If you’re neck-deep in RFPs and your sales team is drowning in copy-paste hell, you’ve probably heard of tools like Loopio, RFPIO, or Responsive. Choosing between them isn’t just about picking what’s shiny or what a friend-of-a-friend recommends. The right RFP automation tool should actually save your team time and headaches—not just look good in a demo.
This guide is for B2B sales leaders, ops folks, and anyone tired of “feature matrix” nonsense. Here’s how to really compare Loopio and its competitors, minus the buzzwords.
1. Get Clear on Your Real Problems
Before you even look at features or pricing, figure out what’s actually slowing your team down. Common pain points:
- Hunting for the right answers (tribal knowledge in six places)
- Endless version control problems
- Manual formatting and reformatting
- Chasing subject matter experts for input
- No clear owner or process
Pro Tip: Ask your team to list what annoys them most about RFPs. Their answers are your real requirements.
2. List Must-Haves—And Ignore the Hype
Every RFP tool will promise “collaboration,” “automation,” and “AI.” Here’s what actually matters for most B2B sales teams:
Must-haves: - A central, easily searchable answer library - Solid permissions (so the right people can edit, review, or just view) - Good integrations (with your CRM, Slack, or wherever your team lives) - Simple import/export (Word, Excel, PDF) - Clear assignment and tracking for questions/tasks - Responsive, honest support (not just a chatbot)
Nice-to-haves (but rarely deal-breakers): - AI that suggests answers (sometimes helpful, often just “meh”) - Fancy dashboards (cool, but you’ll ignore them after month two) - Deep analytics (do you really need to know the average time per question?)
Don’t get distracted by: - Features you’ll never use (translation, e-sign, endless reporting) - Overpromised AI (if it sounds magical, it’s probably not)
3. Compare Loopio and the Main Alternatives
Let’s get specific. Here’s how Loopio stacks up against other big names—RFPIO, Responsive (formerly RFP360), and a couple of upstarts.
Loopio
- Strengths:
- Clean, intuitive interface—your team will actually use it
- Answer library is easy to maintain and search
- Decent integrations with Salesforce and Slack
- Good at handling complex, multi-section RFPs
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Strong support (real humans, not endless ticketing)
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Weaknesses:
- Pricier than some alternatives (especially for small teams)
- Limited out-of-the-box analytics
- AI features are improving, but not magic
RFPIO
- Strengths:
- Very flexible and customizable
- Strong integrations (especially with Microsoft tools)
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Good AI-assisted answer suggestions
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Weaknesses:
- The interface can be overwhelming for new users
- Some users report inconsistent support
- Customization can mean more “setup” time
Responsive (RFP360)
- Strengths:
- Solid content management features
- Good for companies with complex workflows
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Flexible permissions
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Weaknesses:
- UI is less modern; feels clunkier than Loopio or RFPIO
- Some features buried in menus
- Less “out of the box” automation
Other Contenders
Some smaller tools (Qvidian, Ombud, and a handful of new AI-focused startups) might be tempting for price or niche features, but they usually lag when it comes to usability, support, or integration. Unless your needs are ultra-specific, the three above are safest.
4. Test with Real Work—Not Demo Fluff
Demos always look great. The real test: can you and your team knock out an actual RFP, faster and with fewer headaches?
How to run a real test:
- Pick a recent, ugly RFP your team remembers struggling with.
- Import it into each tool (most offer free trials or sandbox environments).
- Assign questions, pull answers from the library, and export the final doc.
- Watch for where you get stuck—clunky UI, missing features, or “why can’t I just…?” moments.
What to look for:
- How fast can you find answers?
- Does the tool handle weird formatting or tables?
- How easy is it to assign and track who’s doing what?
- Any gotchas exporting back to Word or Excel?
- Are the integrations real, or just marketing talk?
Pro Tip: Involve both power users and occasional contributors. If your SMEs hate the tool, they’ll just ignore it—and you’re back to square one.
5. Dig Into Pricing—And Watch for Gotchas
RFP tool pricing can be all over the place. Some charge by user, others by project volume, and almost all require you to “call for a quote.” Here’s what to look out for:
- Per-user vs. flat-rate: If you want the whole sales org in the tool, per-user pricing can get expensive fast.
- Integration or API fees: Sometimes that “included” Salesforce integration is actually extra.
- Implementation fees: Setup help is nice, but you shouldn’t pay a fortune just to get started.
- Contract length: Multi-year deals may save money but lock you in—be cautious.
Honestly, if a vendor is cagey about pricing, that’s a red flag. Push for a real quote, in writing, and make sure you understand what’s included.
6. Talk to Real Customers (Not Just References)
Vendor-provided references will always say nice things. Instead:
- Ask to talk to a customer who switched away from the tool (if they refuse, that’s telling).
- Search for real user reviews on G2, Reddit, or LinkedIn groups.
- Ask your network for honest stories—the ugly stuff is most useful.
Questions to ask:
- What’s the biggest pain since rollout?
- What’s overrated or unused?
- How fast did your team actually adopt it?
- How’s support when things break?
7. Plan for Rollout—And Keep It Simple
No matter what tool you pick, rollout is where most teams stumble. Don’t overthink it:
- Start with a pilot group (sales ops, one or two sales folks, a SME)
- Focus on building a useful answer library—don’t try to boil the ocean up front
- Train the team, but keep documentation simple (nobody reads 40-page manuals)
- Be ready to tweak your process based on what actually works
Pro Tip: If after a month, nobody’s using the tool, it’s not the right fit—don’t force it. Try something else.
Summary: Don’t Overcomplicate It
Picking between Loopio and its competitors doesn’t have to be a months-long odyssey. Get clear on what your team actually needs, ignore shiny but useless features, and put real tools through their paces. Focus on usability, support, and whether your team will actually use it day-to-day.
Start small. Iterate. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. And if a tool isn’t helping after a fair shot, don’t be afraid to move on—your team’s sanity is worth it.