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Manufacturing · head to head

GrabCAD Print vs LabVIEW

GrabCAD Print logo

GrabCAD Print

Manufacturing

Stratasys print preparation, free in Standard form and 5,000 US dollars a year for Pro

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LabVIEW logo

LabVIEW

Manufacturing

Graphical dataflow programming for automated test, measurement and instrument control

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GrabCAD Print has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GrabCAD Print it only drives Stratasys printers, so the free Standard tier is a hardware retention mechanism rather than a portable tool, and prepared jobs do not move to another vendor.; LabVIEW nI is now part of Emerson, completing in 2023, so LabVIEW sits inside an industrial automation conglomerate rather than being the flagship of a dedicated test company; roadmap priorities and support pricing follow the parent, not the user base.
  • They diverge on capability: GrabCAD Print covers Native CAD import, LabVIEW covers Graphical dataflow programming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GrabCAD Print and LabVIEW actually diverge.

Attributes where GrabCAD Print and LabVIEW differ
AttributeGrabCAD PrintLabVIEW
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer user per yearquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Desktop, CloudWindows, Linux, macOS

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 GrabCAD Print

  • Native CAD import
  • Multi-technology support
  • Tray arrangement and supports
  • Nesting (Pro)
  • Manufacturing templates (Pro)
  • Part labelling (Pro)
  • Wall thickness analysis (Pro)
  • Cost estimation (Pro)

Only in LabVIEW

  • Graphical dataflow programming
  • Front panels
  • Instrument driver library
  • Hardware integration
  • Real-time and FPGA targets
  • Analysis and signal processing
  • Application builder
  • Nigel AI assistant

What people use each for

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

GrabCAD Print

  • A service bureau nesting many small parts into a single tray to raise volume utilisation and reduce cost per partnot LabVIEW
  • A production department locking validated process parameters into a template so night shift operators cannot change themnot LabVIEW
  • A design office running FDM and PolyJet machines and wanting one preparation tool rather than twonot LabVIEW
  • An engineering team importing native CAD assemblies directly rather than maintaining an STL export workflownot LabVIEW

LabVIEW

  • An automotive supplier building an end-of-line test rig that must drive a power supply, read a scope and log pass/fail against a serial numbernot GrabCAD Print
  • A semiconductor lab characterising devices across a PXI chassis where deterministic timing between instruments mattersnot GrabCAD Print
  • A medical device manufacturer needing a validated, documented test system with an operator front panel a technician can run unsupervisednot GrabCAD Print
  • A research group prototyping a control loop on CompactRIO where part of the logic must compile down to an FPGAnot GrabCAD Print

Where each one falls short

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

GrabCAD Print

  • It only drives Stratasys printers, so the free Standard tier is a hardware retention mechanism rather than a portable tool, and prepared jobs do not move to another vendor.
  • Pro is 5,000 US dollars per named user per year on top of machines that already cost six figures, and there is no floating licence in the standard offer, so shift-based teams buy multiple seats.
  • The production features that most justify the spend, nesting and manufacturing templates, are all locked behind Pro, meaning the free tier is not viable for a bureau.
  • Stratasys materials are proprietary and cartridge-locked, so the software sits on top of a consumables model where the recurring cost is set entirely by the vendor.
  • Support and feature coverage vary by printer family; newer technologies such as SAF and the Neo SLA line have historically lagged FDM in the depth of preparation options exposed.

LabVIEW

  • NI is now part of Emerson, completing in 2023, so LabVIEW sits inside an industrial automation conglomerate rather than being the flagship of a dedicated test company; roadmap priorities and support pricing follow the parent, not the user base.
  • No prices appear anywhere on the NI site for commercial editions; Base, Full, Professional and the LabVIEW+ suite are all quoted through NI or a reseller, so a buyer cannot compare cost against a Python-plus-PyVISA alternative without opening a sales conversation.
  • Graphical source code diffs badly. Merging two engineers’ changes to the same virtual instrument in git is impractical without NI’s own comparison tools, so team development on LabVIEW is slower and more serialised than on text-based languages.
  • The pool of engineers who write LabVIEW is small and ageing relative to the pool who write Python, so hiring a replacement for the person who built your test rig is materially harder and more expensive than replacing a general software engineer.
  • The environment pulls you toward NI hardware and NI add-on toolkits, and licences for real-time, FPGA and vision modules are sold separately on top of the base edition, so the quoted LabVIEW price is rarely the delivered cost of a working test system.

