Softwr

Manufacturing · head to head

Aras Innovator vs Materialise Magics

Aras Innovator logo

Aras Innovator

Manufacturing

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Materialise Magics logo

Materialise Magics

Manufacturing

Industrial build preparation and data repair for metal and polymer additive manufacturing

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.; Materialise Magics new seats and modules have been subscription only since 15 May 2024, so the perpetual purchase route is closed and existing perpetual holders are on a shrinking island.
  • They diverge on capability: Aras Innovator covers Model-based configuration, Materialise Magics covers Mesh repair.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aras Innovator and Materialise Magics actually diverge.

Attributes where Aras Innovator and Materialise Magics differ
AttributeAras InnovatorMaterialise Magics
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Cloud, Self-hostedWindows

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), 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 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 Materialise Magics

  • Mesh repair
  • Part orientation and nesting
  • Support generation
  • Build Processors
  • Simulation module
  • Structures module
  • Reporting and traceability

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 Materialise Magics
  • An engineering organisation that needs requirements, quality and change management under one data model without buying three modulesnot Materialise Magics
  • A medical device or aerospace firm needing full traceability from requirement to as-built serial numbernot Materialise Magics
  • A company piloting PLM on a real programme using the free 50-user Community Edition before committing budgetnot Materialise Magics

Materialise Magics

  • A service bureau running several brands of metal printer that wants one preparation environment instead of five vendor slicersnot Aras Innovator
  • Repairing badly formed STL or scan-derived meshes that a machine slicer will not acceptnot Aras Innovator
  • Automating support generation on metal parts where manual support editing is the bottleneck in the processnot Aras Innovator
  • Simulating and compensating for build distortion before committing an expensive metal buildnot 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.

Materialise Magics

  • New seats and modules have been subscription only since 15 May 2024, so the perpetual purchase route is closed and existing perpetual holders are on a shrinking island.
  • Build Processors are licensed separately per machine family, so adding a new printer brand adds a licence line as well as capital cost, and a mixed fleet multiplies the software bill.
  • The modules that deliver the biggest labour saving, notably e-Stage automated support generation, are paid extras, so the base seat alone leaves you doing manual support work.
  • Materialise publishes no prices anywhere, and quotes vary by region and reseller, so two similar bureaus can pay materially different amounts for the same configuration.
  • It is Windows only and remains a desktop application, which sits awkwardly with the cloud direction of Materialise CO-AM and means preparation capacity is tied to specific workstations and licence seats.

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

Materialise Magics

On request
  • Magics Essentials$undefined/year
    • Mesh repair and editing
    • Part orientation and platform placement
    • Basic support generation
  • Magics with modules$undefined/year
    • Everything in Essentials
    • e-Stage automated supports, Simulation, Structures priced individually
    • Build Processors licensed per machine family

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 Materialise Magics if

  • You need mesh repair.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want part orientation and nesting.
Materialise Magics review

Questions people ask

Is Aras Innovator or Materialise Magics better?
Neither clearly leads. Aras Innovator starts at Free and Materialise Magics at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aras Innovator or Materialise Magics?
Aras Innovator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Aras Innovator and On request for Materialise Magics.
Does Aras Innovator or Materialise Magics run on more platforms?
Aras Innovator runs on Web, Windows, Cloud, Self-hosted. Materialise Magics runs on Windows.
Can I use Aras Innovator for free?
Yes. Aras Innovator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Materialise Magics 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 Materialise Magics is typically brought in for.
What can Aras Innovator do that Materialise Magics cannot?
Aras Innovator covers Model-based configuration, Upgrades included, All applications in one subscription, CAD data management. Materialise Magics covers Mesh repair, Part orientation and nesting, Support generation, Build Processors.

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.

Materialise Magics: Can I still buy a perpetual Magics licence?

No. Since 15 May 2024 Materialise sells new seats and new modules on subscription only. Existing perpetual licences continue to work but new capacity is subscription.

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.

Materialise Magics: Do I need a separate Build Processor for each printer?

You need one per machine family, licensed separately from the Magics seat. Budget for it before you buy the printer.

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.

Materialise Magics: Is Magics the same as CO-AM?

No. Magics is desktop build preparation. CO-AM is the Materialise cloud platform for AM workflow and production management, which absorbed the former Link3D product.

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.

Materialise Magics: Does Magics slice?

It prepares and supports the build and hands off through a Build Processor, which produces the machine-ready file. The machine-specific processing lives in the Build Processor.

Share

Related pages

More on Aras Innovator

More on Materialise Magics

Keep looking

Other head to heads