Comparisons
Government tender software compared (2026)
We compared 36 ways to find government tenders: US tools, global aggregators, country tools and the free official portals. The table shows coverage, the published price, API, MCP server, alerts and the free option, as each vendor's public pages showed them on 4 November 2026.
- US federal and state and local, public price
- HigherGov ($500 a year for 1 user) or GovTribe ($1,900 per seat a year). Both have an MCP server.
- GovWin IQ vs HigherGov vs GovTribe
- US signals before the RFP
- GovWin IQ. Quote only; 2026 buyer guides report $12,000 to $42,000+ a year for a team.
- GovWin IQ alternatives
- Many countries: tenders, awards, buyers, suppliers
- Sell to State: 73 live markets, US$49/month for the whole team, REST API and MCP server.
- Sell to State pricing
- Many countries: open tenders with translation
- OpenOpps: 180+ countries, from $160 per user a month.
- OpenOpps alternatives
- Free official sources
- SAM.gov (US), TED (EU), Find a Tender (UK), PNCP (Brazil), AusTender (Australia) and UNGM (UN).
- Official and commercial tender APIs
The table
"Not stated" means that we did not find the fact on the vendor's public pages. It does not mean "no". A name with a link opens the full comparison.
| Tool | Coverage | Price from | API | MCP | Alerts | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sell to State | 73 live markets, 120 more in the backlog | US$19/3 days; US$49/month | Yes | Yes | Daily or weekly email | Free account |
| United States | ||||||
| GovWin IQ | US federal, SLED, Canada | Quote (reported $12k-$42k+/yr) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| HigherGov | US federal, SLED, grants | $500/yr | Yes | Yes | Saved-search alerts, daily email | Free trial |
| GovTribe | US federal, SLED | $1,900/seat/yr | Not stated | Yes | Bid alerts | 7-day trial |
| GovSpend | US SLED + federal spend | Quote | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| BidNet Direct | US state and local | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Matched bid emails | Not stated |
| BidPrime | US + Canada SLED, federal | Quote by geography | Yes (module) | Yes (module) | Email alerts | 30-day trial |
| DemandStar | US local agencies on the network | Free; paid not published | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Free plan |
| FindRFP | US federal, state, local | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Daily email | Trial |
| Starbridge | US public sector accounts | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | 10 free accounts |
| GovDash | US federal, SLED | Not published | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| SamSearch | US federal, SLED, Canada, grants | Quote | Yes (on request) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Global aggregators | ||||||
| OpenOpps | 180+ countries, 1,050+ sources | $160/user/month | Yes (prepaid) | Not stated | Tender alerts | Not stated |
| TendersInfo | 100+ countries | Not published | By demo | Not stated | Daily alerts | Free trial |
| TendersOnTime | Worldwide | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Daily email | Free trial |
| GlobalTenders | Worldwide | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Email, working days | Free package |
| dgMarket | Worldwide | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Email alerts | Not stated |
| Tender Impulse | 190+ countries | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Free demo |
| United Kingdom | ||||||
| Stotles | UK public sector | Free; Basic from £99/month | Not stated | Yes (Basic plan and up) | Tender alerts | Free plan |
| Tussell | UK public sector | Quote (annual) | Add-on | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Brazil | ||||||
| ConLicitação | Brazil | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Email 3x a day | Free registration |
| Effecti | Brazil | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Real-time, 24/7 | Not stated |
| France | ||||||
| France Marchés | France, 1,300 sources | Free | Not stated | Not stated | Email alerts | Free |
| Marchés Online | France | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Dematis | France | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Germany | ||||||
| Vergabe24 | Germany, EU-wide | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Search-profile email | Free trial |
| Australia and New Zealand | ||||||
| TenderLink | AU + NZ, 3,300+ sources | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Daily email | Free sample |
| TenderSearch | Australia | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Daily email | Not stated |
| EstimateOne | AU construction | Free; paid not published | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Free plan |
| BCI Central | AU + Asia construction | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Free official sources | ||||||
| SAM.gov | US federal | Free | Yes (API key) | Not stated | Not stated | Free |
| TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) | EU and EEA notices | Free | Yes (no key to search) | Not stated | Not stated | Free |
| Find a Tender | UK | Free | Yes (OCDS) | Not stated | Not stated | Free |
| PNCP | Brazil, all levels | Free | Yes (query API) | Not stated | Not stated | Free |
| AusTender | Australian Government | Free | Not stated | Not stated | Free email of matched opportunities | Free |
| UNGM | UN agencies | Free account | Not stated | Not stated | UNGM Pro | Free account |
| No tool | ||||||
| Manual Portal Checking | Each portal you check | Staff time | Some portals | No | Portal emails | Free |
Head-to-head comparisons
- GovWin IQ vs HigherGov vs GovTribe
GovWin IQ, HigherGov and GovTribe side by side: published prices, US coverage, API, MCP server, alerts and trials, from each vendor's public pages.
- GovWin IQ vs GovSpend
GovWin IQ and GovSpend side by side: what data each one sells, US coverage, price model, API and MCP server, from each vendor's public pages.
- GovWin IQ vs Starbridge for state and local sales
GovWin IQ and Starbridge for US state and local sales intelligence: what each one finds, how it fits a sales team, and what the vendors publish about price.
- Government tender data APIs and MCP servers
Which government tender sources have an API or an MCP server: free official APIs (TED, SAM.gov, Find a Tender, PNCP) and commercial APIs, with coverage and price.
Questions
What is the best alternative to GovWin IQ?
For US federal and state and local work with a public price: HigherGov ($500 to $2,500 a year) or GovTribe ($1,900 per seat a year). For tenders and awards in many countries: Sell to State (US$49/month, 73 live markets).
Which government tender tools have an MCP server?
On 4 November 2026: Sell to State, HigherGov, GovTribe, GovSpend, BidPrime (Integrations Module), GovDash and Stotles. The other vendors in the table do not describe one on their public pages.
Which tools cover tenders in many countries?
OpenOpps (180+ countries), TendersInfo (100+), Tender Impulse (190+), TendersOnTime, GlobalTenders, dgMarket and Sell to State (73 live markets with tenders, awards, buyers and suppliers).
Which government tender sources are free?
The official portals: SAM.gov, TED, Find a Tender, PNCP, AusTender and UNGM (free account). France Marchés is a free French alert service. Each one covers one country or one institution.
How we checked
We read each vendor's public pricing, product and documentation pages on 4 November 2026. When a site blocked our check, we read its archive.org copy and say so on the page. "Not stated" means that we did not find the fact on those pages; it does not mean "no". Each comparison page lists its sources. To report a correction, email hello@selltostate.com.
Related
More context on Sell to State
- Features: what Sell to State indexes and how search works
- Pricing: the 3-day pass, monthly and annual plans
- Use cases: how BD, bid managers and developers use Sell to State
- Tenders by country: 73 live markets, 120 more in the backlog
- Portal guides: guides to GeBIZ, SECOP II, ComprasNet, eVergabe and more
Search tenders and awards in 73 live markets, 120 more in the backlog
Tenders, contract awards, buyers and suppliers in one search, with a REST API and an MCP server.