Honest comparison · July 2026
AusTender vs AskTender: the portal, and the AI layer on top
Let's be clear up front: AusTender isn't a competitor to AskTender — it's the official, free, authoritative source of Australian Government procurement information. AskTender is the access layer that puts AusTender's tenders (and every state portal's) inside your AI.
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What is AusTender?
AusTender (tenders.gov.au) is the Australian Government's official procurement information system. Every Commonwealth approach to market, planned procurement and awarded contract is published there. It's free, comprehensive for federal opportunities, and the single source of truth for Commonwealth tendering — see our full AusTender guide on the federal tenders page.
Side by side
| Feature | AusTender | AskTender |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Official government portal — the source of truth for federal tenders | AI access layer on top of AusTender and all 8 state/territory portals |
| Cost | Free | $299/mo + GST flat, first 25 requests free |
| Coverage | Federal (Commonwealth) tenders only | Federal plus all 8 state and territory portals |
| Search | Category codes and keyword filters on the portal | Plain-English questions in ChatGPT or Claude |
| Alerts | Batched email notifications against saved categories | Live delivery into your AI within 15 minutes of publishing |
| Analysis | Download and read tender documents manually | AI summarisation, criteria extraction and bid analysis on demand |
| Submitting bids | Yes — responses are lodged through AusTender | No — you still submit through the official portal |
Comparison based on publicly available information as of July 2026. Contact us for corrections.
Which should you pick?
When AusTender fits
Everyone bidding on federal work uses AusTender — it's where tenders are officially published and where responses are lodged. It's free and authoritative, and AskTender doesn't replace it.
When AskTender fits
Add AskTender if you want AusTender's opportunities delivered into ChatGPT or Claude within minutes, searchable in plain English, with instant RFT summaries — plus all eight state and territory portals in the same feed. You keep using AusTender to lodge responses; AskTender makes sure you never miss what's on it.
With AskTender, you'd just ask
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Frequently asked questions
Is AusTender free?+
Yes — AusTender is completely free to search, register on and lodge responses through. It's the official Australian Government procurement system.
Do I still need AusTender if I use AskTender?+
Yes — tender responses are still lodged through AusTender, and it remains the authoritative record. AskTender handles the watching, searching and analysis so you only visit the portal when you're ready to bid.
Is AskTender affiliated with AusTender or the government?+
No. AskTender is an independent service that aggregates publicly published procurement information from official portals, with attribution back to the original source listings.
Does AskTender cover more than AusTender?+
Yes — AusTender covers Commonwealth procurement. AskTender also includes all eight state and territory portals, so federal and state opportunities appear in one feed.
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