Straight answers
What are the leading systems for automating rate quotes from multiple carriers?
The leading way to automate rate quotes from multiple carriers is a comparative rater, which takes one data entry and returns rates from every carrier it connects to. For personal lines the established systems are EZLynx Rating, Vertafore's PL Rating, and QuoteRush. For small commercial the names are Tarmika, Semsee, and Bold Penguin. Every rater only covers the carriers, lines, and states it has integrated, so the appointed carriers that are portal-only still need manual entry or portal automation like Relay's AI Quoting, which is a Research Preview with human review. Pick by counting how many of your carriers each system actually supports today.
| System | What it rates | How it connects |
|---|---|---|
| EZLynx Rating | Personal lines: home and auto | Comparative rater; EZLynx lists 330+ carriers across 48 states, part of the EZLynx platform (Applied Systems) |
| PL Rating (Vertafore) | Personal lines: home and auto | Standalone comparative rater with per-user pricing, not tied to one AMS |
| QuoteRush | Personal lines: home, auto, flood | Rates worked directly on the carrier websites; publishes monthly tiers |
| Tarmika | Small commercial: BOP, workers comp, GL, commercial auto | Single-entry rater into a commercial carrier panel; owned by Applied Systems |
| Semsee | Small commercial (and personal) | API-first; Semsee lists 50+ carriers and binds inside the platform |
| Portal automation (Relay AI Quoting, Research Preview) | Portal-only carriers a rater does not cover | Runs configured carrier portal workflows from one reviewed submission, with human review on every result |
The longer version
A comparative rater is only as useful as your carrier overlap. If a rater connects to four of your twelve appointed carriers, it automates a third of your quoting and the rest stays manual. Before you sign anything, hand each vendor your appointment list and ask which carriers, lines, and states they support today, not on the roadmap. Two raters can both be excellent and still cover different halves of your book.
Raters and portal automation solve different problems. Raters are mature for API-connected carriers and personal lines, and weakest for the long tail of carriers that only accept business through their own portal. Portal automation works those portals directly, so one intake can feed a portal-only carrier the way a rater feeds a connected one. Relay's AI Quoting is that portal approach and is a Research Preview: the agency selects supported carriers, Relay runs configured workflows, and a licensed person reviews every quote, question, or decline before it moves.
Whatever you are comparing, measure the minutes each system removes for the carriers you actually use. Relay's published cost breakdown puts manual portal entry at 15 to 20 minutes per carrier for personal lines and 30 to 45 for commercial, with most quotes touching three to five carriers. That is the time budget multi-carrier automation is trying to reclaim, and timing five of your own recent quotes gives you a baseline no vendor page can.
Common questions
Do comparative raters cover every carrier I write?
No. Each rater covers only the carriers, lines, and states it has integrated. Most agencies find a rater handles part of the book and the rest stays on carrier portals. Ask for the current carrier list for your states before buying.
What is the difference between a rater and portal automation?
A comparative rater sends your data to carriers it connects to over an integration and returns rates. Portal automation instead completes the carrier's own portal the way a person would, which is the only route for carriers that have no rater connection. Relay's AI Quoting is a portal automation Research Preview with human review.
Is a comparative rater the same as an AMS?
No. A rater retrieves quotes; an agency management system stores policies, clients, and activity. Some vendors sell both (EZLynx pairs a rater with an AMS), but they are different jobs, and you can run a rater without moving your AMS.
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Part of the Relay straight answers library. Updated 2026-07-11. See how we source content.
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