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Guide · Updated 2026-10-20

Paperless Parts alternatives for small job shops (2026)

Paperless Parts is a strong platform, but it's built for shops quoting a lot of RFQs and its pricing is on request. Here are the alternatives worth a look if you're a smaller shop, with pricing from each vendor's own site and Rick James's takes.

When Paperless Parts is still the right call

Paperless Parts reads 3D models, catches missed operations and connects to ERPs. Its pricing page asks you to contact sales; there's no published price.

Rick's take on Paperless Parts: Built for shops quoting a high volume of RFQs. If you quote a handful of jobs a week, it's probably more than you need.

If that's you, here's what else is out there, grouped by how your RFQs actually arrive.

Quick comparison

Tool	Pricing (from vendor site)	Free trial / plan	Best fit
Toolpath	API: Free $0 (100 DFM/10 estimates/mo); Core $400/mo; Pro $1,500/mo (shop plans: Contact)	Yes	Shops on Fusion CAM that want DFM, estimates and CAM from one model
Machine Research	Contact	Yes	Shops that want to find similar past jobs when quoting
Werk24	API from €1.25/page pay-as-you-go or €590/mo; Studio from €0 (suppliers), plans from €99/mo	Yes	Shops retyping dimensions and tolerances from PDF prints
DigiFabster	Annual plans (Essential/Growth; price shown on site) + 4.99% processing fees; Enterprise: Contact; Growth + Marketing from $990/mo	Yes	Shops that want customers to get prices online
SmartShopFloor	Contact	Not stated	Australian job shops and fabricators
ProShop ERP	Contact (pricing on request)	Not stated	Shops ready to run quoting, ERP and QMS in one system
JobBOSS² (ECI)	Contact (pricing on request)	Not stated	Shops wanting estimating inside a familiar job shop ERP

How to pick an alternative

3D models or PDF prints? If customers mostly send STEP files, look at model-based tools (Toolpath, Machine Research). If you live on PDF prints, a drawing reader like Werk24 saves the retyping.
Do you want a free way to test? Toolpath and Werk24 both list free tiers, so you can check their numbers against jobs you've already run before paying anything.
Already on an ERP? ProShop and JobBOSS² both include quoting. Using what you already pay for may beat adding another system.

Model-based quoting and DFM

Toolpath

AI-powered DFM, quoting and CAM automation for machine shops, from RFQ to spindle.

Pricing: API: Free $0 (100 DFM/10 estimates/mo); Core $400/mo; Pro $1,500/mo (shop plans: Contact) · Free trial/plan: Yes · Works with: Autodesk Fusion CAM

Rick's take: Ambitious, since it tries to go from the customer's model to a quote and CAM in one place. The free tier is a no-risk way to see whether its estimates come close to yours.

Source: www.toolpath.com/pricing
www.cbinsights.com/company/toolpath/financials

Machine Research

AI/ML estimating and quoting for machine shops with RFQ import, ShapeSearch part library and ERP/QuickBooks integration.

Pricing: Contact · Free trial/plan: Yes · Works with: STEP/3D CAD viewer; QuickBooks & ERP integrations

Rick's take: The part library search is the interesting bit. Finding a similar job you already ran is half of quoting a new one.

Source: machineresearch.com/pricing/

Reading PDF prints

Werk24

AI feature extraction from technical drawings (dimensions, tolerances, materials) via API or Studio for faster quoting.

Pricing: API from €1.25/page pay-as-you-go or €590/mo; Studio from €0 (suppliers), plans from €99/mo · Free trial/plan: Yes · Works with: Technical drawings (PDF/image)

Rick's take: Useful if you get lots of PDF prints and retype dimensions and tolerances into your estimate. Check its reads against the print before you trust them.

Source: www.werk24.io/pricing

Instant quotes on your own website

DigiFabster

Instant online quoting and eCommerce storefront for CNC milling, turning, sheet metal and 3D printing shops; customers upload parts and get a price, with order management and payment collection.

Pricing: Annual plans (Essential/Growth; price shown on site) + 4.99% processing fees; Enterprise: Contact; Growth + Marketing from $990/mo · Free trial/plan: Yes · Works with: CNC milling, turning, sheet metal, 3D printing; CRM/accounting integration via API

Rick's take: Makes sense if you want customers ordering simple parts off your website around the clock. Price your own work carefully before you let a web form quote it for you.

Source: digifabster.com/
digifabster.com/pricing

SmartShopFloor

AI estimator and AI scheduler for job shops and metal fabricators (Australia-focused), with job costing and live shop data.

Pricing: Contact · Free trial/plan: Not stated · Works with: SolidWorks; QuickBooks (listed integrations)

Rick's take: An AI estimator and scheduler aimed at Australian job shops and fabricators. Worth a look if you're there, but check local support before buying elsewhere.

Source: smartshopfloor.com/

Quoting inside your ERP

ProShop ERP

All-in-one ERP/MES/QMS for machine shops with 'Chip', an AI that learns how your shop runs.

Pricing: Contact (pricing on request) · Free trial/plan: Not stated

Rick's take: Built by a machine shop, and it shows. It's a big commitment to switch, but shops that go all in on it rarely go back.

Source: proshoperp.com/

JobBOSS² (ECI)

Job shop ERP centralizing quoting, scheduling and inventory; part of ECI's AI strategy.

Pricing: Contact (pricing on request) · Free trial/plan: Not stated · Works with: QuickBooks

Rick's take: A familiar name in a lot of job shops. Solid for quoting, scheduling and inventory, though the AI parts are newer than the core software.

Source: www.ecisolutions.com/products/jobboss2/

Don't skip the follow-up

Swapping quoting software won't win jobs you never follow up on. Whatever you pick, chase every open quote at day 3 and day 7. A free automation tool like n8n or Make can send the reminders for you. For the full field, see best quoting software for small job shops.

Free tools

Run your own numbers with the quote turnaround calculator, or take the 1-minute quoting software picker to get a shortlist for your shop.

FAQ

How much does Paperless Parts cost?

Paperless Parts does not publish prices. Its pricing page asks you to contact sales for a quote.

Is there a free alternative to Paperless Parts?

Toolpath lists a free API tier (100 DFM analyses and 10 estimates a month) and Werk24 lists a free Studio plan for suppliers. DigiFabster offers a free trial. Machine Research, SmartShopFloor and the ERPs are pricing on request.

What's the best Paperless Parts alternative for PDF drawings?

If your customers mostly send PDF prints, Werk24 reads dimensions and tolerances from technical drawings, so you aren't retyping them into your estimate. Check its reads against the print before trusting them.

Do I need separate quoting software if I already run ProShop or JobBOSS²?

Not necessarily. Both include quoting and estimating. A separate quoting tool makes the most sense when quoting volume is the bottleneck or you want automatic costing from 3D models.

Want this running in your shop?

Amtale sets up and runs AI workflows for job shops, starting with quote follow-up and order status updates.

Book a 20-min shop audit

More guides

Pricing and features change; verify with each vendor. No listing on this page is paid. See all quoting and estimating tools.