Key Takeaways
- The best manufacturing quality control software replace paper checklists and spreadsheets with digital inspections, automated reports, and real-time analytics.
- Look for mobile and offline capability first. Your inspectors are on the shop floor. If the software can’t run without Wi-Fi, it’s not built for manufacturing.
- It should cover inspections, corrective actions, document control, and compliance tracking in a single system.
- Small and mid-sized manufacturers can start with core inspection and corrective action features, then add modules like SPC or supplier quality management as operations grow.
- GoAudits manufacturing inspection software starts at $10/user/month, with no setup fees and a 14-day free trial.
According to ASQ, the average cost of poor quality amounts to 10-15% of companies’ operational costs. Thus, improving quality can make a direct contribution to the bottom line and should be prioritized by any business. However, it isn’t easy – especially when done manually, as it can be time-consuming, error-prone, and hinder efficiency.
Such challenges and more can be addressed with the right manufacturing quality control software. These software solutions streamline quality checks, automate workflows, and provide real-time data, allowing manufacturers to deliver consistent quality, improve efficiency, and save money.
Read on to discover the best quality control software for manufacturing, its benefits, and how to choose one for your business.
Best Manufacturing Quality Control Software
Here are our rankings for the best manufacturing quality control software:
| Manufacturing QC Software | Best For | Paid Plan | Free Trial | Mobile Inspections | Corrective Actions |
| GoAudits | Inspections & audits across multiple sites | $10/user/mo | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Axonator | No-code workflow automation | $40/user/mo | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| MasterControl QMS | Highly regulated industries | Custom pricing | ❌ | ⚠️ | ✅ |
| Ideagen | Document control & compliance-heavy industries | Custom pricing | ❌ | ⚠️ | ✅ |
| ComplianceQuest | Enterprise QMS on Salesforce | $30/user/month | ❌ | ⚠️ | ✅ |
| UniPoint | ERP-integrated quality management | Custom pricing | ❌ | ⚠️ | ✅ |
1. GoAudits — Best for Mobile Quality Inspections and Audits
GoAudits is a web and mobile-based platform designed to streamline quality control and empower manufacturers to make data-driven decisions.
Besides quality checks, this manufacturing inspection software allows you to conduct various checks and inspections to ensure safety and compliance. You can conduct GMP audits and ISO checks, health & safety checks, equipment inspections, factory floor walk-throughs, incident and near-miss logs, process reviews, and more.
With a rating of 4.8 stars on Capterra, GoAudits is trusted by some of the biggest names in the manufacturing industry.
Key Features:
- Mobile Inspection and Audits: Perform online and offline quality checks with smartphones or tablets. Encourage your workers to conduct self-inspections in order to identify and resolve issues promptly without waiting for scheduled audits.
- Custom Checklists: Create manufacturing checklists with photos, risk scores, etc., to meet specific regulatory and quality standards. Modify them to reflect changing standards or internal protocols, ensuring quality control processes remain relevant.
- Audit Schedule Feature: Schedule audits in advance and set recurring manufacturing audits for efficient quality control. Furthermore, notifications and reminders should be set to keep the schedule on track.
- Custom Workflows: Define workflows by designating specific steps for each inspection, assigning tasks to internal or third-party members like vendors, and ensuring streamlined quality assurance across your entire operation.
- Automated Reporting: Compile inspection data into clear, concise reports in a few clicks and share them with stakeholders, keeping everyone informed.
- Real-time Analytics: Gain real-time insights into quality trends with the analytics dashboard. Identify areas for improvement, address potential issues, and make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.
Pricing
GoAudits follows a transparent subscription model, starting at around $10 per user/month, with higher-tier plans offering advanced analytics, automation, and multi-location support. It also offers a free trial, making it accessible for small to mid-sized manufacturers looking to digitize inspections without a large upfront investment.
👉 GoAudits Pricing: Explore various packages offered by GoAudits.
