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Manufacturing · head to head

Flow Software vs IQMS

Flow Software logo

Flow Software

Manufacturing

Manufacturing KPI and OEE calculation engine with published list prices, licensed by measure count

From
$11390/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IQMS logo

IQMS

ERP

Single database manufacturing ERP and MES, now sold by Dassault as DELMIAworks

From
$1200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Flow Software the 11,390 dollar Starter licence caps at 250 measures and events, which a multi-line plant exhausts quickly once each line contributes a dozen calculations, forcing a jump to the 62,230 dollar tier.; IQMS dassault Systemes acquired the product in 2018 and renamed it, which changed the sales channel, the support relationship and the roadmap owner, so a buyer needs explicit commitments on release cadence rather than a history of independence that no longer applies.
  • They diverge on capability: Flow Software covers Calculation engine, IQMS covers Single database ERP and MES.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flow Software and IQMS actually diverge.

Attributes where Flow Software and IQMS differ
AttributeFlow SoftwareIQMS
Starting price$11390/one-time$1200/month
Pricing modelOne-time purchasesubscription
PlatformsWindows, WebCloud, On-premise, Web
CategoryManufacturingERP
FoundedUnknown1994

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Flow Software

  • Calculation engine
  • Measure model
  • Historian connectors
  • Manual data entry
  • Event framing
  • Excel and Power BI output
  • Flow dashboards
  • AI Gateway

Only in IQMS

  • Single database ERP and MES
  • Real time machine monitoring
  • Production scheduling
  • Quality management
  • Preventive maintenance
  • Inventory and lot traceability
  • EDI
  • Financials

What people use each for

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

Flow Software

  • A brewery replacing a fragile network of OEE spreadsheets with governed calculations from the same historian datanot IQMS
  • Reporting specific energy consumption per tonne against an ISO 50001 audit where the calculation method must be documentednot IQMS
  • Feeding Power BI plant dashboards from a historian without giving analysts direct tag-level accessnot IQMS
  • A site that needs lab results typed in and combined with automated tag data in the same yield calculationnot IQMS

IQMS

  • An injection moulding or plastics processor that needs cycle level machine data to cost jobs accuratelynot Flow Software
  • A repetitive discrete manufacturer running many short jobs where scheduling depends on knowing real machine availabilitynot Flow Software
  • An automotive component supplier that must meet EDI release schedules and hold traceability to satisfy a customer auditnot Flow Software
  • A plant currently reconciling an ERP against a separate MES and finding the two never agreenot Flow Software

Where each one falls short

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

Flow Software

  • The 11,390 dollar Starter licence caps at 250 measures and events, which a multi-line plant exhausts quickly once each line contributes a dozen calculations, forcing a jump to the 62,230 dollar tier.
  • The Unlimited licence requires every engine on a single server or VM, so any multi-server or multi-site topology goes straight to Distributed at roughly double the price with no intermediate option.
  • Maintenance renews at about fifteen percent of the installed base annually, so a large perpetual estate carries a five-figure recurring cost that the headline perpetual price hides.
  • It is a Windows product with a Microsoft data stack, so Linux or container-native deployment strategies do not apply and the server has to be managed on the plant Windows estate.
  • It calculates and reports but does not collect from equipment itself, so an existing historian or OPC layer is a prerequisite and Flow adds cost on top of that rather than replacing it.

IQMS

  • Dassault Systemes acquired the product in 2018 and renamed it, which changed the sales channel, the support relationship and the roadmap owner, so a buyer needs explicit commitments on release cadence rather than a history of independence that no longer applies.
  • This is a discrete and repetitive manufacturing system, not a process one, so a batch producer needing formulation, potency, catch weight or co-product handling will hit capability gaps that configuration cannot close.
  • The product has an on premise heritage with an underlying commercial database, so a deployment carries database licensing and administration skills as costs that sit outside the ERP quote.
  • Its depth is on the shop floor rather than in the office, so organisations with complex multi-entity consolidation, international statutory reporting or sophisticated financial planning needs generally find the finance side thinner than the manufacturing side.
  • The knowledge base is split across two product names and two eras, so searching for help returns a mixture of IQMS-era community material and current DELMIAworks documentation, and it is not always obvious which applies to your version.

