Best QMS software for machine shops and job shops (2026)

A machine shop or job shop needs a QMS that copes with hundreds of part numbers, new drawings every week, first articles, outside processors and a small quality team. Enterprise eQMS platforms rarely fit that, and ERP quality modules often stop at NCRs and calibration. This guide compares nine options that shops actually shortlist, using only each vendor's own website, checked November 12, 2026. It is written by FactoryQA, and we include ourselves, so we have kept to published facts and said where each product fits.

What to look for

Drawing to inspection, fast. Ballooning, inspection sheets and an AS9102 first article from the same characteristics, so a new job is not retyped three times (see our AS9102 Form 3 guide).
Supplier quality that suppliers will use. A portal for SCARs, certificates and PPAP, ideally without supplier logins or per-supplier fees.
Fit with your ERP. A standalone QMS that connects to the ERP you run, or a QMS inside an ERP you would switch to.
A pricing model that fits a small team. Per seat, per company, or concurrent licenses, and whether there are minimums or an annual commitment.
Certification support. AS9100, ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 records, internal audits and readiness, not just a document library.

At a glance

The table is wide: scroll sideways to see every product. "Not listed" means we could not find it on the vendor's website, not that it does not exist.

	FactoryQA	1factory	QT9 QMS	ProShop	JobBOSS² Advanced Quality (uniPoint)	Net-Inspect	QMS2GO	Isolocity	Intellect
What it is	Standalone cloud QMS	Standalone cloud QMS	Standalone QMS (QT9 also sells an ERP)	ERP/MES with built-in QMS	QMS add-on for ECI ERPs (ECI acquired uniPoint in November 2026)	Cloud FAI and supply chain quality platform	Standalone QMS, ISO 9001 first	Standalone cloud eQMS	No-code QMS platform
Built for	Manufacturers, including small and mid-size shops and supplier quality teams	"From precision machine shops to global enterprises"	Regulated manufacturers: medical devices, pharma, aerospace, food and beverage, general manufacturing	"Job shops, machine shops, fabrication shops"	Shops working toward ISO and AS9100 certification	Aerospace supply chains	ISO 9001 manufacturers; Starter plan for "small shops getting certified"	Regulated businesses across industries	Mid-market and enterprise
Published pricing	Yes: Free $0, Basic $40 and Pro $60 per standard user per month; read-only seats $5	Quality Control $75 per user per month (5 minimum), QMS $20 per user per month (10 minimum), $20 per connected supplier per month (5 minimum); one-year minimum, billed annually	No: quote-based, annual concurrent licenses	No: quote, based on total employees and three seat types	No: per concurrent seat, core modules as a bundle	No: quote	Flat per company: $490 per month (up to 10 users), $990 (up to 50), $1,990 (unlimited); AS9100 by quote	Full users $220 per month billed annually ($270 monthly), production users $39, basic users free	Starting prices: Core $26k, Operational Control $32k, Enterprise Transformation $47k (period not stated)
Free plan or trial	Free plan (one administrator), and every new account gets 14 days of Pro	Not listed	Free trial, no credit card (length not stated)	Not listed	Not listed	Suppliers of a Net-Inspect customer get a limited FAI license for that customer at no charge	Not listed	Free trial (length not stated)	Not listed
Supplier portal and SCARs	Supplier portal; suppliers answer SCARs without an account	Supplier portal; each supplier is a paid connected supplier; SCARs with 8D	Supplier Web Portal, free; SCAR workflows	Not listed	Portal module for vendors; SCARs not listed by name	Suppliers work in the platform with their own accounts; CAPA and CAR add-on with optional 8D	Supplier portal for documents and acknowledgements; SCARs not listed	Supplier Contribution Portal; SCARs not listed by name	Supplier Management app; portal and SCARs not listed
AS9102 first article and ballooning	AS9102 Forms 1 to 3 from the ballooned drawing; AI Auto-Balloon	AS9102 Forms 1 to 3; automatic ballooning (their own recognition engine)	First article "support"; AS9102 forms and ballooning not listed	AS9102 Rev C with AI ballooning (Inspection Data Module, powered by GroundControl)	AS9102 Rev B and C forms; bubble drawings and OCR	AS9102 Forms 1 to 3 with auto-ballooning	First-article inspection mentioned; AS9102 and ballooning not listed	Helps with FAIs; AS9102 forms and ballooning not listed	Track and control FAIs; AS9102 and ballooning not listed
PPAP, APQP, PFMEA, control plans	PPAP with the 18 AIAG elements, process flow, PFMEA and control plans linked from the drawing	Process flow, PFMEA, control plans, Gage R&R	FMEA module; PPAP, APQP and control plans not listed as features	Not listed	Not listed	APQP and PPAP add-on	Not listed	PFMEA template; PPAP, APQP and control plans not listed	APQP, PPAP and FMEA apps
Inspection and SPC	Inspection sheets graded as entered; real-time SPC	First piece, in-process, final and incoming inspection; SPC and capability	Inspections module; SPC not listed	Tablet inspections with frequency prompts; SPC not listed	Inspection with control charts and SPC reports	Yes, with Gage R&R studies	Inspection plans; SPC not listed	Inspections linked to real-time SPC	Quality Inspections app
Calibration	Yes, with Gage R&R	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Calibration alerts	Yes	Yes	Calibration and Maintenance app
Named ERP connections	Epicor Kinetic, Infor CloudSuite Industrial, JobBOSS², Realtrac, Carbon	None named; order and part master APIs	Data Sync add-on: NetSuite, Dynamics 365, Sage, Great Plains, Acumatica, E2, Infor, on-premise Epicor	It is the ERP; integrates with QuickBooks, Sage 50, Net-Inspect and others	JobBOSS², JobBOSS, M1, Macola, MAX, E2 MFG	None named (CMM data imports)	QuickBooks	QAD; open API	SAP, Oracle, Salesforce; pre-built NetSuite connector
AI	In every module; a person approves every change	None; 1factory says it does not rely on AI models	AI Help Center, with no access to your records	"Chip", an AI assistant	Not listed	AI ballooning; a person takes every workflow step	"QMS Genie" assistant (Professional plan and up)	Not listed	Plain-language chat, AI root cause, PFMEA drafting

