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Manufacturing · head to head

Aras Innovator vs FaciliWorks

Aras Innovator logo

Aras Innovator

Manufacturing

Subscription PLM platform where every module is included in the seat price

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FaciliWorks logo

FaciliWorks

Field Service

CMMS from CyberMetrics that still sells a perpetual on-premise licence alongside subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Aras Innovator has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Aras Innovator aras publishes no prices at all, so you cannot sanity-check a quote against a list price and every negotiation starts from the vendor knowing more than you do.; FaciliWorks the interface is dated by cloud CMMS standards, which matters most for occasional users such as production supervisors raising a request, who will need training that a modern mobile-first tool would not require.
  • They diverge on capability: Aras Innovator covers Model-based configuration, FaciliWorks covers Perpetual or subscription licensing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aras Innovator and FaciliWorks actually diverge.

Attributes where Aras Innovator and FaciliWorks differ
AttributeAras InnovatorFaciliWorks
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Cloud, Self-hostedWindows, Web, iOS, Android, On-premise
CategoryManufacturingField Service

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), 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 Aras Innovator

  • Model-based configuration
  • Upgrades included
  • All applications in one subscription
  • CAD data management
  • Effectivity and configuration management
  • Community Edition
  • Open REST and OData APIs

Only in FaciliWorks

  • Perpetual or subscription licensing
  • Concurrent seat option
  • Preventive maintenance scheduling
  • Calibration alignment
  • Parts and purchasing
  • Mobile work orders

What people use each for

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

Aras Innovator

  • A manufacturer whose current PLM cannot be upgraded because past customisations would break, and who wants configuration that survives releasesnot FaciliWorks
  • An engineering organisation that needs requirements, quality and change management under one data model without buying three modulesnot FaciliWorks
  • A medical device or aerospace firm needing full traceability from requirement to as-built serial numbernot FaciliWorks
  • A company piloting PLM on a real programme using the free 50-user Community Edition before committing budgetnot FaciliWorks

FaciliWorks

  • A regulated manufacturer that must evidence both equipment maintenance and gauge calibration in one audit and wants both from one vendornot Aras Innovator
  • A defence or utility site on an isolated network where a cloud-only CMMS is not permitted by policynot Aras Innovator
  • A maintenance department that wants a capital purchase rather than a recurring subscription that grows with headcountnot Aras Innovator
  • A plant with many occasional users where concurrent licensing costs far less than a named seat for every techniciannot Aras Innovator

Where each one falls short

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

Aras Innovator

  • Aras publishes no prices at all, so you cannot sanity-check a quote against a list price and every negotiation starts from the vendor knowing more than you do.
  • The platform ships as a toolkit rather than a configured process, so a first implementation is typically a six to twelve month engagement with an integrator, and services frequently cost more than the first two years of subscription.
  • The Community Edition is capped at 50 named users, gets only annual releases and excludes Aras-performed upgrades, so it is a genuine free tier but a deliberately awkward place to stay.
  • Configuration flexibility invites over-customisation; organisations that model every local exception end up with a system only two internal people understand, which is the same trap they left their previous PLM to escape.
  • CAD connectors are not all equal in maturity, and some are excluded from the base subscription, so a shop standardised on a less common CAD tool should confirm connector scope in writing before signing.

FaciliWorks

  • The interface is dated by cloud CMMS standards, which matters most for occasional users such as production supervisors raising a request, who will need training that a modern mobile-first tool would not require.
  • A perpetual licence still carries an annual maintenance and support fee, so the one-off purchase framing does not hold; without that fee you lose updates and support while keeping the right to run old code.
  • Integration options are thin, with a limited API and few prebuilt connectors, so linking FaciliWorks to an ERP or a condition monitoring platform usually means custom database-level work.
  • No pricing is published for any edition despite this being a mid-market product, so buyers cannot compare it against published per-user rivals without entering a sales process.
  • CyberMetrics is a small independent vendor, which means responsive support but also a thin partner ecosystem and no realistic second-source implementation help if the relationship goes wrong.

