A proposal that keeps working after you've sent it
A PDF looks the same on every screen it lands on, which is exactly what it was built to do. A Qwilr proposal is a live web page, so it also tells you who read it, lets buyers weigh up options, and updates without a resend.
Qwilr vs the PDF
The PDF turns 33 this year. It was built so a document would print the same way anywhere, and it solved that problem well enough that most of us still reach for it without thinking.
Selling has since moved onto screens. What matters there is who opened it, what they read, and whether they can act on it without emailing you back. Here is how the two compare.
Creating and designing proposals
Building the proposal means pulling together a designed file from separate tools, then exporting and checking it renders properly. Any change means going back to the source file and starting the export again.
Set your brand up once, upload your assets, and build templates that apply it every time. Everything happens in one place, and a proposal takes a few clicks to get out the door.
Sending proposals
An attachment sits in an inbox competing with everything else that arrived that morning, and gets forwarded without you ever knowing.
Send one URL via email and update whenever you need. Then get notified when it’s opened.
Making updates and changes
Update the file and resend it as an attachment, meaning there are now multiple versions of the same doc.
Updates can be made and viewed as you make them, without needing to send another link.
Track documents with analytics & notifications
None. Once the attachment leaves your outbox it is a file on someone else's machine, and you hear nothing until they reply.
Get analytics on when your proposal is viewed, how long they look at it, when they return, and what they look at.
Speed things up with automation
None.
Automatically generate documents using customer CRM data. Trigger notifications when a proposal is viewed, signed, or another action that's meaningful to you.
Keeping documents secure
Password protection only and no control after it’s been sent.
Set permissions for who can view your proposal, how many times they can view it, set an expiry date, limit it to a specific domain, and more.
Showing off your brand and services
Nothing moves. Static images, text, and hyperlink.
Embed videos, files, images, interactive pricing, and ROI calculators to bring information to life.
When you do need a file
The file is all there is. Whatever was attached is the version that exists, and nothing records who opened or accepted it.
Export any Qwilr page as a PDF whenever procurement wants one for their records or a buyer wants something to print. You send the live page and keep the file on hand for the people whose process needs it.
What a page does that a file cannot
A file can be beautiful and still leave you waiting. This is what changes once the proposal is a page your buyer can act on.
From a two-day design job to a guided form
Designing a persuasive PDF is real work, and it usually lands on whoever owns the template. The Smart Proposal Engine takes a rep through a short form instead, pulls account and deal detail from HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho or Salesforce, and reads any call notes they paste in. The page assembles itself as they answer, inside rules your team sets.
See the Smart Proposal EngineThe buyer can say yes and pay without leaving the page
This is the one a PDF can never do. A buyer reads your recommendation, picks the option that suits them in a live quote, signs, and pays a deposit through QwilrPay in the same sitting. No countersigned attachment coming back, no invoice chased a fortnight later, and the figure they accepted is the figure that reaches your CRM.
Explore QwilrPayAnd your CRM finds out on its own
An emailed attachment tells your CRM nothing. A Qwilr page can trigger an update when it is viewed, accepted, partially accepted or declined, writing the amount, close date and line items back to the opportunity without a rep logging anything. Slack picks up the alert, Stripe handles the payment and Quickbooks takes the invoice. Explore integrations
Teams who stopped sending PDFs
“We’re seeing deals close a lot faster while also adding a level of professionalism and enjoying powerful insights. None of these things we were getting through the use of PDFs and e-signature software alone.”
Qwilr has been a game-changer for us. Sales collateral that used to be a pain to build in Slides/Docs can now be spun up with Qwilr in minutes. Plus, we get real-time reporting to know when a prospect has re-engaged or is sharing our materials internally.
“Sometimes, we’re not even able to get in the room. Our proposal has to be the representation of the salesperson and have all the information a customer needs because our product is complex.”
What people are saying on G2
Verified reviews from Qwilr customers on G2.
Transformed our proposals
“We could send a lush and crafted PDF document that would be very persuasive, but it would have a huge time overhead of one to two days to design. We trialled Qwilr, fell in love with it and now it’s a huge pillar of our business”
Powerful visual impact, user-friendly
It's honestly hard to complain about Qwilr. Using a web-based proposals instead of PowerPoint proposals or PDF proposals, allows the ability to embed personalized introduction videos, video testimonials/reviews, and/or product/service videos.
Easy to use and creates impressive proposals.
“Qwilr does a great job. It's easy to use, produces great-looking proposal documents, integrates with HubSpot and provides a digital record that the client has accepted. Best of all, unlike the rest that I've used, the PDFs that it produces look brilliant too.”
PDF proposals: frequently asked questions
It depends what happens after you send it. A PDF is fine when the document only needs to be read once and filed, and it remains the right format for procurement portals and legal records. It is the wrong choice when you need to know whether anyone opened it, let a buyer choose between pricing options, or change a figure without reissuing the file.
Not reliably. Once a PDF leaves your outbox it is a file on someone's machine, and forwarding it leaves no trace. Some email tools report whether an attachment was downloaded, which is not the same as read. A Qwilr proposal is a web page, so you see when it was opened, which sections held attention, who each viewer was including anyone it was forwarded to, and when they came back.
An interactive proposal is a web page rather than a file. The buyer opens a link, scrolls through your recommendation, watches an embedded video, adjusts quantities or picks optional items in a live quote, then signs and pays on the same page. Nothing is downloaded and there is only ever one version.
Yes. Every Qwilr page can be exported as a PDF, which matters when procurement needs a file for their records or a buyer wants something to print. You send the interactive version and keep the PDF available for the people whose process requires one.
They can be more controllable than a file. A PDF can be password protected, but once it is sent you have no say in where it goes. With Qwilr you set who can view a page, limit it to a specific domain, cap the number of views, and set an expiry date, and you can revoke access afterwards. Qwilr is SOC 2 Type 2 and GDPR aligned, with a certified audit trail on every acceptance.
You cannot do it in a PDF, which is usually why a quote comes back as an email asking for option B. Qwilr's quote blocks let a buyer switch between packages, adjust quantities and add optional items, with the total updating as they go. The figure they accept is the figure that writes back to your CRM.