+44 28 9558 2084Start a free trial
// Comparison

Specifivs Portal.io.

Portal.io creates proposals. Specifi runs businesses.

See pricing
// Feature matrix

How they stack up.

Feature
Specifi
Portal.io
PROPOSALS & QUOTING
Proposals
Branded templates, e-signatures, Stripe payments, QuickBooks payment links
Branded proposals, e-signatures, client-selectable options
AI proposal generation
In beta (Q1 2026)
Yes: AI Proposal Builder from audio/video walkthroughs
Product database
600,000+ products with supplier pricing
5M+ products with managed supplier pricing
CRM & SALES
CRM
Full CRM with pipeline, lead scoring, email sync
Client / contact management only (no pipeline, no lead scoring)
Email & calendar integration
Native Gmail, Outlook, and calendar sync. Create customers, projects, work orders, invoices from email
Not available
PROJECT DELIVERY
Project management
Work orders, scheduling, task management
Not available
Time tracking
Yes, mobile and desktop
Not available
Purchase orders
Yes: link to projects, suppliers, and inventory
Yes (Pro plan and above)
MARKETING & WEB
Website builder
Yes
Not available
Social media
Echo social media, SEO, and blogs included
Not available
Marketing services
Managed marketing services available for existing customers
Not available
CLIENT EXPERIENCE
Customer portal
Yes: projects, invoices, change orders, service booking
Not available
Mobile app
Yes, iOS and Android
iOS only
Extended warranty
SureBright extended warranty options included
Not available
FINANCIALS & INTEGRATIONS
Invoicing
Built-in with QuickBooks, Xero, Stripe, and QuickBooks payment links
$49 /mo add-on, plus per-record usage (20 synced deals + 10 synced proposals included, $1 /extra deal, $2 /extra proposal)Payment processing: QuickBooks, Square, Stripe (0.25% per transaction, $1-$10)
Recurring invoicing
Service-only projects: raise per-visit invoices on demand
Coming 2026
Integrations
QuickBooks, Xero, Stripe, QuickBooks payment links
QuickBooks Online / Desktop, D-Tools SI, iPoint, ProjX360, Simply Reliable, Salesforce (beta), HubSpot (beta), Zoho (beta), Zapier
AI & AUTOMATION
Bob the AI
Included across CRM, proposals, support, and content
AI Proposal Builder only
PRICING & SUPPORT
Starting price
From £119 /mo1 office + 2 field users, all features included
~£21 /mo Lite1 user, 10 proposals/month cap (USD converted at £1 = $1.35)
Comparable pricing
Individual: all features, unlimited proposals + invoicing
~£102 /mo (Pro + Invoices)$89 Pro + $49 Invoices add-on, USD converted at £1 = $1.35
Support
Included, unlimited ongoing training
Live chat; priority on higher plans
Free trial
14 days
14 days (full access)

Prices exclude VAT, GST, US sales tax, and other applicable local taxes unless stated otherwise.

// Cost of ownership

What it actuallycosts over 2 years.

Set your team size. See what Specifi and the competitor really cost once the add-ons are in.

Office users3
110
Field users5
115
SpecifiTeam plan
Team subscription$349/mo
Native Gmail + OutlookIncluded
Native calendar integrationIncluded
QuickBooks / XeroIncluded
QuickBooks payment linksIncluded
Stripe paymentsIncluded
Bob the AIIncluded
Echo social mediaIncluded
SEO + blogsIncluded
SureBright extended warrantyIncluded
Inventory & ProcurementIncluded
Support & trainingIncluded
Customer portalIncluded
Mobile appIncluded
Monthly$349/mo
Onboarding$699
Year 1$4,887
Year 2$4,188
2-year total$9,075
Portal.ioPremium
Premium subscription$179/mo
QuickBooks OnlineIncluded
Invoices add-on ($49 /mo + per-record usage)$49/mo
Support & trainingIncluded
Email integrationPaid add-on
Customer portalNot available
Mobile appiOS only
Monthly$228/mo
Onboarding$0
Year 1$2,736
Year 2$2,736
2-year total$5,472
// Honest take$1,452/year cheaper on base with Portal.io.But check what's included. Specifi has no hidden add-ons.

