Softwr

Manufacturing · head to head

Prodsmart vs Propel

Prodsmart logo

Prodsmart

Manufacturing

Mobile manufacturing execution for small plants, acquired by Autodesk and folded into Fusion Operations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Propel logo

Propel

Manufacturing

PLM, quality and product information management built on the Salesforce platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Prodsmart the product has been absorbed into the Autodesk Fusion family, so the standalone brand, pricing page and channel that earlier reviews describe no longer reflect how it is bought, and buyers must evaluate the current Autodesk packaging instead.; Propel your product data lives in a Salesforce org, so a future decision to leave Salesforce becomes a PLM migration as well as a CRM one, and the extraction is not trivial.
  • They diverge on capability: Prodsmart covers Mobile shop floor declarations, Propel covers Item and BOM management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Prodsmart and Propel actually diverge.

Attributes where Prodsmart and Propel differ
AttributeProdsmartPropel
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Cloud, API

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 Prodsmart

  • Mobile shop floor declarations
  • No controller integration required
  • Traceability
  • Live production status
  • Basic OEE
  • Maintenance records

Only in Propel

  • Item and BOM management
  • Change management
  • Quality management
  • Product information management
  • Supplier collaboration
  • Native Salesforce
  • Licence types

What people use each for

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

Prodsmart

  • A small manufacturer with older machines that cannot be connected to any network without a costly retrofitnot Propel
  • A plant that needs lot traceability for a customer or regulatory audit and currently keeps it on papernot Propel
  • A shop wanting live work order status without installing terminals and cabling on the floornot Propel
  • An Autodesk Fusion user looking for an operations layer from the same vendor as its CAD and CAMnot Propel

Propel

  • A medical device company needing linked design control and CAPA records for an ISO 13485 audit without an on-premise PLM programmenot Prodsmart
  • A consumer products firm publishing the same product record to engineering, packaging and e-commerce teamsnot Prodsmart
  • A company already standardised on Salesforce that wants product data governed with the same admin skills as the CRMnot Prodsmart
  • A hardware manufacturer routing customer complaints straight to the part revision and supplier that caused themnot Prodsmart

Where each one falls short

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

Prodsmart

  • The product has been absorbed into the Autodesk Fusion family, so the standalone brand, pricing page and channel that earlier reviews describe no longer reflect how it is bought, and buyers must evaluate the current Autodesk packaging instead.
  • All data originates from operator declarations, so accuracy depends entirely on shop floor discipline, and a plant that cannot enforce scanning gets confident charts built on incomplete input.
  • Because it reads nothing from machines, it cannot detect a stoppage the operator does not report, which means downtime analysis captures what people admit to rather than what happened.
  • Scheduling and planning are shallow compared with a full MES or ERP, so most customers still plan elsewhere and use Prodsmart for execution only.
  • Support and account management now run through a very large software vendor, and small manufacturers frequently report longer response paths than they had with the original company.

Propel

  • Your product data lives in a Salesforce org, so a future decision to leave Salesforce becomes a PLM migration as well as a CRM one, and the extraction is not trivial.
  • CAD data management is handled through connectors rather than natively; Propel manages metadata and files well but is not a substitute for a CAD vault on large assemblies.
  • The published cost bands are extremely wide, from 10,000 to 500,000 US dollars a year, and setup can approach the annual licence, so early budgeting without a scoped quote is close to meaningless.
  • Licence roles are split across Performance, Quality, Enrichment, Collaboration and Partner types, and buyers frequently discover mid-project that a user needs a more expensive role than budgeted.
  • Salesforce platform limits such as governor limits, API call ceilings and storage allowances apply, and organisations with very large BOMs or heavy integration traffic hit them in ways a purpose-built PLM would not surface.

Pricing, plan by plan

Prodsmart

On request
  • Prodsmart (Autodesk Fusion Operations)$undefined/year
    • Mobile shop floor execution
    • Traceability and production reporting
    • Sold within the Autodesk Fusion product family

Propel

On request
  • Propel$undefined/year
    • Annual user-based licensing in role types
    • Salesforce platform access included in each licence
    • Indicative small deployment band of 10,000 to 150,000 USD a year plus 10,000 to 25,000 setup

Which should you pick?

Choose Prodsmart if

  • You need mobile shop floor declarations.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want no controller integration required.
Prodsmart review

Choose Propel if

  • You need item and bom management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud, API.
  • You also want change management.
Propel review

Questions people ask

Is Prodsmart or Propel better?
Neither clearly leads. Prodsmart starts at On request and Propel at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Prodsmart or Propel?
Prodsmart starts at On request and Propel at On request.
Does Prodsmart or Propel run on more platforms?
Prodsmart runs on Web, iOS, Android. Propel runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud, API.
What is Prodsmart best used for?
Prodsmart is most often used for a small manufacturer with older machines that cannot be connected to any network without a costly retrofit, a plant that needs lot traceability for a customer or regulatory audit and currently keeps it on paper, a shop wanting live work order status without installing terminals and cabling on the floor, an autodesk fusion user looking for an operations layer from the same vendor as its cad and cam. Of those, a small manufacturer with older machines that cannot be connected to any network without a costly retrofit and a plant that needs lot traceability for a customer or regulatory audit and currently keeps it on paper are not what Propel is typically brought in for.
What can Prodsmart do that Propel cannot?
Prodsmart covers Mobile shop floor declarations, No controller integration required, Traceability, Live production status. Propel covers Item and BOM management, Change management, Quality management, Product information management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Prodsmart: Who owns Prodsmart?

Autodesk acquired it in 2022 and has integrated it into the Fusion product family as its operations offering.

Propel: Do I need to buy Salesforce separately?

No. Each Propel licence includes Salesforce platform access, and end users do not need their own Salesforce licences or Salesforce expertise.

Prodsmart: Does it need my machines to be connected?

No. That is the central design decision. Operators declare production on mobile devices.

Propel: Does being on Salesforce lock me in?

Practically, yes. The application, its configuration and your product data all sit in a Salesforce org, which is a real consideration at renewal.

Prodsmart: Is it a full MES?

It covers execution, traceability and basic OEE. Detailed scheduling, quality workflows and controller level data are not its scope.

Propel: What does it cost?

Propel publishes indicative bands rather than list prices: roughly 10,000 to 150,000 US dollars a year for a small deployment and 250,000 to 500,000 for a large one, plus setup.

Prodsmart: Can I still buy it as a standalone product?

It is sold through Autodesk. Confirm the current packaging and pricing with Autodesk rather than relying on pre acquisition material.

Propel: Is it suitable for regulated medical devices?

Yes, that is a core segment; the quality module covers CAPA, non-conformance, audits and training records with electronic signatures.

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