If you’re part of a busy sales team, you've probably experienced that perpetual struggle of squeezing endless tasks into a 24-hour day.

In the whirlwind of to-dos, finding a way to bring some order and rhythm to routines becomes crucial, and that’s where modern sales tools can be beneficial. One such often repeated task is the creation of quotes and invoices, which can be tedious, to say the least.

Quoting software can speed this up dramatically by assisting sales teams to seamlessly create, send, track and upsell sales quotes. But that’s not all.

The best-quoting software allows sales reps to increase their speed and responsiveness, reduce manual errors through automation, boost collaboration, help track metrics like quote-to-close ratios and the most popular products/services. This data can help sellers refine their sales strategy and, most importantly, allocate more time to building relationships with clients and focusing on strategic sales activities.

With the plethora of options; it can be time-consuming to determine which is best suited for your business. To make it easier, we’ve narrowed down eight cloud-based quoting tools based on the stage and type of business you’re running. Whether you are a freelancer, an SME, or a global corporation, we have options that suit your needs.

How to choose the right quoting software solution

Before we dive into specific recommendations, there are a few things you should know to conduct a thorough evaluation and choose the software that will best meet the needs of your organization and sales team.

1. Define your needs

Begin by thoroughly assessing your sales process and identifying the main pain points already felt by reps and operations teams. For instance, if your SaaS sales involve highly customizable products or services, prioritize a quoting solution that offers advanced configuration options or choose a quoting software known for its ability to handle intricate product configurations and generate accurate quotes tailored to each customer's specifications.

2. Make a list of the most essential features

Once you’ve defined your needs, you should have an idea of which features are most important when choosing the right quoting software. You want your choice product to assist your process, not create additional work or administrative burden for your sales reps. They need to be able to focus on speaking and serving customers!

Evaluate for user-friendliness

A user-friendly interface is crucial to ensure smooth adoption by your sales team. Seek a solution that simplifies the quote creation process, such as drag-and-drop functionality and other features that allow sales reps to quickly add products, adjust quantities, and apply discounts within the quote without extensive training.

Integration capabilities

Seamless integration with your existing tools is essential for a streamlined workflow and you wouldn’t want to disrupt it. So, evaluate the integration capabilities with your CRM software and other sales management systems in your arsenal. One of the other things to look out for is sales quote automation so that your sales team can effortlessly access current and precise product catalogs and pricing tables quickly.

Customization options

Personalization is critical for building a solid brand identity. Look for quoting software that allows you to customize templates with your company's logo, color scheme, and branding elements.

For instance, Qwilr offers extensive options, enabling you to create custom quotes that align with your brand's visual identity and come armed with payment options to collect funds directly from clients when they receive your invoice.

  • Collaboration features: If multiple team members are involved in the quoting process, prioritize collaboration features so your team members can simultaneously work and follow-up on a quote, review changes, and ensure accuracy. This will help in fostering teamwork and reducing bottlenecks.
  • Reporting and analytics: To refine your sales strategy, you need insights into your quoting performance. Opt for a software solution with robust reporting and analytics capabilities that provide valuable data, empowering you to make data-driven decisions.
  • Scalability: This is crucial—consider the future growth of your business. Select a quoting software that can accommodate increased quote volumes and expand sales operations, ensuring that your quoting process remains efficient and effective as your business grows.
  • Customer support: Research the reputation of the quoting software provider's customer support, as reliable customer support is essential for a smooth experience, and you wouldn’t want to be hanging when you need it the most.

By carefully considering these factors and evaluating how each online quoting software solution aligns with your unique requirements, you can confidently choose a solution that empowers your sales team and enhances your overall sales process.

Best quoting software for mid-market and enterprise sales teams: Qwilr

If your sales team continues encountering significant challenges when creating quotes and invoices, then quoting software can be very handy. Manual processes can be time-consuming and error-prone, leading to delays and potential discrepancies that can harm customer relationships and hinder business growth. Tracking changes, maintaining consistent branding, and ensuring accurate calculations across various sales documents can be overwhelming.

