Best ConnectWise CPQ Alternative

Catalog 

Most MSPs offer a large variety of products and services, meaning there’s a lot to choose from when you build a quote. 

However, many MSPs and VARs still rely on outdated spreadsheets or manual catalogs to build quotes, which can lead to errors, inefficiencies, and a lack of up-to-date information.  

A digital catalog that’s connected to your distributors ensures that your team can quickly and accurately configure solutions, price them correctly, and generate quotes that reflect the most current data. 

TechGrid revolutionizes how you organize and manage the products and services you sell. With our pre-built, pre-populated digital catalog that boasts over 1 million items, ranging from common items like hardware and licensing, to things you typically can’t find like internet services, apps, and professional services. 

Our catalog is designed to support every aspect of IT service delivery, making it an indispensable tool for both VARs and MSPs.   

The TechGrid catalog is directly populated from manufacturers' data, ensuring that product details, availability, and pricing are always up to date.  

Dynamic pricing logic automatically adjusts based on the latest data from distributors or partners, aligning pricing models with the specific service or product being sold. Whether it's hardware, software, or a complex service bundle, the catalog ensures that your pricing is competitive and tailored to each customer’s needs.  

The TechGrid catalog is specifically optimized for the lifecycle of services. IT services are separated from products, ensuring that each stage of service delivery — from discovery to renewal — is handled with precision. The service catalog includes a wide range of pre-configured IT services, such as internet services and apps, designed for quick deployment and efficient management.  

One of the key advantages of TechGrid is the advanced bundling capabilities. The platform allows you to create component-based bundles that include multiple items grouped together, each retaining its individual pricing and specifications. This flexibility enables you to offer highly tailored solutions to customers. The dynamic nature of these bundles means that pricing can automatically adjust based on the specific items included and the customer’s location.  

The ConnectWise catalog creation process is entirely manual, starting with a blank slate that requires you to enter each product or service individually. This not only consumes valuable time but also increases the risk of errors and outdated information.   

While ConnectWise offers integration with Etilize for product data and real-time pricing, this is a paid add-on and still falls short of the seamless, real-time updates provided by TechGrid.   

Additionally, the bundling feature in ConnectWise is limited to creating single SKUs without the ability to break down into individual components, restricting the flexibility needed to meet diverse customer requirements. Without dynamic pricing, any changes in cost or availability require manual updates, further complicating the management process.  

Quote Creation 

In the world of CPQ, efficient quote creation is essential for closing deals quickly and accurately. Traditional methods often involve static templates and manual adjustments. The key to overcoming these challenges lies in leveraging digital workspaces, which revolutionize the quoting process by centralizing all relevant information and interactions in one cohesive environment. 

TechGrid digital workspaces offer a unified environment where all aspects of the quoting process can be managed. Features include built-in messaging, progress tracking, and file storage. The guided workflows adjust based on the type of product or complex service package you’re offering. 

TechGrid also offers unlimited dynamic contract and proposal templates, including an extensive document library for crafting and customizing tailored Statements of Work (SOWs), agreements, and quotes. 

Subscription capabilities are deeply integrated into the TechGrid platform, making it easy to manage recurring revenue streams. Customizable workflows with discovery forms tailored to your customer's needs ensure that every quote aligns with their business goals.  

ConnectWise offers only static proposal templates, with options to purchase additional templates, costing thousands of dollars. These templates are limited and inflexible, often resulting in basic and unappealing PDF forms. The ConnectWise approach to proposals lacks the customization found with TechGrid. 

ConnectWise offers subscriptions (referred to as “agreements”) but with only one workflow available, it is primarily designed for product sales and does not accommodate complex solutions. This one-size-fits-all approach limits the ability to tailor proposals to specific customer needs.   

Financial Services 

Customers demand flexible financing options. By automating credit checks, providing dynamic rates, and managing payments within one platform, you can enhance customer satisfaction, reduce friction, and mitigate risk. 

TechGrid enhances the quote creation process with fully integrated financial services, including real-time dynamic finance rates directly embedded into the software. This allows you to offer competitive financing options with rates adjusting dynamically based on the specific deal and customer preferences.  

Our platform offers five customizable finance plans, all managed directly within the selling and fulfillment workflows. A standout feature of TechGrid is our direct integration with Wells Fargo which enables automated credit checks and tailored financing solutions to be handled directly on the platform. 

Payments and invoicing are also streamlined through TechGrid, allowing for direct management and online transactions via credit cards and ACH payments. 

ConnectWise offers real-time finance rates through an API, but these rates are static and tied to a fixed rate deck. Any customer credit checks and finance management are handled off-platform. 

