Softwr

Insurance · head to head

Ivans vs Openly

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
Openly logo

Openly

Insurance

Customizable homeowners insurance sold only through independent agents

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Openly available in only 24 states as of August 2026, with Nevada still listed as coming soon
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ivans and Openly actually diverge.

Attributes where Ivans and Openly differ
AttributeIvansOpenly

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web), 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 Ivans

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

Only in Openly

Nothing recorded that Ivans does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

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 Openly
  • A carrier launching a new line that wants agency systems to receive policy data automatically rather than by rekeying from a portalnot Openly
  • An MGA that wants its book visible to retail agencies in the same download flow as admitted carriersnot Openly
  • An agency operations lead auditing why commission reconciliation keeps failing, which usually turns out to be a missing or misconfigured download connectionnot Openly

Openly

  • Getting home insurance quotes with guaranteed replacement cost coveragenot Ivans
  • Customizing homeowners insurance policies with specific coverage limitsnot Ivans
  • Filing and managing property damage claims through digital workflowsnot Ivans
  • Accessing insurance coverage across multiple US states through independent agentsnot Ivans

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Openly

  • Available in only 24 states as of August 2026, with Nevada still listed as coming soon
  • Policies are not sold directly to consumers; coverage must be obtained through an independent agent, as of August 2026

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Openly

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Openly review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Ivans if

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

Choose Openly if

Nothing in the data separates Openly from Ivans on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Openly review

Questions people ask

Is Ivans or Openly better?
Neither clearly leads. Ivans starts at On request and Openly at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ivans or Openly?
Ivans starts at On request and Openly at On request.
Does Ivans or Openly run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Ivans best used for?
Ivans is most often used for 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 signs, a carrier launching a new line that wants agency systems to receive policy data automatically rather than by rekeying from a portal, an mga that wants its book visible to retail agencies in the same download flow as admitted carriers, an agency operations lead auditing why commission reconciliation keeps failing, which usually turns out to be a missing or misconfigured download connection. Of those, 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 signs and a carrier launching a new line that wants agency systems to receive policy data automatically rather than by rekeying from a portal are not what Openly is typically brought in for.
What can Ivans do that Openly cannot?
Ivans covers Ivans Download, Ivans Exchange, Ivans Distribution, Market Appetite.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Openly: How much does Openly cost?

Openly does not publish pricing on its website. The company operates through independent agency partners who provide customized quotes. To obtain coverage pricing, customers must contact a local independent agent or request a quote through mylifeprotected.com/openly.

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.

Openly: What is Openly's pricing model?

Openly uses a partnership model rather than direct sales. Insurance policies are sold through independent agency partners, with pricing determined on a case-by-case basis through customized quotes.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Ivans

More on Openly

Keep looking

Other head to heads