A Comparison of the Best CPQ Tools

Eight relevant CPQ solutions for manufacturers of high-variety products - including their strengths, target audiences, and clear selection criteria. This will help you quickly find the right solution.

Disclosure: This comparison was provided by Combeenation, one of the providers featured here. We have kept it as objective as possible and applied consistent evaluation criteria to all providers. However, you should always base your decision on your own specific use case -not on a comparison.
 

At a Glance

• CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) automates product configuration, pricing, and quote generation in a single, end-to-end process—and measurably shortens quote cycles.
• There is no single “best” provider. The right choice depends on product complexity, desired flexibility, existing CRM/ERP systems, and sales channels.
• Combeenation is particularly well-suited for companies that need a high degree of flexibility and a fast time-to-market, want to remain independent of existing systems, and need to address complex requirements.
• Alongside these are the major enterprise solutions: SAP CPQ, Salesforce, and Oracle CPQ. They are tailored to corporate groups and large companies and demonstrate their strengths primarily within their respective platform ecosystems. Designed for high quote volumes, end-to-end processes, and complex corporate structures, they typically realize their full potential only where the appropriate system landscape - such as SAP or Salesforce - is already in use.
• Tacton occupies a unique position: a specialized CPQ provider without a broad enterprise suite, but specifically geared toward complex manufacturing and highly configurable products—with integrations into ERP, CRM, and PLM, as well as CAD and design automation.
• Another group of vendors - encoway, camos, and CAS Merlin - has a strong focus on CPQ but is not considered an enterprise solution. They are primarily used for products with many variants and extensive sets of rules.
   

A Comparison of CPQ Tools

First, here’s an at-a-glance overview of the eight providers based on a few key criteria. Detailed profiles of each provider follow below.

What is CPQ?

CPQ stands for Configure, Price, Quote. CPQ software uses rules to configure products with many variants (Configure), automatically calculates the correct price, including discounts and special terms (Price), and generates the final quote—complete with a bill of materials and technical documentation—at the click of a button (Quote).
 

What are the benefits of CPQ?

CPQ reduces the time it takes to create a quote from days to minutes, giving you a decisive competitive edge in response time. At the same time, the error rate drops dramatically because the system automatically rules out invalid configurations, incorrect prices, or omitted items. Predefined discount limits, minimum margins, and automated approval workflows safeguard profitability and ensure that every pricing decision is transparent.

New employees can be trained quickly because all the necessary knowledge is built into the configurator, and customers can configure products on their own without having to rely on anyone else. The system is also ideal for dealer networks, as it allows for the assignment of differentiated roles and permissions, enabling dealers to operate independently. The bottom line: faster sales, stable margins, and more time spent actively selling to customers.

The forecasts highlight the significant potential of CPQ solutions for businesses: Mordor Intelligence expects the global CPQ market to grow from $3.14 billion in 2025 to $7.55 billion by 2031. With a projected annual growth rate of 15.74%, the market is one of the fastest-growing segments in the enterprise software sector.

An Overview of the Leading CPQ Providers

Each of the following providers has its own area of focus. Therefore, the key issue is not so much whether a solution is “good or bad” as what it is designed to do - and that is exactly what we have identified for each provider.

1. Combeenation

Combeenation, based in Austria, has specialized in CPQ and product configuration since 2009. While others offer a rigid, off-the-shelf product, the company relies on a cloud-based platform that consistently adapts to specific products and processes - not the other way around. The configurator interface can be customized down to the finest detail, offering extensive scope for personalization.

What Sets Combeenation Apart

• For complex rule sets and high performance requirements with maximum customization.
• Rule-based rather than variant-based — maintain rules once instead of endless lists of variants
• Can be integrated regardless of the manufacturer

Best suited for: Manufacturers of diverse product lines seeking high flexibility, a fast time-to-market, and independence from existing systems.

In detail:

• Target Audience: Medium-sized companies, particularly manufacturers of products with many variants (e.g., mechanical engineering, medical technology, furniture, and construction), as well as companies with a strong distributor network.
• Integration: CRM, ERP, PIM, and e-commerce can all be integrated independently of the vendor — completely open.
• Deployment: Cloud (Microsoft Azure) 
• Configuration logic: Rule-based
• Implementation effort: Very flexible — depending on the scope of the project, simple projects at Combeenation take between 6 and 12 weeks.
• Typical limitations: Not the best choice if you’re looking for a ready-made, off-the-shelf solution with a one-time cost or if on-premises deployment is required.
• Pricing/licensing model: Starting at 697 euros per month (plus one-time implementation costs); detailed quote available upon request
• Relevance to the DACH region: Very high. Austrian provider with German-language support.

