Paperless Parts
A platform for estimators: costing templates, geometry analysis, ready-made ERP integrations, an RFQ form on the shop's website and a digital quote for the buyer.
Comparison
MetronQ and Paperless Parts comparedThe facts side by side.
Both are quoting software for manufacturing shops, but built for different markets and a different way of working. Here are the facts from both companies' public material.
- As of 5 October 2026
- Public sources only
- 14 days of MetronQ, no card
Paperless Parts- Who works out the priceThe engine, when the customer uploadsThe shop's estimator
- On the shop's websiteConfigurator with a priceAn RFQ form (Smart RFQ Form™)
- HostingServers in the EUAWS US GovCloud (USA)
- PricingPublic, from €5 a quoteNot published
01Differences
The three main differences
What changes a shop's day-to-day work the most - described from both companies' own material.
MetronQ
A price on the shop's website straight away: the customer uploads a file in the configurator, the engine prices it on the shop's machines and rates, and a technologist approves whatever the shop does not want sent automatically. Servers in the EU, a public price list and a trial account without a demo call.
How the customer gets a price
With Paperless Parts the buyer sends an RFQ through a form on the shop's website and an estimator prepares a digital quote. With MetronQ the customer uploads a file in the configurator and sees the price at once, or waits for a technologist to approve it.
Where the data lives
Paperless Parts runs on AWS US GovCloud in the USA, ITAR registered and CMMC Level 2 Assessment-Ready. MetronQ runs on servers in the European Union, with every file encrypted under its own AES-256 key.
Processes and integrations
Paperless Parts covers CNC machining, sheet metal, Swiss screw machining, additive and rubber, with ready-made integrations for more than a dozen ERP systems. MetronQ quotes milling and turning and offers a REST API on the Enterprise plan.
02Table
Point by point
Every fact about the other product has its source at the bottom of the page.
| Area | MetronQ | Paperless Parts |
|---|---|---|
| Product | ||
| What it is | Quoting software for milling and turning in a CNC shop: a configurator with a price on the shop's website (a widget or a hosted page) and a panel for quotes and orders. | Quoting and estimating software for manufacturers, including job shops and contract manufacturers. Paperless Parts, Inc. of Boston (USA); according to the company it is used by more than 800 manufacturers. |
| How a quote is made | The engine does the estimate: it measures the model's geometry, picks the machine and the blank and prices the part on the shop's rates. A technologist corrects lines of the breakdown, and the corrections feed back into the price list's calibration. | An estimator works from costing templates and geometry-driven routers; the software analyses the CAD model, identifies dimensions and manufacturing features and warns about manufacturability issues (DfM). |
| For the shop's customer | A configurator on the shop's website or a hosted page with the shop's logo: the customer uploads a file, views the 3D model, sees the unit price at 1, 5, 10, 25 and 100 pieces and places the order. | The Smart RFQ Form™, embedded on the shop's website. The buyer receives a digital quote with part thumbnails, can check out online and talk to the shop through in-app chat. |
| Quoting | ||
| Processes | Machining: milling and turning, including mill-turn centres; assemblies in a single STEP file. | CNC machining, sheet metal, Swiss screw machining, additive, rubber manufacturing. |
| Drawings and documents | Reading dimensions, tolerances and material from a PDF drawing, a scan or a photo is still in development; a quote from a drawing always goes to a technologist. | Wingman™, an AI assistant that extracts from quote packages, among other things, process and material specifications, threads, part and revision numbers and 3D models with PMI from 3D PDFs. |
| Quote output | A price with its cost breakdown (material, machine time, setup, programming), unit prices at 1, 5, 10, 25 and 100 pieces, rush as an option, and a PDF quote in the shop's brand. | Up to 30 quantity breaks and several lead-time options in one quote; CSV quote export. |
| Material | The shop sets material prices per kilogram; the blank is chosen from commercial bar, plate and flat-bar sizes. | Real-time metal pricing from partners OnlineMetals® and Thyssenkrupp; purchased components (such as fasteners) identified, with distributor pricing. |
| Integrations and data | ||
| Integrations | A REST API on the Enterprise plan: keys with scoped permissions, sending files for quoting, price-list sync with the ERP and the ERP's numbers on quotes and orders. No webhooks and no ready-made connectors to specific ERP systems. | An API and ready-made ERP integrations: E2 Shop, JobBOSS, JobBOSS² and M1 (ECI), Epicor (10, 11, Kinetic), Fulcrum, Genius ERP, Global Shop Solutions, Infor SyteLine, Infor VISUAL, Made2Manage, MIE Trak Pro, Plex, ProShop and StartProto. |
| Hosting and security | Servers in the European Union; every file encrypted with its own AES-256 key. MetronQ holds no ISO 27001 or SOC 2 certification and makes no ITAR or CMMC claim. | AWS US GovCloud in the USA; ITAR registered, CMMC Level 2 Assessment-Ready, FedRAMP Moderate Equivalent; system administrators and support based in the USA. |
| Pricing and start | ||
| Pricing | Flexible: €5 net per quote, no subscription. Start: €119 a month (€95 billed yearly), up to 100 quotes a month. Pro: €219 a month (€175 billed yearly), no quote limit. Enterprise: on request. Net prices. | Not published - the pricing page invites you to get in touch for pricing information (Get Pricing Information). |
| Getting started and contract | You open the account yourself, no demo needed: 14 days, 8 quotes and 2 users free, no card. The Start plan includes full 1:1 onboarding - setting up and calibrating the price list together with the MetronQ team. | A demo booked with the Paperless Parts team. |
03Prices
Prices side by side
Copied from the public price lists, without converting currencies or taxes.
