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Manufacturing · head to head

Formlabs PreForm vs Hippo CMMS

Formlabs PreForm logo

Formlabs PreForm

Manufacturing

Free print preparation software that only drives Formlabs printers, because the money is in hardware and resin

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hippo CMMS logo

Hippo CMMS

Manufacturing

Straightforward maintenance management, now part of Eptura

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Formlabs PreForm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Formlabs PreForm preForm only drives Formlabs printers, so the free software is really an entry cost to a closed hardware and resin ecosystem rather than a tool you can keep if you change machines.; Hippo CMMS no longer sold as a standalone product, so a new evaluation is really an Eptura evaluation with a different scope and price
  • They diverge on capability: Formlabs PreForm covers Automatic orientation, Hippo CMMS covers Interactive site maps.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Formlabs PreForm and Hippo CMMS actually diverge.

Attributes where Formlabs PreForm and Hippo CMMS differ
AttributeFormlabs PreFormHippo CMMS
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree with a Formlabs printerquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 Formlabs PreForm

  • Automatic orientation
  • Support generation
  • One-click print
  • Material presets
  • Dashboard
  • Fleet Control

Only in Hippo CMMS

  • Interactive site maps
  • Work order management
  • Preventive maintenance
  • Equipment records
  • Vendor management
  • Mobile access

What people use each for

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

Formlabs PreForm

  • A dental laboratory preparing surgical guides on a validated resin and printer combinationnot Hippo CMMS
  • A prototyping team running several Form printers that needs job queueing and usage trackingnot Hippo CMMS
  • A jewellery workshop laying out castable patterns to maximise parts per buildnot Hippo CMMS
  • An education lab that needs software with no per-student licence costnot Hippo CMMS

Hippo CMMS

  • Facilities teams wanting a CMMS that a non-specialist can operatenot Formlabs PreForm
  • Sites where locating an asset on a floor plan is the natural way to find itnot Formlabs PreForm
  • Existing Hippo customers evaluating whether to stay within Epturanot Formlabs PreForm
  • Organisations wanting maintenance inside a broader workplace management suitenot Formlabs PreForm

Where each one falls short

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

Formlabs PreForm

  • PreForm only drives Formlabs printers, so the free software is really an entry cost to a closed hardware and resin ecosystem rather than a tool you can keep if you change machines.
  • Formlabs resin is sold in proprietary cartridges, and the ongoing consumable cost over a printer's life dwarfs anything a paid slicer would have charged.
  • Third-party resins can be used only through open material settings that step outside validated profiles, which affects print reliability and the comfort of warranty support.
  • Parameter-level control is deliberately limited compared with open slicers, so advanced users cannot tune exposure and layer behaviour the way they can on an open platform.
  • It is Windows and macOS only with no Linux build, which is awkward for research groups and labs standardised on Linux workstations.

Hippo CMMS

  • No longer sold as a standalone product, so a new evaluation is really an Eptura evaluation with a different scope and price
  • Pricing is not published, which makes it hard to compare against MaintainX or Limble without a sales process
  • The simplicity that was its selling point becomes a ceiling for organisations with complex asset hierarchies
  • Reporting is basic against competitors that have invested heavily in analytics
  • Product direction now follows Eptura workplace strategy rather than maintenance-specific needs

Pricing, plan by plan

Formlabs PreForm

Free
  • PreFormFree
    • Free download with no licence fee or subscription
    • No installation or seat limit
    • Works only with Formlabs printers

Hippo CMMS

On request
  • Eptura Asset$undefined/month
    • Work order management
    • Preventive maintenance
    • Asset records

Which should you pick?

Choose Formlabs PreForm if

  • You need automatic orientation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want support generation.
Formlabs PreForm review

Choose Hippo CMMS if

  • You need interactive site maps.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want work order management.
Hippo CMMS review

Questions people ask

Is Formlabs PreForm or Hippo CMMS better?
Neither clearly leads. Formlabs PreForm starts at Free and Hippo CMMS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Formlabs PreForm or Hippo CMMS?
Formlabs PreForm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Formlabs PreForm and On request for Hippo CMMS.
Does Formlabs PreForm or Hippo CMMS run on more platforms?
Formlabs PreForm runs on Windows, macOS. Hippo CMMS runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Formlabs PreForm for free?
Yes. Formlabs PreForm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hippo CMMS starts at On request.
What is Formlabs PreForm best used for?
Formlabs PreForm is most often used for a dental laboratory preparing surgical guides on a validated resin and printer combination, a prototyping team running several form printers that needs job queueing and usage tracking, a jewellery workshop laying out castable patterns to maximise parts per build, an education lab that needs software with no per-student licence cost. Of those, a dental laboratory preparing surgical guides on a validated resin and printer combination and a prototyping team running several form printers that needs job queueing and usage tracking are not what Hippo CMMS is typically brought in for.
What can Formlabs PreForm do that Hippo CMMS cannot?
Formlabs PreForm covers Automatic orientation, Support generation, One-click print, Material presets. Hippo CMMS covers Interactive site maps, Work order management, Preventive maintenance, Equipment records.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Formlabs PreForm: Is PreForm free?

Yes, with no licence fee, subscription or installation limit. It is free because it only prepares jobs for Formlabs printers.

Hippo CMMS: Is Hippo CMMS still available?

Not as a standalone purchase. It was acquired by Eptura and its capabilities are part of Eptura Asset. Existing customers are still served.

Formlabs PreForm: Can PreForm drive a non-Formlabs printer?

No, and it never will. It is the front end for Formlabs hardware, which is where the revenue is.

Hippo CMMS: What was distinctive about it?

Interactive facility maps. Placing assets on a floor plan and raising work orders from the drawing is a genuinely different way to navigate a site, and it is why it retained users against slicker competitors.

Formlabs PreForm: Can I use third-party resin?

Only via open material settings, which take you outside validated profiles and the reliability those profiles are tuned for.

Hippo CMMS: What does it cost?

Not published. Eptura quotes, which is a change from Hippo, whose pricing was easier to establish.

Formlabs PreForm: Does it run on Linux?

No. Builds are provided for Windows and macOS only.

Hippo CMMS: Should a new buyer consider it?

Evaluate Eptura Asset on its own terms, against MaintainX and Limble. Choosing it because of Hippo reviews written before the acquisition is a mistake.

Hippo CMMS: What happens to existing customers?

They continue to be supported within Eptura. The practical question is whether the broader workplace suite fits, since that is where the product roadmap now points.

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