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Manufacturing · head to head

Authentise vs Autodesk Netfabb

Authentise logo

Authentise

Manufacturing

Modular MES and workflow automation for additive manufacturing, with ITAR-capable deployment options

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Autodesk Netfabb logo

Autodesk Netfabb

Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing build preparation and simulation, now sold only bundled with Fusion

From
$4415/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Authentise nothing is published about price, and modular licensing means the quoted entry module rarely resembles the cost of a configuration that actually runs a production floor.; Autodesk Netfabb netfabb Ultimate has been retired outright, with no 2026 release and no renewals, so anyone who bought Ultimate is frozen on the 2025.1 build and must accept the repackaged Netfabb instead.
  • They diverge on capability: Authentise covers Additive workflow automation, Autodesk Netfabb covers Mesh repair.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authentise and Autodesk Netfabb actually diverge.

Attributes where Authentise and Autodesk Netfabb differ
AttributeAuthentiseAutodesk Netfabb
Starting priceOn request$4415/year
Pricing modelquotePer user per year
PlatformsWeb, APIWindows, Desktop

Identical on both: 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 Authentise

  • Additive workflow automation
  • Machine data capture
  • Traceability
  • Modular deployment
  • ITAR-capable hosting
  • Scheduling

Only in Autodesk Netfabb

  • Mesh repair
  • Build orientation and nesting
  • Support generation
  • Build simulation
  • Geometry compensation
  • Lattice and shell structures
  • Machine library
  • Fusion bundle

What people use each for

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

Authentise

  • An additive service bureau tracking jobs across a mixed fleet of printers from several vendorsnot Autodesk Netfabb
  • An aerospace supplier that needs powder batch to part traceability as qualification evidencenot Autodesk Netfabb
  • A defence programme requiring export-controlled geometry handled under ITAR-compliant hostingnot Autodesk Netfabb
  • A corporate additive team standardising build preparation and post-processing steps across sitesnot Autodesk Netfabb

Autodesk Netfabb

  • A metal additive bureau predicting distortion on a laser powder bed build before committing twenty hours of machine timenot Authentise
  • An aerospace supplier applying automatic geometry compensation so printed parts land within tolerance without iterative trial buildsnot Authentise
  • A production department nesting hundreds of small parts into a single polymer build to raise volume utilisationnot Authentise
  • An engineering team that already subscribes to Fusion and wants AM preparation without adding a second vendornot Authentise

Where each one falls short

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

Authentise

  • Nothing is published about price, and modular licensing means the quoted entry module rarely resembles the cost of a configuration that actually runs a production floor.
  • It is additive-specific, so a shop with significant machining, casting or fabrication work still needs a second MES and an integration between them.
  • The ITAR-capable deployment that justifies the price is irrelevant to purely commercial shops, which then find the system expensive relative to general manufacturing software.
  • Integrating with the ERP and PLM systems that already hold part and order data is project work, and the burden falls on a small vendor rather than a large systems integrator ecosystem.
  • Company scale is modest against the industrial software incumbents, which is a real consideration for a system sitting in the traceability path of qualified aerospace parts.

Autodesk Netfabb

  • Netfabb Ultimate has been retired outright, with no 2026 release and no renewals, so anyone who bought Ultimate is frozen on the 2025.1 build and must accept the repackaged Netfabb instead.
  • Autodesk has ended development of the Selective Space Structures, Optimization Utility and Lattice Topology utilities, which removes capability some customers specifically bought the product for.
  • It is now only sold bundled as Autodesk Fusion with Netfabb, so a shop that has standardised on other CAD pays for Fusion entitlements it will not use.
  • At around 4,415 US dollars per seat per year it is far above slicer-class tools, and the pricing is per named user with no floating option in the standard subscription, which hurts teams where the AM engineer role is shared.
  • Machine coverage is broad but not universal, and the newest printers from smaller manufacturers often reach their vendor own preparation software long before a Netfabb profile appears.

Pricing, plan by plan

Authentise

On request
  • Authentise Flows and MES modules$undefined/year
    • Modular licensing by function
    • Public cloud, private SaaS or ITAR-compliant deployment
    • Machine data capture and traceability

Autodesk Netfabb

$4415/year
  • Autodesk Fusion with Netfabb$4415/year
    • Single-user subscription
    • Netfabb build preparation, formerly Premium
    • Selected functionality from the retired Ultimate edition
  • Netfabb Simulation$undefined/year
    • Metal powder bed build simulation
    • Quoted through Autodesk sales, no published price

Which should you pick?

Choose Authentise if

  • You need additive workflow automation.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want machine data capture.
Authentise review

Choose Autodesk Netfabb if

  • You need mesh repair.
  • You work on Windows, Desktop.
  • You also want build orientation and nesting.
Autodesk Netfabb review

Questions people ask

Is Authentise or Autodesk Netfabb better?
Neither clearly leads. Authentise starts at On request and Autodesk Netfabb at $4415/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authentise or Autodesk Netfabb?
Authentise starts at On request and Autodesk Netfabb at $4415/year.
Does Authentise or Autodesk Netfabb run on more platforms?
Authentise runs on Web, API. Autodesk Netfabb runs on Windows, Desktop.
What is Authentise best used for?
Authentise is most often used for an additive service bureau tracking jobs across a mixed fleet of printers from several vendors, an aerospace supplier that needs powder batch to part traceability as qualification evidence, a defence programme requiring export-controlled geometry handled under itar-compliant hosting, a corporate additive team standardising build preparation and post-processing steps across sites. Of those, an additive service bureau tracking jobs across a mixed fleet of printers from several vendors and an aerospace supplier that needs powder batch to part traceability as qualification evidence are not what Autodesk Netfabb is typically brought in for.
What can Authentise do that Autodesk Netfabb cannot?
Authentise covers Additive workflow automation, Machine data capture, Traceability, Modular deployment. Autodesk Netfabb covers Mesh repair, Build orientation and nesting, Support generation, Build simulation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authentise: How is Authentise priced?

It is not published. Licensing is modular and quoted annually, with integration and onboarding priced separately.

Autodesk Netfabb: Is Netfabb discontinued?

No, but Netfabb Ultimate is. There is a 2026 release of Netfabb, sold only as Autodesk Fusion with Netfabb. Ultimate licences cannot be renewed.

Authentise: Can it handle ITAR-controlled work?

Yes. It offers ITAR-compliant deployment alongside public cloud and private SaaS, which is a primary reason defence suppliers choose it.

Autodesk Netfabb: What does it cost?

The Fusion with Netfabb single-user subscription is listed at roughly 4,415 US dollars a year. Netfabb Simulation is quoted separately.

Authentise: Does it work with printers from more than one manufacturer?

Yes. It is designed for mixed fleets and captures machine data across vendors, which single-vendor software will not do.

Autodesk Netfabb: Is there a perpetual licence?

No. Autodesk sells subscription only across its product range.

Authentise: Is it a full MES for a general machine shop?

No. It is built around additive workflows; subtractive-heavy shops need a general MES as well.

Autodesk Netfabb: Do I need Fusion to use it?

You do not have to use Fusion, but you now pay for it, because the bundle is the only way Netfabb is sold.

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