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Manufacturing · head to head

ProShop ERP vs Simplify3D

ProShop ERP logo

ProShop ERP

Manufacturing

Web based ERP, MES and quality system written inside a working CNC machine shop

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Simplify3D logo

Simplify3D

Manufacturing

Paid 3D printing slicer sold as a one-time licence in a market where rivals are free

From
$199/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ProShop ERP it runs on a Microsoft stack with Internet Information Services and SQL Server, so a shop choosing on premises deployment needs a Windows server and someone to maintain it, which is not what buyers expect when they hear browser based.; Simplify3D every serious competitor is free, so the $199 has to be justified against Cura, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer and Bambu Studio on support and consistency alone, not on capability.
  • They diverge on capability: ProShop ERP covers Integrated quality management, Simplify3D covers Process-based slicing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ProShop ERP and Simplify3D actually diverge.

Attributes where ProShop ERP and Simplify3D differ
AttributeProShop ERPSimplify3D
Starting priceOn request$199/one-time
Pricing modelquoteOne-time purchase
PlatformsWeb, WindowsWindows, macOS, Linux

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 ProShop ERP

  • Integrated quality management
  • Digital travellers
  • Job costing
  • Capacity scheduling
  • Tool crib and gauge control
  • Purchasing and inventory

Only in Simplify3D

  • Process-based slicing
  • Support generation
  • Layer preview
  • Floating licences
  • Offline licensing
  • Wide printer profiles

What people use each for

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

ProShop ERP

  • A machine shop pursuing or holding AS9100 registration that currently maintains quality records separately from its ERPnot Simplify3D
  • A high mix low volume shop where every job has different routings and paper travellers keep going missingnot Simplify3D
  • A contract manufacturer needing material certification and lot traceability from receipt through to shipped partnot Simplify3D
  • A shop with 1990s machines that wants shop floor data capture through operator kiosks because the controllers cannot be readnot Simplify3D

Simplify3D

  • A print farm running machines from four manufacturers that wants one slicer and one set of profiles rather than fournot ProShop ERP
  • An engineering department on an air-gapped network that cannot use a slicer requiring online activationnot ProShop ERP
  • A team standardising support and infill settings across operators so prints are reproducible between shiftsnot ProShop ERP
  • A shop printing tall parts that need different settings at different heights in a single jobnot ProShop ERP

Where each one falls short

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

ProShop ERP

  • It runs on a Microsoft stack with Internet Information Services and SQL Server, so a shop choosing on premises deployment needs a Windows server and someone to maintain it, which is not what buyers expect when they hear browser based.
  • The software is opinionated and expects the shop to adopt its processes, so a shop determined to keep its existing habits gets a poor result and blames the tool.
  • Everything depends on operators entering time and status at each operation, and a shop that cannot enforce that discipline ends up with costing and scheduling data that nobody trusts.
  • It is not a machine monitoring product and does not read controllers, so spindle utilisation and automatic cycle counting require a separate product such as a monitoring platform.
  • The partner ecosystem is very small, so implementation, training and any customisation come from the vendor, and there is no market of independent consultants to fall back on or to price against.

Simplify3D

  • Every serious competitor is free, so the $199 has to be justified against Cura, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer and Bambu Studio on support and consistency alone, not on capability.
  • Major version upgrades are chargeable, so the perpetual licence covers a version rather than the product and the cost recurs every few years anyway.
  • Development cadence is slower than the open source slicers, and features such as newer tree support algorithms and multi-material handling appear there first.
  • Printer profiles for very new machines lag behind the manufacturer's own bundled slicer, so buyers of a brand new printer may get better results from the free tool that shipped with it.
  • Standard licences require an internet connection to activate, and the offline option is a separate purchase negotiated with sales rather than a checkbox at checkout.

Pricing, plan by plan

ProShop ERP

On request
  • ProShop ERP$undefined/year
    • ERP, MES and quality management
    • On premises or vendor hosted deployment
    • Implementation and training services

Simplify3D

$199/one-time
  • Standard licence$199/one-time
    • One user, perpetual for that version
    • Internet activation required
    • Two week money-back guarantee
  • Floating licence$undefined/one-time
    • Shared activation pool for teams
    • Priced on request
    • Volume discounts available
  • Offline licence$undefined/one-time
    • Activation without internet access
    • For secure or air-gapped networks
    • Priced on request

Which should you pick?

Choose ProShop ERP if

  • You need integrated quality management.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want digital travellers.
ProShop ERP review

Choose Simplify3D if

  • You need process-based slicing.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want support generation.
Simplify3D review

Questions people ask

Is ProShop ERP or Simplify3D better?
Neither clearly leads. ProShop ERP starts at On request and Simplify3D at $199/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ProShop ERP or Simplify3D?
ProShop ERP starts at On request and Simplify3D at $199/one-time.
Does ProShop ERP or Simplify3D run on more platforms?
ProShop ERP runs on Web, Windows. Simplify3D runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
What is ProShop ERP best used for?
ProShop ERP is most often used for a machine shop pursuing or holding as9100 registration that currently maintains quality records separately from its erp, a high mix low volume shop where every job has different routings and paper travellers keep going missing, a contract manufacturer needing material certification and lot traceability from receipt through to shipped part, a shop with 1990s machines that wants shop floor data capture through operator kiosks because the controllers cannot be read. Of those, a machine shop pursuing or holding as9100 registration that currently maintains quality records separately from its erp and a high mix low volume shop where every job has different routings and paper travellers keep going missing are not what Simplify3D is typically brought in for.
What can ProShop ERP do that Simplify3D cannot?
ProShop ERP covers Integrated quality management, Digital travellers, Job costing, Capacity scheduling. Simplify3D covers Process-based slicing, Support generation, Layer preview, Floating licences.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ProShop ERP: Is it cloud software?

It is browser based and can be vendor hosted, but many customers run it on their own Windows server, which carries the usual infrastructure obligations.

Simplify3D: Is Simplify3D a subscription?

No. It is a one-time purchase of $199 per user, but upgrades to future major versions cost extra.

ProShop ERP: Does it replace my accounting system?

No. It handles costing and purchasing and integrates with QuickBooks or similar for the general ledger.

Simplify3D: Why pay when PrusaSlicer and Cura are free?

For a mixed fleet you get one interface and one profile library across brands, plus a supplier to call. If you run one printer from one vendor, the free slicer is usually the better choice.

ProShop ERP: Will it work with old CNC machines?

Yes, because it takes operator input at kiosks rather than reading machine controllers. That is a strength for shops with older equipment.

Simplify3D: Can I install it on more than one computer?

A standard licence is per user with online activation. Teams needing shared or concurrent use buy floating licences, priced on request.

ProShop ERP: Is it suitable for process or batch manufacturing?

No. It is built for discrete machining and fabrication with routings and travellers.

Simplify3D: Can I try it first?

There is a two week money-back guarantee rather than a free trial download.

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