Pricing, plan by plan

Aras Innovator

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Up to 50 named users
    • Core product data platform
    • Yearly release cadence only
  • Subscription (Standard, self-hosted)$undefined/year
    • Named-user subscription
    • All applications included
    • Quarterly releases
  • Subscription (SaaS)$undefined/year
    • Aras-hosted and operated
    • All applications included
    • Quarterly releases

FaciliWorks

On request
  • FaciliWorks Essentials$undefined/year
    • Core CMMS: assets, work orders, preventive maintenance
    • Perpetual or subscription licensing
    • Concurrent or node-locked seats
  • FaciliWorks Pro$undefined/year
    • Adds advanced reporting and analytics
    • Parts inventory and purchasing
    • Mobile access
  • FaciliWorks Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Multi-site and multi-currency
    • All Pro capability
    • Extended integration and administration options

Which should you pick?

Choose Aras Innovator if

  • You need model-based configuration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want upgrades included.
Aras Innovator review

Choose FaciliWorks if

  • You need perpetual or subscription licensing.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android, On-premise.
  • You also want concurrent seat option.
FaciliWorks review

Questions people ask

Is Aras Innovator or FaciliWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. Aras Innovator starts at Free and FaciliWorks at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aras Innovator or FaciliWorks?
Aras Innovator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Aras Innovator and On request for FaciliWorks.
Does Aras Innovator or FaciliWorks run on more platforms?
Aras Innovator runs on Web, Windows, Cloud, Self-hosted. FaciliWorks runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android, On-premise.
Can I use Aras Innovator for free?
Yes. Aras Innovator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. FaciliWorks starts at On request.
What is Aras Innovator best used for?
Aras Innovator is most often used for a manufacturer whose current plm cannot be upgraded because past customisations would break, and who wants configuration that survives releases, an engineering organisation that needs requirements, quality and change management under one data model without buying three modules, a medical device or aerospace firm needing full traceability from requirement to as-built serial number, a company piloting plm on a real programme using the free 50-user community edition before committing budget. Of those, a manufacturer whose current plm cannot be upgraded because past customisations would break, and who wants configuration that survives releases and an engineering organisation that needs requirements, quality and change management under one data model without buying three modules are not what FaciliWorks is typically brought in for.
What can Aras Innovator do that FaciliWorks cannot?
Aras Innovator covers Model-based configuration, Upgrades included, All applications in one subscription, CAD data management. FaciliWorks covers Perpetual or subscription licensing, Concurrent seat option, Preventive maintenance scheduling, Calibration alignment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aras Innovator: Is Aras Innovator open source?

No. The source is not open. The Community Edition is free of licence fee for up to 50 named users under a revocable licence, which is not the same thing.

FaciliWorks: Can I still buy FaciliWorks outright?

Yes. Perpetual on-premise licensing is still offered alongside subscription, which is unusual in CMMS today.

Aras Innovator: Can I buy a perpetual licence?

No. Aras sells subscription only. If a perpetual PLM licence is a procurement requirement, Aras is out.

FaciliWorks: Does a perpetual licence mean no recurring cost?

No. Annual maintenance and support is a separate ongoing fee, and dropping it costs you updates and support.

Aras Innovator: Do upgrades cost extra?

No, and that is the central commercial claim. Aras performs upgrades of subscriber environments, including customised ones, as part of the subscription.

FaciliWorks: Is there concurrent licensing?

Yes. Concurrent seats let a large pool of occasional users share fewer licences, which is often cheaper than named seats.

Aras Innovator: How many modules do I have to buy?

One subscription covers all applications. Some CAD connectors are the exception, so confirm yours is in scope.

FaciliWorks: Is pricing published?

No. All editions are quoted, so you must engage sales to get a comparable number.

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