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Manufacturing · head to head

Oqton vs Tulip

Oqton logo

Oqton

Manufacturing

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tulip logo

Tulip

Manufacturing

Frontline operations platform for manufacturing

From
$100/month
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.; Tulip minimum 10 interface commitment increases entry cost
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oqton and Tulip actually diverge.

Attributes where Oqton and Tulip differ
AttributeOqtonTulip
Starting priceOn request$100/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Windows, APIWeb

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 Oqton

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

Only in Tulip

Nothing recorded that Oqton does not also cover.

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 Tulip
  • A dental manufacturer needing batch to part traceability for regulated devicesnot Tulip
  • A 3D Systems printer customer moving from prototyping to serial productionnot Tulip
  • A factory automating build nesting to raise platform utilisationnot Tulip

Tulip

  • Production floor apps and dashboardsnot Oqton
  • Quality and assembly workflowsnot Oqton
  • Sensor data integrationnot Oqton
  • Regulated industry manufacturingnot Oqton
  • Multi-site operational dashboardsnot 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.

Tulip

  • Minimum 10 interface commitment increases entry cost
  • Enterprise and Regulated pricing not transparent
  • Complex per-interface billing model

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

Tulip

$100/month
  • Essentials$100/month
    • Apps, Tulip AI, Tables, Analytics
    • Mobile/desktop/touchscreen access
    • USB device integrations
  • Professional$250/month
    • All Essentials features
    • Advanced edge connectivity
    • SSO/SAML/LDAP
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • All Professional features
    • Workspaces, app approval workflows
    • Custom roles, multilingual apps
  • Regulated Industries$null/month
    • eSignatures (21 CFR Part 11)
    • Auditable record history
    • Zero data loss protection

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 Tulip if

Nothing in the data separates Tulip from Oqton on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Tulip review

Questions people ask

Is Oqton or Tulip better?
Neither clearly leads. Oqton starts at On request and Tulip at $100/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oqton or Tulip?
Oqton starts at On request and Tulip at $100/month.
Does Oqton or Tulip run on more platforms?
Oqton runs on Web, Windows, API. Tulip runs on Web.
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 Tulip is typically brought in for.
What can Oqton do that Tulip cannot?
Oqton covers Manufacturing OS, Build preparation, Machine connectivity, Traceability.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Oqton: Who owns Oqton?

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

Tulip: How is Tulip pricing calculated?

Tulip pricing is based on 'Monthly Active Interfaces (MAI)', the number of devices running Tulip Player applications with activity during at least one day per month. Minimum commitment is 10 interfaces.

Source
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.

Tulip: Does Tulip offer a free tier or trial?

No free plan is mentioned on the Tulip pricing page. All pricing tiers require direct contact with sales for quotes and requires a minimum 10 interface commitment.

Source
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.

Tulip: What is the difference between Essentials and Professional tiers?

Professional ($250/MAI/month) adds advanced edge connectivity, SSO/SAML/LDAP, 3rd-party HTTP/SQL integrations, custom widgets, and higher AI Action/automation task limits compared to Essentials ($100/MAI/month).

Source
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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