You’ve received quotes from three agencies: one says 12,000 TL a month + VAT, one 14,400 TL including VAT, and the third says 10,000 TL. At first glance the third looks cheapest. But the three quotes may not describe the same thing: one doesn’t count VAT, one charges a setup fee separately, one leaves extra content outside the package. Comparing quotes without bringing them to the same basis often makes you choose the wrong agency.
In this article we explain in three steps how to make quotes comparable: equalize VAT, convert scope to the same unit and add extra costs to the total. We show each step with three fictional quotes and offer a free Excel table that does the same work for you. (The examples use Turkish lira and Türkiye’s 20% VAT rate; adjust to your market.) If you’re curious how prices are formed, read how SEO prices are determined.
Why Can’t Quotes Be Compared Directly?
The differences between two quotes that look the same price usually come from these items:
- VAT status: one quote may be written excluding VAT and another including it. At a 20% rate, that alone is a 20% difference. Have your accountant confirm the current rate.
- Scope: how many pieces of content a month, how many platforms, campaigns and revisions?
- Setup and one-off fees: account opening, an initial strategy, a design template.
- Extra costs: shoots, extra content, tool subscriptions, extra platforms and an ad management fee.
- Contract length: the total for a three-month and a twelve-month commitment can’t be compared.
- Ad budget: ad spend is paid to the platform and isn’t part of the agency fee. Watch how the quote writes this.
You need to see these items side by side in one table, not in the quote text.
Step 1: Bring All Amounts to a VAT-Exclusive Basis
The first step is simple but most often skipped. To convert a VAT-inclusive amount to an exclusive one, divide it by (1 + the VAT rate):
VAT-exclusive amount = VAT-inclusive amount ÷ 1.20 (if the rate is 20%)
For example, a 14,400 TL VAT-inclusive quote is 12,000 TL excluding VAT. So the monthly fee in the first and second quotes is actually the same. If you don’t want to do it by hand, the VAT calculator (Turkish interface) converts between inclusive and exclusive amounts. If you’re preparing your own quote, see how to prepare a quote for VAT display and quote sections.
Set a rule when comparing: only VAT-exclusive amounts in the table, and the VAT-inclusive total shown separately in the last row. For a business that can deduct VAT, the real cost is the exclusive amount; for one that can’t, the inclusive amount matters.
Step 2: Convert Scope to the Same Unit
You may get different amounts of work for the same price, so compare each quote on “the same job”. A sample scope list for social media management:
- Monthly content count and format (posts, video, stories)
- Number of platforms managed
- Revision rights
- Reporting frequency and content
- Community management (replying to comments and messages)
- Account access and ownership of content
If scope isn’t equal, calculate a unit cost: divide the monthly fee by the content count. A quote of 12,000 TL for 16 pieces costs 750 TL per piece; a quote of 10,000 TL for 12 pieces costs 833 TL per piece before extras. For service-specific price drivers, see how social media management prices are determined and how web design prices are determined.
Step 3: Add Extra and One-Off Costs to the Total
Costs not visible on the quote page often change the total. Ask the agency the following and get the answers in writing:
- Is there anything not included in the price that you’ll ask us to pay for separately?
- Is there a setup or start-up fee, and is it one-off?
- On what terms and at what price are shoots, design and extra content done?
- Who pays for tools, plugins or licenses?
- What is paid if we end the contract early?
Then calculate the total over the contract term:
Contract period total = (monthly fee + monthly extra cost) × number of months + one-off fees
To plan your own budget next to the quotes, we gave three fictional scenarios line by line in a digital marketing budget: 3 realistic scenarios.
That way differences that look small monthly but accumulate over the year become visible.
