It is 9:40 pm. A property management company messages two renovation contractors on WhatsApp asking for a quote to repaint 12 flats. Contractor A replies the next afternoon with a scanned Word document. Contractor B sends a branded quote with line items, a validity date and a "click to accept" button 25 minutes later. B's price is slightly higher. B still wins the job.
That gap is why so many Hong Kong owners are now searching for quotation software, and why vendors keep adding "AI" to their pricing pages. This page answers the money question directly: what quotation and proposal tools cost a Hong Kong SME in October 2026, what each price actually buys, which limits catch local buyers out, and which set-up fits which kind of business.
Prices are public list prices in US dollars, converted at HK$7.8. Where a figure comes from a third-party price tracker rather than the vendor, we say so and name the source.
How much does quotation software cost a Hong Kong SME in 2026?
A sole trader can send professional quotes for free, or for about HK$156 a month with an AI writing assistant. A three-person sales team on a branded proposal tool with AI drafting should budget around HK$1,600 a month. An eight-person team lands between HK$3,800 and HK$4,700 a month, depending on the tool.
Reference prices at a glance (October 2026, per user per month)
--- PandaDoc: Free plan with 5 documents a month; Starter US$19 billed annually or US$35 monthly; Business US$49 annually or US$65 monthly; Enterprise custom. API documents cost an extra US$5 each (CostBench, verified 13 October 2026).
--- Proposify: Basic US$19 annually or US$29 monthly; Team US$41 annually or US$49 monthly; Business from about US$3,900 a year with 5 users (CostBench, verified 20 July 2026).
--- Qwilr: Starter US$35 annually or US$49 monthly; Growth US$55 with a 5-user minimum; Scale US$75 with a 10-user minimum, both billed annually. No free plan (CostBench, verified 20 July 2026).
--- Zoho Invoice: free plan that includes quotes; third-party reviews put the cap at around 500 invoices a year and 2 users, though sources disagree.
--- Xero (Hong Kong site): Lite US$7, Starter US$29, Standard US$50, Premium US$75 a month, billed in US dollars, with quotes built in. Lite allows only 5 invoices and quotes (Sleek guide, July 2026).
--- ChatGPT Business: US$25 billed monthly or US$20 billed annually per user, with a 2-seat minimum, for drafting quote wording and scope descriptions.
What does each quotation tool actually include?
The tools split into three types. Proposal platforms (PandaDoc, Proposify, Qwilr) produce branded, trackable quotes with e-signatures. Accounting apps (Xero, Zoho Invoice) produce plain quotes that turn into invoices. General AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude) write the words but do not send, track or sign anything.
PandaDoc is the most common starting point. The free plan gives unlimited e-signatures but only 5 documents a month. The cheaper Starter plan keeps PandaDoc branding on documents and allows up to 5 templates. Custom quotes, CRM integrations, approval workflows and branding removal sit in Business at US$49. CostBench and user reviews note that pricing tables, invoicing and payments moved up to Business over time.
Proposify is the cheapest proposal platform for a growing team. Basic covers unlimited sends, e-signatures and tracking for one collaborator. Team adds integrations, automations and analytics for US$41 a user billed annually. It offers a 14-day trial with no credit card.
Qwilr turns quotes into interactive web pages rather than PDFs, which suits agencies and B2B services. The catch is structure: Growth needs at least 5 users and Scale at least 10. Its AI Prefill feature, which fills proposals automatically, is listed only on Scale. That means the AI feature starts at about US$750 a month.
Xero and Zoho Invoice are enough if your quotes are simple price lists. Quotes convert into invoices in a click, which saves retyping. They will not tell you when a client opened the quote, and they are not built for long proposals.
ChatGPT or Claude is where most Hong Kong owners actually start. Paste in the client's WhatsApp message and ask for a scope description and price breakdown. It is fast and cheap, but someone still has to check prices, paste the result into a template and send it.
What does a realistic monthly budget look like in Hong Kong dollars?
Three realistic set-ups cover most Hong Kong SMEs. A sole trader spends about HK$156 a month. A three-person team on PandaDoc Business plus ChatGPT Business spends about HK$1,615. An eight-person team on Proposify Team plus ChatGPT Business spends about HK$3,806, or HK$4,680 on Qwilr Growth.
Budget 1: Sole trader or two-person workshop, about HK$156 a month
--- Zoho Invoice free plan for quotes and invoices: HK$0.
--- ChatGPT Plus for drafting scope and wording: US$20, about HK$156.
--- Best for: renovation masters, tutors, freelancers and repair services sending fewer than 20 simple quotes a month.
Budget 2: Three-person sales team, about HK$1,615 a month
--- PandaDoc Business, 3 users billed annually: US$147.
--- ChatGPT Business, 3 users billed annually: US$60.
--- Total US$207, about HK$1,615. That is roughly 37 hours of work at Hong Kong's HK$43.1 statutory minimum wage.
Budget 3: Eight-person team, about HK$3,806 to HK$4,680 a month
--- Proposify Team, 8 users billed annually: US$328, plus ChatGPT Business for 8 users at US$160. Total US$488, about HK$3,806.
--- Or Qwilr Growth for 8 users at US$440, plus ChatGPT Business at US$160. Total US$600, about HK$4,680.
All three budgets assume annual billing. Paying monthly raises PandaDoc Business from US$49 to US$65 a user, which adds about HK$374 a month to Budget 2.
