When you start a new project, one of the first things your client asks is simple: “Can you send me a quote?”- And yet, this simple question can lead to confusion — what exactly is a price quote? Is it the same as an estimate? How detailed should it be?

Let’s break down what a price quote really means, why it matters, and how you can create and configure one with ScopeWise.

What is a price quote?

A price quote (or quote price) is a formal document you send to a potential client that details the services you will provide, the associated prices and the conditions under which the offer is valid. A quote is a commitment — if your client accepts it, it becomes a form of agreement between both parties.

A professional quote should always include:

• 1. Your company information
• 2. Your client information
• 2. A clear list of deliverables or services
• 3. The cost per item or total price
• 4. The quote’s validity period (e.g. “valid for 30 days”)
• 5. Your terms and payment conditions (optional)

Beyond its practical function, a quote is also a communication tool. It shows your professionalism, clarifies what’s included, and prevents misunderstandings later on. In short, a good price quote isn’t just about numbers — it’s about setting clear expectations and building trust from the very first interaction.

Quote and Estimates — What’s the Difference?

These two words are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing.

• 1. A quote has to be done when you fully understand the project. You should start by making estimates because this will help you understand the project you are going to work on.
• 2. The quote is a fixed offer. You're going to add a list of tasks that need to be done and a global price. Doing an estimate helps you clarify projects so you can share a quote with your client.
• 3. Once a quote is accepted by the client, it can be used as a contractual base, while an estimate does not create any obligation for the stakeholders.

At ScopeWise, we first generate an estimate for you to help you scope your project. Then, you can generate and personalise a price quote.

👉​ Learn more how we generate quotes

Why Price Quotes Matter More Than Ever

In the past, clients often asked for a quick “ballpark estimate.” But as digital projects became more complex, simple guesses stopped working. A clear, professional price quote now does much more than give a number — it builds trust before the first line of code is written. For web projects, especially, a quote acts as a communication tool between the client and the developer. It defines:

• What is included and excluded
• How long the work should take
• And what success looks like when it’s delivered

Without it, misunderstandings can easily arise such as "I thought hosting as inclued". A good quote avoids these pitfalls. It’s not just paperwork — it’s the first step toward a successful collaboration.

Price Quotes in the IT and Web Industry

In the IT world, a price quote isn’t just about numbers; it’s about anticipating complexity. Web and software projects often involve multiple steps, dependencies, and technologies that can dramatically affect pricing. For example, adding a “multi-language feature” or “custom dashboard” can impact both frontend and backend development time. That’s why quotes in the IT sector require not only technical understanding but also strategic foresight.

As a product specialising in software quotes, we can say that a good IT quote should include:

• Clearly separate design, development, and maintenance phases
• Include technical assumptions (frameworks, APIs, hosting)
• And communicate risks or limits transparently

But with the advent of AI, the creation of price quotes is also changing.

Automating Your Price Quote with AI

Traditionally, creating quotes was a manual process: you’d open Excel or Word, copy-paste your last project, and adjust the numbers. Today, AI-powered tools change the game. At ScopeWise, you need to share some information about your next IT project to get your estimate first in less than 5 minutes. This is especially useful for freelancers and small agencies who want to respond to leads faster without underpricing their work. In this estimate, you can create, update, and delete tasks such as design, features, devOps testing and add a percentage of risk to the project. In this estimate, you'll get the total hours and the project's global pricing.

After that, you can generate and configure your price quote by adding your own information, your client's information and the tax for this project. Once completed, you can download it as a PDF file.