Compare the best fabrication quoting software for job shops
The best fabrication quoting software helps your team turn RFQs and customer drawings into accurate, consistent quotes without relying on spreadsheets, manual calculations, or one estimator’s memory.
This guide compares popular quoting software options for job shops, laser cutting shops, sheet metal shops, and custom fabrication teams.
The goal is not to find the biggest system. It’s to find the quoting workflow that best fits how your shop prices work, handles drawings, manages repeat parts, and moves approved jobs toward production.
Quick comparison: fabrication quoting software for job shops
Software
Best fit
Main strength
Watchout
Small and mid-sized laser cutting, sheet metal, and fabrication shops
Drawing-based quoting, pricing rules, part libraries, Web Store, and production documents
Best fit for fabrication quoting, not a full ERP replacement
Larger manufacturers and broader RFQ teams
Manufacturing quoting and RFQ workflows for more complex teams
May be more setup, cost, or process than smaller shops need
Shops that want online quoting, storefront, checkout, and order management
Ecommerce-led quoting and online ordering
May feel broader than needed if the main goal is faster internal quoting
Larger or more complex manufacturers
Deep configuration and broad process support
Can add complexity for shops that mainly need fast fabrication quoting
Laser cutting shops that want fast file-based quoting
DXF/STEP quoting, published pricing, and customer portal tools
Plan-gated features and STEP-first 3D support may limit shops with broader fabrication workflows
What should job shops look for in quoting software?
For fabrication shops, quoting software should do more than create a polished estimate. The strongest job shop quoting software should help with:
Drawing-based quoting
Customer files should drive the quote instead of forcing estimators to rebuild every job manually.
Machine and material pricing rules
Quotes should reflect your shop's real rates, materials, and pricing logic.
Consistent estimating
Different estimators should be able to quote from the same rules.
Repeat part libraries
Returning customer parts should not need to be quoted from scratch every time.
Secondary process pricing
Bending, welding, finishing, marking, and other steps should be priced consistently.
RFQ-to-production handoff
Approved quotes should carry useful job information forward.
Customer ordering options
Shops with repeat work may benefit from online quoting, saved parts, and customer ordering workflows.
If a tool does not support the way your team actually quotes, it can become another workaround instead of a better quoting system.
Tempus Tools
Best for fabrication shops that need fast, drawing-based quoting
Tempus Tools is built for laser cutting, sheet metal, and fabrication shops that quote from customer drawings, machine rates, material costs, and shop-specific pricing rules.
It helps teams move from RFQ to quote faster while keeping pricing consistent across estimators.
Choose Tempus Tools if:
Key strengths
Paperless Parts
Best for larger manufacturers and broader RFQ teams
Paperless Parts is a well-known manufacturing quoting platform. It can be a strong fit for larger manufacturers, contract manufacturers, or teams with more complex RFQ workflows.
It is often considered by shops that want a broader quoting platform with more implementation and sales-process support.
Where Paperless Parts may fit well
Where Tempus Tools may be a better fit
DigiFabster
Best for online quoting, storefronts, and order management
DigiFabster is often positioned around instant quoting, ecommerce, checkout, and online order management for manufacturers.
That can make it a good fit for shops where the storefront and checkout experience are central to the buying process.
Where DigiFabster may fit well
Where Tempus Tools may be a better fit
SecturaFAB
Best for complex manufacturers that need deep configuration
SecturaFAB supports a wider range of manufacturing processes and can offer more detailed configuration for complex quoting environments.
That can be valuable for larger shops with more advanced quoting requirements.
Where SecturaFAB may fit well
Where Tempus Tools may be a better fit
CutQuote
Best for fast file-based laser quoting
CutQuote may come up for laser cutting shops that want fast file-based quoting, published pricing, and customer portal features.
If CutQuote is on your shortlist, the main thing to compare is the actual quoting workflow: how files are handled, how pricing rules are applied, how repeat parts are managed, and how approved jobs move toward production.
Where CutQuote may fit well
Where Tempus Tools may be a better fit
Which fabrication quoting software is right for your shop?
If your priority is...
Consider...
