Government bid alerts · Checked 31 October 2026
BidSearch alternative: Zephior vs BidSearch (2026)
Choose Zephior if you want free tender search and then the bid itself written, with the buyer’s forms and template finished. Choose BidSearch if you only need a cheap US bid database with keyword alerts and simple lists, from $25 a month. BidSearch describes no AI or proposal writing.
Choose Zephior if
A team that wants to find tenders for free and have Ziva draft the response, fill the forms and assemble the package.
Choose BidSearch if
A small US supplier that wants inexpensive keyword alerts on state, local and federal bids and writes its bids itself.
At a glance
Zephior and BidSearch, fact by fact.
Every BidSearch entry links to its source and shows when we checked it. Where we could not find a published fact, we left the row out.
| Fact | Zephior | BidSearch |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | ZephiorOne published price per project. You choose how many new projects you open each month. | BidSearchMonthly plans, no contracts. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab) Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Published entry price | ZephiorCHF 500 (EUR 550, USD 650) per month for one project, falling to CHF 400 per project at 20 a month. Annual billing saves 10%. | BidSearchBasic $25 a month, Pro $49 a month, Team $99 a month. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab) Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Users included | ZephiorUnlimited users and unlimited company knowledge in every plan. | BidSearchOne user on Basic and Pro, 10 users on Team. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab) Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Features by plan | ZephiorThe same capabilities in every plan. Only the number of projects changes. | BidSearchBasic has no saved searches or daily emails. Pro adds 3 saved searches and daily alerts; Team unlimited saved searches. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab) Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Minimum commitment | ZephiorMonthly or annual. A monthly plan runs month to month. | BidSearchCancel anytime; access runs to the end of the billing cycle, and no refunds are issued. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab)BidSearch cancellation policy(opens in a new tab) Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Trying it first | ZephiorStart paid, with a first-month money-back right: ask for a refund within the first month and you get the full amount back. | BidSearch14 days free, credit card required at signup. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab) Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Public tender search | ZephiorYes. The public tender directory on zephior.com/tenders is free to browse, without an account. Ziva Intelligence, search and analysis for one country, is CHF 199 per month. | BidSearchPaid. 100k open bids from more than 100,000 US organizations, plus some Canadian provinces, by its own count. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab) Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Full proposal package | ZephiorYes. Proposal, forms, pricing sheet and presentation as finished Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. | BidSearchNot described. Lists and a simple task system for bids. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab) Checked 31 October 2026 |
Ziva prices exclude VAT. See current pricing for every plan and currency.
In their own words
Where BidSearch falls short.
Taken from BidSearch’s own pages and from public reviews, each with its source.
Search only
BidSearch collects bids and emails them. Its homepage mentions no AI analysis or proposal writing.
BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab)Alerts start on Pro
The $25 Basic plan has no daily new-bid emails and no saved searches.
BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab)Card up front, no refunds
The trial asks for a credit card, and the cancellation policy states that no refunds are issued.
“we do not issue refunds.”
BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab)BidSearch cancellation policy(opens in a new tab)
Where Zephior goes further
What changes for your bid team.
Free search, then the bid
The public tender directory on zephior.com/tenders is free to browse without an account. When a tender fits, Ziva reads the full tender package and drafts the response.
Qualification on the documents
Before you commit a team, Ziva reads the tender documents against what your company can prove and shows where you are strong, where you are exposed and what only you can answer.
The submission files, finished
Ziva fills the buyer’s own Excel forms and price sheets, writes the proposal in their Word template and assembles the package as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files.
A bid team when you need one
Our Zelius bid team can take on a tender with you in the same workspace, scoped per bid.
What BidSearch does well
- A very low entry price and month-to-month billing. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab)
- Broad US coverage across state, local, federal and school buyers. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab)
- Ten users and an onboarding consult on the $99 Team plan. BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab)
Switching
Moving from BidSearch to Zephior.
- 1
Search the same market for free
Open zephior.com/tenders and search the countries and categories you monitor today. No account is needed to browse.
- 2
Take one tender into a bid
Pick a live tender, upload its documents and a few past bids into a Ziva project, and let Ziva qualify it and draft the response.
- 3
Measure the work left over
Measure what is left for your team: the forms, the price sheet and the proposal. That is where a bid is won or lost.
- 4
Decide on evidence
Each Ziva product has a first-month money-back right, so you can test it on a real bid before you change anything else.
Questions
Zephior vs BidSearch: straight answers.
How much does BidSearch cost?
Basic is $25 a month, Pro $49 and Team $99. Zephior’s public tender directory on zephior.com/tenders is free to browse without an account.
BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab)Does BidSearch write proposals?
No. It offers search, alerts, lists and tasks. Ziva drafts the response, fills the buyer’s forms and assembles the package, from USD 650 (CHF 500) per month for one project.
BidSearch homepage and plans(opens in a new tab)Does BidSearch refund unused time?
Its cancellation page says it does not issue refunds. Ziva has a first-month money-back right.
BidSearch cancellation policy(opens in a new tab)Sources and method
We read BidSearch’s own website and, where noted, public review pages. Last full check: 31 October 2026. Review quotes are short excerpts from the named page. Zephior publishes this page and sells Ziva; our facts follow our published pricing and product pages. If anything about BidSearch has changed, tell us at hello@zephior.com and we will correct it.
Try it on a real bid
Bring a tender you know.
Compare what comes back.
Run a live tender, or one you submitted before, in your first month. If Ziva does not convince you, you get your money back.