COMPARE
InstantSam and HigherGov, side by side
What each costs and what each does, from each company's own website. HigherGov's column was read on 1 November 2026.
What each costs, and how you buy it
Prices as each company prints them on its own pricing page. Where a company prints only a monthly price, the yearly figure is worked out and says so.
| Product | How you buy it | Lowest paid plan | One person, a year | Five people, a year | Free plan or trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InstantSam | Monthly or yearly, bought online. Professional can also be bought monthly in the iPhone app. | Essential, $24.99 a month billed yearly, or $29.99 monthly with a first subscription's first two months at $19.99. Professional, which has every feature in the table below that is not marked Premier, is $59.99 a month billed yearly or $69.99 monthly | $299.88 on Essential billed yearly, or $719.88 on Professional. Monthly Professional: $799.88 in the first year, two months at $49.99 and ten at $69.99, then $839.88 a year | $1,799.88 on Premier billed yearly, which covers up to 5 people. Monthly: $1,999.88 in the first year, two months at $124.99 and ten at $174.99, then $2,099.88 a year | Free plan with no time limit and no card, with 3 document reviews once, each with its compliance checklist |
| HigherGov | Yearly plans paid in advance, with a Subscribe button; Enterprise through sales | Starter, $500 a year, 1 user | $500 (Starter) | $2,500 (Standard, up to 10 users) | Two-week trial |
Where they differ
Of the 31 rows below, the two are the same on 19. The others are listed here both ways. Not listedmeans not found on a company’s public pages on the date shown; it may exist behind a sign in, so ask.
Where InstantSam lists more
Each requirement shown with its source sentence
InstantSam: Yes, Each quote checked against the document. HigherGov: Not listed, Not described in their AI pages.
Win likelihood or pWin
InstantSam: Yes, A verdict with its reasons, no percentage. HigherGov: Partly, You set p(win); match score is not win odds.
Competition: offers received, who won
InstantSam: Yes, Offers received and repeat winners. HigherGov: Partly, Likely bidders, awards; offer counts not named.
Reminder before a certification expires
InstantSam: Yes, Emails at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 days. HigherGov: Not listed, No expiry reminder found publicly.
Calendar feed for Google or Outlook
InstantSam: Yes. HigherGov: Not listed, In-app calendar only; no feed found.
Team seats and shared work
InstantSam: Yes, Five seats. HigherGov: Partly, 1 user Starter, 10 Standard, unlimited Enterprise.
Native iPhone and Android apps
InstantSam: Yes, iPhone and Android. HigherGov: Not listed, No iPhone or Android app found.
SSO or a FedRAMP environment
InstantSam: Yes, SSO through Okta, Microsoft Entra or Google Workspace, and two-factor sign-in; not FedRAMP authorized. HigherGov: Partly, SSO (Okta, Entra) on Standard and up; no FedRAMP.
Free plan with no time limit
InstantSam: Yes, No time limit, no card. HigherGov: Not listed, Two-week trial; no free plan printed.
Monthly billing, cancel any time
InstantSam: Yes. HigherGov: Not listed, Annual, paid in advance; no refund for unused time.
Where HigherGov lists more
State and local bids
InstantSam: Partly, Eight portals: TX, NYC, FL, NC, LA, MA, NJ, IL. HigherGov: Yes, On every plan; 60,000+ agencies.
Research by human analysts
InstantSam: No. HigherGov: Yes, Custom research requests and live analyst chat.
