Overview

The Decent Proposal is proposal software for freelancers, studios, and agencies that need to shape scope, pricing, and terms. It is best suited to teams comfortable starting locally and adding cloud collaboration only when they need it. Its combination of guided drafting, reusable content, and a CLI makes it a flexible starting point, though the free workflow gives up cloud sharing and tracking.

Key features

Guided drafting and reusable content

The Proposal Wizard turns five answers into a tailored draft, giving solo operators a faster way to establish a proposal structure without starting from a blank page. The Smart Library stores scope blocks and fee tables for reuse, which is more useful to repeat-work practices than to teams whose proposals vary substantially from one engagement to the next. AI proposal drafting and pricing tables are part of the product.

Sharing, exports, and security

Pro plans add share links and viewer activity tracking, useful when a team needs to distribute proposals and see whether clients have viewed them. Export options include PDF, Word document, and JSON, giving proposals several paths out of the web workflow. The maker says Secure Vault uses client-side AES-GCM encryption and that it cannot read user data; that is a notable privacy design claim, though it does not replace a team’s own security review.

CLI and agents

The CLI can create or update proposals, retrieve and validate them, and publish them using scoped agent keys. That makes the product relevant to teams that want proposal work in developer or agent workflows rather than only in a browser. Setup requires Node.js 18 or later, an account with verified email, and an agent API key. Agent runtime access is a Pro feature, so the free plan is not a route to a fully connected agent workflow.

Local workflow and integrations

Free users can draft in the UI and save proposals locally, without cloud sync. That is a meaningful low-commitment option for an individual or a team evaluating the drafting workflow, but not a substitute for cloud persistence when several people need shared access. Webhook integration is coming soon, so teams that depend on event-driven connections should not count on it today. The maker also describes workflows for agencies, photography, consulting, freelance developers and creatives, and production houses.

Pricing

The Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free. It includes local-first proposal drafting and a manual workflow, with AI drafting, pricing tables, and a reusable content library. It suits freelancers or small practices that can keep proposals local and do not need cloud collaboration. It gives up cloud persistence, share links, analytics, and agent runtime access, which are Pro features. No other plan price or seat, quota, trial, or renewal terms are provided.

Platforms

The Decent Proposal is available on web and through an API. The CLI adds a command-line route for proposal creation, updates, retrieval, validation, and publishing; it requires Node.js 18 or later. The available formats include PDF, Word document, and JSON export.

Who it's for

It is a good fit for freelancers, studios, and agencies that repeatedly assemble scopes and fee tables, especially those who value a local-first start or want to connect proposal work to CLI and agent workflows. It is less suitable for teams that require cloud sharing, analytics, or agent runtime access without moving to Pro, or that need a webhook integration now.

Pros and cons

Pros: Five-question guided drafting reduces blank-page work, while reusable scope blocks and fee tables can streamline repeat proposals.
Pros: Local drafting on the free plan lets users work without cloud sync, and export options cover PDF, Word, and JSON.
Pros: Scoped agent keys and a CLI support proposal operations beyond the browser for teams with developer-oriented workflows.
Cons: Free users cannot use cloud persistence, share links, viewer analytics, or agent runtime access, limiting collaboration and automation.
Cons: CLI setup has prerequisites—Node.js 18 or later, verified email, and an agent API key—that add friction for nontechnical users.
Cons: Webhooks are not yet available, so teams needing that integration should look elsewhere for now.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see AI Proposal Generators and Proposal Software. Choose Proposify instead if a paid service with a free trial and iOS support is a better fit; its Basic plan is 29.00 USD per month, billed monthly, with 10 sends per month, a $0.50 per-send overage, and unlimited documents.

AdvisorPitch is another paid option with a free trial and Android, iOS, web, and API platforms. Consider Handoff if its wider platform coverage—including desktop and mobile apps—fits better; its Flex plan is 119.00 USD per month billed annually, with a page price of $149, 50 AI usage credits per month, one custom pricing catalog, and two users included. Smart Pricing Table is a paid alternative with a free trial; its Team plan is 99.00 USD per month and includes two users, 35 proposals per month, Stripe payments, Claude and ChatGPT integration, and email and chat support.

Socket is a paid web and API alternative with a free trial. Effie offers a free plan and web access. FirstSlate has a free plan with five active projects and three clients, alongside intake forms, proposals and contracts, invoices, and crew call sheets. Propo offers a free plan with three AI proposals per month, basic templates, shareable links, and email support.

Verdict

Choose The Decent Proposal if you are a freelancer or small studio seeking guided proposal drafting, reusable commercial content, and an optional CLI, with local-first use available at no cost. Its clearest advantage is the path from a five-question draft to reusable proposal operations, including agent-oriented commands. Look elsewhere if cloud sharing, tracking, or agent runtime access is essential on your free plan, or if webhook integration is a current requirement.

	QuoteRiver	The Decent Proposal
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	Free	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	api, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Built-in e-signatures	No	—
Client activity tracking	Yes	—
Online payment collection	Yes	—
Custom branding	Yes	—
Analytics and reporting	Yes	—

QuoteRiver vs The Decent Proposal

QuoteRiver

The Decent Proposal