Comparison
NowCerts vs HawkSoft: cloud-first AMS or workflow-first AMS
This is the system your whole agency will live in, so take your time. NowCerts and HawkSoft are both agency management systems built for independent shops, but they come at the work differently. NowCerts is cloud-native, leans on an open API, and made its name automating certificates of insurance. It recently rebranded to Momentum AMP after a 2023 merger. HawkSoft has been independently owned since 1995 and is workflow-first, with a hybrid setup that runs a native desktop app alongside online access. The real question is what you weight more: an open, browser-based platform with published pricing, or decades-deep service workflows from a vendor that answers the phone fast.
Side by side
How the two paths compare
| NowCerts | HawkSoft | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary strength | Cloud-native AMS with certificate automation and an open API | Workflow-first management for personal and commercial service |
| Deployment | Fully cloud, browser-based, nothing to install | Hybrid: native desktop app plus online access |
| Certificates of insurance | Self-service certificate creation is a signature feature | Certificate handling inside the service workflow |
| Integrations | Open API with hundreds of integrations; markets itself as the most open AMS | Integrates with major comparative raters and partners; no native rater |
| AI and automation | AI and automation center; now branded Momentum AMP after a 2023 merger | Automated communications, tasks, and batch messaging |
| Ownership | Founded 2009; rebranded Momentum, which claims fourth-largest AMS in the US | Independent and privately held since 1995 |
| Support claim | Free trial to try before you buy | 97% first-call resolution; phones answered in under 2 minutes on average (HawkSoft's figures) |
| Published pricing | Tiered per-user plans on nowcerts.com/pricing; entry around $99/mo per GetApp 2026 | Not published |
Where each fits
When NowCerts vs HawkSoft fits
You want fully cloud, browser-based access with nothing to install, so staff can work from anywhere.
You run commercial lines with real certificate volume. Self-service certificate creation is the feature NowCerts is known for.
You want an open API and hundreds of integrations to wire the AMS into your other tools without vendor lock-in.
You want to see pricing before a sales call. NowCerts publishes tiered per-user plans, with a free trial to test first.
Where Relay fits
You want service workflows refined over decades and a support team you can actually reach. HawkSoft publishes a 97% first-call resolution rate and phones answered in under 2 minutes on average.
You prefer an independent, privately held vendor that has been in business since 1995 and is not accountable to outside shareholders.
You are fine running a native desktop app for the full feature set, with online access for reporting and tasks. HawkSoft's hybrid model is a deliberate choice, not a gap.
No long-term contract matters to you, and you would rather get a tailored quote than pick from published tiers.
Other paths
Alternatives worth weighing
EZLynx
Applied Systems' cloud platform built around a personal lines comparative rater, with the management system attached.
Best for: Personal lines shops that want native home and auto rating and the AMS under one login.
AMS360
Vertafore's cloud AMS known for full insurance general-ledger accounting.
Best for: Commercial-heavy agencies that want native agency accounting inside the AMS.
Applied Epic
Applied Systems' enterprise AMS for larger and multi-line agencies.
Best for: Agencies scaling past a small-shop system, or running P&C and employee benefits together.
The honest take
What we would tell a friend who runs an agency
Relay does not replace either one. It is not an AMS and not a comparative rater. Whichever you choose, your team still re-keys ACORD forms, reads loss runs and dec pages by hand, and hops between carrier portals. That is the work Relay removes. Ask Relay reads and triages the inbox, Document Parsing turns loss runs and dec pages into structured data, and ACORD Generation drafts the forms, all live today, with a licensed person reviewing before anything goes out. There is overlap worth naming honestly: NowCerts already automates certificates and ships an AI center, so on a few document tasks the tools touch. Relay's focus is reading inbound documents and drafting ACORDs from parsed data across whatever AMS you run. AI Quoting, which runs carrier portal workflows for human review, is a Research Preview, so treat it as early.
FAQ
Common questions
Is NowCerts the same as Momentum AMP?+
Effectively yes. NowCerts merged with another company in 2023 and the combined business rebranded as Momentum in 2024, so you will see the AMS marketed as Momentum AMP. The legal entity is still NowCerts, Inc., and many agents still call it NowCerts.
Is HawkSoft cloud-based?+
It is hybrid. HawkSoft runs a native desktop app for the full feature set and offers online access for reporting, tasks, and analytics. NowCerts is fully cloud-based in the browser with nothing to install.
Which one is cheaper?+
NowCerts publishes tiered per-user pricing on its site, with an entry tier around $99 a month per GetApp's 2026 listing, plus a free trial. HawkSoft does not publish pricing, so you need a quote. We will not guess a HawkSoft number here.
Where does Relay fit if we use NowCerts or HawkSoft?+
Alongside either one. Relay is not an AMS. It reads your inbox, parses documents, and drafts ACORD forms so your team stops re-keying, with a licensed person reviewing everything. Its AI Quoting is a Research Preview, not a rater and not an AMS feature.
Sources
Part of the Relay comparison library. Updated 2026-07-11.
Get started
Get on the Summer ’26 list.
Spring ’26 is full. Get on the Summer ’26 list and we will be in touch as spots open.