If you’re looking for a solution that can prevent the bottlenecks mentioned above, apart from assisting your sales team to close deals faster, look no further than Qwilr's innovative quoting software as a solution.

Qwilr streamlines the entire quoting and invoicing process by offering a user-friendly platform that allows sales teams to create visually appealing, customizable and professional quotes and invoices effortlessly. Its key features include a drag-and-drop interface for easy document creation, integration with CRM and other software for seamless data management, and the ability to do automated calculations, record-keeping and comes armed with in-built electronic signature capabilities.

Qwilr's software enhances the efficiency and professionalism of quotes and invoices, contributing to a more streamlined and impactful sales process.

  • Primary use cases: Qwilr is used by sales, marketing, sales ops, customer success, and recruitment teams in SaaS, e-commerce , agencies and more.
  • Standout features: With Qwilr, you can create a library of reusable content for sales reps.
  • Templates: Yes, Qwilr offers a variety of invoicing and quote templates and proposal templates.
  • Tracking & analytics: Users can see who engaged with their content and what they looked at when clicking.
  • Integrations: Qwilr easily integrates with various CRMs, like Salesforce and Hubspot, and other sales solutions like Vidyard.
  • Customer support: 24-hour customer support on weekdays with reduced support on weekends and holidays.
  • Pricing: Qwilr offers business and enterprise plans starting at $35, with a 14-day free trial.
Summary table of Qwilr for sales teams

Best for freelancers: Harvest

Being a freelancer can be challenging. You’re expected to deliver the best service to your customers and also serve as Sales, Marketing, HR, IT and Finance - running both the front and back offices of your business. This is where Harvest comes into play.

Harvest offers freelancers and solopreneurs a user-friendly platform for time tracking and ensuring transparency, all under a free forever plan. Although this plan allows only one user and two projects, it covers essential needs for freelancers starting out.

For those requiring more, Harvest Pro comes to the rescue. At just $10.80 per user per month (billed annually), you get unlimited users and projects, making it a cost-effective option for freelancers. Plus, there's a free 30-day trial to test the waters.

  • Primary use cases: Harvest is widely used across industries like digital marketing and design for time tracking, project management, quoting, and invoicing.
  • Standout features: A dedicated dashboard provides meaningful insights into project timelines and profitability—simple quote and invoice creation that carries across tracked time and projects.
  • Templates: Harvest offers invoice templates. Design options are more limited.
  • Tracking & analytics: Yes, it comes equipped with an insightful dashboard.
  • Integrations: Harvest integrates with many apps such as Zapier, Quickbooks, Asana, Trello, and more.
  • Customer support: Available through the Help Centre and contact support.
  • Pricing: Harvest offers a free plan for individuals and a Pro plan at $10.80 per user/month, billed annually.

Summary of Harvest for freelancers

Best for new businesses: Bidsketch

Balancing customer wishes with resource limitations? That’s probably less daunting than finding your unique spot in the market and wrangling with budgets as a new business.

With so much to juggle, automating processes wherever possible is only fair. One such repeated task is the hassle of creating quotes and invoices, and considering quoting software is a smart bet.

Essentially a proposal software, Bidsketch also comes with templates that can be customized to generate quotes. With its user-friendly interface, you can create sleek and professional templates in a fraction of the time. Moreover, its analytics feature tracks client interactions, giving insights into their engagement levels.

However, while Bidsketch shines in several areas, it could improve in others. Based on user reviews, integrations with other tools and an updated user interface are areas where Bidsketch could enhance its offerings. Despite these challenges, many users find Bidsketch's features beneficial for streamlining their quoting process.