How they differ

Pricing models

Only FactoryQA, 1factory, QMS2GO and Isolocity publish prices; Intellect publishes starting prices. 1factory's seat minimums mean a shop using both its quality control and QMS products starts at $575 a month, billed annually (our calculation from their published minimums). QMS2GO charges a flat price per company instead of per seat. QT9 and uniPoint sell concurrent licenses by quote, and ProShop prices on total employees.

Standalone QMS or part of an ERP

ProShop is an ERP with quality built in, and JobBOSS² Advanced Quality is a quality add-on for ECI's ERPs. Both suit shops that want one vendor for everything, but you take the ERP with the QMS. FactoryQA, 1factory, QT9, QMS2GO, Isolocity and Intellect are standalone and connect to an ERP; Net-Inspect focuses on first articles and supply chain quality.

First articles and ballooning

FactoryQA, 1factory, ProShop (through GroundControl), uniPoint and Net-Inspect list AS9102 forms with ballooning on their websites. QT9, Isolocity, QMS2GO and Intellect mention first articles without listing AS9102 forms or ballooning.

Supplier portals

Most list a supplier portal, but they work differently. FactoryQA suppliers answer SCARs, certificate requests and PPAPs through links, with no account. 1factory charges per connected supplier, and Net-Inspect suppliers work in the platform with their own accounts.

Which fits your shop

FactoryQA: shops that want drawing-based inspection, AS9102, PPAP, supplier quality and calibration in one standalone QMS, with published per-seat prices, a free plan and ready-made connectors for Epicor Kinetic, Infor CloudSuite Industrial, JobBOSS², Realtrac and Carbon.
1factory: Shops that want inspection, FAI and SPC from a specialist and can commit to an annual contract with seat minimums.
QT9 QMS: Regulated or life sciences manufacturers that want many modules under concurrent licenses, or a QMS from their ERP vendor.
ProShop: Shops ready to replace their ERP and run the whole shop, quality included, in one system.
JobBOSS² Advanced Quality (uniPoint): Shops already on an ECI ERP that want quality inside it; uniPoint says AS9100 is available only with certain partner ERPs.
Net-Inspect: Aerospace suppliers whose customers already run their FAIs on Net-Inspect.
QMS2GO: Small ISO 9001 shops that prefer one flat monthly price over per-seat pricing.
Isolocity: Teams that want a configurable QMS across several standards and can budget for full-user pricing.
Intellect: Larger manufacturers that want to configure their own apps and have the budget for it.

More detail: FactoryQA vs 1factory, FactoryQA vs QT9, FactoryQA vs Intellect and our supplier quality software comparison. Our buyer's guide to QMS software for job shops covers the questions to ask in a demo.

Try it on your own parts

The fastest test is one of your own drawings: balloon it, build the inspection sheet and run a first article. Start free, use 14 days of Pro, or book a demo.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best QMS software for a small machine shop?

It depends on whether you want a standalone QMS or quality inside your ERP, how many first articles you run, and your budget model. Shops that keep their ERP usually shortlist standalone QMS products with AS9102 and ballooning; shops replacing their ERP look at ERP-based systems such as ProShop.

Which QMS software publishes its prices?

Of the nine products here, FactoryQA, 1factory, QMS2GO and Isolocity publish prices, and Intellect publishes starting prices, as of November 12, 2026. The others quote.

Do I need AS9102 software for first articles?

Not strictly: AS9102 forms can be filled in by hand or in a spreadsheet. Software that balloons the drawing and fills the forms from it saves the retyping and the mistakes that get FAIRs rejected.

Should a job shop use its ERP's quality module?

If it covers what your customers audit, it may be enough. Many ERP quality modules stop at NCRs and calibration; check for first articles, SPC, supplier corrective actions, PPAP and internal audits before you decide.

Is per-seat or per-company pricing cheaper?

Per-company pricing is cheaper for many users, per-seat pricing for a small quality team, especially with low-cost read-only seats for people who only view. Compare on your real user count, and check minimums and annual commitments.

Sources

Every statement about other products comes from the vendor's own website, checked on November 12, 2026. Products and prices change: if anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.

Written by FactoryQA. Product names are trademarks of their owners.