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Manufacturing · head to head

AVEVA System Platform vs Markforged Eiger

AVEVA System Platform logo

AVEVA System Platform

Manufacturing

Supervisory HMI and SCADA platform, formerly sold as Wonderware System Platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Markforged Eiger logo

Markforged Eiger

Manufacturing

Free cloud print preparation for Markforged printers, because the money is in the hardware

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Markforged Eiger has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AVEVA System Platform wonderware is no longer a name you can buy; if you have inherited documentation, purchase orders or job specifications that say Wonderware, everything has to be re-mapped to AVEVA product names before you can quote it.; Markforged Eiger eiger only drives Markforged printers, so the free software is a lock-in mechanism; the moment you want a different machine none of your prepared parts or fibre routing transfers.
  • They diverge on capability: AVEVA System Platform covers ArchestrA object model, Markforged Eiger covers Continuous fibre routing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AVEVA System Platform and Markforged Eiger actually diverge.

Attributes where AVEVA System Platform and Markforged Eiger differ
AttributeAVEVA System PlatformMarkforged Eiger
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Windows, macOS, Cloud

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), 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 AVEVA System Platform

  • ArchestrA object model
  • InTouch HMI
  • AVEVA Historian
  • Redundancy
  • Situational awareness graphics
  • OMI
  • Alarm management
  • Connectivity

Only in Markforged Eiger

  • Continuous fibre routing
  • Cloud slicing
  • Fleet management
  • Part library
  • Material tracking
  • Simulation add-on
  • Eiger Offline
  • Access control

What people use each for

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

AVEVA System Platform

  • A multi-site food manufacturer standardising operator screens across plants that run different PLC brandsnot Markforged Eiger
  • A water utility with a decade of ArchestrA templates where rewriting to another platform cannot be justifiednot Markforged Eiger
  • A pharmaceutical line needing ISA-88 batch recipe handling above existing Rockwell and Siemens controllersnot Markforged Eiger
  • A plant modernising legacy InTouch applications without discarding the existing screens and scriptsnot Markforged Eiger

Markforged Eiger

  • A tooling department printing carbon fibre reinforced jigs and fixtures strong enough to replace machined aluminiumnot AVEVA System Platform
  • A defence contractor needing air-gapped print preparation because part geometry cannot leave the site, which requires Eiger Offlinenot AVEVA System Platform
  • A manufacturing engineering group running several Markforged machines across sites from one queue and part librarynot AVEVA System Platform
  • A maintenance team producing reinforced replacement brackets on demand rather than holding sparesnot AVEVA System Platform

Where each one falls short

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

AVEVA System Platform

  • Wonderware is no longer a name you can buy; if you have inherited documentation, purchase orders or job specifications that say Wonderware, everything has to be re-mapped to AVEVA product names before you can quote it.
  • AVEVA Flex converts licensing to a recurring subscription draw-down, so organisations that budgeted for a perpetual licence with a support percentage face a materially different cost model at renewal.
  • It is Windows only, and version compatibility between System Platform, Historian and InTouch is tight, so upgrades are coordinated projects rather than incremental patches.
  • The ArchestrA object model has a steep learning curve and small systems end up paying for structure they do not need, which is why integrators often deploy standalone InTouch instead.
  • Licence enforcement counts I/O aggressively and unexpected tag growth during commissioning can trigger a mid-project licence purchase at list price.

Markforged Eiger

  • Eiger only drives Markforged printers, so the free software is a lock-in mechanism; the moment you want a different machine none of your prepared parts or fibre routing transfers.
  • The standard product is cloud only, meaning part geometry is uploaded to a vendor service, which is unacceptable for many defence and aerospace sites and forces them onto the paid Eiger Offline subscription per machine.
  • Eiger Offline pricing is not published and is charged per machine, so a shop with several printers pays repeatedly for software the cloud users receive free.
  • Slicing control is deliberately simplified compared with open slicers, and experienced operators regularly find they cannot reach a parameter they want without contacting support.
  • Markforged has been through financial pressure and consolidation in the additive sector, and because the software is inseparable from the hardware, a change of ownership or product line pruning would strand the fleet rather than just the tool.

