Build vs buy
Build RFQs yourself vs buy Bootstrapware
A form, a mailbox, and a spreadsheet can collect quotes. That is a real substitute. The honest question is who keeps supplier privacy, revisions, deadline close, money rounding, and a comparison that does not invent totals.
What you keep either way
- Supplier A must not see B's price, draft, file, or clarification.
- Missing or unknown charges are not zero.
- A submitted quote revision is immutable. Editing a new draft does not rewrite history.
- Selection is one current quote revision. It is not a purchase order.
- Attachment bytes stay in storage you already operate.
If a weekend form is enough, keep it. Buy the embed when those rules have to hold after the first three suppliers reply.
FAQ
Should I just use forms and a spreadsheet?
That is a real substitute for a one-off quote. Buy when you need supplier isolation, immutable revisions, and a comparison that does not treat missing prices as zero.
What does buying Bootstrapware cost?
Free local and test, BYO $9.99 per workspace per month, Hosted $19.99 per workspace per month, plus the company-wide stack discount. This page does not convert engineering time into a savings figure.