Search for “quoting software” and you mostly find programs for freelancers and tradespeople: pick a template, type in line items, send a PDF. A technical distributor or manufacturer has a different problem. Their quote does not start from a template but from an inquiry: a BoQ with 300 line items, a GAEB file, an Excel list from the planner. This comparison covers eight solutions from five categories and who each one fits. Whether the search is for quoting software, quote creation software or quote management software: for technical suppliers, what counts is how well a program reads inquiries.

Disclosure: This comparison is published by Mercura, one of the eight vendors featured. All information on other products comes from their own websites (as of October 26, 2026). We only included solutions whose details we could verify on the vendor's site. The order follows the categories, not a ranking.

Key takeaways

• “Quoting software” covers five very different categories: general quoting tools, GAEB and tradesperson software, CPQ, the quote module in the ERP and AI quote automation.

• For technical distributors and manufacturers, what matters most is how the software handles incoming inquiries: reading the BoQ, matching line items to your own catalog, recognizing equivalent products.

• General quoting tools fit freelancers and small businesses, not BoQs with hundreds of line items.

• CPQ fits configurable products with fixed rules; AI quote automation fits unstructured inquiries and BoQs.

• Test every solution with a real, completed quote from your day-to-day work.

What is quoting software, and what types are there?

Quoting software is any software that helps with creating, calculating, sending or tracking quotes. The range runs from an invoicing program with a quote template to AI that reads a bill of quantities. What matters for your choice is the starting point: does the quote begin with the salesperson entering line items, or with the customer's inquiry? Classic programs help create professional quotes and write quotes faster: with templates, automatic calculation of totals and taxes, and sending finished quotes by email to potential customers. Such programs target freelancers who want to write quotes directly from a template and simply send them by email, usually for a monthly fee.

Which criteria matter for quoting software for technical distributors and manufacturers?

For technical suppliers, the layout of the quote matters less than the work before it: reading the inquiry, understanding line items, finding matching articles and taking prices from the ERP. Check the following points before you select quoting software.

Quoting software compared: 8 solutions and who they fit

The following solutions are examples of the five categories. All information comes from the linked vendor sites. We describe your ERP's quote module at the end as a separate option, because almost every company already has one.

1. Lexware Office (general quoting tool)

On its quotes page, Lexware Office calls itself “perfect for freelancers and small business owners.” Quotes are built from templates with your own letterhead, alternative line items are included in the M, L and XL versions, and a quote can be carried on “with one click into an order confirmation or invoice” (Lexware Office: Writing quotes).

• Fits: freelancers and small businesses with manageable quotes.

• Does not fit: BoQs with many line items and GAEB files. GAEB is not mentioned on the page.

2. GAEB-Online (GAEB processing in Excel)

GAEB-Online opens GAEB files directly in Microsoft Excel. There you calculate the quote and return it as GAEB DA84. The vendor describes the product as a solution “for tradespeople and companies in construction.” A single-user license costs about $139 net (120 € net) as a one-time purchase, according to the website (gaeb-online.de).

• Fits: businesses that occasionally price GAEB BoQs and want to work in Excel.

• Does not fit: manufacturers and distributors who want to match line items to a large catalog automatically. The matching remains manual work.

3. HERO (tradesperson software)

HERO explicitly targets trade businesses with “Built for the trades. Not for just anyone.” and covers the flow “from quote and order through time, inventory and materials to the invoice” (hero-software.de).

• Fits: trade businesses that want quote, project and invoice in one system.

• Does not fit: distributors and manufacturers. The software is built for your customer's customer.

4. Salesforce Revenue Cloud (CPQ)

Salesforce describes Revenue Cloud as “configuring, pricing and quoting with an agent-based CPQ.” The solution supports “both rule-based and constraint-based configuration,” controls discounts through “automated, cross-functional approval workflows” and, in the Advanced edition, extends through to billing (Salesforce Revenue Cloud).

• Fits: companies that use Salesforce as their CRM, with standardized or configurable products and a need for approval processes.

• Does not fit: teams whose main effort is reading incoming BoQs. CPQ starts with the salesperson, not with the customer's document.

5. Tacton (CPQ for manufacturers)

Tacton states that the software is “built for manufacturers with high product variance” and relies on “constraint-based configuration.” Tacton names Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP and Oracle among its integrations (tacton.com).

• Fits: manufacturers with highly configurable products, for example in machinery and plant engineering.

• Does not fit: distributors with a broad trade assortment, and manufacturers whose products are rarely configured but requested in many BoQs.

6. Tendos (AI platform for manufacturers)

According to its website, Tendos is an “AI platform built specifically for manufacturers in the construction industry,” with modules for tenders, inbox, quotes, orders, integrations and insights. The quote module reads BoQs as PDF, GAEB, Excel, email or free text and matches line items to your own products (according to tendos.ai, as of October 26, 2026).

• Fits: manufacturers in the construction industry that want tender search and sales insights in addition to quotes.

• Does not fit: distributors. Tendos states “100% manufacturer focus.”

7. Scalera (AI for tenders)

Scalera matches tender line items against product catalogs and reads PDF, scan, Excel, GAEB, NPK and ÖNORM, among others. Which ERP or CRM systems it connects to is not specified; it names an export via CSV, XML, GAEB or API (according to scalera.ai, as of October 26, 2026).

