The short answer
SAM.gov is where federal notices are published, and it is the record you confirm against before you respond. FedSift reads the same notices and does the part SAM.gov is not built for: deciding which ones are worth your time. It is a layer on top of SAM.gov, not a replacement, and every FedSift page tells you to confirm dates and requirements there.
Side by side
| SAM.gov | FedSift | |
|---|---|---|
| Official source of record for federal contract opportunities | Yes | No. FedSift republishes SAM.gov notices and links every one back to SAM.gov |
| Free to search without an account | Yes | Yes |
| Saved searches and following notices | Yes, with an account | Yes, with email digests daily, weekly or monthly |
| Scores each notice against your company profile | No | Yes: NAICS, set-aside eligibility, capability and past performance |
| Reads the attachments and lists each requirement with its page | No. Attachments are available to download | Yes, with the verbatim sentence and PDF page |
| Bid / no-bid gates (sole source, set-aside eligibility, exclusions) | No | Yes, with the clause and page that decided it |
| Award history and expiring contracts beside the notice | No. Award data is published on USASpending.gov | Yes, from USASpending.gov data |
| Submitting a response | Per the notice's instructions, often through SAM.gov | No. FedSift does not submit bids |
SAM.gov features as described on SAM.gov's Contract Opportunities page.
When SAM.gov alone is enough
If you already know the agency and the solicitation number, SAM.gov is the fastest way to the notice and its documents. Use it to confirm, to download the official package, and to respond.
When FedSift saves the time
When you are scanning hundreds of notices a week and need to know which ten fit, whether you are eligible to bid them, and what the package actually requires before you spend a day reading it.
Sources
- SAM.gov Contract Opportunities, checked 15 September 2026.
- USASpending.gov, checked 15 September 2026.
Try it on the notices you already track
Browse every open solicitation without an account, then add your profile to see which ones fit.
Starter is free forever, no card. Pro is $19 a month or $199 a year, and every account is on Pro at no cost until 31 March 2027. Would rather be walked through it? Ask for a demo and we'll reach out within one business day.