# Thomasnet vs MFG.com and Other RFQ Platforms for Job Shops > Source: https://netray.co/resources/thomasnet-vs-mfg-com-rfq-platforms-for-job-shops > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Knowledge Base ## Short answer Compare Thomasnet, MFG.com and instant-quote marketplaces for job shops: how RFQs arrive, what they cost in time, and how to measure whether the leads pay back. ## Category ai-automation ## Content **Intro:** Thomasnet and MFG.com are the two RFQ sources most US job shops compare, and they work differently: Thomasnet is mainly a supplier directory where buyers find you and send inquiries, while MFG.com is a marketplace where buyers post RFQs that suppliers bid on. Whether either pays back depends less on the subscription fee and more on how many hours your estimator burns on low-probability quotes. This guide explains how each channel behaves, the hidden cost of marketplace leads, and a simple way to calculate return per platform. **Sections:** #### How the Two Models Differ **Body:** Thomasnet works like a searchable industrial directory. Buyers search by process, material or location, review supplier profiles and send RFQs to a few suppliers, so your profile content, certifications and category listings matter. MFG.com is closer to a bid board: a buyer posts a part with drawings and quantities, and qualified suppliers submit quotes, sometimes against many competitors. Other channels include instant-quote marketplaces such as Xometry and Fictiv, which route work to a network and set terms and pricing norms, and your own website and direct buyer relationships. Each channel produces a different quality of lead, with different competition and different pressure on price. **Bullets:** - Directory model: buyer finds you, fewer bidders per RFQ, depends on profile and listings - Marketplace bid board: many bidders, price pressure, strong filtering needed - Instant-quote network: platform sets workflow and often terms, good for filling capacity - Direct and referral: fewest leads, usually highest margin and repeat rate #### The Hidden Cost Is Estimator Time, Not the Fee **Body:** A platform subscription is a visible line item, but the larger cost is the hours spent reading prints, pricing material and calling outside processors for RFQs you have a small chance of winning. If an RFQ takes two hours to quote and you win one in twelve, each win carries roughly twenty-four hours of estimating before you count rejected quotes from other channels. Multiply by an estimator's loaded hourly cost and compare it to the gross profit of the average job won from that platform. Many shops discover that one channel produces profitable repeat customers while another produces mostly one-time buyers who always select the lowest price. #### A Simple Way to Measure Return Per Platform **Body:** Tag every inbound RFQ with its source in your quoting log or ERP. For each source, track number of RFQs, number quoted, estimator hours spent, number won, revenue, gross profit and how many winning customers re-ordered within twelve months. Divide gross profit won by the sum of platform fees and estimator cost to get a return figure for the quarter. Look at repeat orders separately, because a marketplace job that becomes a blanket PO can be worth many times the first order. If your system cannot tag lead source, add a required field to the quote form now, since you cannot reconstruct it later. **Bullets:** - Fields to log: source, RFQ date, quote date, hours spent, price, outcome, loss reason - Compare cost per quote and cost per win, not just win rate - Flag repeat customers who originated on each platform #### Make Your Profile and Responses Work Harder **Body:** On directory platforms, buyers skim. A profile that lists exact capabilities, such as five-axis milling envelope, Swiss turning bar capacity, tolerances held, inspection equipment, materials, and certifications like ISO 9001 or AS9100 if you hold them, ranks and converts better than generic wording. Add real photos of your floor and parts, and keep contact information accurate so inquiries reach someone who responds the same day. On bid boards, narrow your categories so you see jobs you can quote, and use saved responses for standard assumptions about material, inspection and shipping. Never claim a certification you do not hold, since buyers verify and a false claim ends the relationship. #### When to Drop a Platform, and Where AI Fits **Body:** Drop or downgrade a channel when two consecutive quarters show negative return after counting estimator hours, or when winning work there pushes you into price levels that drag down margin on your whole book. If you keep a channel, reduce the cost per quote: AI can read the RFQ, extract material, quantity and special processes, retrieve similar past jobs and draft a price for estimator approval, and it can run privately over your own files. That helps only if you have enough volume to justify it. A shop with a handful of marketplace RFQs a week is better served by a good template and a firm triage rule. **Cta:** Netray can build a private RFQ assistant over your ERP and past quotes so marketplace leads cost less estimator time. Tell us your monthly RFQ volume and sources. **Faq:** #### Is Thomasnet worth it for a small machine shop? **Answer:** It can be if your profile is specific and you respond quickly, since buyers use it to find suppliers by capability. Judge it by tracking leads, quotes, wins and repeat orders for at least two quarters. Shops with vague listings or slow response often see mostly price-shopping inquiries and poor return. #### How does MFG.com work for suppliers? **Answer:** Buyers post RFQs with part details and drawings, and qualified suppliers submit quotes against them. Because several suppliers may bid, price pressure is common. Use category filters, quote only jobs that fit your equipment, and measure cost per win including estimator hours before committing to a long subscription. #### What should I track to know if an RFQ platform pays back? **Answer:** Log source, quote date, estimator hours, price, outcome and loss reason for every RFQ. Then compute cost per quote, cost per win and gross profit won against fees plus estimator cost. Include repeat orders from customers first found on that platform, since those often decide the true return. ## Related Slugs - how-to-win-more-rfqs-as-a-build-to-print-job-shop - ai-for-machine-shop-estimators-rfq-drawing-review - ems-rfq-turnaround-time-how-to-quote-faster - gross-margin-analysis-manufacturing ## Search terms Thomasnet vs MFG.com, RFQ platforms for job shops, is Thomasnet worth it, MFG.com for suppliers, where do machine shops get RFQs, online marketplaces for contract manufacturers --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json