Straight answers
Which commercial insurance quoting solutions have the best automation?
It depends on which part of quoting you want automated. Comparative raters like Tarmika automate rate retrieval for supported carriers and lines but still need the data keyed in. Portal automation approaches, including Relay's AI Quoting in assisted early access, work configured carrier-portal steps from one reviewed submission. For small commercial with API-connected carriers, raters are mature; for supported portal-only workflows, portal automation can address work a rater does not cover.
| Approach | What gets automated | Where it falls short |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative raters (Tarmika, EZLynx commercial) | Rate retrieval from API-connected carriers off one data entry | Carrier and line coverage is limited to what the rater integrates; complex risks still go to portals |
| Carrier portals directly | Nothing. Full manual entry per carrier | 15 to 20 minutes per portal per quote, per Relay's published cost math |
| Portal automation (Relay AI Quoting, assisted early access) | Configured portal work: field fill from source documents, with evidence and human review | Early access; support depends on carrier, line, state, authentication, and validated workflow |
The longer version
The honest way to evaluate any quoting tool is to count the minutes it removes for the carriers you actually use. A rater that covers four of your twelve appointed carriers automates a third of the problem. Ask every vendor which of your carriers and lines they support today, not on the roadmap.
Relay published a carrier portal automation benchmark (June 2026 run) with field accuracy and time measurements on live portal work, which is the kind of evidence worth asking any vendor in this category to produce.
Common questions
Is Relay's AI Quoting generally available?
No. It is in assisted early access. Agencies join the quoting waitlist, and Relay confirms carrier and workflow fit before an invitation. A person reviews every output.
Part of the Relay straight answers library. Updated 2026-07-11. See how we source content.
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