When a salesperson sends a proposal to a potential customer, the work is not necessarily finished. In many cases, it is only the beginning of another important stage in the sales process.
The prospect may open the document immediately, review a few pages, share it with colleagues, return to it several days later, or leave it untouched. Meanwhile, the salesperson is left deciding what to do next.
Should they follow up? Should they wait? Is the prospect still reviewing the proposal? Has another decision-maker become involved?
This is one reason small sales teams look for alternatives to DocSend.
DocSend is known for document sharing and engagement analytics, but not every team needs the same features, workflow or level of functionality. Some need secure document sharing. Others want proposal creation and electronic signatures. Some simply want a clearer picture of how prospects engage with their sales documents after receiving them.
In this guide, we look at six tools worth considering, what they are designed to help with, and how to choose the right solution for a small sales team.
Why do small sales teams look for DocSend alternatives?
Small sales teams operate differently from large sales organisations.
A team with two or three salespeople may not have a dedicated sales operations department, complex approval processes or a large software budget. Salespeople often manage prospecting, discovery calls, proposals, follow-ups and customer relationships themselves.
They need tools that solve a specific problem without adding unnecessary work.
Here are some common reasons a team might explore DocSend alternatives:
Cost and affordability: A small business may not need every feature included in a larger software package.
Different sales workflows: Some teams need proposal creation and signatures, while others already have a proposal process and only need engagement tracking.
Better visibility: Salespeople want to understand how prospects interact with the documents they share.
Simpler processes: A tool should make the sales process easier, not introduce another complicated system.
Team collaboration: Several people may need to share, review or monitor documents during a deal.
The important point is that choosing document software should begin with the problem your team wants to solve, not simply the number of features a product offers.
6 DocSend alternatives for small sales teams
There is no single best solution for every business. The tools below address different parts of document sharing, proposal management and sales engagement.
1. DocMetrics – Post-proposal engagement visibility
Best suited to small B2B sales teams that want to understand what happens after sending a proposal.
DocMetrics is designed around a specific part of the sales process: what happens after a salesperson sends a proposal to a potential customer.
Traditional follow-up often depends on reminders, email replies and occasional updates from prospects. These methods are useful, but they do not always show how a prospect is interacting with the proposal itself.
DocMetrics provides visibility into document engagement so salespeople can notice activity that may be relevant to their next decision.
For example, a salesperson may be able to see:
Whether a shared document has been opened.
Whether a prospect returns to the document.
Which sections receive attention.
How engagement changes over time.
Whether multiple people are viewing a shared document.
These observations can provide additional context when deciding whether to follow up, wait or investigate further.
DocMetrics also supports document sharing, engagement analytics, e-signatures and integrations with tools such as HubSpot and Slack.
What makes it different?
Its focus is not simply making a document available online. It is helping salespeople understand engagement after a proposal has been shared.
It is worth considering if your team already creates proposals using its existing tools and wants more visibility into what happens afterward.
However, engagement data should not be treated as proof of buying intent. A prospect spending time on a pricing page does not automatically mean they are ready to purchase. The salesperson still needs to consider the conversation, agreed next steps and other information about the deal.
Website: https://docmetrics.io
2. Dropbox DocSend – Document sharing and analytics
Best suited to teams that prioritise controlled document sharing and engagement analytics.
Dropbox DocSend is a document-sharing platform that gives users ways to share documents and gain insight into how recipients interact with them.
It can be useful when a business regularly shares proposals, presentations, business documents or other important files with external contacts.
For small sales teams, its document analytics can provide information beyond simply knowing that an email was delivered.
When evaluating DocSend, consider whether its document-sharing controls, analytics and overall workflow match the way your sales team works.
It may be a suitable option if your main requirement is controlled sharing and understanding document engagement.
Website: https://www.docsend.com
3. PandaDoc – Proposal creation and document management
Best suited to teams that want to create, send and manage sales documents.
Some businesses do not only need to track proposals. They also need a way to prepare them.
PandaDoc is a document workflow platform that supports activities such as proposal creation, document management and electronic signatures.
For a small sales team, having these activities in one workflow may reduce the need to move between several applications.
It is worth considering if your current process involves creating proposals manually, sending them for approval and collecting signatures.