2. SAP CPQ

SAP CPQ is the CPQ solution from the German software company SAP and is deeply integrated into its sales and ERP systems.

What Sets SAP CPQ Apart

• A single provider for the entire process chain — from configuration to invoicing — with a single point of responsibility instead of multiple interface partners
• Robust pricing, discount, and approval logic
• Designed to meet enterprise requirements

Best suited for: Companies with an SAP environment — but not limited to them.

In detail:

• Target Audience: Corporations and large companies with an SAP environment.
• Integration: Strong in CRM, ERP, and e-commerce within the SAP environment; integration with external systems is possible but typically more complex.
• Deployment: Cloud
• Configuration logic: Rule- and variant-based
• Implementation effort: Larger project; high effort due to tight integration with SAP; several months.
• Typical limitations: Full benefits are only realized with SAP in-house. Usually too large and too expensive for smaller companies without SAP. Implementation is complex.
• Pricing/Licensing Model: Upon request; user-based subscription, enterprise contracts.
• Relevance to the DACH region: Very high. German company with German-language support.

3. Tacton

Tacton, based in Sweden, is a CPQ provider specializing in mechanical and plant engineering that offers constraint-based configuration of complex products.

What Sets Tacton Apart

• This is particularly effective when configuration extends into the design phase — for example, with automated CAD generation and design automation for highly complex technical products.
• Standard integrations with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, and PLM

Best suited for: Manufacturers with many product variants who want to closely integrate sales and engineering.

In detail:

• Target Audience: Machinery and plant manufacturers with highly complex, custom-designed products (single-unit/made-to-order production) that closely integrate sales and engineering — ranging from upper-mid-market companies to large corporations.
• Integration: CRM (Salesforce, MS Dynamics) and ERP (SAP, Oracle, Dynamics) are integrated via the platform; PIM via integration (e.g., inriver); e-commerce via self-service. Overall, very open.
• Deployment: Cloud
• Configuration logic: Constraint-based
• Implementation effort: A typical project takes several months; for highly complex products, it can take even longer.
• Typical limitations: Too large for simple catalog and pricing scenarios. Building the model is time-consuming, and per-user licenses tend to be expensive. No quick start. 
• Pricing/Licensing Model: Upon request; user-based subscription.
• Relevance to the DACH region: High. Although based in Sweden, the company has its own office in Karlsruhe.

4. Salesforce (Revenue Cloud / Agentforce Revenue Management)

Salesforce, based in the U.S., offers CPQ as part of its Revenue Cloud, which is closely integrated with Salesforce CRM.Important: Salesforce CPQ will no longer be sold to new customers as of March 2025 (existing customers will continue to be supported); further development will take place on the successor platform, Agentforce Revenue Management.

What Sets Salesforce Apart

• Seamless integration with Salesforce CRM
• Strong in subscription models and managing active contracts
• Extensive partner and app ecosystem

Best suited for: Salesforce is particularly relevant for companies that are already deeply integrated into the Salesforce ecosystem. For new projects, however, it’s important to carefully verify whether Agentforce Revenue Management or the new Revenue Cloud architecture is intended—and not the traditional Salesforce CPQ solution.

In detail:

• Target audience: Companies whose sales operations are already running on Salesforce; from small and medium-sized businesses to large corporations
• Integration: CRM via Salesforce only (but very deep integration); ERP and PIM via interfaces; e-commerce via Salesforce Commerce.
• Deployment: Cloud
• Configuration logic: Rule-based; the new version also introduces constraint-based configuration
• Implementation effort: A new implementation is carried out as a project with a Salesforce partner and usually takes several months, depending on the scope.
• Typical limitations: Full benefits are only realized when used with Salesforce as the CRM; expensive as an add-on. Strong integration with the Salesforce ecosystem.
• Pricing/licensing model: Usually available upon request.
• Relevance to the DACH region: Moderate to high. U.S. provider with a strong presence in the DACH region and German-language support.

5. encoway

encoway, based in Bremen (part of the Lenze Group), has been offering modular CPQ solutions for manufacturers of capital goods since 2000.

