Softwr

Manufacturing · head to head

Fulcrum vs Guidewheel

Fulcrum logo

Fulcrum

Manufacturing

Field operations management for installing, inspecting and maintaining physical work

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Guidewheel logo

Guidewheel

Manufacturing

Machine monitoring from a clamp on the power cord, so equipment age and protocol stop mattering

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fulcrum monthly pricing only available for first 12 months; after that, annual commitment required; Guidewheel current draw shows that a machine is consuming power, not that it is producing good parts, so scrap, rework and quality still require operator entry or additional sensors and the OEE quality factor is not measured automatically.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fulcrum and Guidewheel actually diverge.

Attributes where Fulcrum and Guidewheel differ
AttributeFulcrumGuidewheel
Starting price$39/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWebWeb, 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 Fulcrum

Nothing recorded that Guidewheel does not also cover.

Only in Guidewheel

  • Clamp on current sensing
  • Automatic uptime and downtime
  • Downtime categorisation
  • Real time alerting
  • Shift and OEE reporting
  • Energy visibility

What people use each for

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

Fulcrum

  • Capturing inspection photos and data completely offlinenot Guidewheel
  • Collecting field data in areas without cell coveragenot Guidewheel
  • Tagging asset locations with geospatial coordinatesnot Guidewheel
  • Automating asset maintenance work order workflowsnot Guidewheel

Guidewheel

  • A plant running equipment built in the 1980s and 1990s that no controller based monitoring product can readnot Fulcrum
  • A mixed floor of presses, ovens, compressors and fabrication equipment from many manufacturers with no common protocolnot Fulcrum
  • A manufacturer that needs evidence of real capacity before agreeing to buy another machinenot Fulcrum
  • A plant wanting immediate notification when an unattended overnight process stopsnot Fulcrum

Where each one falls short

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

Fulcrum

  • Monthly pricing only available for first 12 months; after that, annual commitment required
  • Additional storage costs $2.20 USD per month per 20 GB block
  • Enterprise plan requires minimum of 5 users

Guidewheel

  • Current draw shows that a machine is consuming power, not that it is producing good parts, so scrap, rework and quality still require operator entry or additional sensors and the OEE quality factor is not measured automatically.
  • Cycle counting depends on a distinct load signature for each cycle, so machines with flat continuous draw such as ovens, some extruders and continuous mixers give poor or unusable part counts.
  • Installation involves fitting a clamp around a live power conductor inside or near an electrical panel, which in many plants requires a qualified electrician and a scheduled shutdown rather than a plug in setup.
  • It is monitoring, not execution, so there is no routing, scheduling, work order or traceability capability and it must sit alongside an ERP or MES rather than replacing either.
  • Pricing is per monitored machine, so a plant with two hundred small machines faces a bill proportional to machine count rather than to plant size, and the economics work better on fewer larger assets.

Pricing, plan by plan

Fulcrum

$39/month
  • Professional$43/month
    • 100 GB storage
    • 10 data shares
    • Standard email and in-app support
  • Elite$39/month
    • 500 GB storage
    • 50 data shares
    • Priority email, in-app, and phone support
  • Enterprise$null/mo
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users minimum 5
    • Unlimited storage

Guidewheel

On request
  • Guidewheel$undefined/year
    • Per machine monitoring hardware and platform access
    • Downtime and OEE reporting
    • Alerting and energy visibility

Which should you pick?

Choose Fulcrum if

Nothing in the data separates Fulcrum from Guidewheel on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Fulcrum review

Choose Guidewheel if

  • You need clamp on current sensing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automatic uptime and downtime.
Guidewheel review

Questions people ask

Is Fulcrum or Guidewheel better?
Neither clearly leads. Fulcrum starts at $39/month and Guidewheel at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fulcrum or Guidewheel?
Fulcrum starts at $39/month and Guidewheel at On request.
Does Fulcrum or Guidewheel run on more platforms?
Fulcrum runs on Web. Guidewheel runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Fulcrum best used for?
Fulcrum is most often used for capturing inspection photos and data completely offline, collecting field data in areas without cell coverage, tagging asset locations with geospatial coordinates, automating asset maintenance work order workflows. Of those, capturing inspection photos and data completely offline and collecting field data in areas without cell coverage are not what Guidewheel is typically brought in for.
What can Fulcrum do that Guidewheel cannot?
Guidewheel covers Clamp on current sensing, Automatic uptime and downtime, Downtime categorisation, Real time alerting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fulcrum: How much does Fulcrum cost per user?

Professional and Elite plans cost $43 per month for monthly billing or $55 per user per month when billed annually. Enterprise pricing is custom and requires contacting Fulcrum.

Source
Guidewheel: Does it work on machines with no controller or network port?

Yes. That is the reason it exists. It measures the power cable, so machine age and protocol are irrelevant.

Fulcrum: What is Fulcrum's storage limit?

Professional includes 100 GB storage, Elite includes 500 GB storage, and Enterprise includes unlimited storage. Additional storage blocks of 20 GB cost $2.20 USD per month.

Source
Guidewheel: Will it count parts?

Sometimes. It works where each cycle produces a distinct electrical signature and does not work on continuous draw equipment.

Fulcrum: Are there restrictions on monthly billing for Fulcrum?

Monthly pricing is only available during the first 12 months as a Fulcrum customer. After 12 months, the company learns your usage pattern and offers pricing with an annual commitment required.

Source
Guidewheel: Do I need IT involvement?

Less than with controller based monitoring, but you do need electrical work to fit the sensors and a path for the gateway to reach the internet.

Guidewheel: Is it an MES?

No. It monitors equipment. Work orders, routings and traceability need a separate system.

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