Tender search · Checked 31 October 2026
ibau alternative: Zephior vs ibau Xplorer (2026)
Choose Zephior if you want free tender search and then the response drafted, with the buyer’s forms and template finished. Choose ibau if you sell into German construction and want public tenders, private building projects and bills of quantities in one database, priced by region after a presentation. ibau describes no bid writing.
Choose Zephior if
A team that wants to find tenders for free and have Ziva qualify them, draft the response and assemble the package.
Choose ibau if
A German construction or trades company that wants early building-project leads and bills of quantities alongside public tenders.
At a glance
Zephior and ibau, fact by fact.
Every ibau 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 | ibau |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | ZephiorOne published price per project. You choose how many new projects you open each month. | ibauNot published. The cost depends on factors such as the size of the region covered, quoted individually after a presentation. ibau Xplorer(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. | ibauA free, non-binding presentation. No trial is mentioned. ibau Xplorer(opens in a new tab)ibau homepage(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. | ibauPaid. Public tenders and commercial building projects across Germany, over 450,000 notices a year by its own count, with alerts on updates. ibau homepage(opens in a new tab)ibau Xplorer(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. | ibauNot described. Sales support covers prospecting, appointment setting and research, not bid writing. ibau homepage(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 ibau falls short.
Taken from ibau’s own pages and from public reviews, each with its source.
No public price
ibau publishes no price list. You request a presentation and receive an individual offer.
ibau Xplorer(opens in a new tab)It stops at the lead
Xplorer finds tenders and projects. Writing the bid is not part of what ibau describes.
ibau homepage(opens in a new tab)ibau Xplorer(opens in a new tab)Germany only
Coverage is tenders and building projects in Germany.
ibau Xplorer(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 ibau does well
- Private and commercial building projects, not only published public tenders. ibau Xplorer(opens in a new tab)
- Direct access to bills of quantities and a CRM interface. ibau Xplorer(opens in a new tab)
- A long track record, active since 1957, with 111 researchers. ibau homepage(opens in a new tab)
Switching
Moving from ibau 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 ibau: straight answers.
How much does ibau Xplorer cost?
ibau does not publish prices. The cost depends on factors such as the region you need, and you get an individual offer after a free presentation.
ibau Xplorer(opens in a new tab)Is Zephior’s tender search free?
Yes. 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 a month.
Does ibau help write the bid?
Its sales support covers prospecting and research, not bid writing. Ziva drafts the response, fills the buyer’s forms and assembles the package.
ibau homepage(opens in a new tab)Sources and method
We read ibau’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 ibau 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.