However, if your proposal creation process already works well, you may not need to replace it. You might benefit more from a separate tool that focuses on engagement after sharing.
Website: https://www.pandadoc.com
4. Proposify – Sales proposal management
Best suited to businesses that want a more organised proposal creation and delivery process.
Proposify focuses on helping businesses create, send and manage sales proposals.
For teams that regularly prepare proposals for different customers, having templates and a structured proposal workflow can make the process more consistent.
It may be particularly useful for agencies, service providers and B2B businesses that send formal proposals as part of their sales process.
Before choosing it, consider whether your biggest challenge is preparing proposals or understanding what happens after they reach the prospect.
Those are related problems, but they are not the same.
Website: https://www.proposify.com
5. Qwilr – Interactive business proposals
Best suited to teams that want to present proposals through web-based experiences.
Traditional proposals are often sent as PDF attachments. Qwilr offers a different approach by allowing businesses to create web-based business proposals and sales documents.
This can be useful for companies that want their proposals to feel more interactive and present information in a polished format.
For example, a service business may want to explain its offering, display pricing and present the next steps in one online proposal.
Qwilr is worth exploring if the presentation and delivery of your proposals are important parts of your sales process.
Website: https://qwilr.com
6. GetAccept – Digital sales rooms and sales engagement
Best suited to teams looking for a broader digital sales document and engagement workflow.
GetAccept focuses on digital sales engagement and document workflows. Its offering includes capabilities around proposals, contracts, document tracking and sales collaboration.
This can be useful for sales teams that want to manage several activities around a deal in one environment.
For a smaller team, the main consideration is whether the broader functionality matches its actual needs.
A platform with many capabilities is not automatically the best choice. If your team only needs a simple way to share proposals and understand recipient engagement, a more focused solution may be easier to adopt.
Website: https://www.getaccept.com
Comparison: Which alternative should you consider?
The following table gives a high-level comparison based on each product's general focus. It is not a feature-by-feature audit, and individual capabilities may depend on the product plan.
ToolMain focusConsider it when you needDocMetricsPost-proposal engagement visibilityMore context about prospect activity after sharingDropbox DocSendDocument sharing and analyticsControlled document sharing and engagement informationPandaDocDocument workflowsProposal creation, management and signaturesProposifyProposal managementStructured proposal creation and deliveryQwilrInteractive proposalsWeb-based proposal presentationGetAcceptDigital sales engagementA broader document and deal workflow
The right choice depends on the stage of the sales process where your team needs the most help.
If proposal creation is the problem, a proposal management platform may be more suitable.
If secure sharing is the priority, a document-sharing platform may be a better fit.
If the proposal has already been sent and the salesperson needs more visibility into recipient engagement, a proposal engagement tracking tool may be more relevant.
What should you look for in proposal tracking software?
Before choosing a platform, it is worth understanding what makes proposal tracking useful.
A tool should not simply produce a long list of opens, clicks and page views. The information should help salespeople make better decisions.
Here are five things to consider.
1. Document engagement tracking
The ability to track document engagement helps salespeople understand whether recipients interact with the material they receive.
For example, knowing whether a prospect opened a proposal can be useful. However, an open alone does not tell you whether the person carefully reviewed it or shared it internally.
Look for tools that provide meaningful context rather than relying entirely on basic open notifications.
2. Page-level engagement
Not every part of a proposal receives equal attention.
A prospect may spend more time reviewing pricing, implementation details or the proposed solution.
Page-level analytics can help salespeople identify which sections receive attention and which parts may need clarification.
This is particularly useful when a salesperson wants to prepare for a follow-up conversation.
3. Repeat visits
A prospect returning to a proposal may be worth noticing, particularly when the visit happens after a period of silence.
However, repeat visits should not automatically be interpreted as purchase intent.
They are an observation that can be considered alongside the salesperson's existing knowledge of the opportunity.
4. Visibility into multiple stakeholders
B2B decisions often involve more than one person.
A proposal may be reviewed by a department manager, finance team, technical specialist or executive before a decision is made.
When a tool can help identify engagement from multiple viewers, it may give the salesperson useful context about how the proposal is moving through the organisation.
The salesperson should still confirm who is involved and what role each person plays.
5. Easy integration with existing sales processes
A new tool should fit into the way your team already works.
