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Manufacturing · head to head

Autodesk Netfabb vs Yokogawa CENTUM VP

Autodesk Netfabb logo

Autodesk Netfabb

Manufacturing

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

From
$4415/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yokogawa CENTUM VP logo

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

Manufacturing

Distributed control system for continuous process plants with a documented 30-year upgrade path

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.; Yokogawa CENTUM VP there is no published price list and no way to size a budget without engaging Yokogawa or an EPC, so early-stage comparison against DeltaV or Experion is guesswork until quotations arrive.
  • They diverge on capability: Autodesk Netfabb covers Mesh repair, Yokogawa CENTUM VP covers Field Control Station.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Autodesk Netfabb and Yokogawa CENTUM VP actually diverge.

Attributes where Autodesk Netfabb and Yokogawa CENTUM VP differ
AttributeAutodesk NetfabbYokogawa CENTUM VP
Starting price$4415/yearOn request
Pricing modelPer user per yearquote
PlatformsWindows, DesktopWindows, On-premise

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 Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • Field Control Station
  • N-IO
  • Human Interface Station
  • ProSafe-RS integration
  • Vnet/IP
  • Migration from CS 1000 and CS 3000
  • Exaquantum integration
  • Alarm management

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

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • Replacing end-of-life CENTUM CS 3000 controllers during a refinery turnaround without pulling field cablingnot Autodesk Netfabb
  • Greenfield LNG train where the control and safety systems must share one operator console and one event lognot Autodesk Netfabb
  • Specialty chemicals batch plant needing sequence control with recipe management and full electronic batch recordsnot Autodesk Netfabb
  • Combined cycle power station where 99.99999 percent availability figures are written into the contractnot 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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • There is no published price list and no way to size a budget without engaging Yokogawa or an EPC, so early-stage comparison against DeltaV or Experion is guesswork until quotations arrive.
  • Engineering and commissioning routinely cost several times the hardware and software, and owners who budget from the equipment quote alone are consistently short.
  • The ecosystem is closed: controllers, I/O and diagnostics are Yokogawa, and third-party alternatives at the controller layer do not exist, so the vendor holds pricing power for the twenty years or more the plant runs.
  • Operator stations run on Windows and are tied to specific validated Windows releases, so operating system end-of-life forces console refresh cycles that are governed by Yokogawa validation rather than by your IT policy.
  • Engineering staff who know CENTUM are scarce outside Japan, the Middle East and South East Asia, and in North America and Europe you will pay a premium or depend on Yokogawa’s own services organisation for changes.

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

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

On request
  • CENTUM VP$undefined/year
    • Priced as an engineered system, not a per-seat licence
    • Cost driven by I/O count, controller redundancy and number of operator stations
    • Engineering, FAT, commissioning and training quoted separately and usually exceed hardware

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 Yokogawa CENTUM VP if

  • You need field control station.
  • You work on Windows, On-premise.
  • You also want n-io.
Yokogawa CENTUM VP review

Questions people ask

Is Autodesk Netfabb or Yokogawa CENTUM VP better?
Neither clearly leads. Autodesk Netfabb starts at $4415/year and Yokogawa CENTUM VP at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Autodesk Netfabb or Yokogawa CENTUM VP?
Autodesk Netfabb starts at $4415/year and Yokogawa CENTUM VP at On request.
Does Autodesk Netfabb or Yokogawa CENTUM VP run on more platforms?
Autodesk Netfabb runs on Windows, Desktop. Yokogawa CENTUM VP runs on Windows, On-premise.
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 Yokogawa CENTUM VP is typically brought in for.
What can Autodesk Netfabb do that Yokogawa CENTUM VP cannot?
Autodesk Netfabb covers Mesh repair, Build orientation and nesting, Support generation, Build simulation. Yokogawa CENTUM VP covers Field Control Station, N-IO, Human Interface Station, ProSafe-RS integration.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Can I upgrade from CENTUM CS 3000 without rewiring the plant?

Yes. Yokogawa sells migration packages that replace the controller and keep existing field wiring and marshalling, which is the main reason CENTUM installations stay CENTUM.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Is CENTUM VP sold as a subscription?

No. It is a capital purchase of hardware and licences with an annual service agreement for updates and support.

Autodesk Netfabb: Is there a perpetual licence?

No. Autodesk sells subscription only across its product range.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: How does it compare with Emerson DeltaV on cost?

Neither publishes prices. CENTUM tends to win on brownfield migration cost because the field wiring stays; DeltaV tends to be cheaper on small greenfield systems.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Do I need a separate safety system?

Yes, for SIL-rated functions. ProSafe-RS is the Yokogawa SIS and shares the CENTUM engineering database and operator console.

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