  • Primary use cases: Bidsketch works best for new businesses in the design, development, marketing, and advertising space.
  • Standout features: Bidsketch comes with custom client landing pages and e-signature capabilities.
  • Templates: Yes. Bidsketch offers plenty of customizable templates
  • Tracking & analytics: Yes, through web-based proposal analytics
  • Integrations: Bidsketch integrates with CRM and accounting tools like Freshbooks, Salesforce, Zapier, and more.
  • Customer support: Offers support via email and support page.
  • Pricing: Bidsketch offers three pricing tiers—Solo, Team, and Business plans with annual pricing of $23/ $47 and $110, respectively.

Summary of Bidsketch for new businesses

Best for agencies: Qwilr

Managing an agency, particularly in marketing and design, requires cutting through the noise with effective communication and presentation. Balancing client needs, project details, and your agency's bottom line can make generating quotes and invoices feel like navigating a labyrinth.

Qwilr aids in modernizing your buyer experience, easing the workload on your team. With Qwilr's web-based assets, creating interactive, professional, itemized quotes and invoices becomes a task of just a few clicks. Moreover, Qwilr’s sync capabilities with accounting software streamline your financials effortlessly.

  • Primary use cases: Qwilr is suited to sales, marketing, and operations teams requiring visually appealing sales proposals and quotes.
  • Standout features: Qwilr's quotes are web-based for enhanced presentation and analytics. You can track when your quote is received and shared within an organization.
  • Templates: Yes, Qwilr provides 70+ templates, including various effective quote templates.
  • Tracking & analytics: Advanced insights into prospect behavior are available with Qwilr.
  • Integrations: Qwilr integrates seamlessly with various tools such as CRMs, Stripe, and more. Comes with esign capabilities.
  • Customer Support: Weekday support is available 24 hours—limited availability on weekends and holidays.
  • Pricing: Business and enterprise plans begin at $35. Qwilr offers a 14-day free trial.

Summary of Qwilr for agencies

Best for agencies: Nusii [notable mention]

Another option for creative agencies is Nusii, which comes from a team that first-hand faced the challenge of using Word, InDesign, Pages, and other clunky quote solutions before they built something in-house and then released it to the world.

Its intuitive interface lets you create eye-catching, branded proposals and quotes that dazzle clients. It comes armed with varied features for creative agencies, such as a content library, powerful editor, instant notifications, and interactive pricing.

  • Primary use cases: Best suited for creative agencies and freelancers.
  • Standout features: Comes with interactive pricing and a powerful editor.
  • Templates: Yes. Nusii offers quote templates.
  • Tracking & analytics: Unclear from the website, possibly limited.
  • Integrations: Nusii integrates with various tools like CRM, Stripe, and other integration tools like Zapier and Make.
  • Customer support: Offers support through chat, knowledge base, and ticketing.
  • Pricing: Nusii offers a freelancer plan at $29/month, plus business and enterprise plans that are $49/month and $129/month, respectively.

Summary of Nusii for agencies

Best for micro-businesses with small teams: PandaDoc

Balancing day-to-day invoicing, quote generation, administrative tasks, and regulatory compliance demands can overwhelm and divert precious time and energy from core business activities. Sounds familiar? You aren’t alone. With so much to juggle, you need less busy work and more time spent on sales activity.

One of the ways to do this is by automating repetitive tasks, such as invoicing and quote creation processes.

For small businesses, PandaDoc can help you with its affordable quoting software.

  • Primary use cases: Micro businesses with team
  • Standout features: Tailored pricing for customers
  • Templates: Yes, come armed with templates.
  • Tracking & analytics: PandaDoc gives in-depth views of your quoting sales pipeline.
  • Integrations: Yes. Integrates with various CRM, productivity, and accounting software.
  • Customer support: Customer support via ticketing and support forum
  • Pricing: Offers a three-tier pricing plan with numbered seats. Starting at Standard ($19/per person), Business ($49/per person), and a customized Enterprise plan.

