Instant quote: An instant quote is a price for a manufactured part that software calculates from the uploaded design file in seconds, without a person estimating it by hand.
An instant quote replaces the slow loop of e-mailing a file, waiting for an estimator and getting a PDF back. The buyer uploads a 3D or 2D file, picks a material, finish, quantity and lead time, and sees a price straight away. Behind the screen, software measures the part (volume, surface area, bounding box, features) and feeds those numbers into the shop’s own cost model: machine time, material, labour, overheads and margin.
Example: a buyer uploads a bracket as an STL, chooses PETG and 20 pieces, and the page shows a unit price, a total and a ship date before they have closed the tab. If they switch to nylon, the price updates without a new upload.
A common confusion is to treat an instant quote as a guess or a list price. A good one is calculated from the same rates and rules the shop would use by hand, and it can still route odd parts to manual review. It is also not the same thing as an RFQ, which asks a supplier to come back with a price later.
Quotometry analyses a part once and re-prices every option from that analysis, and each price comes with a breakdown. It prices 3D printing, CNC machining, 2D cutting, injection moulding and vacuum casting today. For how shops set this up, read what instant quoting is.
Go deeper: What is instant quoting, and when should a person still review?