Best for
Best for independent agents who want help placing risks with carriers as well as software to prepare and track each submission.
Insurance Agency Software Comparison
Menlo for Agents vs. NowCerts
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for small independent P&C agencies that want a published monthly price and self-serve certificates for their insureds.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | Menlo for Agents | NowCerts |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Not stated | From $99 / month Essentials plan with 1 user included; Professional includes 2 users and Business 5. Additional user licences cost extra. |
| Free trial | Not stated | 30-day free trial |
| Users | Not stated | 1, 2 or 5 users included depending on plan; the Enterprise plan is listed for 50+ users |
| API | Not stated | Developer REST API and Zapier; the number of API integrations depends on the plan |
| Hosting | Not stated | Cloud-based, used in a browser |
| Clients and policies | One file per risk holding the application, carrier quotes, client communications and quote documents | Client and policy records with endorsements that log every change, document storage, notes and reminders per policy, all ACORD forms in PDF or HTML filled from the record, and a claims module for tracking and submitting claims |
| Lines of business and markets | Built for independent insurance agents in the United States. Lines of business are not listed; the carriers named by the vendor are ERGO Next, Hiscox, Chubb, AmTrust, Aegis and Neptune Flood | Property and casualty: certificates and a loss runs module for commercial accounts, personal lines quoting through rater integrations; broker and wholesaler functionality and online MGA integration are listed in the plans |
| Comparative rating and quoting | One smart application per risk, mostly prefilled, goes to every carrier on the platform that writes the risk; the agent compares the available carrier terms and sees which questions remain outstanding | Integrations with outside comparative raters, named as TurboRater and Applied, for personal lines quotes from one application; a quote form for the agency website feeds prospects into NowCerts |
| Carrier downloads and connectivity | Binding moves through the carrier's purchase handoff, with the placement documents kept together in the file | Automated policy updates from carrier databases through IVANS, which the vendor says covers downloads from over 250 carriers, and Ebix TEAM-UP; eServicing access to carrier portals is listed in the plans |
| Sales pipeline and renewals | Follow-up drafts that the agent reviews and sends, with each quote and follow-up kept on the file | Sales pipeline management with prospect tracking and CRM automation campaigns, a renewal center with reminders before renewal, and automated pending-cancellation messages to customers |
| Commissions and agency accounting | Not stated | Tracking of agency and agent commissions, agency fees and carrier fees, commission reconciliation, billing and accounting with invoices, receipts and refunds, and a QuickBooks integration |
| Client portal and certificates | Not stated | Insured portal where clients view policy details, issue their own certificates, request policy changes, pay and sign documents; the vendor states portal accounts and certificates sent through the system carry no extra charge |
| Compliance records and audit trail | Compliance records kept in the shared workflow, as listed by the vendor | Every policy change is recorded as an endorsement, and notes and reminders are kept per agency, customer or agent |
| Reports and exports | Not stated | Over 40 prepared reports with filters, custom and scheduled reports, a customizable user dashboard and data export to Excel |
| Integrations and API | Not stated | Developer REST API, Zapier, Twilio for texting, QuickBooks, Outlook and Google email and calendar, OneDrive and SharePoint, telephony and lead generator integrations |
| Deployment | Not stated | Cloud (SaaS) |
| Support | Not stated | Email helpdesk, Phone |
| Onboarding | Not stated | Documentation and knowledge base, Guided onboarding |
| Company size | Not stated | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized |
| Integrations | Not stated | IVANS, Ebix TEAM-UP, TurboRater, Applied, QuickBooks, Zapier, Twilio, Microsoft Outlook, Google G Suite, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft SharePoint |
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Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Clients and policies Menlo for Agents One file per risk holding the application, carrier quotes, client communications and quote documents NowCerts Client and policy records with endorsements that log every change, document storage, notes and reminders per policy, all ACORD forms in PDF or HTML filled from the record, and a claims module for tracking and submitting claims
- Lines of business and markets Menlo for Agents Built for independent insurance agents in the United States. Lines of business are not listed; the carriers named by the vendor are ERGO Next, Hiscox, Chubb, AmTrust, Aegis and Neptune Flood NowCerts Property and casualty: certificates and a loss runs module for commercial accounts, personal lines quoting through rater integrations; broker and wholesaler functionality and online MGA integration are listed in the plans
- Comparative rating and quoting Menlo for Agents One smart application per risk, mostly prefilled, goes to every carrier on the platform that writes the risk; the agent compares the available carrier terms and sees which questions remain outstanding NowCerts Integrations with outside comparative raters, named as TurboRater and Applied, for personal lines quotes from one application; a quote form for the agency website feeds prospects into NowCerts
- Carrier downloads and connectivity Menlo for Agents Binding moves through the carrier's purchase handoff, with the placement documents kept together in the file NowCerts Automated policy updates from carrier databases through IVANS, which the vendor says covers downloads from over 250 carriers, and Ebix TEAM-UP; eServicing access to carrier portals is listed in the plans
- Sales pipeline and renewals Menlo for Agents Follow-up drafts that the agent reviews and sends, with each quote and follow-up kept on the file NowCerts Sales pipeline management with prospect tracking and CRM automation campaigns, a renewal center with reminders before renewal, and automated pending-cancellation messages to customers
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
Menlo for Agents
Strengths
- One prefilled application per risk, which the agent confirms instead of retyping
- A single submission reaches every carrier on the platform that writes the risk
- Back-office placement support from a licensed brokerage alongside the software
- Follow-up drafts for the agent to review and send
Limitations
- No prices published
- The page describes no commission accounting, client portal, reporting or integrations
- Lines of business are not listed on the page
NowCerts
Strengths
- Published monthly plans from $99, with a 30-day free trial
- Insured portal where clients issue their own certificates, request changes and pay
- Carrier downloads through IVANS, which the vendor puts at over 250 carriers
- Tracks agency and agent commissions, fees and carrier fees, with reconciliation
Limitations
- The vendor site describes quoting only through integrations with outside raters
- Enterprise plan price not published
- The pricing table and the FAQ on the vendor site give different prices for an additional user
Plans
Pricing
Menlo for Agents
Price on Request
Visit siteNowCerts
- Essentials $99 Per month, 1 user included.
- Professional $169 Per month, 2 users included.
- Business $349 Per month, 5 users included.
- Enterprise Not stated For 50+ users; price on request.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
Menlo for Agents
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.
NowCerts
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.
How we check reviews
Before sending, the author has to confirm three things: that they have used the product themselves, that they work neither for the vendor nor for a competitor, and that nobody is paying them for the review. We also ask whether the vendor invited them to write it. That answer is required, either answer is accepted, and it stays with the review.
Every review is read by a person before it appears. An email address is required and is confirmed: we send a link to it, and a review does not reach us until the author opens that link, so a review has a sender who was reachable at least once rather than being anonymous. Where what somebody writes needs backing, we ask them for evidence that they used the product, and a review that does not get it is not published. We publish positive and negative reviews alike, we pay nothing and offer nothing for a review, and we accept none that was bought or incentivised.
What we cannot do is verify a purchase. There is no shop here and no account, so whether the author really used the tool rests on their own declaration, on whatever we ask them for, and on the plausibility of what they write. We say so rather than implying a check that does not exist.
A vendor cannot buy a review, and cannot have one removed or changed because they dislike it. We remove or edit a review only if it breaks our rules or the law, for example a false statement of fact. Paid placement has no effect on which reviews appear or on any score.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
Menlo for Agents https://www.menloinsurance.com/for-agents · checked against the official source on 2026-11-05
NowCerts https://www.nowcerts.com/ · checked against the official source on 2026-11-05
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.