Payments are processed by a third party gateway, so the card fee applies on top of the subscription and materially changes the cost per invoice on small jobs.
- As with every bundle, leaving means separating proposals, contracts, time and invoices out of one export, which is harder than replacing a single purpose tool.
Paperbell
- It only models packaged session based work, so anyone selling project scoped deliverables will find the proposal side too rigid to use.
- There is no time tracking, project management or task system, so any work between sessions is managed somewhere else entirely.
- Payments run through a third party gateway, so the card processing fee applies on top of the subscription and is easy to leave out of a comparison.
- The flat account price is attractive at scale but poor value for a coach with two or three clients, who is subsidising capacity they do not use.
- Customisation of the client facing pages is limited, so a coach with a strong brand will find the purchase flow looks like every other Paperbell account.
Pricing, plan by plan
Indy
Free- Indy$undefined/year
- Free tier with monthly document limits
- Proposals, contracts and invoices
- Time tracking and tasks
Paperbell
On request- Paperbell$undefined/year
- Unlimited clients on a flat account price
- Packages with contract, payment and scheduling
- Payment plans and subscriptions
Which should you pick?
Choose Indy if
- You need contract library.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want proposals.
Questions people ask
- Is Indy or Paperbell better?
- Neither clearly leads. Indy starts at Free and Paperbell at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Indy or Paperbell?
- Indy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Indy and On request for Paperbell.
- Does Indy or Paperbell run on more platforms?
- Indy runs on Web, iOS, Android. Paperbell runs on Web.
- Can I use Indy for free?
- Yes. Indy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paperbell starts at On request.
- What is Indy best used for?
- Indy is most often used for a new freelancer who needs a real signed contract before there is revenue to fund a subscription, testing whether an all in one freelance bundle suits your workflow before committing money to one, part time or side project freelancing with low monthly document volume that stays inside the free caps, replacing an unsigned emailed quote with a proposal that converts into a contract and an invoice. Of those, a new freelancer who needs a real signed contract before there is revenue to fund a subscription and testing whether an all in one freelance bundle suits your workflow before committing money to one are not what Paperbell is typically brought in for.
- What can Indy do that Paperbell cannot?
- Indy covers Contract library, Proposals, Invoicing, Time tracking. Paperbell covers Package based offers, Contract signature, Payment plans, Session counting. Both handle Client portal.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Indy: Is the free tier actually usable?
Yes, for real signed contracts and invoices, but it caps documents per month and active freelancers hit that fairly quickly.
Paperbell: Is it priced per client?
No. It is a flat account price with unlimited clients, which is unusual in this category and is the main economic argument for it.
Indy: Does it take a percentage of invoices?
The payment gateway charges its standard card fee. That is separate from the subscription and should be modelled per invoice.
Paperbell: Does it take a cut of my payments?
The card processor takes its standard fee. Confirm the current subscription price with the vendor and model the processing fee separately.
Indy: Can it manage several concurrent projects?
Only lightly. The task and project features are the weakest part of the product.
Paperbell: Can I use it for project work?
Not well. It is built around packages of sessions, and project scoped proposals do not fit that shape.
Indy: Are the contracts legally sound?
They are standard freelance templates with editable clauses. They are a starting point, not legal advice for your jurisdiction.
Paperbell: Do I still need a scheduling tool?
No. Scheduling is built in, and replacing a separate scheduling subscription is part of the cost case.
Indy: Who is it wrong for?
Agencies, anyone with subcontractors, and freelancers who need real project management or detailed profitability reporting.
Paperbell: Can I brand the client pages?
Only lightly. Deep brand customisation is not available.
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