// Also included with every Specifi plan

Professional websiteBuilt and hosted for you.
Social media integrationDrive leads from every channel.
Branded customer portalProject history, payments, and service booking.

None of the competitors above include these.

Portal.io covers proposals and quoting natively. Invoicing is a $49 /mo add-on plus per-record usage (20 synced deals + 10 synced proposals included, $1 per extra deal, $2 per extra proposal); the add-on is included in the totals above for Pro+ but the per-record overage is not. Specifi includes CRM, project management, invoicing, inventory, customer portal, and marketing in every plan.

Pricing based on published rates, April 2026. Competitor pricing sourced from publicly available information. Specifi pricing served via region detection. Prices exclude VAT, GST, US sales tax, and other applicable local taxes unless stated otherwise.

// Why switch

Reasons integratorsmake the move.

Where Portal.io is strong

A 5M+ product catalog (the largest in AV software), with managed supplier pricing kept up to date. Their AI Proposal Builder is genuinely innovative: record a site walkthrough on your phone and it generates a full proposal outline you can refine and send. Strong Snap One integration (free sponsored plan for Snap One dealers) and broad third-party integrations including D-Tools SI, ProjX360, Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zapier. The $29/mo entry point is the lowest in the market.

Where Specifi wins

Portal.io's own users on review sites note the platform is missing CRM and project management. That's exactly what Specifi provides natively. With Specifi, the proposal is the starting point: lead capture through CRM, to proposal, to project delivery with work orders, to invoicing with Stripe payments and QuickBooks payment links, to ongoing relationship through the customer portal. Plus a marketing suite Portal.io doesn't touch: website building, Echo social media, SEO, blogs, and managed marketing services. Portal.io helps you close deals faster; Specifi helps you get those deals in the first place.

Bottom line

Portal.io is excellent at proposals with the largest product catalog and innovative AI generation. If fast, beautiful proposals are your only software need (especially as a Snap One dealer), it's hard to beat. But if you want one platform for your entire business from marketing through to project delivery and client retention, Specifi covers the full journey.

// Why integrators leave

A proposal tool isnot an operating platform.

Portal.io's own users on review sites consistently note the same gap: it does not ship CRM, it does not ship full project management, and the invoicing module is a separate add-on with usage caps. The Pro tier at $89 per month covers proposals well, but invoicing is a $49 per month upgrade that includes only 20 synced deals and 10 synced proposals each month before per-record fees kick in ($1 per extra deal, $2 per extra proposal). Once invoicing is on, the working floor sits around $138 per month, and there is still no CRM, no project management, no customer portal, and no marketing surface. That stack ends up needing other tools wired in alongside, which is the exact integration tax most integrators are trying to escape.

The second pressure point is mobile. Portal.io ships an iOS app and not an Android one. For a field tech who carries an Android phone, that means the platform exists on the office iMac and the office iPad but not in the van where the work actually happens. Specifi ships both an iOS app and an Android app with feature parity, plus a browser experience that works on any device including the laptop the project manager is using on site.

// Switching from Portal.io

Bring the proposals,gain the platform.

Specifi's onboarding team migrates Portal.io proposal templates, product data, and client records into Specifi's native CRM, proposals, project management, and invoicing flow. The translation is straightforward: where Portal.io stops at proposal-plus-add-on-invoice, Specifi continues into the full operating platform. Most teams complete the switch in two to three weeks, with a side-by-side period where both platforms are live so quoting rhythm never breaks.

After the switch, the daily change is in how a deal moves. In Portal.io, a sent proposal sits in a queue and the next step (CRM, project management, scheduling, invoicing) happens in other tools. In Specifi, a sent proposal already has a CRM record behind it, an accepted proposal automatically becomes a project with work orders and a customer portal, and the invoice reconciles back to the proposal without a manual sync. The full picture of every job (the lead, the proposal, the project, the invoice, the service) lives in one place instead of being stitched across four.

// When Portal.io is still the right call

The largest catalog,the cleverest proposal.

