Vs.
A Paperless Parts alternative for small laser cutting and fabrication shops, and sheet metal quoting
Paperless Parts is a quoting and RFQ management platform designed for large contract manufacturers managing complex quote workflows and broader manufacturing quoting software needs. Tempus Tools is built specifically for laser cutting and fabrication shops that need to quote directly from drawings, calculate machine and material costs automatically, and generate production documentation as a simpler alternative to complex manufacturing quoting software.
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Is Paperless Parts the right quoting tool for your shop?
Paperless Parts focuses on managing RFQs and quote workflows across larger manufacturing organizations, and is often positioned as a manufacturing quoting software for complex, multi-process environments.
But many laser cutting and fabrication shops don’t need that level of complexity — they need a more practical quoting workflow built around customer drawings, machine rates, and fabrication processes.
Tempus Tools is designed specifically for these workflows.
Quoting from customer drawings?
Tempus Tools converts PDFs and CAD files into geometry that can be used directly for quoting and production.
Calculating cutting time manually?
Machine rates and material pricing rules apply automatically.
Estimating fabrication processes separately?
Folding, welding, and finishing can be priced using formulas.
Re-quoting repeat parts?
Saved part libraries allow shops to re-quote jobs quickly.
Tempus Tools
vs
Paperless Parts
Key differences
Features
Primary focus
Laser cutting & sheet metal quoting software
Manufacturing quoting software and RFQ management platform
Target customers
Fabrication and laser cutting shops
Large contract manufacturers and machining shops
Production documents
Work orders, part labels, and job and delivery documentation (more than just quoting) 💡 Perfect for small shops
Focused on quoting workflow
Free trial
Free trial available with advanced feature access and no credit card required
Not available
Web store
Built-in web store for customer self-quoting and ordering
Not featured, but RFQ intake forms available
Drawing formats
CAD files and PDF drawings
CAD files, PDFs (broad file support)
PDF to CAD conversion
Built-in
Supported via PDF vectorization and conversion
Geometry-driven quoting
Detects internal features and profiles
Geometry analysis within CAD-based workflows
Laser cutting quoting
Built specifically for laser cutting workflows
General manufacturing quoting
Tube cutting quoting
Supported
Supported
Secondary process pricing
Formula-based pricing for folding, welding, coating + many others
Configurable, but more complex and less flexible for smaller jobs + requires special implementation
Pricing rules
Machine rates, materials, and shop rules
Estimating workflows are configurable
Part libraries
Organized part libraries that can be filtered by customer
Quote history rather than dedicated part libraries
Setup time
A few hours to get quoting
Often several weeks for implementation
Best fit
Small laser and fabrication shops that want to get started quickly without complexity or high cost
Enterprise RFQ management
What sets Tempus Tools apart
Built for laser cutting workflows
Tempus Tools is designed around how laser cutting job shops actually quote work — interpreting drawings, calculating material use and cutting time, and pricing fabrication processes.
Quote directly from customer drawings
Customer drawings can be imported from CAD files or PDFs and converted into clean geometry for quoting and production.
Calculate cutting costs automatically
Machine rates, material costs, and setup rules can be configured once and applied automatically across quotes, eliminating spreadsheet calculations.
Price fabrication processes using formulas
Secondary operations like folding, welding, powder coating, or marking can be priced automatically using formulas based on part geometry and shop rules.
Re-quote repeat parts quickly
Previously quoted parts can be stored in part libraries, allowing estimators to generate repeat quotes quickly without rebuilding the estimate.
Generate production documents
Tempus Tools goes beyond quoting by generating production documents like work orders, part labels, and job details for the shop floor, giving smaller shops the tools they need to move from quote to production in one system.
Where Paperless Parts might be a better fit
Paperless Parts may be a better fit if:
You are a large contract manufacturer managing complex RFQ workflows
Your quoting process focuses heavily on machining or multi-process manufacturing
You require enterprise implementation services and 24/7 support
You’re comfortable with higher-cost, enterprise-style systems
You’re evaluating broader manufacturing quoting software across multiple shop types
Paperless Parts is designed to help manufacturers manage quoting workflows across teams and systems.
Tempus Tools is designed for laser cutting and fabrication shops that want a simpler, faster quoting workflow — without the complexity, cost, or implementation overhead of large enterprise systems.
Why fabrication shops
choose Tempus Tools
over Paperless Parts
Built for laser cutting & fabrication quoting
Lower cost with transparent pricing
Fast, simple quoting for small shops (without enterprise complexity)
Sell online and quickly re-quote repeat parts
Production documents from quotes
Tempus Tools vs.
Paperless Parts pricing
Tempus Tools
Plans starting at
$75/mo
or $900/year*
Tempus Tools offers transparent annual pricing with multiple plans depending on the capabilities your shop needs.
Includes key features like:
- Comprehensive quoting tools (QuickPart, DrawingDoctor, and more)
- Secondary process pricing, dedicated machine table rates, and material groups
- Production-ready outputs
- Integrations with Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Google Drive
- Free onboarding, training, and support
*Local currency pricing is available inside the app for international customers.
Paperless Parts
Paperless Parts does not publish pricing publicly, although some users note $10k setup + $18k/year
Manufacturers must request a quote from their sales team. Implementations may involve:
- Onboarding and setup services
- Enterprise pricing tiers
- Longer deployment timelines
What laser cutting 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
“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:
Tempus Tools
vs
Paperless Parts
Both Tempus Tools and Paperless Parts help manufacturers generate quotes.
However, they focus on different quoting environments.
Paperless Parts focuses on enterprise RFQ management for larger manufacturing organizations and may involve longer implementation processes.
Tempus Tools is designed for laser cutting and fabrication shops that want to start quoting quickly using structured pricing rules without complex setup.
If your priority is:
- Pricing laser cutting work quickly and accurately
- Avoiding complex, expensive enterprise systems
- Getting started without lengthy setup or implementation
Tempus Tools provides a quoting system built specifically for laser cutting and fabrication shops.
Ready to simplify your laser cutting quoting?
Laser cutting and fabrication shops shouldn’t have to rely on spreadsheets and complex systems to price jobs. Tempus Tools makes it easier to go from drawing to quote using simple, structured pricing.
Quote directly from drawings
Calculate laser cutting & fabrication costs automatically
Generate production documents
