COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? (update)

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a software tester. I saw that marketplace plans might cost less. Is the decision time really that tight?

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It made the follow-up calls so much easier.

I priced both side by side: total yearly cost, doctors in network and the deductible. Marketplace was cheaper for us, but only because our doctors were covered.