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Decision brief builderTurn your shortlist into a one-page case for sign-off: verified prices for your team size, requirements and sources.
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What transfers, and what doesn’tThe vendor’s own import path, step by step, plus the data you will rebuild by hand. Switching cost estimatorAn adjustable estimate of the hidden labor, cleanup and retraining cost, with its assumptions shown.
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Open data hub: every dataset (JSON/CSV)JSON and CSV under CC BY 4.0. Every value carries its source page and verification date. How we verify pricingThe research method behind every figure on the site.
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Software IndexEvery tool we track in one sortable table: entry price, free plan, AI pricing and source. AI Pricing DatabaseHow each vendor bills its AI features: bundled, add-on, metered or quote. Stack Cost CheckerPrice every tool you pay for at list price, saved in a link that re-prices later.Black Friday Software DealsVerified deals plus the discounts you can get today, checked on each vendor’s site.
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The B2B SaaS Sticker Shock IndexCheapest published entry price in 18 categories, ranked.2026 SaaS Price IncreasesEvery list-price increase we could verify, with old price, new price and source.The AI TaxHow 19 AI features are actually billed: bundled, add-on or metered.The Real Cost of a 10-Person Startup StackThree software stacks priced at published entry prices.
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Security & compliance databaseSOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA BAAs, and the plan you need for SSO, SCIM and audit logs. How to read security claimsSOC 2 vs ISO 27001, the single sign-on tax, and what “Not published” means.
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Offline access databaseWhich tools work without internet, in which app, and what syncs later. Remote vs office guideIP allowlisting, device controls, data residency and office hardware, tool by tool.
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Home › Decision brief
Free tool · for the person who has to defend the decision

Build a software decision brief your boss can approve

Pick two to four tools and your team size. You get a one-page brief with each vendor’s verified price costed for your seats, a check against your must-have requirements, the questions to settle before you sign, and a source for every figure. Print it, save it as a PDF or paste it into an email.

By Bill Belcamino · Page updated September 23, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
Build a software decision brief your boss can approve
Bill Belcamino
Bottom line up frontby Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
Editorial assessment

Bottom line up front: How do I get a software purchase approved without a week of back-and-forth?

Hand the approver one page that states the problem, costs two to four real options for your seats and sources every figure, which is exactly what this tool builds.

It multiplies each vendor's published per-seat price by your seats, seat minimums included, and checks must-haves like single sign-on, SCIM, SOC 2 and a HIPAA BAA, which often decide the plan you really need. I've been the approver as a COO, and the brief that gets a quick yes also says how you'll know it worked. Add one success measure, such as hours saved or tickets closed, and a review date well before the renewal, because that turns the purchase into a test with an exit instead of a standing cost. The costing stops at the entry plan, so price the plan that includes your must-haves before you quote a budget.

My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on September 23, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill

Build your brief

1Tools you are choosing between
2Team size
3Must-have requirements optional
4Your context optional · stays in this browser
Loading verified pricing…

How to get a software purchase approved

Whoever signs off on a new tool is asking two questions: is this the right fix, and can I trust these numbers? A good brief answers both on one page. This is the order we recommend, and the brief above follows it.

  1. Write the problem in one sentenceApprovers fund problems, not tools. “We lose client requests between email and three spreadsheets” gets a faster yes than “we want Asana.”
  2. List your must-haves before you look at pricesThree to five hard requirements, agreed with the people who will use the tool. Anything IT will insist on, such as single sign-on or a HIPAA agreement, goes on this list now, because it often decides which plan you really need.
  3. Compare two to four real optionsOne option is not a decision, and more than four is a research project. Include the tool you already pay for, if there is one: staying put is always an option your approver will ask about.
  4. Price the plan you will actually needThe entry price is where the conversation starts. Check seat minimums, which plan unlocks your must-haves, how AI features are billed, and the annual commitment. Show where every figure came from and the date it was checked.
  5. Name the risks and the switching costSay what you will rebuild by hand, how long the move takes and what you are still waiting to confirm with the vendor. Approvers trust a brief that lists its open questions more than one that has none.
  6. Ask for one clear decisionEnd with the recommendation, the budget, and the date you need an answer by. Then attach the sources.

Not sure which tools belong on the shortlist? Start with a category, read the head-to-head comparisons, check the security and compliance database for your IT requirements, and look at the migration guide for what the switch involves.

Already paying for a stack of tools? Price your whole stack with the same verified prices, and save it as a link you can reopen before each renewal.

What goes into the brief, and where it comes from

Verified pricesEach vendor’s published entry price, recorded from its own pricing page, with the date it was last checked.
Cost for your teamPer-seat list price × your seats, including published seat minimums. Flat, quote-only and per-transaction pricing is labelled, not guessed.
Requirements checkSingle sign-on, SCIM, audit logs, SOC 2, HIPAA, EU data residency and offline use, as each vendor states them, and which plan they need.
Open questionsGenerated from the data: quote-only pricing, seat minimums, plan-gated security and metered AI billing that could change your total.

Planning a switch for 25 or more seats? I’m looking at building full switching plans for teams: what you pay now, three realistic options, the migration cost line by line and a week-by-week cutover. If that would help, email me at bill@helpcompare.com with the tool you use, the one you’re considering and your seat count. To draft one yourself first, use the switching cost calculator and migration plan. — Bill

Frequently asked questions

What is a software decision brief?

A one-page summary that explains which tool a team should buy and why. It lists the options that were considered, what each costs for your team size, how each meets your must-have requirements, the risks still open, and where every number came from. It is what a manager, finance or IT needs to approve a purchase without redoing your research.

Where do the prices in the brief come from?

From the HelpCompare open dataset. Every entry price was recorded from the vendor’s own pricing page while researching a comparison, and the brief shows the date it was last verified. Security details are quoted from each vendor’s website. The brief does not estimate or model prices; where a vendor publishes none, it says so.

How is the cost for my team calculated?

Only by arithmetic on published prices: the entry plan’s per-seat list price multiplied by your seats, including any seat minimum the vendor publishes. Flat-priced, quote-only and per-transaction tools are labelled instead of calculated. Higher plans, annual discounts, tax and add-ons are not included; each comparison page has a full plan calculator.

Is what I type saved or sent anywhere?

No. The tools, team size and requirements you choose are kept in the page address so you can share the link. The problem statement, must-haves, recommendation and your name stay in your own browser and are never sent to HelpCompare.

Can I share the brief with my team?

Yes. Use Print or save as PDF for a document, Copy as text to paste it into an email or chat, or Copy link to share the live version. The live link rebuilds the brief from the latest verified data, without your private notes.

Cite this page: HelpCompare, “Software Decision Brief”, helpcompare.com/decision-brief/ (updated ).

From shortlist to switched

Built for the leader who owns the selection, answers for the spend, drives the rollout, and lives with the results. HelpCompare covers the whole decision, not just the first step.

01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.133 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.264 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent eight and a half years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

Read Bill’s story How we verify pricingSpot an error? Tell Bill