Softwr

Manufacturing · head to head

AMFG vs Ignition

AMFG logo

AMFG

Manufacturing

Automated quoting and production workflow software for machine shops and additive bureaus

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ignition logo

Ignition

Manufacturing

Industrial automation platform for SCADA, HMI and MES

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AMFG no pricing is published in any form, and the product is sold by module and site, so total cost is invisible until you are several sales calls in.; Ignition requires real engineering to implement; it is a platform rather than a finished application
  • They diverge on capability: AMFG covers Geometric auto-quoting, Ignition covers Unlimited-client licensing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AMFG and Ignition actually diverge.

Attributes where AMFG and Ignition differ
AttributeAMFGIgnition
Pricing modelquotePer-server licensing with published module pricing; unlimited clients and tags
PlatformsWeb, CloudWindows, Linux, macOS, Web

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Manufacturing).

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 AMFG

  • Geometric auto-quoting
  • 2D drawing analysis
  • Production planning and scheduling
  • Shop-floor control
  • Quality tracking
  • Customer portal
  • CAD and CAM plugins

Only in Ignition

  • Unlimited-client licensing
  • SCADA and HMI
  • Historian
  • MES modules
  • Web-based clients
  • Wide PLC support

What people use each for

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

AMFG

  • A machine shop losing work because quoting takes three days and competitors answer in three hoursnot Ignition
  • An additive bureau that needs one system for order intake, build scheduling and traceability across several machinesnot Ignition
  • A manufacturer running AM and CNC in the same facility and wanting one production record across bothnot Ignition
  • Replacing an email and spreadsheet ordering process with a customer portal that produces priced quotes automaticallynot Ignition

Ignition

  • Plants where per-tag licensing has made expansion a budget conversationnot AMFG
  • Replacing installed operator terminals with browser-based clientsnot AMFG
  • Connecting plant floor data to SQL and business systemsnot AMFG

Where each one falls short

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

AMFG

  • No pricing is published in any form, and the product is sold by module and site, so total cost is invisible until you are several sales calls in.
  • Automated quoting only becomes accurate once your cost model, machine rates and material data are properly loaded, so the value arrives months after go-live and early quotes need human checking.
  • The product started in additive manufacturing and has pivoted its marketing towards CNC machine shops, which means some CNC-specific depth is newer than the additive lineage and worth testing against your actual process mix.
  • It overlaps heavily with ERP and MES scope, so shops with an existing ERP face an ownership decision over scheduling and customer records that is a political problem, not a technical one.
  • It is a comparatively small vendor against established shop-floor systems, so integration work into an incumbent ERP will fall largely on you or a partner rather than on a pre-built certified connector.

Ignition

  • Requires real engineering to implement; it is a platform rather than a finished application
  • Steep learning curve, and Inductive Automation runs its own training programme because of it
  • Self-hosted and self-supported by default, so plant IT carries the availability burden
  • Module-based pricing means the entry figure is rarely the final one

Pricing, plan by plan

AMFG

On request
  • AMFG$undefined/year
    • Automated quoting and estimating
    • Production planning and scheduling
    • Shop-floor control and quality tracking

Ignition

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Ignition review.

Which should you pick?

Choose AMFG if

  • You need geometric auto-quoting.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want 2d drawing analysis.
AMFG review

Choose Ignition if

  • You need unlimited-client licensing.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, macOS, Web.
  • You also want scada and hmi.
Ignition review

Questions people ask

Is AMFG or Ignition better?
Neither clearly leads. AMFG starts at On request and Ignition at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AMFG or Ignition?
AMFG starts at On request and Ignition at On request.
Does AMFG or Ignition run on more platforms?
AMFG runs on Web, Cloud. Ignition runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Web.
What is AMFG best used for?
AMFG is most often used for a machine shop losing work because quoting takes three days and competitors answer in three hours, an additive bureau that needs one system for order intake, build scheduling and traceability across several machines, a manufacturer running am and cnc in the same facility and wanting one production record across both, replacing an email and spreadsheet ordering process with a customer portal that produces priced quotes automatically. Of those, a machine shop losing work because quoting takes three days and competitors answer in three hours and an additive bureau that needs one system for order intake, build scheduling and traceability across several machines are not what Ignition is typically brought in for.
What can AMFG do that Ignition cannot?
AMFG covers Geometric auto-quoting, 2D drawing analysis, Production planning and scheduling, Shop-floor control. Ignition covers Unlimited-client licensing, SCADA and HMI, Historian, MES modules.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AMFG: Does AMFG replace my ERP?

No. It covers quoting through shop-floor execution and quality. Finance, purchasing and inventory usually stay in the ERP, and you must decide which system owns scheduling.

Ignition: What does Ignition cost?

It publishes per-server module pricing with unlimited clients, tags and connections, so cost does not scale with how many people use it.

AMFG: Is it only for 3D printing?

No, though that is where it started. It now targets CNC machine shops as well and markets quoting for machining, sheet metal and additive.

Ignition: Why does unlimited-client licensing matter?

Traditional SCADA is licensed per tag or per screen, which turns adding an operator terminal into a purchase. Ignition removes that ceiling.

AMFG: How accurate is automated quoting out of the box?

Not accurate until your machine rates, materials and cost model are configured. Treat the first months of quotes as assisted rather than automatic.

Ignition: Is it a finished application?

No, it is a platform. Screens, tags and logic are built for the specific plant, which is real engineering work.

AMFG: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted by number of users, sites and selected modules.

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