Compare tools, vendors, or quotes

Choosing between three booking apps, two web designers or a handful of supplier quotes is hard when each one describes itself differently. This guide shows you how to set your own yardstick first, get an AI tool to lay the options side by side fairly, check the facts that matter, and test your favourite before you commit.

Before you start

• The options you’re choosing between: names, websites, or the quotes and brochures you’ve been sent.
• The AI tool you normally use, such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. For tools and services, one that can search the web helps.
• About 30 minutes, plus time for a short trial.

Want to do it yourself?

Difficulty

4 out of 10

Estimated completion time

45–90 minutes, plus any product trial

Skills you’ll need: Choose comparison criteria, normalize quotes, and verify current features and prices against the suppliers.

I’ll do it myselfI’d rather get help

How this helps your brand

Comparing suppliers and tools against the same requirements helps you choose services that fit your business. Verified costs, limits, and exit terms matter more to dependable delivery than a persuasive sales page.

1. 1

   Step 1: Decide what matters before you look

   If you start with the sales pages, each option gets to set the rules. Write your own list first, so every option is judged on the same things.

   • Must-haves: anything that rules an option out if it’s missing. For example, “works on my phone” or “can start by March”.
   • Nice-to-haves: things that would tip the balance.
   • Total cost: not just the headline price, but setup fees, monthly costs, extras, and how long you’re tied in.
   • Effort: how long it takes to set up or switch, and who looks after it.

   Tip: Keep it to five or six things. A long list makes everything look the same.

2. 2

   Step 2: Put every option on the same footing

   Gather what you have on each option in one place: the quote, the pricing page, the brochure. For quotes, check they cover the same work. A cheaper quote often leaves something out.

   Take out anything private before pasting quotes into an online AI tool, such as your address, account numbers or the supplier’s staff phone numbers.

3. 3

   Step 3: Ask for a side-by-side table

   Use the prompt at the end of this guide. It asks the AI to compare every option against your list in a table, mark anything it can’t confirm as “unknown” rather than guessing, and show where each fact came from.

   Read it with a sceptical eye. If one option looks far better on everything, ask: “What are the main drawbacks of this one for a business like mine?”

   Tip: If you’re comparing quotes you’ve uploaded, ask the AI to list anything one quote includes that another doesn’t. That’s often where the real difference is.

   Illustrated exampleA low monthly price may hide an unknown total

   Fictional booking apps · same scope · one year

   Compare the total, with a source for each option

   Your yardstick	Option A	Option B	Option C
   Monthly price	£19	£25	£15
   Setup fee	£60	£0	Unknown
   First-year total	£288£19 × 12 + £60	£300£25 × 12 + £0	Unknown£180 + setup fee
   Phone booking Must-have	Included	Included	Included

   Sources: A — quote A, page 1; B — quote B, page 2; C — quote C, page 1. Totals calculated from those figures.

   ↳ C has the lowest monthly price. Ask for its setup fee before comparing the full cost.

4. 4

   Step 4: Check the facts your choice depends on

   AI tools can get prices and features wrong, especially if they change often. For the two or three facts your decision rests on, check them yourself on the company’s own website, or ask the supplier directly in writing.

   Also look for independent views: reviews on more than one site, or a recommendation from someone you trust who uses it.

5. 5

   Step 5: Test the front-runner before you commit

   If there’s a free trial or a small first job you can try, use it on a real task. Note what was easy, what was annoying, and anything that surprised you.

   Before you sign anything, read the cancellation terms, how long you’re tied in, and how you’d get your data out if you leave. Ask about anything you don’t understand.

   Illustrated exampleTest a complete task, then check the exit terms

   Trial planOne real appointment. The whole journey.

   Try the front-runner using your own phone and a real service you offer.

   1. 1. Make a booking

      Book a 30-minute consultation. Check the time and confirmation email.

   2. 2. Change it

      Move it to tomorrow. Check that your calendar and the customer’s email agree.

   3. 3. Take your data out

      Export the test booking. Open the file and check that its details are usable.

   Before paying: check the way out

   Find the minimum term, cancellation notice and any exit fee. Ask the supplier in writing if a term is unclear.

   Keep a short note: easy / annoying / surprising. Use what happened to decide.

Help me compare some options for my small business. Please be fair to each one and explain in plain English.

What I’m choosing: [for example, an online booking system, a web designer, a supplier]
The options: [names, links, or paste the quotes with private details taken out]
Must-haves: [anything that rules an option out]
Nice-to-haves: [things that would tip the balance]
My budget and timing: [for example, under a set monthly amount, start by March]

Please:
1. Make a table comparing every option against my must-haves, nice-to-haves, total cost and setup effort.
2. Write “unknown” for anything you can’t confirm. Don’t guess at prices or features.
3. For each fact, say where it came from: my quotes, or a link to the company’s own page.
4. List anything one option includes that another doesn’t.
5. Give the main drawback of each option for a business like mine.
6. Tell me which two or three facts I should check myself before deciding, and suggest a small trial for the front-runner.