Limitations
GoAudits is not a full-scale ERP or MES system. Manufacturers needing deep production planning, inventory management, or complex shop-floor automation may require integrations with other systems to achieve end-to-end manufacturing control.
How to Get Started
Most teams begin by importing their existing checklists into the platform. Once templates are created, audits can be scheduled as per your schedule. Book a demo with the GoAudits team to walk through the setup for your specific team and compliance requirements.
👉 Customer Success Story
Nissin Foods ditched paper-based quality inspections and switched to GoAudits to achieve an audit completion ratio of 96%!
» Get Started: Book a demo or start a 14-day free trial to explore GoAudits.
2. Axonator — Best Mobile Forms Automation Software for Manufacturing QC
Axonator’s manufacturing quality assurance software helps businesses create mobile apps that automate forms, QC checklists, reports, and workflows. It is particularly beneficial for companies looking to digitize their quality control to improve data accuracy, streamline audits, and ensure compliance more effectively.
Key Features:
- Customizable Mobile Forms: Allows users to create custom forms using the drag-and-drop feature and deploy them for quality control.
- Easy Integration: The mobile form data can be easily integrated with other third-party software, including Salesforce, SAP, and IBM Maximo.
- Workflow Automation: Axonator streamlines and automates workflows through task assignments and notifications.
Pricing
Axonator typically starts around $40 per user/month, with pricing scaling based on app complexity, integrations, and usage. It offers a free trial, allowing teams to test its no-code app builder before committing. Costs can increase as businesses expand workflows and require more advanced automation or integrations.
Limitations
Axonator’s flexibility comes with a learning curve, especially when building custom apps. It may require time and technical input to fully configure workflows. Additionally, it focuses more on data capture and workflow automation than deep manufacturing execution, limiting its use for complex production environments.
3. MasterControl QMS – Best for Highly Regulated Industries
MasterControl offers a QMS that streamlines and centralizes all aspects of quality control in production. It helps businesses manage documents, training records, nonconformances, and supplier information in a centralized location, ensuring better collaboration and improved visibility into processes.
Key Features:
- Cloud-Based QMS: This digital inspection software for manufacturing eliminates paper-based processes and facilitates ongoing improvement through software.
- Automation of QC Processes: The software automates various quality processes, including document management, event tracking, supplier management, and audits.
- Risk Management: MasterControl enables organizations to identify, assess, and mitigate or prevent risks associated with quality and compliance systematically.
Pricing
MasterControl uses enterprise, quote-based pricing depending on users, modules, and regulatory requirements. Costs are typically higher due to its focus on regulated industries like pharma and medical devices. Implementation, validation, and training can significantly increase total cost, especially for compliance-heavy environments.
Limitations
The platform can be complex and resource-intensive to implement. It often requires validation for regulated industries, adding time and cost. Smaller manufacturers may find it overly sophisticated, and customization or updates can require vendor support, reducing agility compared to lighter-weight solutions.
4. Ideagen (formerly Qualtrax) – Best for Document Control & Compliance-heavy Industries
Ideagen quality control software offers functionalities like document management, nonconformance tracking, and customizable workflows. It reduces the administrative burden associated with quality and compliance tasks, enabling companies to focus more on core operations.
Key Features:
- Document Management and Control: Ideagen provides a centralized repository for managing all quality-related documents and emails, ensuring easy access, version control, and revision tracking.
- Risk Management: Ideagen Risk Management facilitates faster and more accurate reporting, tracking of KPIs, creating and updating risk registers, and more.
- Audit Management: The software automates audit processes, from scheduling and conducting audits to tracking findings and implementing corrective actions, making it easier to track compliance.
Pricing
Ideagen follows a custom pricing model based on deployment size, modules, and compliance requirements. There is no free trial publicly listed, and the total cost varies depending on implementation scope, integrations, and ongoing support. It is generally positioned as a mid-to-enterprise-level quality management solution.
