If you’re part of a busy sales team, you've probably experienced the perpetual struggle of fitting endless tasks into a 24-hour day.
In the whirlwind of to-dos, bringing order and rhythm to routines becomes crucial. That’s where modern sales tools come into play. One often-repeated task is creating quotes and invoices, which can be tedious.
Quoting software can dramatically speed up this process by helping sales teams seamlessly create, send, track, and upsell sales quotes. But that’s not all.
The best quoting software increases speed and responsiveness, reduces manual errors through automation, boosts collaboration, and helps track metrics like quote-to-close ratios and the most popular products/services. This data helps refine sales strategies, allowing more time to build client relationships and focus on strategic activities.
With numerous options available, determining the best fit for your business can be time-consuming. To simplify the process, we’ve narrowed down eight cloud-based quoting tools for different business stages and types. Whether you are a freelancer, an SME, or a global corporation, we have options to suit your needs.
How to choose the right quoting software solution
Before diving into specific recommendations, consider these factors to evaluate and choose the best software for your organization and sales team:
1. Define your needs
Start by assessing your sales process and identifying key pain points. For instance, if your sales strategy involves highly customizable products or services, prioritize a quoting solution that offers advanced configuration options to handle intricate product configurations and generate accurate quotes tailored to each customer's specifications.
2. List essential features
Once you’ve defined your needs, determine which features are most important for your quoting software. Your choice should assist your process, not create additional work. Sales reps need to focus on speaking and serving customers.
3. Evaluate for user-friendliness
A user-friendly interface is crucial for smooth adoption. Look for solutions that simplify quote creation with drag-and-drop functionality and other features allowing reps to quickly add products, adjust quantities, and apply discounts without extensive training.
4. Integration capabilities
Seamless integration with existing tools is essential for a streamlined workflow. Evaluate the integration capabilities with your CRM and other sales management systems. Sales quote automation should allow your team to access current and precise product catalogs and pricing tables quickly.
5. Customization options
Personalization is key for building a solid brand identity. Look for quoting software that allows template customization with your company's logo, color scheme, and branding elements. For example, Qwilr offers extensive options for creating custom quotes aligned with your brand's visual identity and includes payment options to collect funds directly from clients when they receive your invoice.
- Collaboration features: If multiple team members are involved, prioritize collaboration features so team members can simultaneously work on and follow up on quotes, review changes, and ensure accuracy, fostering teamwork and reducing bottlenecks.
- Reporting and analytics: Opt for software with robust reporting and analytics to refine your sales strategy through valuable data.
- Scalability: Consider the future growth of your business. Choose software that can accommodate increased quote volumes and expand sales operations, ensuring efficiency as your business grows.
- Customer support: Reliable customer support is essential for a smooth experience, especially when you need it most. Research the provider's reputation for customer support.
By carefully considering these factors, you can confidently choose a solution that empowers your sales team and enhances your 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. Plus, 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
- The ability to do automated calculations, record-keeping
- Built-in electronic signature capabilities
Qwilr's software enhances the efficiency and professionalism of quotes and invoices, contributing to a more streamlined and impactful sales process.
Key features of Qwilr:
- 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.
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.
Key features of Harvest:
- Primary use cases: Widely used in digital marketing and design for time tracking, project management, quoting, and invoicing.
- Standout features: A dedicated dashboard provides insights into project timelines and profitability.
- Templates: Offers invoice templates, though design options are limited.
- Tracking & analytics: Equipped with an insightful dashboard.
- Integrations: Integrates with apps like Zapier, Quickbooks, Asana, and Trello.
- Customer support: Available through the Help Centre and contact support.
- Pricing: Offers a free plan for individuals and a Pro plan at $10.80 per user/month.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Best for small businesses and freelancers: Billdu
For small businesses and freelancers seeking efficiency, Billdu offers an intuitive quoting solution that simplifies invoicing and administrative tasks.
Its user-friendly interface and professional templates allow entrepreneurs to focus on business growth while managing quotes and invoices seamlessly.
Billdu is ideal for constructors and tradespeople on the go. The Billdu app lets you send quotes and invoices from your smartphone or tablet, ensuring professional service and financial management anywhere, helping you get paid faster and stay organized.
For small businesses and freelancers, Billdu provides an affordable quoting solution that simplifies your workflow.
- Primary use cases: Ideal for small businesses, freelancers, constructors and tradespeople needing flexible invoicing solutions.
- Standout features: Generate all essential business documents, including quotes, invoices, purchase orders, receipts, proforma invoices, and delivery notes.
- Templates: Yes, Billdu offers a variety of professional templates to customize your invoices and quotes.
- Tracking & analytics: Billdu provides real-time tracking to monitor the status of quotes and invoices, ensuring you stay on top of your sales pipeline.
- Integrations: Seamlessly integrates with popular accounting software for streamlined operations.
- Customer support: Offers dedicated support through email, chat, and an extensive help center.
Pricing: Billdu offers flexible pricing - Lite at $4.99, Standard at $9.99 for small teams, and Premium at $19.99 with advanced features.
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 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.