Manufacturing · head to head
AMFG vs nTop
AMFG
Manufacturing
Automated quoting and production workflow software for machine shops and additive bureaus
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
nTop
CAD
Implicit computational design for lattices, heat exchangers and topology-driven parts
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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.; nTop nTop is a specialist tool that sits alongside mainstream CAD rather than replacing it, so you pay for an extra seat and accept a handoff between two geometry systems.
- They diverge on capability: AMFG covers Geometric auto-quoting, nTop covers Implicit modelling.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which AMFG and nTop actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 nTop
- Implicit modelling
- Lattice and cellular structures
- Field-driven design
- Integrated simulation
- Reusable workflows
- Topology optimisation
- CAD and AM interoperability
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 nTop
- An additive bureau that needs one system for order intake, build scheduling and traceability across several machinesnot nTop
- A manufacturer running AM and CNC in the same facility and wanting one production record across bothnot nTop
- Replacing an email and spreadsheet ordering process with a customer portal that produces priced quotes automaticallynot nTop
nTop
- Designing a variable-density lattice bracket where mass must drop without losing stiffness in the loaded regionsnot AMFG
- Generating a heat exchanger with thousands of internal channels that a conventional CAD kernel cannot representnot AMFG
- Producing patient-specific implant geometry with porous surfaces at scale rather than one at a timenot AMFG
- Automating a family of parts as a reusable design workflow that reruns when the load case changesnot 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.
nTop
- nTop is a specialist tool that sits alongside mainstream CAD rather than replacing it, so you pay for an extra seat and accept a handoff between two geometry systems.
- Implicit modelling requires a different way of thinking from feature-based CAD, and the retraining period is long enough that unused licences are a common and expensive outcome.
- No pricing is published and there is no free or hobbyist tier, so evaluation runs through a sales process and small teams cannot try it seriously without engaging.
- Subscription only, with no perpetual licence, means the geometry logic you built stops being editable the day you stop paying, which is a real risk for long-lifecycle aerospace and medical programmes.
- The output is most valuable when you have additive manufacturing capacity to make it; organisations without machines that can print the geometry end up designing parts nobody can produce.
Pricing, plan by plan
AMFG
On request- AMFG$undefined/year
- Automated quoting and estimating
- Production planning and scheduling
- Shop-floor control and quality tracking
nTop
On request- nTop$undefined/year
- Annual named or floating seat subscription
- No perpetual licence offered
- Capability tiers quoted by use case
Which should you pick?
Choose AMFG if
- You need geometric auto-quoting.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want 2d drawing analysis.
Choose nTop if
- You need implicit modelling.
- You work on Windows, Cloud.
- You also want lattice and cellular structures.
Questions people ask
- Is AMFG or nTop better?
- Neither clearly leads. AMFG starts at On request and nTop at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, AMFG or nTop?
- AMFG starts at On request and nTop at On request.
- Does AMFG or nTop run on more platforms?
- AMFG runs on Web, Cloud. nTop runs on Windows, Cloud.
- 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 nTop is typically brought in for.
- What can AMFG do that nTop cannot?
- AMFG covers Geometric auto-quoting, 2D drawing analysis, Production planning and scheduling, Shop-floor control. nTop covers Implicit modelling, Lattice and cellular structures, Field-driven design, Integrated simulation.
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.
nTop: Is nTop the same company as nTopology?
Yes. nTopology rebranded to nTop. The product is the same lineage.
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.
nTop: Does it replace SolidWorks or NX?
No. It is used alongside them. Mainstream CAD handles the conventional geometry and assembly; nTop handles the lattice, field-driven and complex internal structure work.
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.
nTop: Is there a free version?
No free commercial tier is published. Access runs through a demo and sales process, with academic programmes handled separately.
AMFG: Is pricing published?
No. It is quoted by number of users, sites and selected modules.
nTop: Can I buy a perpetual licence?
No. It is sold as an annual subscription, so budget it as recurring cost across the life of the programme.
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- nTop vs Arnold
- nTop vs Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
- nTop vs Alibre Design
- nTop vs DraftSight
- nTop vs Mari
- nTop vs IronCAD
- nTop vs KiCad
- nTop vs Redshift
- nTop vs Modo