While ConnectWise allows for payments, the process is cumbersome with a less user-friendly interface, lacking connection and flexibility. 

Automation 

For MSPs and VARs, automating key processes like pricing, tax calculations, and workflow approvals can drastically reduce the quote-to-cash time. The ability to set up automated rules that govern everything from Bill of Materials (BOM) creation to sales tax calculations allows your team to focus on selling and delivering exceptional service while the system handles the repetitive, error-prone tasks. 

TechGrid excels in automation, offering an expedited digital sales and fulfillment process. The platform automates crucial tasks such as: 

Bill of Materials Automation: Populate BOMs directly from discovery forms. This is especially useful for large-scale contracts or government deals, where consistent pricing and compliance are critical. For example, if you have a contract that requires certain discounts for bulk purchases, TechGrid will automatically apply these discounts, adjusting the final price in real-time. 

Pricing Automation: Set up pricing rules and contracts that dynamically adjust costs based on various factors, including deal size and agreements.

Sales Tax Automation: The dynamic tax engine within TechGrid calculates sales tax based on the location of the sale, accommodating the varied tax rates across different states or regions. For example, if you’re selling Office365 (taxable in some states but not others), TechGrid automatically determines the correct tax rate based on the location. This eliminates the risk of tax errors that come with guesswork or manual calculations, helping you avoid compliance issues and potential audit risks — something we've found many MSPs struggle with when taxes aren't calculated accurately.

Workflow Automation: Set up rules for automatic approvals based on criteria such as deal volume or equipment thresholds. This means that if a quote exceeds a certain value, it can be automatically flagged for additional review or approval. You can also create rules that automatically assign quotes to specific team members based on their role.

ConnectWise requires manual BOM creation and relies on static rate decks for pricing, necessitating manual adjustments. It also lacks a dynamic tax engine, so users must manually calculate and apply sales tax. ConnectWise offers limited workflow automation, which is usually restricted to basic approval processes. 

Customer Experience 

In the CPQ process, a well-connected customer experience is essential for ensuring that all stakeholders are on the same page throughout the quoting and proposal stages. Effective CPQ solutions need to facilitate collaboration, real-time tracking, and comprehensive digital interactions. 

TechGrid offers a Cloud-based client portal where customers can access a unique digital workspace for each of their quotes. This provides a centralized space for reviewing quotes, making decisions, and ensuring clear communication throughout the process.

TechGrid transforms the CPQ experience by providing a collaborative digital workspace that integrates real-time tracking, messaging, and file storage directly into the quoting process.  

Our platform ensures that every team member and customer is digitally connected throughout the entire proposal journey. This real-time collaboration allows for immediate feedback, updates, and adjustments, significantly speeding up the sales cycle. 

TechGrid offers all-digital customer onboarding, enabling a smooth transition from initial contact to active engagement. This digital onboarding makes it easy for customers to manage and track progress throughout the quoting process. 

TechGrid consolidates all key touchpoints into a single, user-friendly portal. With the Customer Console, at no additional cost, customers can streamline their interactions and manage everything in one place. Whether an MSP has 50 or 500 customers, there's no per-customer charge for access — a distinction from other platforms that often include extra fees for similar features.

ConnectWise doesn’t offer a client portal which forces users to juggle multiple systems and pay for additional add-ons to manage their deals. 

Integrations

Integrations are crucial for an efficient CPQ process, enabling smooth data flow between systems and reducing manual data entry. Effective CPQ solutions have robust integration capabilities to connect with CRMs, distributors, and other essential tools directly within the workflow. 

TechGrid is built around the concept of a Marketplace that includes over 1,000 partners and apps. Our platform provides native integrations with major CRMs and distributors like Ingram Micro, automatically connecting to all partners associated with these distributors.  

This means that when we integrate with Ingram Micro, we're also connected to Microsoft licensing and a vast network of other potential connections.   

These integrations are deeply embedded directly into workflows. For example, our direct integration with Wells Fargo ensures that financial transactions are ingrained into the selling and fulfillment processes, allowing MSPs to manage everything within the platform.  

ConnectWise requires third-party connectors like Bedrock for integrations. These external solutions are often slow, unreliable, and lack real-time updates, complicating workflows and limiting the platform's overall effectiveness.  

Even though ConnectWise may claim distributor integration, it doesn't match the breadth and depth of what TechGrid offers, where integrations are fully embedded into the core processes of the platform. 

Pricing

TechGrid offers a transparent pricing structure that scales with your business needs, ensuring you have the flexibility to expand without hidden costs. While ConnectWise may present a more affordable option for small, 1-2 person shops, our focus is on providing a comprehensive solution that supports long-term growth and adaptability.