Example: Comparing Three Fictional Quotes
The three quotes below are entirely fictional, made to show the method. All are 12-month social media management quotes for two platforms.
| Item | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written monthly fee | 12,000 TL + VAT | 14,400 TL VAT incl. | 10,000 TL + VAT |
| Monthly content count | 16 | 16 | 12 |
| Setup fee (excl. VAT) | 0 TL | 6,000 TL | 0 TL |
| Monthly extra cost (excl. VAT) | 0 TL | 0 TL | 3,000 TL |
| One-off extra cost (excl. VAT) | 0 TL | 0 TL | 5,000 TL |
| Monthly fee, excl. VAT | 12,000 TL | 12,000 TL | 10,000 TL |
| 12-month total, excl. VAT | 144,000 TL | 150,000 TL | 161,000 TL |
| Total, incl. VAT (20%) | 172,800 TL | 180,000 TL | 193,200 TL |
| Difference from lowest total | 0 | 4.2% more expensive | 11.8% more expensive |
The result is surprising: Quote C, which looks cheapest at first glance, is the most expensive in annual total once extra costs and the lower content count are counted, and it also has the highest cost per piece. Quote B differs from A only because of the setup fee.
Score the Non-Price Criteria
The lowest total is not always the best quote. Score non-price criteria from 1 to 5 and weight them by importance:
- Scope clarity: are the quantity, format and platforms written down?
- Reporting: how often, with which metrics and with commentary?
- Account ownership and access: are accounts opened in your name? Check the eight accounts in who owns your digital accounts.
- Exit terms: if the work ends, how are accounts and files handed over? The agency transition checklist helps.
- Experience and references: has similar sector work been done?
- Communication: are response time and meeting frequency defined?
In our example table the weighted scores come out at 4.06 for A, 3.28 for B and 2.50 for C. So A is both the lowest cost and the highest score; with your own weights the result can differ. For what to check in the contract, see what should an SEO contract include, and for questions to ask when choosing an agency, what to consider when choosing an SEO agency.
A Ready Excel Comparison Table
You don’t have to do this by hand: you can download the agency quote comparison table for free (Turkish interface). The table:
- Has columns for up to four quotes.
- Lets you choose “VAT excluded / included” for each amount and converts everything to an exclusive basis.
- Includes monthly extra costs, one-off fees and contract length in the total.
- Automatically calculates the contract period total, monthly average cost and difference from the lowest total.
- Has scope scoring and a weighted score on a second sheet.
The blue cells are the values you enter; the sample quotes are the same as in the table above, so overwrite them when entering your own.
Common Mistakes When Comparing Quotes
- Looking only at the monthly fee: setup, extra costs and length change the total.
- Not equalizing VAT: mixing exclusive and inclusive amounts in one table creates a 20% error.
- Not getting the scope in writing: verbal promises can’t be measured if they aren’t in the contract.
- Mistaking the ad budget for the agency fee: ad spend goes to the platform; the agency fee is a separate item.
- Automatically choosing the cheapest quote: a low price can mean low scope or high extra cost.
- Not asking about work you might need later: learn the prices for extra content and shoots up front.
After comparing quotes, we described how to run the first month with your chosen agency in the first 30 days. If you want a quote for social media, ads or SEO, see our digital marketing service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert a VAT-inclusive price to an exclusive one?
Divide the VAT-inclusive amount by (1 + the VAT rate). At 20%, a 14,400 TL inclusive amount is 12,000 TL excluding VAT. The VAT calculator does it for you. Confirm the current rate with your accountant.
Is the ad budget included in an agency quote?
Usually not. Ad spend is paid to a platform such as Google or Meta; the agency quote is the fee for the management service. Ask in writing how the ad budget and management fee are separated.
Which of the three quotes should I choose?
Don’t look only at the lowest total; consider the scope score and total cost together. Between two quotes with similar costs, account ownership, reporting and exit terms can decide.
What happens if I want work that isn’t in the quote later?
Extra work is usually done for an extra fee. So get the prices for extra content, shoots and revisions in writing at the quote stage and enter them in the extra cost line of the comparison table.
Does contract length affect the price?
It can; a longer commitment lowers the monthly fee at some agencies but makes leaving harder. Calculate the total over the contract term and ask about early termination.
How are the scores and weights in the table determined?
Give the scores yourself after the quotes and meetings, and set the weights by what is critical for your business. If account ownership is very important to you, raise its weight. The aim is to make non-price criteria visible when deciding.