Pricing, plan by plan

AVEVA System Platform

On request
  • AVEVA System Platform$undefined/year
    • Licensed by I/O count, client count and platform nodes
    • Sold through AVEVA Flex subscription token pool or legacy perpetual licence
    • Legacy perpetual licences carry an annual customer FIRST support fee

Markforged Eiger

Free
  • Eiger Basic$undefined/year
    • Included at no additional charge with every Markforged printer
    • No per-user or per-printer software fee
    • Cloud print preparation and fleet management
  • Eiger Offline$undefined/year
    • Air-gapped installation for secure and classified environments
    • Sold per machine on subscription
    • Quarterly feature and material updates

Which should you pick?

Choose AVEVA System Platform if

  • You need archestra object model.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want intouch hmi.

Choose Markforged Eiger if

  • You need continuous fibre routing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Cloud.
  • You also want cloud slicing.

Questions people ask

Is AVEVA System Platform or Markforged Eiger better?
Neither clearly leads. AVEVA System Platform starts at On request and Markforged Eiger at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AVEVA System Platform or Markforged Eiger?
Markforged Eiger has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for AVEVA System Platform and Free for Markforged Eiger.
Does AVEVA System Platform or Markforged Eiger run on more platforms?
AVEVA System Platform runs on Windows. Markforged Eiger runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Cloud.
Can I use Markforged Eiger for free?
Yes. Markforged Eiger has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. AVEVA System Platform starts at On request.
What is AVEVA System Platform best used for?
AVEVA System Platform is most often used for a multi-site food manufacturer standardising operator screens across plants that run different plc brands, a water utility with a decade of archestra templates where rewriting to another platform cannot be justified, a pharmaceutical line needing isa-88 batch recipe handling above existing rockwell and siemens controllers, a plant modernising legacy intouch applications without discarding the existing screens and scripts. Of those, a multi-site food manufacturer standardising operator screens across plants that run different plc brands and a water utility with a decade of archestra templates where rewriting to another platform cannot be justified are not what Markforged Eiger is typically brought in for.
What can AVEVA System Platform do that Markforged Eiger cannot?
AVEVA System Platform covers ArchestrA object model, InTouch HMI, AVEVA Historian, Redundancy. Markforged Eiger covers Continuous fibre routing, Cloud slicing, Fleet management, Part library.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AVEVA System Platform: Is Wonderware still sold?

No. The brand was retired; buy AVEVA System Platform, AVEVA InTouch HMI, AVEVA Historian or AVEVA Plant SCADA instead.

Markforged Eiger: How much does Eiger cost?

Nothing, if you own a Markforged printer. It is included with every machine with no per-user or per-printer software fee. Eiger Offline is a separate paid per-machine subscription.

AVEVA System Platform: Can I still buy a perpetual licence?

AVEVA steers new business to Flex subscriptions. Perpetual is increasingly restricted to existing agreements and renewals.

Markforged Eiger: Can I use Eiger with a non-Markforged printer?

No. It only prepares and drives Markforged machines.

AVEVA System Platform: Do my old InTouch applications still run?

Yes, legacy InTouch applications are supported in System Platform, though the older graphics do not gain the newer situational-awareness features without rework.

Markforged Eiger: Is my part geometry uploaded to the cloud?

Yes, in the standard product. Sites that cannot allow that need Eiger Offline.

AVEVA System Platform: What is AVEVA Flex?

A subscription credit pool you draw against for any AVEVA product, which trades a fixed licence for a recurring balance you must keep topped up.

Markforged Eiger: Where is the actual cost then?

In the printers and the proprietary filament and continuous fibre spools, which are the recurring spend.

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