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Insurance · head to head

Ivans vs NowCerts

Ivans logo

Ivans

Insurance

Carrier to agency data exchange infrastructure that sits under most US insurance agency management systems

From
On request
Rated
-
NowCerts logo

NowCerts

Insurance

Agency management system for independent insurance agencies, now sold as Momentum AMP

From
$99/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ivans applied Systems owns both Ivans and competing agency management systems, so the neutral infrastructure that every AMS depends on is controlled by one of the AMS vendors, a conflict that rival vendors have complained about for years.; NowCerts the product was renamed to Momentum AMP in November 2024, so review sites, integration lists and consultant recommendations that still say NowCerts describe a product now sold under a different brand with a different strategy, and buyers checking references need to be sure which era they are hearing about.
  • They diverge on capability: Ivans covers Ivans Download, NowCerts covers Policy and client management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ivans and NowCerts actually diverge.

Attributes where Ivans and NowCerts differ
AttributeIvansNowCerts
Starting priceOn request$99/month
Pricing modelquotePer month by seat band
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Insurance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ivans

  • Ivans Download
  • Ivans Exchange
  • Ivans Distribution
  • Market Appetite
  • Download analytics for carriers
  • Commission download

Only in NowCerts

  • Policy and client management
  • ACORD forms and certificates
  • Commission reconciliation
  • Insured self-service portal
  • Carrier download
  • Momentum Automation Center
  • Momentum Rate

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ivans

  • An agency evaluating a new management system that needs to confirm, carrier by carrier and line by line, which data will actually download before it signsnot NowCerts
  • A carrier launching a new line that wants agency systems to receive policy data automatically rather than by rekeying from a portalnot NowCerts
  • An MGA that wants its book visible to retail agencies in the same download flow as admitted carriersnot NowCerts
  • An agency operations lead auditing why commission reconciliation keeps failing, which usually turns out to be a missing or misconfigured download connectionnot NowCerts

NowCerts

  • A five-person personal lines agency leaving spreadsheets and shared drives that needs certificates and ID cards issued without rekeying datanot Ivans
  • An agency being repriced off Applied Epic or AMS360 that wants comparable core servicing at roughly a third of the seat costnot Ivans
  • A commercial lines agency that issues certificates of insurance constantly and wants insureds pulling their own rather than emailing the account managernot Ivans
  • A newly formed agency that wants an AMS, a comparative rater and lead generation from one vendor rather than stitching three contracts togethernot Ivans

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ivans

  • Applied Systems owns both Ivans and competing agency management systems, so the neutral infrastructure that every AMS depends on is controlled by one of the AMS vendors, a conflict that rival vendors have complained about for years.
  • Download coverage is decided by carriers, not by Ivans or your AMS, so a carrier that does not publish a line simply does not download it and no amount of configuration in your system will fix it.
  • Eligibility requires that you are appointed and writing the line in that state, meaning newly appointed agencies wait on carrier-side setup with little visibility into where the request sits.
  • Data quality varies sharply by carrier, and agencies routinely find that some carriers send incomplete or oddly mapped policy data that then has to be cleaned inside the AMS, undermining the point of automating it.
  • Pricing is opaque and largely invisible to agencies because it is bundled into AMS and carrier agreements, which makes it impossible to judge what the network actually costs your business or to negotiate it.

NowCerts

  • The product was renamed to Momentum AMP in November 2024, so review sites, integration lists and consultant recommendations that still say NowCerts describe a product now sold under a different brand with a different strategy, and buyers checking references need to be sure which era they are hearing about.
  • Accounting is functional but shallow next to AMS360, so agencies that run trust accounting or need detailed general ledger treatment usually keep a separate accounting package and reconcile manually.
  • Commercial lines handling, particularly complex schedules and multi-location risks, is weaker than Applied Epic, which is why larger commercial agencies routinely reject it after a proof of concept.
  • Real onboarding is a paid add-on: professional services run 1,950 dollars a month for a split resource or 2,950 for a dedicated one, plus a 900 dollar onboarding fee, so the headline 99 dollar plan is not the true first-year cost for an agency migrating data.
  • The platform is now stacking separately priced modules, with the automation centre, rating and voice each carrying their own monthly fee, and an agency that wants all of them ends up paying several times the advertised AMS price.

