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Manufacturing · head to head

Authentise vs Materialise Magics

Authentise logo

Authentise

Manufacturing

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

From
On request
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

  • 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.; 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: Authentise covers Additive workflow automation, Materialise Magics covers Mesh repair.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authentise and Materialise Magics actually diverge.

Attributes where Authentise and Materialise Magics differ
AttributeAuthentiseMaterialise Magics
PlatformsWeb, APIWindows

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 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.

Authentise

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

Materialise Magics

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

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

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

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 Authentise if

  • You need additive workflow automation.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want machine data capture.
Authentise 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 Authentise or Materialise Magics better?
Neither clearly leads. Authentise starts at On request and Materialise Magics at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authentise or Materialise Magics?
Authentise starts at On request and Materialise Magics at On request.
Does Authentise or Materialise Magics run on more platforms?
Authentise runs on Web, API. Materialise Magics runs on Windows.
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 Materialise Magics is typically brought in for.
What can Authentise do that Materialise Magics cannot?
Authentise covers Additive workflow automation, Machine data capture, Traceability, Modular deployment. Materialise Magics covers Mesh repair, Part orientation and nesting, Support generation, Build Processors.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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