What is CloudNC’s quoting software called?

Quote Agent. It launched on October 13, 2026 as a standalone web application, separate from CloudNC’s CAM Assist plug-in, and does not need any CAM software [1][2].

Is QuoteSooner a CloudNC Quote Agent alternative?

For small CNC shops that price from their own rates, yes. It reads the request, checks each value against its source, prices each quantity and sends the quote with a page the buyer can accept. It does not produce a manufacturing plan, DFM reports, ballooned drawings or FAI reports, which Quote Agent does [2].

Quote Agent’s manual mode is free with unlimited users, and its AI starts at $20 a month for 8 parts [1][2]. QuoteSooner is free for 5 production RFQs a month, then US$249 a month per shop with no per-part charge, or US$199 at the founding price. Which costs less depends on how many parts you quote with the AI each month.

Does Quote Agent send quotes without the estimator?

No. CloudNC says the estimator reviews, edits and approves every quote before it is sent [1][2]. QuoteSooner also never sends a price the estimator has not approved.

Can I quote ITAR or export-controlled parts in either?

Neither is meant for it. CloudNC does not recommend uploading export-controlled data to Quote Agent [1]. QuoteSooner holds any request marked ITAR or EAR before the AI or a preview touches it, and is not for controlled drawings.

QuoteSooner vs. CloudNC Quote Agent: two ways to start a CNC quote

By Nazar PasikaPublished October 19, 2026Competitor facts checked October 19, 2026

Which CloudNC product this is

CloudNC is best known for CAM Assist, a plug-in that generates machining strategies and toolpaths inside CAM packages such as Fusion, Mastercam and Siemens NX [3]. Its quoting product is Quote Agent, a separate web application launched on October 13, 2026. It does not need CAM Assist or any CAM software [1][2]. This page compares QuoteSooner with Quote Agent.

At a glance

CloudNC Quote Agent and QuoteSooner compared for CNC quoting
Compared	CloudNC Quote Agent	QuoteSooner
Best for	Estimators who want a DFM review and a costed draft from drawings and models, paying for the AI by the part [1]	Small CNC shops (about 5 to 50 people) where the owner or an estimator sets every price
How a price starts	The agent proposes a manufacturing plan, routing times, material and post-processing costs and inspection requirements, tuned to the equipment, costs and materials you enter; the estimator sets the price [2]	Your rates and what you charged last time. An optional starting price from your rates and the model learns from your sent quotes, and by default fills in once it has come within 30% of five of them
Reading the request	Forwarded RFQ emails, 2D drawings and 3D models; it asks questions when information is missing or unclear [1][2]	Reads the drawing, model and request, and records the page and exact words behind every value; unsupported or conflicting values must be checked before the quote can be sent
3D models	Browser CAD viewer with DFM analysis and machining-risk flags [1]	STEP, IGES, STL and 3MF in a 3D viewer with measuring; holes, pockets and setups recognised on STEP and IGES
Quality paperwork	DFM reports, ballooned drawings and first article inspection reports, as PDF (FAI also in Excel) [2]	None
Machines and processes	3-axis to 5-axis and horizontal mills, lathes, turn-mill and Swiss, plus grinding, EDM, cutting and forming, and inspection [1]	CNC machining, priced from each of your machines at its own hourly rate
After the quote	Export a PDF quote to send to your customer [1][2]	Sent from your own Gmail or Outlook on the Shop plan; the buyer accepts online with a PO number; wins, losses and reasons recorded; QuickBooks Online on Shop
Price	Manual mode free with unlimited users; AI analysis from $20 a month for 8 parts, about $2.50 a part [1][2]	Free for 5 production RFQs a month; Shop US$249 a month per shop (US$199 founding price, locked for life)
Export-controlled work	A cloud service; CloudNC does not recommend uploading export-controlled data [1]	Not supported; a request marked ITAR or EAR is held before the AI or a preview touches it

Numbers in brackets refer to the sources at the end of this page, read on October 19, 2026. Quote Agent’s pricing page shows amounts with a dollar sign and does not name the currency.

Where Quote Agent is stronger

Quote Agent does work that QuoteSooner does not attempt:

A manufacturing plan from the part. It proposes a plan, routing times, material and post-processing costs and inspection requirements, combining CloudNC’s own physics models with large language models. CloudNC says it was developed and tested in its own production machine shop [1][2]. QuoteSooner’s starting price is narrower: optional, and learning from your own sent quotes.
DFM review and an assistant. It flags machining risks before you price, and you can ask it questions such as whether a part can be machined in one setup or how to fixture it [1].
Inspection paperwork. It generates ballooned drawings with numbered callouts and first article inspection reports, which QuoteSooner does not do at all [2].
A free manual mode with no limits. The manual workflow (assess the job, build the estimate, produce the quote) is free with unlimited users and usage, and CloudNC says it will stay free; you pay only for AI analysis, by the part [2].
Wider machine coverage. Swiss, turn-mill, grinding, EDM and inspection equipment as well as mills and lathes [1].
Your suppliers’ prices. You can replace its cost estimates with your own suppliers’ prices, and it learns from your interactions [2].