What Sets encoway Apart

• Sophisticated Guided Selling and Variant Management
• Modular structure — from sales tools to customer-facing web configurators
• Various operating models: as a cloud solution or in your own data center (on-premises) — an advantage for companies with strict data or hosting requirements.

Best suited for: Manufacturers of complex components and devices who rely on guided selling and an established provider.

In detail:

• Target Audience: Manufacturers of capital goods, components, and equipment who rely on guided selling and an established standard provider
• Integration: Includes ready-made standard interfaces for SAP (ERP), Microsoft Dynamics, and Salesforce (CRM), while also being open — all other systems can be integrated via platform-neutral REST APIs.
• Deployment: Cloud or on-premises
• Configuration Logic: Rule- and variant-based
• Implementation Effort: Thanks to its modular design, you can start small (e.g., internal sales only) and expand later.
• Typical Limitations: For very small companies, implementation is often too project-intensive. It offers more than small businesses typically need.
• Pricing/Licensing Model: Upon request.
• Relevance to the DACH region: Very high. German provider, German-language service

6. Oracle CPQ

Oracle CPQ from the U.S. (formerly BigMachines) is a well-established enterprise solution within the Oracle Cloud.

What Sets Oracle CPQ Apart

• Enterprise-level scalability for large catalogs and complex pricing rules
• Robust guided selling and self-service quoting via web portals
• Open to CRM/ERP systems from other vendors — the least tied to its own ecosystem among enterprise solutions

Best suited for: Large companies — especially those with an Oracle environment — that handle high volumes of quotes and complex configurations.

In detail:

• Target audience: Large enterprises, particularly those with an Oracle environment; high order volumes.
• Integration: Broad coverage of CRM, ERP, PIM, and e-commerce, and open to third-party systems.
• Deployment: Cloud
• Configuration logic: Rule-based
• Implementation effort: large-scale enterprise project with a partner; effort increases with the size of the catalog and the number of rules; only cost-effective for high volumes.
• Typical limitations: Usually too large and too expensive for small and medium-sized companies. Implementation is complex, and the user interface is sometimes considered outdated.
• Pricing/Licensing Model: Upon request; user-based subscription.
• Relevance to the DACH Region: Moderate. U.S. provider with a presence, partners, German-language support, and EU hosting; limited focus on the DACH industry.

7. camos

camos, based in Stuttgart, specializes in a wide variety of B2B products.

What Sets camos Apart

• One of the leading CPQ specialists in German-speaking countries
• Designed for large, complex sets of rules
• Available in several versions — from the version for medium-sized businesses (camos CPQ Compact) to the enterprise solution (camos CPQ 365)

Best suited for: Companies with extensive sets of rules and regulations.

In detail:

• Target Audience: Mid-sized companies to large corporations (across all deployment levels); manufacturing and mechanical engineering.
• Integration: CRM and ERP are well integrated via standard interfaces (with deep SAP integration); e-commerce is supported; PIM can be integrated, but is not a key focus.
• Deployment: Cloud and on-premises
• Configuration logic: Rule-based
• Implementation effort: Varies depending on the scope — ranging from a quick start to a project lasting several months.
• Typical limitations: Designed for complex rule sets — overkill for simple products or basic price lists. A smaller, specialized provider with a smaller ecosystem than SAP, Salesforce, or Oracle. 
• Pricing/Licensing Model: Upon request; subscription model, pricing varies by plan.
• Relevance to the DACH Region: Very high. German provider, German-language platform, many industrial customers in the DACH region.

8. CAS Merlin

CAS Merlin, developed by CAS Software AG in Karlsruhe, combines CPQ with close integration with CRM and hosting in Germany.

What Sets CAS Merlin Apart

• AI-powered guided selling that walks users through the product configuration process 
• Tightly integrated with CAS's own CRM, but can also be used independently

Best suited for: Mid-sized businesses and large enterprises looking for a CPQ solution with CRM integration and German hosting.

In detail:

• Target Audience: Mid-market and enterprise customers seeking CPQ with close integration to CRM and German hosting; also available to resellers and end customers via proprietary modules. 
• Integration: Strongest with CRM (proprietary genesisWorld, as well as SAP); ERP via the company’s own Syncler platform; PIM and e-commerce are less of a focus than CPQ processes closely integrated with CRM.
• Deployment: Cloud and on-premises
• Configuration logic: Rule-based
• Implementation effort: A project suitable for medium-sized businesses, with a modular start, via CAS or a partner; more manageable than the large suites.
• Typical limitations: Smaller providers with a smaller scope. Not suitable for highly complex design and CAD in heavy machinery manufacturing.
• Pricing/Licensing Model: Upon request 
• Relevance to the DACH region: Very high. German provider, German-language.