Limitations
Ideagen can be complex to configure, especially for organizations without dedicated quality or IT teams. Some users report that customization and reporting flexibility may require additional setup. It may also be less suitable for manufacturers seeking lightweight, inspection-first tools.
5. ComplianceQuest QMS – Best for Enterprise QMS on Salesforce
It helps organizations maintain high standards of quality while reducing operational risks through features that support regulatory compliance, document management, and continuous improvement.
ComplianceQuest manufacturing quality inspection software allows businesses to scale and adapt their quality management processes as required.
Key Features:
- Salesforce Integration: ComplianceQuest software can be integrated with Salesforce for better data visibility and collaboration.
- Supplier Management: It facilitates supplier risk assessments, performance monitoring, and corrective action tracking.
- Data Analytics and Reporting: This QC software offers analytics and reporting tools for manufacturers to gain valuable insights into trends and identify areas for improvement.
Pricing
ComplianceQuest pricing typically starts around $30 per user/month, with costs increasing based on Salesforce integration, modules, and enterprise requirements. As a cloud-native QMS built on Salesforce, pricing can also include platform-related costs, making the total investment higher for large-scale deployments.
Limitations
Dependence on the Salesforce ecosystem can increase complexity and cost. Implementation may require specialized expertise, and smaller manufacturers may find the platform overly complex. Performance and usability can also depend on how well the Salesforce environment is configured and maintained.
6. UniPoint – Best for ERP-integrated quality management
UniPoint is a quality management software designed for manufacturers. With over two decades of experience developing and implementing QMS, UniPoint allows companies to consolidate, automate, and integrate their quality management processes.
Key Features:
- Inspection Management: It streamlines the creation, assignment, and execution of manufacturing inspections. Additionally, it supports real-time data collection to capture and analyze data directly on the shop floor.
- Mobile Functionality: UniPoint’s mobile app allows teams to access and update information directly on the shop floor, facilitating the completion of nonconformance reports at the point of production.
- ERP-Integrated QMS: The software can be integrated with ERP to provide a central hub for all quality and compliance logs, eliminating the need for repetitive data entry.
Pricing
UniPoint uses quote-based pricing depending on modules, number of users, and ERP integrations. Costs vary widely based on deployment scale and customization needs. Implementation and integration with ERP systems can add to the total cost, especially for companies with complex manufacturing environments.
Limitations
UniPoint often requires integration with ERP systems to unlock full value, which can increase implementation complexity. The interface may feel less modern compared to newer cloud-native tools, and customization or reporting changes may require additional configuration or vendor support.
Why Do Companies Need Quality Control Software for Manufacturing?
Companies need quality control software for manufacturing to catch defects before they reach customers, maintain regulatory compliance, and cut the cost of poor quality.
Quality control software for manufacturing offers a range of benefits. Firstly, the software ensures companies meet the regulatory and quality standards. This, in turn, helps them deliver quality products and create a loyal customer base in the long run.
A good software for quality control in manufacturing facilitates the detection of defects in the early stages of production, preventing expensive recalls. Furthermore, they allow businesses to streamline operations, reducing waste and enhancing efficiency.
How Does Manufacturing QMS Software Save You Money?
Quality control software for manufacturing reduces costs by automating manual QC tasks, catching defects earlier, and cutting data transcription time.
It automates the manual and spreadsheet-based QC processes, saving several man-hours and eliminating time delays associated with data transcription and error checking.
Furthermore, manufacturing quality software allows for faster data collection and analysis, which reduces the cost of quality by identifying and addressing issues before they result in heavy financial implications. Thus, production quality control software leads to cost-effective management of quality issues, ultimately saving money for businesses.
How to Choose the Best QMS Software for Manufacturing?
Look for the following features when selecting an inspection software for manufacturing for your company:
- Customization: The software should tailor various aspects of quality audits to your organization’s needs for thorough checks and more effective and accurate shopfloor analysis.
- Accessibility and User-Friendliness: The QMS software should have a simple and intuitive mobile application that will require little to no training to grasp.
