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Manufacturing · head to head

Guidewheel vs ProShop ERP

Guidewheel logo

Guidewheel

Manufacturing

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

From
On request
Rated
-
ProShop ERP logo

ProShop ERP

Manufacturing

Web based ERP, MES and quality system written inside a working CNC machine shop

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; ProShop ERP it runs on a Microsoft stack with Internet Information Services and SQL Server, so a shop choosing on premises deployment needs a Windows server and someone to maintain it, which is not what buyers expect when they hear browser based.
  • They diverge on capability: Guidewheel covers Clamp on current sensing, ProShop ERP covers Integrated quality management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Guidewheel and ProShop ERP actually diverge.

Attributes where Guidewheel and ProShop ERP differ
AttributeGuidewheelProShop ERP
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Windows

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Guidewheel

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

Only in ProShop ERP

  • Integrated quality management
  • Digital travellers
  • Job costing
  • Capacity scheduling
  • Tool crib and gauge control
  • Purchasing and inventory

What people use each for

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

Guidewheel

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

ProShop ERP

  • A machine shop pursuing or holding AS9100 registration that currently maintains quality records separately from its ERPnot Guidewheel
  • A high mix low volume shop where every job has different routings and paper travellers keep going missingnot Guidewheel
  • A contract manufacturer needing material certification and lot traceability from receipt through to shipped partnot Guidewheel
  • A shop with 1990s machines that wants shop floor data capture through operator kiosks because the controllers cannot be readnot Guidewheel

Where each one falls short

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

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.

ProShop ERP

  • It runs on a Microsoft stack with Internet Information Services and SQL Server, so a shop choosing on premises deployment needs a Windows server and someone to maintain it, which is not what buyers expect when they hear browser based.
  • The software is opinionated and expects the shop to adopt its processes, so a shop determined to keep its existing habits gets a poor result and blames the tool.
  • Everything depends on operators entering time and status at each operation, and a shop that cannot enforce that discipline ends up with costing and scheduling data that nobody trusts.
  • It is not a machine monitoring product and does not read controllers, so spindle utilisation and automatic cycle counting require a separate product such as a monitoring platform.
  • The partner ecosystem is very small, so implementation, training and any customisation come from the vendor, and there is no market of independent consultants to fall back on or to price against.

Pricing, plan by plan

Guidewheel

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

ProShop ERP

On request
  • ProShop ERP$undefined/year
    • ERP, MES and quality management
    • On premises or vendor hosted deployment
    • Implementation and training services

Which should you pick?

Choose Guidewheel if

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

Choose ProShop ERP if

  • You need integrated quality management.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want digital travellers.

Questions people ask

Is Guidewheel or ProShop ERP better?
Neither clearly leads. Guidewheel starts at On request and ProShop ERP at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Guidewheel or ProShop ERP?
Guidewheel starts at On request and ProShop ERP at On request.
Does Guidewheel or ProShop ERP run on more platforms?
Guidewheel runs on Web, iOS, Android. ProShop ERP runs on Web, Windows.
What is Guidewheel best used for?
Guidewheel is most often used for a plant running equipment built in the 1980s and 1990s that no controller based monitoring product can read, a mixed floor of presses, ovens, compressors and fabrication equipment from many manufacturers with no common protocol, a manufacturer that needs evidence of real capacity before agreeing to buy another machine, a plant wanting immediate notification when an unattended overnight process stops. Of those, a plant running equipment built in the 1980s and 1990s that no controller based monitoring product can read and a mixed floor of presses, ovens, compressors and fabrication equipment from many manufacturers with no common protocol are not what ProShop ERP is typically brought in for.
What can Guidewheel do that ProShop ERP cannot?
Guidewheel covers Clamp on current sensing, Automatic uptime and downtime, Downtime categorisation, Real time alerting. ProShop ERP covers Integrated quality management, Digital travellers, Job costing, Capacity scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

ProShop ERP: Is it cloud software?

It is browser based and can be vendor hosted, but many customers run it on their own Windows server, which carries the usual infrastructure obligations.

Guidewheel: Will it count parts?

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

ProShop ERP: Does it replace my accounting system?

No. It handles costing and purchasing and integrates with QuickBooks or similar for the general ledger.

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.

ProShop ERP: Will it work with old CNC machines?

Yes, because it takes operator input at kiosks rather than reading machine controllers. That is a strength for shops with older equipment.

Guidewheel: Is it an MES?

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

ProShop ERP: Is it suitable for process or batch manufacturing?

No. It is built for discrete machining and fabrication with routings and travellers.

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