TradeCatalog vs Excel & PDF
One current catalog. Fewer attachments.
Spreadsheets are a useful starting point. When each customer needs different prices and every update means another email, a shared catalog can take over the repetitive work.
Trusted by thousands of happy trade users.
Free catalog for 100 products · Advanced trade pricing on Pro for US$39 a month · Your whole team included
The practical differences
Compare the work you do.
| What you need | TradeCatalog | Excel / PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Finding a product | Search by SKU, reference, name, brand or category. | Search or filter within the file you received. |
| Customer prices | Whole-account discounts on Free. Pro adds negotiated prices, price books and brand or category rules. | Maintain and send the right version to each customer. |
| Sending the wrong list | Each customer signs in and only ever sees their own prices. | A file sent to the wrong customer shows them someone else’s terms. |
| A client’s staff ordering | Set the client to approved list only: their staff see and order just the products you agreed. | Staff can ask for anything, and someone checks each order against the contract. |
| Price changes | On Pro, schedule the change; each affected buyer is emailed their own old and new prices. | Update every customer’s file and send them yourself. |
| Checking before it goes out | Each import lists new products, price changes (big ones flagged) and missing lines before saving. | Compare versions by eye or with formulas. |
| “What’s my price?” | Customers look it up, and can download their own price list any time. | A phone call or email to your team. |
| Orders | Product and quantity details arrive together by email. | Your existing email or phone ordering process. |
| Cost | Free for 100 products; Pro US$39/month for your business. Whole team included. | Included in software you already have. |
| Data portability | Import spreadsheets and export your data. | Files stay in the tools you already use. |
Think about the time you spend preparing, checking and sending each customer’s list.
Why choose TradeCatalog?
Keep your spreadsheet.
Import the file you already maintain, CSV, Excel or PDF. Next month’s file in the same layout matches itself and goes straight to the check.
One price rise, not fifty files.
Change list prices once. Every customer’s own price follows their discount, and each one is told exactly what changes for them.
See what they see.
Pick any customer to view the catalog as they do, with the reason beside each price. No more checking which version you sent.
Choose for your business
Pick the right amount
of software.
Choose TradeCatalog if…
You regularly update prices, have different agreements by account and want customers to look up products themselves.
Consider Excel / PDF if…
Your range is small, prices rarely change and maintaining a few customer files is still straightforward.
Switching over
Switch in
three steps.
- Import your products.
Upload CSV, Excel or a PDF price list, match the columns and check every row before anything is saved.
- Set account prices.
Add a whole-account discount on Free. Use Pro for negotiated item prices, price books and pricing rules.
- Invite your buyers.
Give customers a link to search, check their prices and send orders.
HX-8510Hex bolt, zinc platedM8 × 50 mm · box of 100WA-1030Flat washerM10 · zinc platedDR-06-HSSHSS drill bit6 mm · eachIllustrative products. Import your own range, references and selling units.
Free, or one Pro plan for your whole business.
Start free.
Put your trade pricing on Pro.
Keep a simple catalog on Free. Choose Pro when customers need negotiated prices, different price books or planned price rises. Try every Pro feature for 14 days, with no card.
Free
US$0/ month, forever
- Up to 100 products; each variant counts, including hidden and inactive items
- Unlimited team members, trade customers and buyer logins
- Orders, reorder and unlimited order requests
- Standard prices and a whole-account discount or markup
- Product images and spreadsheet imports
- Claude connector and other connected AI apps, including ChatGPT
For a simple range with Standard prices and a discount or markup for each account. Free never expires. Your customers always use it free.
Start freePro
US$39/ month
- Everything in Free
- Customer price books, negotiated prices and pricing rules
- Bulk changes, scheduling and customer price-change emails
- Unlimited products
- WooCommerce and API integrations
- Staff roles, regions and sales reps
- Branded PDF price lists
- Your branding, portal address and custom domain
Keep customer agreements in one place and schedule price rises without preparing a separate list for every buyer. One subscription covers your whole team. Or US$390 a year: two months free. Billed in USD. Tax added where it applies. Cancel any time.
A few useful answers
Before you switch.
Sending price lists by email today?
Compare two price lists free →
Buying from trade businesses?
Find your supplier →
Do I have to stop using Excel?
No. Start by importing your CSV or Excel file, and keep preparing updates in a spreadsheet if you like. Each new file in the same layout matches its columns by itself and shows new products, price changes and anything missing before you publish. Customers can download their own current price list as CSV, or as a PDF on Pro.
What if a customer still wants a spreadsheet?
They can download their own current price list as a CSV at any time, at their prices. On Pro that download can be a PDF too. Nobody has to change how they work on day one.
Can every customer have their own prices?
Yes. Free includes Standard prices and a whole-account discount or markup. Pro adds customer and group price books, brand and category rules, and negotiated prices for individual items. The most specific rule wins and discounts do not stack. Customers only see their own account prices.
Does this replace my invoicing or accounting software?
No. Customers send order requests and your team confirms availability and the final total. Keep your own invoicing and account terms. Free and Pro also offer optional Stripe payments after you confirm the total, for a 0.5% TradeCatalog fee plus Stripe fees.
Can my team manage the catalog together?
Yes. Invite your team to the same business workspace. Each person has their own sign-in. Team members manage products, prices, customers and orders. Owners also manage team access and billing. Customers have separate buyer access.
Can my customers order from their other suppliers in the same place?
Yes. A buyer whose other suppliers also use TradeCatalog signs in once and searches all of them together, by product, category or brand, with each supplier’s price for their account. They fill one cart and send it together: each supplier gets its own order. No supplier sees another supplier’s prices or orders.
What does the monthly plan cover?
A new workspace starts with 14 days of Pro and no card. After that, Free includes 100 products and unlimited team members, trade customers, buyer logins and orders, with no expiration. Pro adds advanced trade pricing, unlimited products and API integrations for one business price. You pay in GBP, USD, EUR, AUD or CAD, depending on where you are; tax is added at checkout where it applies.