There are three ways to make a quote. None is always best; it depends on what you want from it.
Excel or Word
Strong: free, familiar, entirely your own. Weak: all manual work, no numbering, no overview, no link to invoicing or CRM. Suits: a few quotes a month.
The quote module of an accounting package
Strong: quote and invoice in one system, the bookkeeping follows along. Weak: the package was designed for administration, not for the sales conversation. Making quotes often stays manual and you work at your desk. Suits: businesses with fixed, simple quotes and one place for everything.
A quoting program
Strong: built for the quoting process: products, lines, sending, signing, follow-up. Often faster and with more overview. Weak: an extra package next to your accounting, so an integration matters. Suits: anyone who makes many or complex quotes and wants to save time.
A handy rule of thumb
- Fewer than five quotes a month and fixed prices: Excel or your accounting package.
- More quotes, varying lines, several salespeople or working on site: a quoting program.
- Always: pick something where you can import products and that carries on to your invoice or accounting.
Dealnote is a quoting program that captures the conversation, builds the lines, lets the customer sign and carries on to an invoice. It integrates with Moneybird, among others. See the documentation.