Pricing, plan by plan

GrabCAD Print

Free
  • GrabCAD Print StandardFree
    • Free for Stratasys printer owners
    • Native CAD import and tray arrangement
    • Support generation and section tools
  • GrabCAD Print Pro$5000/year
    • Per named user per year
    • Automated build nesting
    • Manufacturing templates with locked process parameters

LabVIEW

On request
  • LabVIEW Community EditionFree
    • Free for personal, non-commercial use only
    • Full LabVIEW feature set for hobbyists
    • No commercial deployment rights
  • LabVIEW Base$undefined/year
    • Core acquisition, control and user interface capability
    • Suited to simple test and measurement applications
    • Available as subscription or perpetual licence
  • LabVIEW Full$undefined/year
    • Adds advanced analysis and signal processing
    • Recommended where mathematics and filtering are required
    • Available as subscription or perpetual licence
  • LabVIEW Professional$undefined/year
    • Adds application builder, source control and deployment tooling
    • Includes the Nigel AI assistant
    • Available as subscription or perpetual licence

Which should you pick?

Choose GrabCAD Print if

  • You need native cad import.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Desktop, Cloud.
  • You also want multi-technology support.
GrabCAD Print review

Choose LabVIEW if

  • You need graphical dataflow programming.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, macOS.
  • You also want front panels.
LabVIEW review

Questions people ask

Is GrabCAD Print or LabVIEW better?
Neither clearly leads. GrabCAD Print starts at Free and LabVIEW at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GrabCAD Print or LabVIEW?
GrabCAD Print has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GrabCAD Print and On request for LabVIEW.
Does GrabCAD Print or LabVIEW run on more platforms?
GrabCAD Print runs on Windows, Desktop, Cloud. LabVIEW runs on Windows, Linux, macOS.
Can I use GrabCAD Print for free?
Yes. GrabCAD Print has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LabVIEW starts at On request.
What is GrabCAD Print best used for?
GrabCAD Print is most often used for a service bureau nesting many small parts into a single tray to raise volume utilisation and reduce cost per part, a production department locking validated process parameters into a template so night shift operators cannot change them, a design office running fdm and polyjet machines and wanting one preparation tool rather than two, an engineering team importing native cad assemblies directly rather than maintaining an stl export workflow. Of those, a service bureau nesting many small parts into a single tray to raise volume utilisation and reduce cost per part and a production department locking validated process parameters into a template so night shift operators cannot change them are not what LabVIEW is typically brought in for.
What can GrabCAD Print do that LabVIEW cannot?
GrabCAD Print covers Native CAD import, Multi-technology support, Tray arrangement and supports, Nesting (Pro). LabVIEW covers Graphical dataflow programming, Front panels, Instrument driver library, Hardware integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GrabCAD Print: Is GrabCAD Print free?

GrabCAD Print Standard is free for Stratasys printer owners. GrabCAD Print Pro is 5,000 US dollars per user per year.

LabVIEW: Who owns LabVIEW now?

NI, formerly National Instruments, was acquired by Emerson in an acquisition that completed in 2023. LabVIEW is now an Emerson product.

GrabCAD Print: Can it drive a non-Stratasys printer?

No. It is tied to Stratasys hardware.

LabVIEW: Can I still buy a perpetual licence?

Yes. NI offers both subscription and perpetual licences and states there are no functional or feature-level differences between them.

GrabCAD Print: What do I actually get for the Pro fee?

Nesting, manufacturing templates, part labelling, wall thickness analysis and build cost estimation. These are production rather than prototyping features.

LabVIEW: Is there a free version?

LabVIEW Community Edition is free for personal, non-commercial use. It carries no commercial deployment rights.

GrabCAD Print: Is there a trial?

Yes, Stratasys has offered 30 and 60 day trials of Pro.

LabVIEW: How much does it cost?

NI does not publish commercial edition prices. Base, Full, Professional and LabVIEW+ are all quoted through NI or a reseller.

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