Pricing, plan by plan

Flow Software

$11390/one-time
  • Starter$11390/one-time
    • 250 KPI measures and events
    • Single server deployment
    • First year of software maintenance included
  • Unlimited$62230/one-time
    • Unlimited KPI measures and events
    • All engines must run on one server or dedicated VM
    • First year of maintenance included
  • Distributed$128450/one-time
    • Unlimited measures with engines distributed across multiple servers
    • Required for multi-server and multi-site deployments
    • Available as an annual subscription at 34,250 USD instead

IQMS

$1200/month
  • Standard$1200/month
    • Quality management
    • MES
    • Basic analytics
  • Premium$2500/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • AI capabilities
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Flow Software if

  • You need calculation engine.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want measure model.
Flow Software review

Choose IQMS if

  • You need single database erp and mes.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want real time machine monitoring.
IQMS review

Questions people ask

Is Flow Software or IQMS better?
Neither clearly leads. Flow Software starts at $11390/one-time and IQMS at $1200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flow Software or IQMS?
Flow Software starts at $11390/one-time and IQMS at $1200/month.
Does Flow Software or IQMS run on more platforms?
Flow Software runs on Windows, Web. IQMS runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
What is Flow Software best used for?
Flow Software is most often used for a brewery replacing a fragile network of oee spreadsheets with governed calculations from the same historian data, reporting specific energy consumption per tonne against an iso 50001 audit where the calculation method must be documented, feeding power bi plant dashboards from a historian without giving analysts direct tag-level access, a site that needs lab results typed in and combined with automated tag data in the same yield calculation. Of those, a brewery replacing a fragile network of oee spreadsheets with governed calculations from the same historian data and reporting specific energy consumption per tonne against an iso 50001 audit where the calculation method must be documented are not what IQMS is typically brought in for.
What can Flow Software do that IQMS cannot?
Flow Software covers Calculation engine, Measure model, Historian connectors, Manual data entry. IQMS covers Single database ERP and MES, Real time machine monitoring, Production scheduling, Quality management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flow Software: Does Flow publish real prices?

Yes. Starter is 11,390 USD perpetual for 250 measures, Unlimited is 62,230 USD perpetual or 16,595 USD a year, and Distributed is 128,450 USD perpetual or 34,250 USD a year.

IQMS: Is IQMS the same as DELMIAworks?

Yes. Dassault Systemes acquired IQMS in 2018 and markets the product as DELMIAworks. The underlying application, EnterpriseIQ, is the same lineage, but contracts, support and the sales channel are now Dassault's.

Flow Software: Is perpetual licensing still offered?

Yes, at every tier, with the first year of maintenance included and renewal at roughly fifteen percent per year. Subscription is available on Unlimited and Distributed only.

IQMS: Why choose this over an ERP plus a separate MES?

Because the interface between them is the usual failure point. One database means production status, scrap and costing agree by construction. The cost of that is a narrower product that suits a specific kind of manufacturer rather than any manufacturer.

Flow Software: Do I need a historian as well?

Effectively yes. Flow reads from historians, databases and OPC sources; it is a calculation layer, not a data collector.

IQMS: Does it suit process or batch manufacturing?

No. It was built around discrete and repetitive production. Formulation, potency adjustment and co-product handling are the domain of process ERP and you should look at a specialist for that.

Flow Software: What counts as a measure?

Each configured KPI or event definition. A single line typically consumes ten to thirty, which is what makes the 250 Starter cap tighter than it looks.

IQMS: What should I check before buying under the current ownership?

Ask for the published release history since the acquisition, the support escalation path, who implements it in your region and whether they are Dassault staff or a partner, and what integration with the rest of the Dassault portfolio is assumed in the roadmap.

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