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Manufacturing · head to head

Autodesk Netfabb vs Kepware Server

Autodesk Netfabb logo

Autodesk Netfabb

Manufacturing

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

From
$4415/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kepware Server logo

Kepware Server

Manufacturing

Industrial connectivity server translating 150-plus PLC protocols into OPC UA, formerly KEPServerEX

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Kepware Server the base server is the small part of the bill; driver suites are priced by protocol family, and a mixed-vendor plant buys several, which is how a connectivity layer alone reaches tens of thousands of dollars.
  • They diverge on capability: Autodesk Netfabb covers Mesh repair, Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Autodesk Netfabb and Kepware Server actually diverge.

Attributes where Autodesk Netfabb and Kepware Server differ
AttributeAutodesk NetfabbKepware Server
Starting price$4415/yearOn request
Pricing modelPer user per yearquote
PlatformsWindows, DesktopWindows, Linux

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 Autodesk Netfabb

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

Only in Kepware Server

  • 150-plus device drivers
  • OPC UA server
  • IoT Gateway
  • DataLogger
  • Redundancy Master
  • Security Policies
  • Configuration API
  • Kepware Edge

What people use each for

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

Autodesk Netfabb

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

Kepware Server

  • Feeding a historian from a mixed plant of Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLCs without writing per-protocol driversnot Autodesk Netfabb
  • Publishing CNC machine state from FANUC and Haas controls to an OEE system over MQTTnot Autodesk Netfabb
  • Bridging legacy serial Modbus devices into an OPC UA architecture during a phased controller replacementnot Autodesk Netfabb
  • Running redundant collection servers so a cloud analytics pipeline does not lose data during Windows patchingnot Autodesk Netfabb

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Kepware Server

  • The base server is the small part of the bill; driver suites are priced by protocol family, and a mixed-vendor plant buys several, which is how a connectivity layer alone reaches tens of thousands of dollars.
  • KEPServerEX to Kepware Server 7 is a migration rather than an in-place upgrade, and driver entitlements do not always transfer cleanly, so budget for revalidating every channel.
  • The full driver portfolio is Windows-only; the Linux product, Kepware Edge, supports a subset of drivers and is subscription-licensed by tag count, so an edge-first architecture cannot simply reuse the Windows configuration.
  • Three names have been in circulation for the same lineage, and quotes, forum answers and integrator experience still mix KEPServerEX, ThingWorx Kepware Server and Kepware Server, which produces mismatched proposals.
  • It is a translation layer with no storage, contextualisation or visualisation of its own, so it is always an addition to a historian or platform purchase rather than a substitute for one.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Kepware Server

On request
  • Kepware Server$undefined/year
    • Base server as a perpetual licence with annual maintenance, or subscription
    • Driver suites priced by protocol family and bought separately from the server
    • Advanced plug-ins such as IoT Gateway, DataLogger and Redundancy Master licensed individually

Which should you pick?

Choose Autodesk Netfabb if

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

Choose Kepware Server if

  • You need 150-plus device drivers.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want opc ua server.
Kepware Server review

Questions people ask

Is Autodesk Netfabb or Kepware Server better?
Neither clearly leads. Autodesk Netfabb starts at $4415/year and Kepware Server at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Autodesk Netfabb or Kepware Server?
Autodesk Netfabb starts at $4415/year and Kepware Server at On request.
Does Autodesk Netfabb or Kepware Server run on more platforms?
Autodesk Netfabb runs on Windows, Desktop. Kepware Server runs on Windows, Linux.
What is Autodesk Netfabb best used for?
Autodesk Netfabb is most often used for a metal additive bureau predicting distortion on a laser powder bed build before committing twenty hours of machine time, an aerospace supplier applying automatic geometry compensation so printed parts land within tolerance without iterative trial builds, a production department nesting hundreds of small parts into a single polymer build to raise volume utilisation, an engineering team that already subscribes to fusion and wants am preparation without adding a second vendor. Of those, a metal additive bureau predicting distortion on a laser powder bed build before committing twenty hours of machine time and an aerospace supplier applying automatic geometry compensation so printed parts land within tolerance without iterative trial builds are not what Kepware Server is typically brought in for.
What can Autodesk Netfabb do that Kepware Server cannot?
Autodesk Netfabb covers Mesh repair, Build orientation and nesting, Support generation, Build simulation. Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers, OPC UA server, IoT Gateway, DataLogger.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Kepware Server: Is KEPServerEX discontinued?

The name is. KEPServerEX and ThingWorx Kepware Server have been unified into Kepware Server, currently version 7, and the older names are being retired.

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.

Kepware Server: Is a perpetual licence still available?

Yes for the Windows server, with annual maintenance. Kepware Edge on Linux is subscription-only.

Autodesk Netfabb: Is there a perpetual licence?

No. Autodesk sells subscription only across its product range.

Kepware Server: What drives the price?

The number and type of driver suites, not the number of tags on the Windows product. Kepware Edge is priced by tag count.

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.

Kepware Server: Can I evaluate it before buying?

Yes. The runtime works for two hours at a time without a licence, indefinitely, which is enough to prove connectivity but not to run production.

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