Free vs. Pro Audits: Which Level Do You Need?

You have a contractor's bid open in one tab and a growing suspicion in the back of your mind. Something about the numbers feels off, but you are not sure which ones or by how much. That is exactly the moment most people land here — and exactly when it matters whether a quick spot-check is enough or you need the full toolkit. Here is the honest breakdown.

Free audits: instant analysis, no account required

The free tier is built for speed and zero friction. Paste your quote text or upload a PDF or image into the contractor, auto, or solar audit tool, and the analysis runs immediately — no signup, no credit card, no waiting. Within seconds you get a structured breakdown of what is in your quote and what might be wrong with it.

Here is what the free audit covers:

• Line-item parsing — Each line of your quote is categorized into materials, labor, fees, allowances, and exclusions.
• Markup flags — Items that appear vague, bundled, or priced above typical ranges are flagged with an explanation.
• Scope gap detection — Missing items that are standard for the type of work described are called out. A kitchen remodel quote missing a plumbing rough-in line, for example, is a scope gap.
• Follow-up questions — The audit generates specific questions you can send to the contractor for clarification.

What the free tier does not do:

• No saved history. When you close the tab, the audit is gone. The data is processed in-memory and never stored.
• No side-by-side comparisons. You can run multiple audits, but you cannot compare them in a single view.
• No clarification email drafts. The audit gives you questions, but you write the email yourself.
• No Deep Analysis. Free audits use the standard engine, which is fast but less thorough than Pro's advanced model.

Pro Mode: persistent audits, uploads, and clarification tools

Pro Mode picks up where the free tier stops. It is a paid subscription designed for two audiences: homeowners in the middle of an active project juggling multiple bids, and professionals who review quotes as part of their regular workflow.

• Near-unlimited audits — The free tier caps you at three audits per month. Pro removes that ceiling so you can run as many as you need across contractor, auto, and solar tools.
• Deep Analysis — An advanced AI model that spends up to five minutes on a single quote instead of the standard thirty-second pass. It catches subtler issues — layered markups, scope inconsistencies between line items, and pricing patterns that only surface under close reading.
• Audit history — Every audit you run is saved to your account. Revisit findings weeks later, track which items you challenged, and pull up past audits mid-negotiation when a contractor claims "we discussed that."
• Quote comparison — Upload two or more quotes for the same project and compare them side by side. Differences in line items, pricing, and scope are highlighted automatically — the kind of discrepancies that vanish inside a spreadsheet but jump off the screen here.
• Clarify tool — Select flagged items from an audit and generate a professional email draft you can send directly to the contractor, adjuster, or lender. The tone is calibrated for each audience — direct for contractors, formal for adjusters, evidence-based for lenders.
• Export and download — Download audit results as structured data you can attach to emails, share with a lawyer, or file with a dispute record.

When to upgrade

The free tier handles the simple case: one quote, one question, move on. Upgrade to Pro when the stakes or the complexity outgrow a single paste-and-check.

1. You have multiple bids to compare. The comparison tool saves hours of manual side-by-side work and catches discrepancies you would miss in a spreadsheet.
2. You need deeper analysis. The standard audit is fast but surface-level. Deep Analysis spends minutes instead of seconds, catching layered markups and scope inconsistencies the quick pass misses.
3. You need to send a professional follow-up. The Clarify tool writes emails that are firm, specific, and documented. Most homeowners struggle with tone — too aggressive and the contractor gets defensive, too soft and the issue gets ignored. The tool threads that needle.
4. You are managing an insurance claim. Claims require timestamped documentation, persistent records, and language that adjusters take seriously. Pro Mode is built for that workflow.
5. You want your audit history accessible across devices. Free audits disappear when the session ends. Pro audits persist in your account.

Pricing

Pro Mode pricing is listed on the signup page. Every Pro subscription includes a 14-day refund guarantee — if it does not meet your needs, email contact@quotechecker.ai within 14 days for a full refund. No questions, no hoops.