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Manufacturing · head to head

Flow Software vs Oqton

Flow Software logo

Flow Software

Manufacturing

Manufacturing KPI and OEE calculation engine with published list prices, licensed by measure count

From
$11390/one-time
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: Flow Software the 11,390 dollar Starter licence caps at 250 measures and events, which a multi-line plant exhausts quickly once each line contributes a dozen calculations, forcing a jump to the 62,230 dollar tier.; 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: Flow Software covers Calculation engine, Oqton covers Manufacturing OS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flow Software and Oqton actually diverge.

Attributes where Flow Software and Oqton differ
AttributeFlow SoftwareOqton
Starting price$11390/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelOne-time purchasequote
PlatformsWindows, WebWeb, Windows, API

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 Flow Software

  • Calculation engine
  • Measure model
  • Historian connectors
  • Manual data entry
  • Event framing
  • Excel and Power BI output
  • Flow dashboards
  • AI Gateway

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.

Flow Software

  • A brewery replacing a fragile network of OEE spreadsheets with governed calculations from the same historian datanot Oqton
  • Reporting specific energy consumption per tonne against an ISO 50001 audit where the calculation method must be documentednot Oqton
  • Feeding Power BI plant dashboards from a historian without giving analysts direct tag-level accessnot Oqton
  • A site that needs lab results typed in and combined with automated tag data in the same yield calculationnot Oqton

Oqton

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

Where each one falls short

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

Flow Software

  • The 11,390 dollar Starter licence caps at 250 measures and events, which a multi-line plant exhausts quickly once each line contributes a dozen calculations, forcing a jump to the 62,230 dollar tier.
  • The Unlimited licence requires every engine on a single server or VM, so any multi-server or multi-site topology goes straight to Distributed at roughly double the price with no intermediate option.
  • Maintenance renews at about fifteen percent of the installed base annually, so a large perpetual estate carries a five-figure recurring cost that the headline perpetual price hides.
  • It is a Windows product with a Microsoft data stack, so Linux or container-native deployment strategies do not apply and the server has to be managed on the plant Windows estate.
  • It calculates and reports but does not collect from equipment itself, so an existing historian or OPC layer is a prerequisite and Flow adds cost on top of that rather than replacing it.

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

Flow Software

$11390/one-time
  • Starter$11390/one-time
    • 250 KPI measures and events
    • Single server deployment
    • First year of software maintenance included
  • Unlimited$62230/one-time
    • Unlimited KPI measures and events
    • All engines must run on one server or dedicated VM
    • First year of maintenance included
  • Distributed$128450/one-time
    • Unlimited measures with engines distributed across multiple servers
    • Required for multi-server and multi-site deployments
    • Available as an annual subscription at 34,250 USD instead

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 Flow Software if

  • You need calculation engine.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want measure model.
Flow Software 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 Flow Software or Oqton better?
Neither clearly leads. Flow Software starts at $11390/one-time and Oqton at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flow Software or Oqton?
Flow Software starts at $11390/one-time and Oqton at On request.
Does Flow Software or Oqton run on more platforms?
Flow Software runs on Windows, Web. Oqton runs on Web, Windows, API.
What is Flow Software best used for?
Flow Software is most often used for a brewery replacing a fragile network of oee spreadsheets with governed calculations from the same historian data, reporting specific energy consumption per tonne against an iso 50001 audit where the calculation method must be documented, feeding power bi plant dashboards from a historian without giving analysts direct tag-level access, a site that needs lab results typed in and combined with automated tag data in the same yield calculation. Of those, a brewery replacing a fragile network of oee spreadsheets with governed calculations from the same historian data and reporting specific energy consumption per tonne against an iso 50001 audit where the calculation method must be documented are not what Oqton is typically brought in for.
What can Flow Software do that Oqton cannot?
Flow Software covers Calculation engine, Measure model, Historian connectors, Manual data entry. Oqton covers Manufacturing OS, Build preparation, Machine connectivity, Traceability.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flow Software: Does Flow publish real prices?

Yes. Starter is 11,390 USD perpetual for 250 measures, Unlimited is 62,230 USD perpetual or 16,595 USD a year, and Distributed is 128,450 USD perpetual or 34,250 USD a year.

Oqton: Who owns Oqton?

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

Flow Software: Is perpetual licensing still offered?

Yes, at every tier, with the first year of maintenance included and renewal at roughly fifteen percent per year. Subscription is available on Unlimited and Distributed only.

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.

Flow Software: Do I need a historian as well?

Effectively yes. Flow reads from historians, databases and OPC sources; it is a calculation layer, not a data collector.

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.

Flow Software: What counts as a measure?

Each configured KPI or event definition. A single line typically consumes ten to thirty, which is what makes the 250 Starter cap tighter than it looks.

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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