- Data Collection/Inspection: Inspectors should be able to collect all types of inspection data, including defects, defect type, location, and time of inspection, supplier data, and photos of non-compliance.
- Corrective Actions: Management should have a system to assign and monitor corrective actions to issues identified during quality checks. Furthermore, the production quality software should also have a feature to re-assign tasks and take follow-ups.
- Real-time Production Data Analysis: You should have access to real-time data via reports and dashboards to help you visualize key metrics, spot trends, identify potential issues, and make data-driven decisions to optimize quality.
- Document Management: You should be able to create, review, approve, and update critical quality control documents and manufacturing SOPs within the software. Additionally, the software should allow you to share the latest versions of the documents securely with your team.
- Support: Customer reviews will help you understand the responsiveness of the customer support team, particularly regarding training, troubleshooting, and customization needs.
Streamline Manufacturing Quality Control With GoAudits
With the GoAudits manufacturing inspection app, you have an easy-to-use tool to streamline quality control and promote continuous improvement. Besides simplifying QC in the manufacturing process, with our manufacturing quality inspection software, you can:
- Schedule quality audits at your preferred frequency
- Create instant audit reports in one click, customized to your brand
- Delegate corrective actions to individuals in your team or outside your organization
- Use Analytics Dashboards to identify improvement opportunities and make data-driven decisions
- Scrutinize the production process to ensure your products meet the quality standards
» Customer Success Story: How businesses leverage GoAudits to strengthen quality control processes.
FAQs About Production Quality Software
Manufacturing quality control/assurance software helps companies comply with standards and deliver high-quality products to their customers. It allows them to conduct quality control inspections, identify and report non-conformances and deviations, and implement corrective measures before the product reaches the customer.
Many leading manufacturing platforms now include built-in quality control modules. Examples include ERP providers like SAP and Microsoft Dynamics, as well as MES-focused tools and inspection platforms. These systems combine production, inventory, and quality workflows in one environment, enabling real-time defect tracking, compliance management, and standardized inspections across facilities.
Top quality control tools typically include MES systems, QMS platforms, and inspection software. MES solutions automate in-line checks and capture shop-floor data, while QMS tools manage audits, CAPA, and compliance. Increasingly, manufacturers use IoT-enabled systems and AI-driven analytics to detect defects early and reduce manual inspection effort.
Quality control software integrates with ERP and MES systems through APIs, middleware, or native connectors. This enables automatic data exchange—such as production data, defect logs, and inspection results—creating a unified system of record. Integration improves traceability, ensures real-time visibility, and links quality events directly to production workflows for faster corrective actions.
Pricing varies widely. Entry-level tools like GoAudits start at $10 per user per month. Mid-range platforms range from $30 to $50 per user per month. Enterprise QMS solutions from vendors like MasterControl or Ideagen typically require custom quotes and may include implementation fees. Most vendors offer free trials or demos, so you can test the software before committing.
Many cloud-based quality inspection apps support offline data collection. Inspectors can complete checklists and capture photos on smartphones or tablets without an internet connection. The data syncs automatically once the device reconnects. This matters for shop floors, warehouses, and remote facilities where Wi-Fi coverage is unreliable.
For batch production, critical features include traceability, lot tracking, standardized inspection checklists, and deviation management. Real-time data capture and audit trails are essential for compliance and recalls. Systems should also support statistical process control (SPC) and batch-level reporting to identify recurring quality issues and maintain consistency across production runs.
Integration typically connects shop-floor execution (MES) with business planning (ERP). MES captures real-time production and quality data, while ERP consolidates it for planning and reporting. APIs or cloud integrations synchronize data across systems, enabling end-to-end visibility and coordinated workflows between production, inventory, and quality teams.
Cloud-based systems offer faster deployment, lower upfront costs, automatic updates, and remote accessibility, making them ideal for multi-site operations. On-premise solutions provide greater control, customization, and data ownership but require higher investment and IT resources. The choice depends on budget, scalability needs, and internal technical capabilities.
