How I Replaced Qwilr with My Own

I'm a freelancer who builds websites, dashboards, and tools for creators. When a potential client says "how much?" ~ I need to send them something that looks professional, explains the scope clearly, and lets them say yes without a back-and-forth email chain.

A PDF feels dead. A Google Doc feels amateur. What I wanted was an interactive web page with my branding, clear pricing, and a way for them to sign right there.

That's exactly what Qwilr offers. But I didn't want to rent someone else's tool when I could own mine.

Qwilr is genuinely good. Branded proposal pages, interactive pricing tables, e-signatures, CRM integrations, analytics on who viewed what. It's a polished product.

But at $35/month (Business plan), I'm paying $420/year. And I'm locked into their templates, their design system, their limitations. If I want something custom ~ like a terminal-style wrapper or my own sticker illustrations ~ I can't.

The system has two parts: an admin page where I create proposals, and a public page where clients view and sign them.

The admin side:

• ~Fill in client name, brand, website, project title
• ~Add deliverables (with 'Included' badges for freebies)
• ~Set pricing, currency (EUR/USD/SGD), deposit percentage
• ~Define timeline milestones
• ~Add retainer tiers and WordPress integration pricing
• ~Hit save ~ proposal auto-generates at /proposals/[slug]

The client side:

• ~Beautiful branded page with my design system
• ~Scope, deliverables, pricing, timeline ~ all in one scroll
• ~Optional add-ons collapsed by default (retainer, hosting)
• ~Interactive selection cards ~ client picks their plan
• ~'Accept & Sign' button with canvas signature pad
• ~Signature + timestamp stored to database
• ~Status auto-updates in my admin pipeline

I wanted the proposal to feel like opening a document on a designer's desk. So I wrapped the entire thing in a macOS-style terminal window ~ dark title bar with traffic light dots, a slug path like proposal ~ sg-budget-babe, and cream paper inside.

Behind the terminal sits a warm gradient backdrop with my signature 54px grid pattern. The content inside is broken into white cards ~ deliverables, pricing, timeline ~ each floating on the cream paper.

It looks nothing like a Qwilr template. It looks like something I made. Because I did.

The signature system uses an HTML canvas element. The client types their name (pre-filled from the proposal data) and draws their signature with a mouse or finger on mobile.

When they click "Accept & Sign," the signature is captured as a base64 PNG image and stored in the database alongside their name, the timestamp, and any selections they made (retainer tier, WordPress plan).

On my end, the admin pipeline auto-updates from "Sent" to "Signed." I can see the signature, the timestamp, and exactly what they chose. One click to reset if needed.

No DocuSign. No HelloSign. No monthly fee. Just a canvas, a button, and a database.

Every proposal goes through 6 stages in my admin dashboard:

There's a "Generate Link" drawer that gives me a copyable URL, a pre-written message template I can paste into an email, and a "Mark as Sent" button that updates the status.

When the client signs, the status auto-updates. I send a Wise invoice, update to "Awaiting Payment," and when the money lands, I mark it "Paid." Work begins.

The proposal system runs on my existing Next.js site. Same Vercel hosting. Same Supabase database. Same codebase. Zero additional cost.

I traded one day of building for a lifetime of free proposals. And the system is mine ~ I can customise it however I want, whenever I want.

This isn't really about saving $35/month. It's about the principle: if you can build it, you should own it.

Every SaaS tool you subscribe to is someone else's solution to your problem. Most of the time, that's fine. But when the tool is core to how you make money ~ proposals, invoicing, client management ~ owning it gives you an edge nobody else has.

My proposals don't look like anyone else's. They can't. Because they're built from my design system, with my stickers, in my terminal window, on my grid.

The best tool is the one you build yourself.