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Manufacturing · head to head

Autodesk Netfabb vs Petasense

Autodesk Netfabb logo

Autodesk Netfabb

Manufacturing

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

From
$4415/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Petasense logo

Petasense

Manufacturing

Wireless vibration and asset reliability monitoring, now owned by AssetWatch

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.; Petasense petasense is now owned by AssetWatch, whose business is monitoring delivered as a managed service, so a buyer wanting self-service software should get the delivery model written into the contract rather than assume it.
  • They diverge on capability: Autodesk Netfabb covers Mesh repair, Petasense covers Vibration Mote.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Autodesk Netfabb and Petasense differ
AttributeAutodesk NetfabbPetasense
Starting price$4415/yearOn request
Pricing modelPer user per yearquote
PlatformsWindows, DesktopWeb, Cloud, iOS, Android

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 Petasense

  • Vibration Mote
  • Transmitter range
  • ARO cloud
  • VFD-specific monitoring
  • Reliability workflow
  • Mixed wired and wireless

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 Petasense
  • An aerospace supplier applying automatic geometry compensation so printed parts land within tolerance without iterative trial buildsnot Petasense
  • A production department nesting hundreds of small parts into a single polymer build to raise volume utilisationnot Petasense
  • An engineering team that already subscribes to Fusion and wants AM preparation without adding a second vendornot Petasense

Petasense

  • A reliability team wanting continuous vibration data on assets currently covered by a quarterly walkaround routenot Autodesk Netfabb
  • A plant with variable frequency drive assets where generic vibration analytics produce too many false alarmsnot Autodesk Netfabb
  • Mixing battery sensors on accessible pumps with wired sensors on the handful of assets that would stop productionnot Autodesk Netfabb
  • A manufacturer with no in-house vibration analyst that wants the analysis delivered as a service rather than as a dashboardnot 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.

Petasense

  • Petasense is now owned by AssetWatch, whose business is monitoring delivered as a managed service, so a buyer wanting self-service software should get the delivery model written into the contract rather than assume it.
  • Hardware is required per measurement point and gateways are required per area, so the up-front capital for a plant-wide deployment is substantial and separate from the subscription.
  • Per-asset subscription pricing scales linearly, which makes full coverage of a large population of low-value motors uneconomic compared with route-based monitoring.
  • Nothing is published on sensor cost, subscription rate, gateway requirements or contract length, so a total cost of ownership figure requires a full sales engagement before you can compare it against anything.
  • Battery-powered wireless sensors trade measurement richness for battery life, so the sampling rate and resolution are lower than a wired analyser would give, which limits diagnosis of high-frequency bearing defects on critical machines.

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

Petasense

On request
  • Petasense ARO$undefined/year
    • Subscription priced per monitored asset
    • Vibration Mote or Transmitter hardware required per measurement point
    • Gateway hardware required for wireless deployments

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 Petasense if

  • You need vibration mote.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want transmitter range.
Petasense review

Questions people ask

Is Autodesk Netfabb or Petasense better?
Neither clearly leads. Autodesk Netfabb starts at $4415/year and Petasense at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Autodesk Netfabb or Petasense?
Autodesk Netfabb starts at $4415/year and Petasense at On request.
Does Autodesk Netfabb or Petasense run on more platforms?
Autodesk Netfabb runs on Windows, Desktop. Petasense runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
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 Petasense is typically brought in for.
What can Autodesk Netfabb do that Petasense cannot?
Autodesk Netfabb covers Mesh repair, Build orientation and nesting, Support generation, Build simulation. Petasense covers Vibration Mote, Transmitter range, ARO cloud, VFD-specific monitoring.

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.

Petasense: Is Petasense still a separate product?

Yes. It trades under its own name with its own product line, but the owner since January 2024 is AssetWatch.

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.

Petasense: Do I have to buy Petasense hardware?

Yes. The platform is built around its own Motes and Transmitters; it is not a bring-your-own-sensor analytics product.

Autodesk Netfabb: Is there a perpetual licence?

No. Autodesk sells subscription only across its product range.

Petasense: Can I get monitoring as a service?

Yes, through parent AssetWatch, whose model is condition monitoring engineers reviewing your data. Clarify which model your quote covers.

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.

Petasense: How is it priced?

Per monitored asset on subscription, plus sensors and gateways. Nothing is published.

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