Consider whether it integrates with your CRM, whether notifications are useful, and whether salespeople can access the information without constantly switching between applications.
For small teams, simplicity is particularly important.
How proposal engagement can improve sales follow-ups
One of the biggest challenges in B2B sales is deciding what to do after sending a proposal.
Many salespeople follow a familiar routine:
Send the proposal.
Wait a few days.
Send a follow-up email.
Wait again.
Try another approach if the prospect does not respond.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this process. In fact, agreeing on a follow-up date with the prospect before sending the proposal is often a good practice.
But there may be situations where additional information helps.
Consider this example.
A salesperson sends a proposal to a potential customer on Monday. The prospect opens it that afternoon but does not respond.
On Thursday, the prospect returns to the document and spends time reviewing the pricing and implementation sections.
On Friday, another person accesses the shared proposal.
None of these activities proves that the deal is progressing. But together, they give the salesperson something worth considering.
The salesperson might decide to:
Follow up with a question about implementation.
Ask whether the prospect needs clarification on pricing.
Confirm whether other stakeholders should be included.
Continue following the agreed timeline rather than sending an unnecessary reminder.
This is where proposal engagement tracking can become useful.
The goal is not to predict exactly what a buyer is thinking. It is to provide additional information that helps the salesperson decide what to do next.
Is DocSend enough for a small sales team?
For some teams, yes.
If your primary requirement is secure document sharing and basic engagement analytics, DocSend may already meet your needs.
But other teams may want something different.
A business that frequently creates proposals may prefer PandaDoc or Proposify. A company that wants interactive proposals may consider Qwilr. A team looking for a broader digital sales engagement workflow may explore GetAccept.
And a salesperson who already has a proposal creation process but wants more visibility into what happens after sending may want to consider DocMetrics.
The important thing is to avoid paying for features your team does not use.
A small sales team should choose software based on its actual workflow, budget and most important problem.
Frequently asked questionsWhat are the best DocSend alternatives for small sales teams?
Some options worth exploring include DocMetrics, PandaDoc, Proposify, Qwilr and GetAccept. Each has a different focus, so the best choice depends on whether you need document sharing, proposal creation, electronic signatures or post-proposal engagement visibility.
Is there an affordable alternative to DocSend?
There are several document-sharing and proposal platforms to compare. However, affordability depends on your team size, required features and subscription plan. Check each provider's current pricing before making a decision.
What is the difference between document sharing and proposal tracking?
Document sharing allows a salesperson to deliver a document to a recipient. Proposal tracking goes further by providing information about how recipients interact with the shared document, such as opening it, returning to it or viewing particular sections.
Can I track who views a sales proposal?
Some proposal tracking software provides viewer-level information, depending on how the document is shared and the recipient identification settings. Email-gated links, for example, can help associate activity with an email address. However, tracking is not always perfect, and shared links may be accessed by other people.
Why is tracking prospect engagement useful?
It can provide additional context when deciding how and when to follow up. Instead of relying only on a fixed reminder, salespeople can consider document activity alongside their conversations, agreed timelines and knowledge of the opportunity.
Is proposal tracking the same as knowing buyer intent?
No. Proposal tracking records observable activity. It cannot reliably establish why someone opened a document, what they think about the offer or whether they intend to buy. Salespeople should use engagement information as context, not as proof of intent.
Final thoughts: Choose the tool that solves your actual problem
Finding the right DocSend alternative is not about choosing the platform with the longest feature list.
It is about understanding where your current sales process needs improvement.
Some teams need better proposal creation. Others need secure document sharing, electronic signatures or a more organised way to manage sales documents.
But there is another question worth asking:
What happens after you send the proposal?
Do you know whether the prospect returned to it? Which sections received attention? Whether another stakeholder became involved? And does that information help you decide what to do next?
These are the questions DocMetrics is built to help salespeople explore.
If your team already has a proposal creation process and wants more visibility into what happens after sharing, you can explore DocMetrics and try it with a sample document or your own proposal.
Visit https://docmetrics.io to learn more.
The best sales tool is ultimately the one that helps your team work more effectively without making the sales process unnecessarily complicated.
DocMetrics Team
Writing about document sharing, analytics, and how teams use DocMetrics to track engagement and close deals faster.