How to Choose the Right CPQ Provider

The software investment is rarely the biggest expense—what matters most is how well the solution fits with your products, processes, and IT infrastructure. These five questions will help you narrow down your options:

1. How complex and diverse are your products?
When dealing with very large rule sets involving many dependencies and quote items, performance is key. A powerful configuration engine must be able to process even extensive configurations in real time and without noticeable delays—even as product variety and data volumes continue to grow. You should therefore evaluate how a solution performs as complexity and data volumes increase. Conversely, if products have only a few variants and pricing is straightforward, specialized configurators are often unnecessary. In such cases, a simpler solution is usually sufficient.

2. How quickly do you need to get to market?
CPQ projects can quickly spiral out of control in terms of both time and scope. That’s why you should look for a solution that’s agile: one that can go live quickly, can be continuously enhanced afterward, and doesn’t become unnecessarily complex. This way, you can bring new products, variants, and prices to market quickly, instead of getting bogged down in lengthy IT projects. 

3. How deeply are you already involved in an ecosystem?
If your sales operations already run on SAP, Salesforce, or Oracle, choosing a CPQ solution from the same ecosystem may be the most pragmatic approach — it offers clear accountability, deep native integration, and fewer interfaces. The trade-off is a stronger reliance on that specific ecosystem. If you don’t yet have a fixed platform, are using a mix of different systems, or want to remain independent, a vendor-neutral provider offers greater flexibility because systems can be switched or supplemented later without having to rebuild the configurator.

4. Does the system think in terms of possibilities or variants? 
The key distinction lies not between manufacturers, but between two design approaches. Variant-based systems require that every permissible variant be created in advance as a separate item — even a few options result in hundreds of combinations, making the variant list confusing and difficult to maintain. Logic-driven systems — whether rule-based or constraint-based — define building blocks and rules once and derive the specific variant only when it is needed. Which logic-driven approach is better suited depends on your dependencies; use a real-world example to verify whether the engine maps them accurately and remains performant even as the set of rules grows.

5. What happens after the go-live?
A CPQ solution isn’t a one-time project — it’s a long-term partnership. That’s why support is crucial: Do you have a direct, personal point of contact who understands your solution, or just an anonymous ticket system? The provider that actively supports you even after launch and works with you to further develop your solution is what makes the difference in the long run.

Conclusion

There is no single “best” CPQ system — the right choice depends on your specific needs. The complexity of the products, performance when handling large rule sets, flexibility of the configuration engine, ability to integrate with existing CRM and ERP landscapes, speed of implementation, and the quality of post-go-live support all carry different weights depending on the company. A provider that is ideal for one use case may be overkill or too rigid for another.

That’s why the best next step is always the same: clarify your own requirements, create a shortlist, and evaluate your preferred providers using a real-world use case. This quickly reveals which solution is truly right for you — beyond feature lists and glossy brochures.

Sources & Methodology

This comparison is based on publicly available information from vendors, the industry, analysts, and reviews as of July 2026 and was compiled by Combeenation, one of the vendors featured. Two groups of providers were deliberately included: large platform and enterprise providers such as SAP, Salesforce, and Oracle, which are frequently shortlisted in B2B sales, as well as specialized CPQ providers with particular relevance in German-speaking countries and in high-variety manufacturing, including Tacton, encoway, camos, CAS Merlin, and Combeenation.

The selection was based on criteria such as target audiences, implementation effort, pricing models, integration capabilities, target audience, feature set, and visibility in the DACH region. Solutions that focus more on e-commerce product configuration, visual commerce, 3D/AR visualization, or web-to-print than on CPQ for complex B2B sales and manufacturing processes were not included. These include, for example, Zakeke, Threekit, Kickflip, Expivi, and Sketchfab/Fab. Other niche and regional providers were not included due to the limited scope of the comparison.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive. Collecting the data was challenging in some cases, as the level of detail varies by provider, information can be difficult to find, or publicly available information is only partially comparable. In addition, providers are constantly changing their feature sets, integrations, pricing models, licensing terms, services, and technical capabilities. Readers should therefore verify all information relevant to their decision directly with the respective provider before making a selection.