Summary of PandaDoc for micro-business with small teams

Best for manufacturers: QuoteWerks

Are you part of a manufacturing or traditional services company looking for an invoice and quoting software? QuoteWerks might just be the tool for you. This invoicing tool takes the load off the busy operations team by bidding farewell to quote and invoice headaches. While the UI of the tool has a veteran look and feel, it comes armed with a robust set of features such as CRM & PSA integrations, peer reviews and approvals, Vendor RFQs, audit trail, and more that make it apt for larger enterprises with unique sales needs.

  • Primary use cases: Commonly used by manufacturers, manufacturer reps, IT solution providers, value-added resellers, managed service providers (MSPs), AV/security integrators and custom Integrators.
  • Standout features: QuoteWerks allows businesses to pull consumer pricing from Amazon, CDW, Staples, Dell, and more, along with distributor pricing and availability.
  • Templates: Yes, QuoteWerks offers templates and comes armed with a built-in layout designer
  • Tracking & analytics: The QuoteWerks Dashboard provides a snapshot of your total dollar amount, along with the count of quotes and orders for the present month, the previous month, and two months back. Additionally, you'll have visibility into quotes set to expire within the upcoming week.
  • Integrations: QuoteWerks integrates with the most powerful CRM/PSA and accounting systems, such as Hubspot, Zoho, Salesforce, Goldmine, and more.
  • Customer support: Offers live phone technical support, email technical support, and free pre-sales support. They also have resources for teams to get started.
  • Pricing: Offers three-tier pricing, namely, Standard ($13.75/mo/per user), Professional (($19.25/mo/per user), and Corporate Edition (($27.50/mo/per user). QuoteWerks also has a one-time purchase price.

Summary of QuoteWerks for manufacturers

Best for RFI-specific quoting: Responsive [Formerly RFPIO]

When it comes to Request for Information (RFI) specific quoting, the need for speed and efficiency is paramount. Quotes and invoices need to be generated promptly, allowing teams to respond to opportunities in real-time.

Responsive (formerly RFPIO)—a strategic response management and RFP software, excels in this area, streamlining the proposal creation process via pre-approved company knowledge. It enables teams to automate responses to RFIs, shortening the sales cycle and keeping prospects satisfied while freeing up time to continually add to the pipeline.

  • Use case: Responsive is ideal for proposal managers, sales and marketing teams, and subject matter experts dealing with RFIs.
  • Standout feature: Responsive's AI-powered answer library and recommendation engine highlights the most relevant content, aiding quick and accurate RFI response.
  • Templates: Yes, Responsive offers templates. Their Word document templates come with defined styles and options for customizing the branding to suit your organization.
  • Tracking & analytics: Responsive provides various analytics and reporting tools for comprehensive insights.
  • Integrations: Responsive integrates with numerous tools, including CRM, communication apps, productivity, and sales enablement tools. Custom integrations are also possible through their API.
  • Customer support: Support is available via ticketing or the help center.
  • Pricing: They don’t have pricing widely available. Contact the team for complete pricing details.

Summary of Responsive (formerly RFPIO) for RFI-specific quoting


Getting the best-quoting software for your team

Whether you're a service-based company, a manufacturing powerhouse, or an innovative tech startup, finding the best-quoting software tailored to your specific needs is paramount. Choosing the right tool can streamline your quoting process, eliminate errors, enhance customer satisfaction, and boost your bottom line.

Remember, no matter the size or scope of your business, the right quoting software is more than just a tool – it's a strategic investment in your success. So take the time to explore the options, consider your unique requirements, and make an informed decision.

And if you are a sales or enterprise team looking to simplify invoicing and quotes, why not give Qwilr a try? From proposal templates with several styles of quoting options that help cut through the noise to analytics and 24/5 customer support, you’ve got yourself a winning tool. Speak to the team or book a demo to get started.

About the author

Brendan Connaughton, Head of Growth Marketing

Brendan Connaughton|Head of Growth Marketing

Brendan heads up growth marketing and demand generation at Qwilr, overseeing performance marketing, SEO, and lifecycle initiatives. Brendan has been instrumental in developing go-to-market functions for a number of high-growth startups and challenger brands.