Portal.io has three genuine strengths Specifi does not match today. Their 5 million+ product catalog with managed supplier pricing is materially larger than ours (600,000+). Their AI Proposal Builder, which generates a full proposal from a phone-recorded site walkthrough, is a real piece of engineering and a credible time-saver for the right firm. And the Snap One free sponsored plan plus the deep integrations with D-Tools SI, ProjX360, Salesforce, and HubSpot make Portal.io the best fit for an integrator who has chosen to assemble a best-of-breed stack rather than consolidate onto one platform. If those three things describe how you want to run, Portal.io is a credible choice and we will say so on the demo.

They switched. Theyhaven't looked back.

500+Used by integrators globally
We chose Specifi for its modern interface, streamlined project timelines, and advanced time management and proposal software. Specifi has streamlined our process from start to finish, and provides a more professional appearance to our clients. Their support is superb, often fixing issues within minutes of them being reported. They're innovating at a much faster pace than others in the space.
Waylon MoreySunrise Smart Home
// Explore more features

See why Specifi ismore than a quote tool.

Pricing

See what is included on every plan before you compare feature-by-feature.

Learn moreProposals

Look at the proposal workflow most competitors only solve in isolation.

Learn morePlatform

See how CRM, projects, invoicing, stock, and Bob the AI connect end to end.

Learn more
// Questions

What integratorstypically ask us.

Can't find what you're looking for? Get in touch and we'll get back to you within a few hours.

What is the best Portal.io alternative for AV integrators?
Specifi is the most credible Portal.io alternative for AV integrators who need more than a proposal tool. Portal.io is excellent at AI-driven proposal generation and dealer-program partnerships (Snap One, D-Tools SI integrations); Specifi extends past quoting into the entire operating platform: CRM with pipeline and lead scoring, project management with work orders and scheduling, customer portal, native Gmail and Outlook sync, marketing suite, Bob the AI, and native iOS plus Android apps.
Can I migrate from Portal.io?
Yes. Our onboarding team migrates proposal templates, product data, and client records from Portal.io. Once in Specifi, you get the CRM, project management, and invoicing flow that Portal.io doesn't ship.
Is Portal.io cheaper at $29 /mo?
The $29/mo Lite tier caps you at 10 proposals per month with 1 user. Pro at $89/mo (2 users, unlimited proposals + supplier pricing) is the closer comparable on proposals, but invoicing is a separate $49/mo add-on plus per-record usage (20 synced deals + 10 synced proposals included, $1 per extra deal, $2 per extra proposal). Once you switch invoicing on, you're at ~$138/mo for Pro + Invoices, and you still don't get CRM, project management, or a customer portal. Specifi's Individual plan at $149/mo (US) or £119/mo (UK) covers every one of those.
What does Portal.io do better than Specifi?
Three things. First, catalog size: 5M+ products vs 600K+. Second, AI Proposal Builder that generates proposals from audio/video site walkthroughs. Genuinely innovative. Third, Snap One dealer program (free sponsored plan) and integrations with D-Tools SI / ProjX360 / Salesforce / HubSpot that let you pair it with best-of-breed tools.
What does Specifi do that Portal.io doesn't?
CRM with pipeline + lead scoring, full project management with work orders and scheduling, time tracking, customer portal for projects / invoices / service booking, native Gmail, Outlook and calendar integration, a full marketing suite (website, Echo social, SEO, blogs, managed services), Bob the AI, SureBright extended warranty options, and native Android + iOS apps (Portal.io is iOS only). Portal.io is a proposal tool; Specifi is a business platform.
Can I use Portal.io and Specifi together?
You can, but you shouldn't need to. Specifi ships proposals, CRM, PM, invoicing, portal, and marketing natively. No bolt-on integrations required. If you have deep Portal.io investment today and want to migrate gradually, we support that.
// Other comparisons

Comparing Specifi tosomeone else too?

See all six AV platform comparisons on the hub, or jump straight to the one closest to your shortlist.

D-Tools alternative

Engineering-led design and proposals for mid-to-large commercial integrators.

iPoint alternative

Self-hosted private-cloud platform with deep inventory and recurring invoicing.

WeQuote alternative

UK distributor-integrated quoting platform with 100+ live stock feeds.

Jetbuilt alternative

Proposal-first platform with 3.4M-line product library and AI drawings.

ProjX360 alternative

Location-based project management for estate-heavy ongoing-service businesses.

See Specifi live.

A 30-minute side-by-side with Portal.io if that's useful.

Explore pricing