If you want a costed starting point worked out from the geometry, or you need ballooning and FAI reports, Quote Agent is the better fit, and this page should not talk you out of it.

Where QuoteSooner is different

QuoteSooner starts from the other end: your rates, your history and what the drawing actually says, with the estimator approving every number.

Every value traced to its source. Material, revision, quantities, tolerances and finish each carry the page and exact words they were read from. A value it cannot point to, or one two files disagree on, becomes a check, and the quote cannot be sent until every check is resolved.
A starting price that has to earn its place. An estimate from your rates and the part’s geometry can fill in, marked as an estimate, but by default only once it has come within 30% of five quotes you actually sent.
Your own history. When a part comes back, what you charged last time is on it. Quotes keep their revisions, and won or lost outcomes are recorded with a reason, so you can see your win rate and why you lose.
The quote goes out as your shop. On the Shop plan it is sent from your own Gmail or Outlook. The buyer gets a page to accept it with a PO number or decline it, and a won quote becomes an order. Quote Agent’s pages describe exporting a PDF quote; they do not describe a buyer acceptance page or win and loss tracking [1][2].
A flat price. Free for 5 production RFQs a month for one user, no card. The Shop plan is US$249 a month per shop with no seat, quote or per-part charges.

Start new parts from the estimate: when the estimate has earned it (starts once five of your sent quotes land within 30% of the estimate), always, or never. — The starting price is opt-in: by default it waits until it has matched five of your own sent quotes.

Pricing, as published

Quote Agent has a free plan with Manual Mode, which uses no parts, plus 3 AI parts a month and 10 at sign-up. Starter, for a single user, is $20 a month for 8 parts, $50 for 20 or $100 for 40, with overage at $3.75 a part. Professional, with multi-user accounts, is $200 a month for 83 parts, $500 for 208 or $1,000 for 416, with overage at $3.60. Yearly billing saves 20%. Quoting a component uses 1 part, a DFM report 2, and ballooning and FAI 4. Volume pricing, SSO and enhanced security are by contact [1]. The page does not name the currency.

QuoteSooner is free for 5 production RFQs a month for one user, with no card. The Shop plan is US$249 a month per shop, month to month, with no setup fee and no limit on users or RFQs; shops that subscribe while the founding price is offered keep US$199 a month for life. See pricing.

For one estimator quoting up to 40 parts a month with the AI, Quote Agent’s Starter plan costs less than QuoteSooner’s Shop plan, and its manual mode costs nothing. QuoteSooner’s price does not change with the number of parts or people. Note that Quote Agent counts parts and QuoteSooner counts RFQs, which can hold several parts.

Which should you choose?

Choose Quote Agent if you want a manufacturing plan and cost estimate worked out from the part, DFM feedback before you price, or ballooned drawings and FAI reports, or if you would rather pay by the part than by the month.
Choose QuoteSooner if you are a small CNC shop that prices from its own rates and history, wants to see where every value on the quote came from, and wants the quote sent from its own mailbox with a page the buyer can accept.

Questions

What is CloudNC’s quoting software called?: Quote Agent. It launched on October 13, 2026 as a standalone web application, separate from CloudNC’s CAM Assist plug-in, and does not need any CAM software [1][2].
Is QuoteSooner a CloudNC Quote Agent alternative?: For small CNC shops that price from their own rates, yes. It reads the request, checks each value against its source, prices each quantity and sends the quote with a page the buyer can accept. It does not produce a manufacturing plan, DFM reports, ballooned drawings or FAI reports, which Quote Agent does [2].
Which is cheaper?: Quote Agent’s manual mode is free with unlimited users, and its AI starts at $20 a month for 8 parts [1][2]. QuoteSooner is free for 5 production RFQs a month, then US$249 a month per shop with no per-part charge, or US$199 at the founding price. Which costs less depends on how many parts you quote with the AI each month.
Does Quote Agent send quotes without the estimator?: No. CloudNC says the estimator reviews, edits and approves every quote before it is sent [1][2]. QuoteSooner also never sends a price the estimator has not approved.
Can I quote ITAR or export-controlled parts in either?: Neither is meant for it. CloudNC does not recommend uploading export-controlled data to Quote Agent [1]. QuoteSooner holds any request marked ITAR or EAR before the AI or a preview touches it, and is not for controlled drawings.

Sources

Facts about other products come from their own websites, read on the dates shown. If something has changed, tell us at hello@quotesooner.com and we will correct it.

CloudNC: Quote Agent, CNC Quoting Software for Machine Shops read October 19, 2026
CloudNC: CloudNC launches Quote Agent to help machine shops win more work (October 13, 2026) read October 19, 2026
CloudNC: CAM Assist, AI CAM Programming read October 19, 2026