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Manufacturing · head to head

Materialise Magics vs TrakSYS

Materialise Magics logo

Materialise Magics

Manufacturing

Industrial build preparation and data repair for metal and polymer additive manufacturing

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TrakSYS logo

TrakSYS

Manufacturing

Manufacturing execution and plant performance platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Materialise Magics new seats and modules have been subscription only since 15 May 2024, so the perpetual purchase route is closed and existing perpetual holders are on a shrinking island.; TrakSYS configuration is the implementation, so deployment is a project measured in months and needs a partner or trained staff
  • They diverge on capability: Materialise Magics covers Mesh repair, TrakSYS covers Real-time production tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Materialise Magics and TrakSYS actually diverge.

Attributes where Materialise Magics and TrakSYS differ
AttributeMaterialise MagicsTrakSYS
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Web, Self-hosted

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 Materialise Magics

  • Mesh repair
  • Part orientation and nesting
  • Support generation
  • Build Processors
  • Simulation module
  • Structures module
  • Reporting and traceability

Only in TrakSYS

  • Real-time production tracking
  • OEE and downtime analysis
  • Configurable workflows
  • Quality management
  • Equipment connectivity
  • Reporting

What people use each for

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

Materialise Magics

  • A service bureau running several brands of metal printer that wants one preparation environment instead of five vendor slicersnot TrakSYS
  • Repairing badly formed STL or scan-derived meshes that a machine slicer will not acceptnot TrakSYS
  • Automating support generation on metal parts where manual support editing is the bottleneck in the processnot TrakSYS
  • Simulating and compensating for build distortion before committing an expensive metal buildnot TrakSYS

TrakSYS

  • Plants whose processes do not fit a packaged MESnot Materialise Magics
  • Attributing downtime to cause rather than reporting an aggregatenot Materialise Magics
  • Regulated production needing enforced in-process quality checksnot Materialise Magics

Where each one falls short

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

Materialise Magics

  • New seats and modules have been subscription only since 15 May 2024, so the perpetual purchase route is closed and existing perpetual holders are on a shrinking island.
  • Build Processors are licensed separately per machine family, so adding a new printer brand adds a licence line as well as capital cost, and a mixed fleet multiplies the software bill.
  • The modules that deliver the biggest labour saving, notably e-Stage automated support generation, are paid extras, so the base seat alone leaves you doing manual support work.
  • Materialise publishes no prices anywhere, and quotes vary by region and reseller, so two similar bureaus can pay materially different amounts for the same configuration.
  • It is Windows only and remains a desktop application, which sits awkwardly with the cloud direction of Materialise CO-AM and means preparation capacity is tied to specific workstations and licence seats.

TrakSYS

  • Configuration is the implementation, so deployment is a project measured in months and needs a partner or trained staff
  • Quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • Flexibility means two TrakSYS installations can look nothing alike, which makes hiring for it harder
  • Considerable overkill for a small plant tracking output in a spreadsheet

Pricing, plan by plan

Materialise Magics

On request
  • Magics Essentials$undefined/year
    • Mesh repair and editing
    • Part orientation and platform placement
    • Basic support generation
  • Magics with modules$undefined/year
    • Everything in Essentials
    • e-Stage automated supports, Simulation, Structures priced individually
    • Build Processors licensed per machine family

TrakSYS

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the TrakSYS review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Materialise Magics if

  • You need mesh repair.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want part orientation and nesting.
Materialise Magics review

Choose TrakSYS if

  • You need real-time production tracking.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want oee and downtime analysis.
TrakSYS review

Questions people ask

Is Materialise Magics or TrakSYS better?
Neither clearly leads. Materialise Magics starts at On request and TrakSYS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Materialise Magics or TrakSYS?
Materialise Magics starts at On request and TrakSYS at On request.
Does Materialise Magics or TrakSYS run on more platforms?
Materialise Magics runs on Windows. TrakSYS runs on Windows, Web, Self-hosted.
What is Materialise Magics best used for?
Materialise Magics is most often used for a service bureau running several brands of metal printer that wants one preparation environment instead of five vendor slicers, repairing badly formed stl or scan-derived meshes that a machine slicer will not accept, automating support generation on metal parts where manual support editing is the bottleneck in the process, simulating and compensating for build distortion before committing an expensive metal build. Of those, a service bureau running several brands of metal printer that wants one preparation environment instead of five vendor slicers and repairing badly formed stl or scan-derived meshes that a machine slicer will not accept are not what TrakSYS is typically brought in for.
What can Materialise Magics do that TrakSYS cannot?
Materialise Magics covers Mesh repair, Part orientation and nesting, Support generation, Build Processors. TrakSYS covers Real-time production tracking, OEE and downtime analysis, Configurable workflows, Quality management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Materialise Magics: Can I still buy a perpetual Magics licence?

No. Since 15 May 2024 Materialise sells new seats and new modules on subscription only. Existing perpetual licences continue to work but new capacity is subscription.

TrakSYS: What does TrakSYS cost?

Quoted per site and not published; implementation is normally a substantial part of the total.

Materialise Magics: Do I need a separate Build Processor for each printer?

You need one per machine family, licensed separately from the Magics seat. Budget for it before you buy the printer.

TrakSYS: Is it a product or a platform?

A platform. Screens and workflows are configured for the plant, which is why it fits unusual processes and why deployment is a project.

Materialise Magics: Is Magics the same as CO-AM?

No. Magics is desktop build preparation. CO-AM is the Materialise cloud platform for AM workflow and production management, which absorbed the former Link3D product.

TrakSYS: When is it the wrong choice?

When a packaged MES fits your process, or when the plant is small enough that the configuration effort outweighs the gain.

Materialise Magics: Does Magics slice?

It prepares and supports the build and hands off through a Build Processor, which produces the machine-ready file. The machine-specific processing lives in the Build Processor.

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