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CAD · head to head

nTop vs Oqton

nTop logo

nTop

CAD

Implicit computational design for lattices, heat exchangers and topology-driven parts

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Oqton logo

Oqton

Manufacturing

3D Systems manufacturing operating system for additive, narrowed after Geomagic was sold to Hexagon

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: nTop nTop is a specialist tool that sits alongside mainstream CAD rather than replacing it, so you pay for an extra seat and accept a handoff between two geometry systems.; Oqton 3D Systems sold the Geomagic portfolio to Hexagon in April 2025, so buyers who chose Oqton for an end-to-end scanning-to-production suite now deal with two separate vendors and two roadmaps.
  • They diverge on capability: nTop covers Implicit modelling, Oqton covers Manufacturing OS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which nTop and Oqton actually diverge.

Attributes where nTop and Oqton differ
AttributenTopOqton
PlatformsWindows, CloudWeb, Windows, API
CategoryCADManufacturing

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 nTop

  • Implicit modelling
  • Lattice and cellular structures
  • Field-driven design
  • Integrated simulation
  • Reusable workflows
  • Topology optimisation
  • CAD and AM interoperability

Only in Oqton

  • Manufacturing OS
  • Build preparation
  • Machine connectivity
  • Traceability
  • Automated nesting
  • Quality data

What people use each for

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

nTop

  • Designing a variable-density lattice bracket where mass must drop without losing stiffness in the loaded regionsnot Oqton
  • Generating a heat exchanger with thousands of internal channels that a conventional CAD kernel cannot representnot Oqton
  • Producing patient-specific implant geometry with porous surfaces at scale rather than one at a timenot Oqton
  • Automating a family of parts as a reusable design workflow that reruns when the load case changesnot Oqton

Oqton

  • A metal additive production site scheduling builds across several machines rather than per operatornot nTop
  • A dental manufacturer needing batch to part traceability for regulated devicesnot nTop
  • A 3D Systems printer customer moving from prototyping to serial productionnot nTop
  • A factory automating build nesting to raise platform utilisationnot nTop

Where each one falls short

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

nTop

  • nTop is a specialist tool that sits alongside mainstream CAD rather than replacing it, so you pay for an extra seat and accept a handoff between two geometry systems.
  • Implicit modelling requires a different way of thinking from feature-based CAD, and the retraining period is long enough that unused licences are a common and expensive outcome.
  • No pricing is published and there is no free or hobbyist tier, so evaluation runs through a sales process and small teams cannot try it seriously without engaging.
  • Subscription only, with no perpetual licence, means the geometry logic you built stops being editable the day you stop paying, which is a real risk for long-lifecycle aerospace and medical programmes.
  • The output is most valuable when you have additive manufacturing capacity to make it; organisations without machines that can print the geometry end up designing parts nobody can produce.

Oqton

  • 3D Systems sold the Geomagic portfolio to Hexagon in April 2025, so buyers who chose Oqton for an end-to-end scanning-to-production suite now deal with two separate vendors and two roadmaps.
  • No pricing is published, and licensing is split between the manufacturing OS and separately licensed build preparation modules, so the quoted figure is rarely the full cost.
  • Support is deepest on 3D Systems hardware despite multi-vendor claims, so a mixed fleet gets uneven data capture and control.
  • The parent company has been under financial pressure and has already divested a major software line, which is a genuine continuity risk for a system running a production floor.
  • It is additive-only, so a manufacturer with mixed processes needs a conventional MES alongside it and an integration between the two.

Pricing, plan by plan

nTop

On request
  • nTop$undefined/year
    • Annual named or floating seat subscription
    • No perpetual licence offered
    • Capability tiers quoted by use case

Oqton

On request
  • Oqton Industrial Manufacturing OS$undefined/year
    • Annual subscription quoted by 3D Systems
    • Priced on connected machines and sites
    • Build preparation modules licensed separately

Which should you pick?

Choose nTop if

  • You need implicit modelling.
  • You work on Windows, Cloud.
  • You also want lattice and cellular structures.
nTop review

Choose Oqton if

  • You need manufacturing os.
  • You work on Web, Windows, API.
  • You also want build preparation.
Oqton review

Questions people ask

Is nTop or Oqton better?
Neither clearly leads. nTop starts at On request and Oqton at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, nTop or Oqton?
nTop starts at On request and Oqton at On request.
Does nTop or Oqton run on more platforms?
nTop runs on Windows, Cloud. Oqton runs on Web, Windows, API.
What is nTop best used for?
nTop is most often used for designing a variable-density lattice bracket where mass must drop without losing stiffness in the loaded regions, generating a heat exchanger with thousands of internal channels that a conventional cad kernel cannot represent, producing patient-specific implant geometry with porous surfaces at scale rather than one at a time, automating a family of parts as a reusable design workflow that reruns when the load case changes. Of those, designing a variable-density lattice bracket where mass must drop without losing stiffness in the loaded regions and generating a heat exchanger with thousands of internal channels that a conventional cad kernel cannot represent are not what Oqton is typically brought in for.
What can nTop do that Oqton cannot?
nTop covers Implicit modelling, Lattice and cellular structures, Field-driven design, Integrated simulation. Oqton covers Manufacturing OS, Build preparation, Machine connectivity, Traceability.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

nTop: Is nTop the same company as nTopology?

Yes. nTopology rebranded to nTop. The product is the same lineage.

Oqton: Who owns Oqton?

3D Systems, which acquired it in 2021 and made it the central software brand.

nTop: Does it replace SolidWorks or NX?

No. It is used alongside them. Mainstream CAD handles the conventional geometry and assembly; nTop handles the lattice, field-driven and complex internal structure work.

Oqton: Did Oqton include Geomagic?

It did. 3D Systems completed the sale of the Geomagic portfolio, including Design X, Control X, Freeform and Wrap, to Hexagon for $123 million in April 2025. Oqton retained 3D Sprint, 3DXpert and the Manufacturing OS.

nTop: Is there a free version?

No free commercial tier is published. Access runs through a demo and sales process, with academic programmes handled separately.

Oqton: Does Oqton work with printers from other manufacturers?

It connects to multi-vendor equipment, but the deepest integration and support is on 3D Systems machines.

nTop: Can I buy a perpetual licence?

No. It is sold as an annual subscription, so budget it as recurring cost across the life of the programme.

Oqton: How much does it cost?

Not published. It is quoted annually, typically on connected machines and sites, with build preparation modules licensed separately.

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