Best Janitorial Bidding Software Compared (2026)

If you run a commercial cleaning company, you've probably tried to find software that does what your Excel spreadsheet does — but better. The problem is that "janitorial bidding software" is a small niche, and most of the options are either outdated, too expensive, or built for a different industry entirely.

We built BidLoom to solve this problem. This guide compares BidLoom against every other tool available for creating cleaning bids and proposals in 2026 — so you can see exactly where each one falls short and why we built what we built.

What to Look For in Bidding Software

Before comparing tools, here's what matters for commercial cleaning bids specifically:

1. Cleaning-specific production rates — Does it know how long it takes to vacuum 5,000 sq ft of carpet or clean a restroom? Generic proposal tools don't.
2. Labor burden calculation — Does it calculate your true cost per hour (wages + FICA + SUTA + workers comp + benefits)? Or just the hourly wage?
3. Facility type awareness — Does it know that a medical office needs different rates than a general office?
4. Professional proposals — Can you generate a PDF that doesn't look like a spreadsheet printout?
5. Ease of use — Will you actually use it at 9 PM after a walkthrough, or is it so complicated that you'll go back to Excel?
6. Price — Is it affordable for a cleaning company doing $200K-$2M in revenue?

Our Pick: BidLoom

We built BidLoom because none of the existing tools got the fundamentals right — accurate cleaning-specific calculations with a modern interface. Here's what it does:

• ISSA 612 production rates built in — the industry-standard data for how long every cleaning task takes
• Full labor burden by state — not just hourly wage, but FICA + FUTA + SUTA + workers comp + benefits, calculated for your specific state
• 7 facility types with smart defaults — office, medical, retail, school, industrial, church, restaurant
• Branded PDF proposals — your logo, your colors, professional output you can send directly to clients
• Mobile-responsive — use it on your phone during a walkthrough
• Bid analytics — track win/loss rates, pipeline value, and bidding trends
• Free to start — create 3 complete bids before paying anything. Then $19/mo.

BidLoom is focused on doing one thing well: helping you create accurate, professional bids fast. It doesn't try to be a scheduling tool, an invoicing platform, or a CRM. If you need those, pair it with a general operations tool like Jobber.

How BidLoom Compares to Alternatives

Here's how BidLoom stacks up against the other tools available for cleaning bids:

| Feature | BidLoom | CleanGuru | CleanlyRun | JanBid | Jobber | PandaDoc | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | ISSA production rates | Yes | Proprietary | Partial | Basic | No | No | | Full burden rate calc | Yes | Basic | No | No | No | No | | Facility types | 7 | Multiple | 4 | Basic | No | No | | Branded PDF proposals | Yes | Basic | No | No | Yes | Yes | | Mobile-friendly | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | | Bid analytics | Yes | No | No | No | Basic | Yes | | E-signatures | Planned | No | No | No | No | Yes | | Multi-user | Up to 10 | Per-cleaner | No | No | Yes | Yes | | Free tier | 3 bids free | 14 days | No | N/A | 14 days | Yes | | Starting price | $19/mo | $59/mo | $25/mo | $24 once | $39/mo | $19/user/mo |

The Alternatives

CleanGuru

The longest-running janitorial bidding software (since ~2010). Deep cleaning industry knowledge with proprietary production rates, supply calculators, and workloading. However, the interface feels dated, the learning curve is steep, and it's not mobile-friendly. Pricing starts at $59/mo with additional fees for modules. Best for established companies that want an all-in-one operations platform and don't mind an older UI.

CleanlyRun

A newer cleaning-specific estimating tool with a 7-step bidding process. Reasonable price at $25/mo and includes some production rate data, but limited to 4 facility types, no custom tasks, no branded proposals, and no mobile support. Best for small startups looking for a basic step up from spreadsheets.

JanBid

A $24 one-time purchase desktop application. You get basic production rate calculations, but it's desktop-only, no cloud access, no proposals, no analytics, and no mobile. Honestly, a well-built Excel spreadsheet does more.

Jobber

An excellent general field service management platform ($39/mo) with scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and a great mobile app. But it has zero cleaning-specific knowledge — no ISSA rates, no burden calculation, no facility types. You're entering prices manually, not calculating them. Best if you need operations tools and are willing to do bid math separately.

PandaDoc

A general-purpose proposal tool ($19/user/mo) with beautiful templates and e-signatures. But it has zero cleaning industry knowledge — you still need Excel or another tool to calculate the bid. Best as a proposal layer on top of your existing calculation process, not a replacement for it.

What About Excel?

Let's be honest — most cleaning companies under $500K in revenue are bidding with Excel. And it works. You can build a spreadsheet with ISSA rates, plug in square footage, and get a number.

The problems with Excel show up at scale:

• No proposal output — you still need Word or Google Docs for the proposal
• No state-specific burden rates — most spreadsheets use a single multiplier instead of actual FICA + SUTA + workers comp by state
• Version control — which spreadsheet is the current one? Where's the bid from 3 months ago?
• No tracking — you can't see win rates, pipeline value, or bidding trends
• No mobile — pulling up a complex spreadsheet on your phone during a walkthrough isn't practical

If you're doing fewer than 5 bids per month and your spreadsheet is working, keep using it. Once you're doing 10+ bids per month, the time savings from dedicated software pays for itself within the first month.

The Bottom Line

If you're a commercial cleaning company that wants accurate bid calculations and professional proposals, BidLoom is purpose-built for that. It's the only tool that combines ISSA production rates, full state-specific burden calculation, and branded PDF output in a modern, mobile-friendly interface — starting at $19/mo with a free tier to try it first.

If you also need scheduling, dispatching, and invoicing, pair BidLoom with Jobber. If you already have your math dialed in and just need a proposal tool, PandaDoc works. But if you want the calculation engine and the proposal in one place, that's what BidLoom does.

The most important thing is that you're calculating bids systematically rather than guessing. Any tool that helps you do that is better than a gut-feel number on the back of a napkin.

---

Related: How to Bid on Commercial Cleaning Contracts and 5 Pricing Mistakes That Kill Cleaning Company Profits