Where do these tools fall short for Hong Kong businesses?
The biggest gaps are local. None of these tools publishes a Hong Kong dollar price list, entry plans often keep the vendor's branding, seat minimums push small teams into bigger bills, AI features sit on top tiers, and most quote enquiries in Hong Kong arrive on WhatsApp, which these tools do not answer.
US dollar billing. Every price above is charged in US dollars, so your card statement moves with bank conversion fees. Xero's Hong Kong site also bills in US dollars.
Branding on cheap plans. PandaDoc's Free and Starter plans keep PandaDoc branding on documents, according to CostBench and user reports. If a polished look is the reason you are buying, budget for Business.
Seat minimums. Qwilr Growth requires 5 users and Scale 10. A three-person team pays for seats nobody uses.
AI on the top tier only. Qwilr's AI Prefill is listed only on Scale. Check exactly which plan includes the AI feature you saw in the advert.
Chinese-language quotes. We did not verify how each tool handles Traditional Chinese fonts and mixed Chinese-English line items. Test a real bilingual quote during the free trial before paying.
E-signature rules. Under Hong Kong's Electronic Transactions Ordinance (Cap. 553), electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary commercial contracts. Some documents are excluded, including wills, powers of attorney and instruments that need stamping, according to a summary by OneSpan. Check with your lawyer for anything unusual.
The WhatsApp gap. Most quote requests reach Hong Kong SMEs on WhatsApp, often late at night. None of these tools reads the enquiry, asks the follow-up questions or chases the client who went quiet. If WhatsApp is your main channel, read our breakdown of WhatsApp AI costs in Hong Kong.
Where does an AI staff member fit in the quoting process?
An AI staff member covers the work around the quote that software does not: reading WhatsApp and email enquiries, asking for missing details, drafting the first version in your template, and following up when a client goes quiet. It does not replace e-signature or accounting software, and for very low quote volumes it is not worth it.
UD's AI Staff Solution is built for that coordination layer. A typical set-up for a quoting team includes:
--- Collecting the enquiry from WhatsApp or email and asking for missing details such as size, quantity or deadline.
--- Drafting the quote in your existing template or tool, using your own price list, for a person to approve.
--- Sending reminders on day 3 and day 7 when a quote has not been answered.
--- Logging each quote's status so the boss can see what is open, won or lost.
Honest limits. UD does not publish a fixed price for AI Staff; it is quoted after a free assessment of your workload, so compare it line by line with the budgets above. It does not provide e-signatures or replace Xero or Zoho. And a person should still approve every price before it goes out.
Where the competition wins. If you send fewer than 5 quotes a month, PandaDoc's free plan or Zoho Invoice is enough. If your problem is only the look of your quotes, Proposify Basic at US$19 a user solves it more cheaply than any AI staff set-up.
Which quotation set-up should you choose?
Choose by the bottleneck, not the brand. If quotes look unprofessional, buy a proposal tool. If quotes are slow because enquiries pile up, fix the intake and follow-up first. If quotes are simple price lists, your accounting software may already do the job for free or nearly free.
--- Sole trader, under 20 simple quotes a month: Zoho Invoice free plus ChatGPT Plus.
--- Small team already on Xero: use Xero's built-in quotes before buying anything new. Our Xero vs QuickBooks guide covers the Hong Kong plans.
--- B2B service team that needs branded, signed proposals: PandaDoc Business or Proposify Team.
--- Agency of 5 or more selling with visual proposals: Qwilr Growth.
--- Any team losing jobs to slow WhatsApp replies and silent follow-ups: an AI staff member for intake and chasing, paired with whichever quote tool above fits.
Frequently asked questions about quotation software costs
These answers cover the questions Hong Kong owners ask most before buying: whether free tools are good enough, whether ChatGPT alone can do the job, whether e-signed quotes are legally binding, and which prices change between monthly and annual billing. Each answer uses the October 2026 prices above.
Is free quotation software good enough for a small business?
Often, yes. Zoho Invoice's free plan includes quotes, and PandaDoc's free plan allows 5 documents a month with e-signatures. Upgrade when you need your own branding, more templates, team approvals or CRM links.
Can ChatGPT replace quotation software?
Not fully. ChatGPT drafts wording and price breakdowns well, but it does not send, track opens, collect signatures or turn quotes into invoices. Most teams use it alongside a quote tool.
Are e-signed quotes legally binding in Hong Kong?
For ordinary commercial contracts, electronic signatures are generally valid under the Electronic Transactions Ordinance. Some documents, such as wills, powers of attorney and documents needing stamping, are excluded. Ask a lawyer about anything unusual.
How much can annual billing save?
A lot on entry plans. PandaDoc Starter drops from US$35 to US$19 a user and Proposify Basic from US$29 to US$19 when billed annually. Annual plans are paid upfront, so test with a monthly plan or trial first.
What is the right next step?
Start by counting: how many quotes you send a month, how long each takes, and how many go unanswered. With those three numbers, the right budget above becomes obvious, and you avoid paying for seats, tiers or AI features you will not use.
The fastest quote usually wins, but only if it is accurate and someone follows it up. Software makes quotes look good; a clear process makes them land. UD stands with you, making AI human.
Reviewed by the UD AI team.
Want to know how many enquiries, draft quotes and follow-ups your team could hand to AI, and what that costs next to the tools above? We will walk you through it step by step, from a free assessment of your quoting workload to a written quote you can compare line by line.