Every row
| Feature | InstantSam | HigherGov |
|---|---|---|
| Where the work comes from | ||
| Federal contract notices (SAM.gov) | YesFreeSolicitations, presolicitations and sources sought | YesSAM.gov plus other federal bid boards |
| Federal grants (Grants.gov) | YesFreePosted and forecast | YesFrom Grants.gov |
| State and local bids | PartlyFreeEight portals: TX, NYC, FL, NC, LA, MA, NJ, IL | YesOn every plan; 60,000+ agencies |
| DLA DIBBS requests for quotation | YesFree | YesOwn DIBBS tab; NSN pages and price history |
| DoD SBIR and STTR topics | YesFreeDoD topics from DSIP | YesSBIR and STTR from SBIR.gov; DoD not named |
| Forecasts before a solicitation posts | YesProfessionalThe federal forecast tool and the City of Boston plan | YesForecasts tab; docs say 40+ or 70+ sources |
| Reading the solicitation | ||
| AI reads the attachments, not only the notice | YesEssentialFifteen attachments, or up to 30 for 2 or 3 reviews; three reviews free | YesOpportunity Assistant reads attached documents |
| Compliance checklist or matrix | YesEssentialUp to 40 requirements that decide acceptance, part of the notice's review; three reviews free | YesRequirements checklist and Excel compliance matrix |
| Each requirement shown with its source sentence | YesEssentialEach quote checked against the document | Not listedNot described in their AI pages |
| Questions answered from the documents | YesEssentialAnswers quote the documents | YesOpportunity Assistant, federal and state notices |
| Tells you what an amendment changed | YesFreeShown on the notice; alerts on every paid plan | YesTrack emails show key changes; federal only |
| Writes proposal text for you | YesProfessionalFive proposal drafts a month from your outline and your own record; Sources Sought letters on every paid plan | YesFull proposal, outline, sources sought drafts |
| Deciding whether to bid | ||
| Alerts on new matching notices | YesEssentialEmail, and push on the phone | YesReal time, daily, weekly or monthly emails |
| Win likelihood or pWin | YesProfessionalA verdict with its reasons, no percentage | PartlyYou set p(win); match score is not win odds |
| Competition: offers received, who won | YesProfessionalOffers received and repeat winners | PartlyLikely bidders, awards; offer counts not named |
| Market intelligence | YesProfessional | YesAwards, agencies, awardees, vehicles, reports |
| Recompetes and expiring contracts | YesProfessionalContracts ending in 6 to 18 months | YesPotential Recompete filter; vulnerable incumbents |
| Labor rates or price to win | YesEssentialGSA CALC+ ceiling rates | YesLabor pricing tool, 470,000+ ceiling rates |
| Contract vehicles (IDIQs, GWACs, schedules) | YesProfessional | Yes4,000+ vehicles with award share |
| Reminder before a certification expires | YesEssentialEmails at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 days | Not listedNo expiry reminder found publicly |
| Running the bid and the team | ||
| Pursuit pipeline | YesFreeWith tasks, notes and a go or no-go record | YesPipelines, pursuits, tasks; unlimited |
| Calendar feed for Google or Outlook | YesEssential | Not listedIn-app calendar only; no feed found |
| Team seats and shared work | YesPremierFive seats | Partly1 user Starter, 10 Standard, unlimited Enterprise |
| API or webhooks | YesPremierA read-only API and webhooks | Yes10,000 records a month on every plan |
| Native iPhone and Android apps | YesiPhone and Android | Not listedNo iPhone or Android app found |
| Research by human analysts | No | YesCustom research requests and live analyst chat |
| SSO or a FedRAMP environment | YesPremierSSO through Okta, Microsoft Entra or Google Workspace, and two-factor sign-in; not FedRAMP authorized | PartlySSO (Okta, Entra) on Standard and up; no FedRAMP |
| Buying it | ||
| Free plan with no time limit | YesNo time limit, no card | Not listedTwo-week trial; no free plan printed |
| Monthly billing, cancel any time | Yes | Not listedAnnual, paid in advance; no refund for unused time |
| Prices published on the website | Yes | YesStarter and Standard; Enterprise is Custom |
| Buy without a sales call or demo | Yes | YesSubscribe button on Starter, Standard; Enterprise by email |
Where each cell came from
HigherGov’s own pages, read on 1 November 2026. InstantSam’s column comes from our own product, with the plan that includes each feature. Nothing here comes from review sites, roundups or price estimates.
- highergov.com
- highergov.com/pricing
- highergov.com/market-intelligence
- highergov.com/signup
- highergov.com/tos
- docs.highergov.com/more/data-sources
- docs.highergov.com/find-opportunities/federal-grants.md
- docs.highergov.com/find-opportunities/state-and-local-contracts.md
- docs.highergov.com/find-opportunities/dla-opportunities.md
- docs.highergov.com/find-opportunities/federal-small-business-and-socioeconomic-contracts.md
- docs.highergov.com/find-opportunities/forecasted-opportunities-and-expiring-awards.md
- docs.highergov.com/ai-tools-and-accelerators/ai-analysis.md
- docs.highergov.com/ai-tools-and-accelerators/ai-proposal-drafting.md
- docs.highergov.com/ai-tools-and-accelerators/ai-match-scoring.md
- docs.highergov.com/business-development/find-and-analyze-competing-bidders.md
- docs.highergov.com/highergov-basics/favoriting-tracking-and-no-bidding.md
- docs.highergov.com/highergov-basics/saved-searches-and-alerts.md
- docs.highergov.com/highergov-basics/adding-users-to-your-account.md
- docs.highergov.com/import-and-export/highergov-api.md
- docs.highergov.com/more/foia-service.md
- docs.highergov.com/more/single-sign-on.md
- docs.highergov.com/find-opportunities/federal-contracts.md
- docs.highergov.com/business-development/benchmarking-labor-rates.md
- docs.highergov.com/market-intelligence/analyze-contract-vehicles.md
- docs.highergov.com/pursuit-management/create-a-pipeline.md
- docs.highergov.com/pursuit-management/review-pipeline-and-performance.md
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