• Fits: manufacturers, fabricators and distributors with a focus on tenders, including in Switzerland and Austria.

• Does not fit: companies that mainly want to automate email orders. Order entry is not described on the pages we reviewed.

8. Mercura (AI for quotes and orders)

Mercura, an AI software for quote and order automation in technical sales, reads inquiries and BoQs in any format, including photos, technical drawings and handwritten additions, matches line items, including long texts, to your own catalog, checks the specification and sorts suitable options by margin. For non-stock items, Mercura creates price requests to suppliers, writes approved quotes into the ERP (including SAP S/4HANA, SAP ECC, SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Salesforce, proALPHA and UniTrade), exports GAEB and PDF and follows up on open quotes. Unlike Scalera, Mercura also captures email orders, and unlike Tendos, it works for distributors and creates supplier price requests.

• Fits: technical distributors and manufacturers that want to automate quotes and order entry with an ERP connection. Example: at Sanitär-Heinze, processing dropped from 2 days to 2 hours per quote.

• Does not fit: freelancers and trade businesses. And companies looking for a search for public tenders or a product configurator.

Additional option: Your ERP's quote module

SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, proALPHA and other ERP systems have their own quote documents. That is where prices, terms and the document flow through to the invoice live. What is missing is capture: someone has to read every line item of a BoQ and look up the matching article. Many companies therefore keep the ERP as the leading system and add software that reads inquiries.

Overview

Example: Which quoting software fits which inquiry?

The fastest way to find the right category is to walk through three typical inquiries from your inbox. The following examples are fictitious but typical for a plumbing and HVAC manufacturer or distributor.

Example A: Email from an installer with five line items. “Please quote 5 radiators type 22, 600 x 1000, with valve insert, plus connection sets.” An ERP quote module is enough if inside sales knows the articles. AI saves time here if inquiries like this arrive in large numbers every day.

Example B: GAEB BoQ with 280 line items, 40 of them marked “or equivalent.” The effort here is in reading and matching. General quoting tools and CPQ hardly help. GAEB-Online makes the file editable in Excel, but the matching stays manual. AI solutions are built for this case. Mercura also reads handwritten additions on a printed BoQ and technical drawings.

Example C: Inquiry for a ventilation unit with options for heat recovery, controls and filter class. If the product is configured according to fixed rules, CPQ such as Tacton or Salesforce Revenue Cloud is strong. If this inquiry arrives as a line item in a BoQ, you first need software that reads the line item.

What does no quoting software replace?

No quoting software replaces clean prices in the ERP, a clear pricing strategy and approval by experienced staff. AI solutions work with probabilities. At Mercura, too, the average match rate is 92 percent and depends on customer and catalog. Uncertain line items are flagged, and your team reviews every quote.

Also be honest about whether you need new software at all. If you receive few, short inquiries and your team knows the articles, the quote module in the ERP is often sufficient. AI quoting software pays off when inquiries pile up or BoQs tie up days.

Bring a real bill of quantities: in 30 minutes we show you how Mercura handles it in your process, from intake to the quote in the ERP. Book a call

Conclusion

Quoting software is not a uniform market. For freelancers and tradespeople, quoting tools or tradesperson software are enough; for configurable products, CPQ is the right category. Technical distributors and manufacturers whose effort lies in reading BoQs and inquiries should look at AI quote automation, as a complement to the ERP. Test every solution with a real quote and compare the result, not the feature list.

Further reading: Tendos, Scalera or Mercura?, CPQ software or AI?, Automating quote creation, GAEB format explained, Creating quotes with ChatGPT?. More on Mercura: Quotes and tenders, Solutions for manufacturers, Solutions for distributors.

Further reading

• Quotes and tenders: turn every request into a quote

• Tendos, Scalera or Mercura? AI Quoting Software

• CPQ Software or AI: What Technical Suppliers Need

• Customer story: Sanitär-Heinze (plumbing and HVAC wholesale)

• Mercura vs. Competitors: AI for Quotes and Orders

• GAEB Software or AI: Which Tool for Which Job?

Frequently asked questions

What is quoting software?

Quoting software is software that helps with creating, calculating, sending and tracking quotes. It ranges from a simple quoting tool through CPQ to AI that reads and matches incoming inquiries and BoQs.

Which quoting software suits tradespeople?

Tradesperson software such as HERO or GAEB tools such as GAEB-Online, which make BoQs editable in Excel, are suitable for tradespeople. For freelancers with simple quotes, general programs such as Lexware Office are enough.

What does quoting software cost?

The range is wide. GAEB-Online lists about $139 net (120 € net) for a single-user license. CPQ and AI solutions for manufacturers and distributors are usually quoted individually and do not publish prices.

Can quoting software process GAEB files?

Not all of it can. General quoting tools often do not mention GAEB. GAEB tools open and price GAEB files, and AI solutions such as Tendos, Scalera and Mercura read GAEB and match the line items to the catalog.

What is the difference between quoting software and CPQ?

CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) is a form of quoting software for configurable products with fixed rules. General quoting software also includes simple quoting tools and AI solutions that start from the customer's inquiry. More in the article CPQ software or AI.

Do I need quoting software if my ERP can create quotes?

Not necessarily. The ERP creates the quote document, but someone has to read the inquiry and look up articles. If that work becomes a bottleneck, AI quoting software complements the ERP without replacing it.