MetronQ - net prices
- Flexible€5net per quote
- Start€119monthly · €95 billed yearly
- Pro€219monthly · €175 billed yearly
- EnterpriseOn request
Paperless Parts
- Paperless PartsOn requestThe pricing page invites you to get in touch for pricing information.
Paperless Parts does not publish prices on its website.
04Onboarding
Onboarding and where the data lives
Paperless Parts
- Prices are not published; the pricing page invites you to get in touch.
- Getting started begins with a demo booked with the Paperless Parts team.
- Hosting on AWS US GovCloud; system administrators and support based in the USA.
- ITAR registered, CMMC Level 2 Assessment-Ready, FedRAMP Moderate Equivalent.
MetronQ
- A public price list: €5 net per quote, or from €119 net a month on the Start plan.
- You open the account yourself: 14 days, 8 quotes and 2 users free, no card.
- The Start plan includes full 1:1 onboarding - setting up and calibrating the price list with the MetronQ team.
- Servers in the European Union; panel and configurator in Polish, English, German and Chinese, quotes in any currency.
05Which to choose
Which may suit your shop better
Paperless Parts may suit you better if:
- you also quote sheet metal, additive, rubber or Swiss screw machining
- you need a ready-made integration with one of the ERP systems listed
- you work for the US defence industry and need ITAR and CMMC compliance
- you want live metal and purchased-component prices in the quote
MetronQ may suit you better if:
- your customer should get a price straight away on your website, calculated on your machines and rates
- your data should be processed on servers in the European Union
- you want to know the price before a sales call - the price list is public and the first 14 days are free
- you serve customers in Polish, German or Chinese
06Getting started
Getting started with MetronQ
No demo call and no sales conversation: you open the account yourself and make your first quotes the same day.
- 01
Create an account
14 days and 8 quotes free, no card required. You can even make a demo quote on metronq.com without an account.
- 02
Add machines and rates
Pick machines from the catalogue or enter them yourself, set rates and materials, then calibrate the price list on your past prices.
- 03
Put the configurator on your site
Embed the widget on your website or use the hosted page with your logo. Decide which quotes go out automatically and which wait for a technologist.
07Questions
Questions about this comparison
How much does MetronQ cost compared with Paperless Parts?
Paperless Parts does not publish prices - its pricing page invites you to get in touch (as of 5 October 2026). MetronQ's prices are public: €5 net per quote with no subscription, €119 net a month on the Start plan (up to 100 quotes) or €219 net a month on the Pro plan (unlimited quotes); the Enterprise plan with the API is priced individually.
Does MetronQ have ready-made ERP integrations like Paperless Parts?
No. Paperless Parts lists ready-made integrations with, among others, E2 Shop, JobBOSS, Epicor, Infor SyteLine, Plex and ProShop (as of 5 October 2026). MetronQ has a REST API on the Enterprise plan: keys with scoped permissions, sending files for quoting, reading the quote back and syncing the price list with the ERP. A connection to a particular system is built on that API; MetronQ has no webhooks.
Does MetronQ meet ITAR or CMMC requirements?
MetronQ makes no ITAR or CMMC claim. Paperless Parts states that it is ITAR registered and CMMC Level 2 Assessment-Ready, hosted on AWS US GovCloud (as of 5 October 2026). MetronQ runs on servers in the European Union, encrypts every file with its own AES-256 key and holds no ISO 27001 or SOC 2 certification.
Where does the information about Paperless Parts come from?
Only from Paperless Parts, Inc.'s public web pages, listed under Sources. We checked them on 5 October 2026. We did not use reviews, forums or other companies' comparisons.
How often is the comparison updated?
We review the sources every quarter and straight after any report. The date on the page says when we last checked them.
What if a piece of information is out of date?
Write to contact@metronq.com. We will check the source and correct the page.
Can I try MetronQ without a sales call?
Yes. metronq.com has a demo quote with no account needed, and after signing up you get 14 days and 8 quotes free, no card.
Which files does MetronQ accept?
STEP and IGES, DXF contours, PDF drawings and photos of drawings. Reading drawings is still in development, so a quote from a drawing always goes to a technologist.
08Sources
Sources
- Paperless Partspaperlessparts.com/
- Paperless Parts - Buyer Experiencepaperlessparts.com/buyers-experience/
- Paperless Parts - Costing & Pricing Automationpaperlessparts.com/pricing-costing-automation/
- Paperless Parts - Integrationspaperlessparts.com/integrations/
- Paperless Parts - Securitypaperlessparts.com/security/
- Paperless Parts - Pricingpaperlessparts.com/pricing/
This comparison was prepared by the MetronQ team from publicly available material by Paperless Parts, Inc., as of 5 October 2026. Offers, features and prices may have changed since - current information is on the vendor's own website. Prices are copied as the price list states them, without converting currencies or taxes. Product and company names belong to their owners; MetronQ is not affiliated with Paperless Parts, Inc.. If any information here is out of date or inaccurate, write to contact@metronq.com and we will correct it.
Try MetronQ on your own files
14 days and 8 quotes free, no card. Set up your machines and rates, then see how the engine prices your parts.