Pricing, plan by plan

Ivans

On request
  • Ivans$undefined/year
    • Ivans Exchange is provided to agencies at no additional charge, with a possible fee for Citizens of Florida business
    • Carrier and MGA participation, Ivans Distribution and appetite products are quoted
    • Pricing is generally embedded in the agency management system or carrier agreement rather than billed separately to the agency

NowCerts

$99/month
  • Essentials$99/month
    • 1 user included
    • Additional seats 45 USD each
    • Client and policy management
  • Professional$169/month
    • 2 users included
    • Sales pipeline
    • Renewal centre
  • Business$349/month
    • 5 users included
    • Billing and accounting
    • Commission reconciliation
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • 50 or more users
    • Quoted
    • Additional seats 45 USD each

Which should you pick?

Choose Ivans if

  • You need ivans download.
  • You also want ivans exchange.

Choose NowCerts if

  • You need policy and client management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want acord forms and certificates.

Questions people ask

Is Ivans or NowCerts better?
Neither clearly leads. Ivans starts at On request and NowCerts at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ivans or NowCerts?
Ivans starts at On request and NowCerts at $99/month.
Does Ivans or NowCerts run on more platforms?
Ivans runs on Web. NowCerts runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Ivans best used for?
Ivans is most often used for an agency evaluating a new management system that needs to confirm, carrier by carrier and line by line, which data will actually download before it signs, a carrier launching a new line that wants agency systems to receive policy data automatically rather than by rekeying from a portal, an mga that wants its book visible to retail agencies in the same download flow as admitted carriers, an agency operations lead auditing why commission reconciliation keeps failing, which usually turns out to be a missing or misconfigured download connection. Of those, an agency evaluating a new management system that needs to confirm, carrier by carrier and line by line, which data will actually download before it signs and a carrier launching a new line that wants agency systems to receive policy data automatically rather than by rekeying from a portal are not what NowCerts is typically brought in for.
What can Ivans do that NowCerts cannot?
Ivans covers Ivans Download, Ivans Exchange, Ivans Distribution, Market Appetite. NowCerts covers Policy and client management, ACORD forms and certificates, Commission reconciliation, Insured self-service portal.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ivans: Do agencies pay for Ivans?

Ivans Exchange is provided to agencies at no additional cost, with a noted exception for business written with Citizens of Florida. The economics sit with carriers and with the agency management system vendors.

NowCerts: Is NowCerts still sold?

Yes, but under a different name. NowCerts Inc. rebranded to Momentum in November 2024 and the agency management system is now sold as Momentum AMP. Contract with Momentum, not NowCerts.

Ivans: Why is a carrier not downloading?

Almost always eligibility or carrier-side publication: you must be appointed and writing that line in that state, and the carrier must publish that line for download. Check the connection status in Ivans Exchange first.

NowCerts: What does it actually cost for a five-person agency?

349 US dollars a month on the Business plan covers five users. Add roughly 100 to 300 a month if you want the rating engine, and a one-off 900 dollar onboarding fee.

Ivans: Is Ivans owned by Applied Systems?

Yes. That matters because Applied also sells Applied Epic and EZLynx, so a competing AMS depends on infrastructure run by a competitor.

NowCerts: Does it do carrier download?

Yes, through the industry download infrastructure, but carrier coverage is narrower than Applied or Vertafore systems, so confirm your specific carriers before signing.

Ivans: Can you switch AMS and keep your downloads?

Connections have to be re-pointed to the new system, which is a per-carrier request through Ivans Exchange and is a common source of migration delay.

NowCerts: Can it replace Applied Epic?

For small personal lines and light commercial agencies, generally yes. For agencies with heavy commercial schedules or trust accounting requirements, generally no.

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