Why job shops choose Tempus Tools
Built for fabrication quoting
Tempus Tools is designed around the way fabrication shops actually quote: customer drawings, machine rates, material costs, secondary processes, repeat parts, and shop-specific rules.
Structured pricing instead of spreadsheet logic
Your pricing rules live in the system, not in scattered spreadsheets or one estimator's memory. That helps teams quote more consistently.
Faster RFQ turnaround
Estimators can move from customer file to quote faster, which helps shops respond before the job goes somewhere else.
Repeat part libraries
Previously quoted parts can be saved and reused, so repeat work does not need to be rebuilt from scratch.
Web Store and customer ordering
Shops can give customers a branded way to upload parts, place orders, and reorder saved work through their own website.
Production-ready job information
Approved quotes can carry useful job details forward with production documents, work orders, labels, and shop-floor information.
Fabrication quoting software pricing comparison
Pricing varies across fabrication quoting software. Some platforms publish plans, while others require a custom quote based on shop size, modules, onboarding, integrations, or usage.
Tempus Tools
Paperless Parts
DigiFabster
SecturaFAB
CutQuote
What fabrication teams say about Tempus Tools
“Since implementing Tempus Tools, we’ve found it is much more accurate, reliable, and fast. Instead of two people quoting full time, we can now have one person do a better job in a quarter of the time.”
Olivier S.
,
MSG Industries
“We needed a quick and efficient software solution to export a presentable quote that we can forward directly to customers in a timely fashion. Spreadsheets just weren’t going to work anymore.”
Luke P.
,
J&T Steel Sales
“I like that my laser machine operator and I can get an accurate idea of material usage, time, labour, and other relevant data for each job – and it greatly reduces the risk of human error, because Tempus Tools is a rules-based program.”
Frank M.
Owner
,
Rolleston Sheetmetal
Final verdict: best fabrication quoting software for job shops
There is no single best quoting platform for every manufacturer.
Paperless Parts may be a fit for larger teams that need a broader manufacturing quoting platform.
DigiFabster may be a fit for shops that want ecommerce-led quoting and online order management.
SecturaFAB may be a fit for more complex manufacturers that need deeper configuration.
CutQuote may be worth comparing for fast file-based laser quoting, published pricing, and customer portal features.
But if your job shop needs broad file support, drawing cleanup, PDF-to-CAD, Web Store ordering, repeat part libraries, nesting visibility, and production-ready job information, Tempus Tools is built for that broader laser and fabrication quoting workflow.
Ready to improve your fabrication quoting process?
Tempus Tools helps job shops bring drawings, pricing rules, repeat parts, customer ordering, and production documents into one quoting workflow.
Quote directly from customer drawings
Offer online quoting and ordering
Move from RFQ to production with less manual admin
FAQs
What is the best fabrication quoting software for job shops?
The best fabrication quoting software depends on your workflow. For job shops that quote laser cutting, sheet metal, and custom fabrication work from customer drawings, Tempus Tools is built around fast quoting, consistent pricing rules, repeat parts, and quote-to-production workflows.
What should I compare when choosing job shop quoting software?
Compare how each platform handles customer drawings, machine rates, material costs, pricing rules, repeat parts, secondary processes, online ordering, production documents, setup time, support, and total cost.
Is fabrication quoting software better than spreadsheets?
For low quote volume, spreadsheets may work. As quote volume grows, dedicated fabrication quoting software helps reduce manual work, improve consistency, reuse repeat parts, and respond to RFQs faster.
Is Tempus Tools laser cutting quoting software?
Yes. Tempus Tools is built for laser cutting and fabrication quoting workflows, including drawing-based quoting, machine and material pricing rules, secondary processes, repeat parts, Web Store, and production documents.
Can Tempus Tools support sheet metal quoting?
Yes. Tempus Tools helps shops quote sheet metal and fabrication work using configured pricing rules, material costs, machine rates, customer drawings, and secondary process pricing.
Does Tempus Tools support online quoting and ordering?
Yes. Tempus Tools includes Web Store and customer ordering workflows that let shops give customers a way to upload parts, place orders, and reorder saved work through the shop's own website.