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Manufacturing · head to head

Oqton vs Samotics

Oqton logo

Oqton

Manufacturing

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Samotics logo

Samotics

Manufacturing

Condition monitoring of motor-driven assets using electrical signature analysis from the motor control cabinet

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Samotics sAM4 only sees what reaches the motor electrically, so it covers the driven train and misses un-driven equipment, structures, process conditions and anything downstream of a mechanical decoupling.
  • They diverge on capability: Oqton covers Manufacturing OS, Samotics covers Electrical signature analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oqton and Samotics actually diverge.

Attributes where Oqton and Samotics differ
AttributeOqtonSamotics
PlatformsWeb, Windows, APIWeb, Cloud

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 Oqton

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

Only in Samotics

  • Electrical signature analysis
  • Switchroom installation
  • Energy and efficiency measurement
  • Submersible and hazardous area coverage
  • Fault classification
  • Fleet view

What people use each for

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

Oqton

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

Samotics

  • A water utility monitoring submersible and borehole pumps that no vibration sensor can be fitted to without lifting the pumpnot Oqton
  • A chemical plant with assets in ATEX zones where certifying and maintaining in-field sensors is more expensive than the monitoring itselfnot Oqton
  • A food plant that wants pump and mixer condition data without opening guarding or taking a hygiene-critical line down to fit sensorsnot Oqton
  • A site building an energy reduction case, where measured motor efficiency and waste give the business case a payback that reliability alone would notnot Oqton

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Samotics

  • SAM4 only sees what reaches the motor electrically, so it covers the driven train and misses un-driven equipment, structures, process conditions and anything downstream of a mechanical decoupling.
  • Each monitored motor needs hardware installed in the motor control centre by a qualified electrician, and in older switchrooms that installation, including any required outage, can cost more than a year of the subscription.
  • Per-asset subscription pricing means the cost scales linearly with the number of motors, so a plant with a thousand small motors faces a bill that a fixed-price plant-wide vibration system would not impose.
  • Electrical signature analysis on variable-speed drives is harder than on direct-on-line motors, and results vary with drive type, so a heavily VSD estate should insist on a pilot on its own drives before committing.
  • Nothing is published on price, contract length or minimum deployment size, and the vendor sells multi-year subscriptions, so early exit terms are a negotiation you have to raise yourself.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Samotics

On request
  • SAM4$undefined/year
    • Subscription priced per monitored asset
    • SAM4 sensor hardware required in each motor control centre
    • Electrical installation by a qualified electrician, quoted separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Oqton if

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

Choose Samotics if

  • You need electrical signature analysis.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want switchroom installation.
Samotics review

Questions people ask

Is Oqton or Samotics better?
Neither clearly leads. Oqton starts at On request and Samotics at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oqton or Samotics?
Oqton starts at On request and Samotics at On request.
Does Oqton or Samotics run on more platforms?
Oqton runs on Web, Windows, API. Samotics runs on Web, Cloud.
What is Oqton best used for?
Oqton is most often used for a metal additive production site scheduling builds across several machines rather than per operator, a dental manufacturer needing batch to part traceability for regulated devices, a 3d systems printer customer moving from prototyping to serial production, a factory automating build nesting to raise platform utilisation. Of those, a metal additive production site scheduling builds across several machines rather than per operator and a dental manufacturer needing batch to part traceability for regulated devices are not what Samotics is typically brought in for.
What can Oqton do that Samotics cannot?
Oqton covers Manufacturing OS, Build preparation, Machine connectivity, Traceability. Samotics covers Electrical signature analysis, Switchroom installation, Energy and efficiency measurement, Submersible and hazardous area coverage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Oqton: Who owns Oqton?

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

Samotics: Does Samotics replace vibration monitoring?

For motor-driven assets it often does, and it reaches assets vibration cannot. For un-driven equipment and structures it does not apply at all.

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.

Samotics: Do I have to buy Samotics hardware?

Yes. SAM4 requires the vendor's sensors fitted in the motor control centre; there is no software-only option.

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.

Samotics: Does it work on variable-speed drives?

It can, but performance depends on the drive and the operating profile. Pilot it on your own VSD assets rather than accepting a reference from a direct-on-line site.

Oqton: How much does it cost?

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

Samotics: How is it priced?

Subscription per monitored asset, quoted, typically on a multi-year term, with hardware and electrical installation on top.

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