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Manufacturing · head to head

GENESIS Version 11 vs Protolabs

GENESIS Version 11 logo

GENESIS Version 11

Manufacturing

Iconics SCADA and visualisation under Mitsubishi Electric, now sold with unlimited tag licensing

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Protolabs logo

Protolabs

Manufacturing

Instant online quoting for machined, moulded, printed and sheet metal parts

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GENESIS Version 11 the name has changed twice, from GENESIS64 to GENESIS Version 11 with an Iconics-to-Mitsubishi ownership shift, so documentation, forum answers and integrator experience are split across three product identities.; Protolabs this is a manufacturing service, not software you licence, so comparing it with CAD or MES tools is a category error; the platform is free because the margin is in the parts.
  • They diverge on capability: GENESIS Version 11 covers Unlimited tag licensing, Protolabs covers Instant CAD quoting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GENESIS Version 11 and Protolabs actually diverge.

Attributes where GENESIS Version 11 and Protolabs differ
AttributeGENESIS Version 11Protolabs
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb, 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 GENESIS Version 11

  • Unlimited tag licensing
  • GraphWorX
  • Hyper Historian
  • AnalytiX
  • Web and mobile clients
  • BACnet and building protocols
  • Alarm and notification
  • Energy AnalytiX

Only in Protolabs

  • Instant CAD quoting
  • Automated DFM feedback
  • CNC machining
  • Injection moulding
  • Industrial 3D printing
  • Sheet metal fabrication
  • Protolabs Network
  • Account tooling

What people use each for

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

GENESIS Version 11

  • A university or hospital estate adding buildings every year that no longer wants a licence negotiation for each expansionnot Protolabs
  • A data centre operator needing power and cooling status overlaid on a 3D floor model rather than a line diagramnot Protolabs
  • A water utility wanting pump station status on a GIS map alongside historised flow and pressure datanot Protolabs
  • A Mitsubishi Electric factory automation site wanting supervisory visualisation from the same vendor as the controllersnot Protolabs

Protolabs

  • A product team needing five machined aluminium prototypes in hand this week to unblock a design reviewnot GENESIS Version 11
  • A startup bridging to volume with an aluminium injection mould before committing to hardened production toolingnot GENESIS Version 11
  • An engineer wanting manufacturability feedback on a part before sending it to an internal machine shopnot GENESIS Version 11
  • A maintenance team ordering a one-off sheet metal bracket without opening a supplier accountnot GENESIS Version 11

Where each one falls short

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

GENESIS Version 11

  • The name has changed twice, from GENESIS64 to GENESIS Version 11 with an Iconics-to-Mitsubishi ownership shift, so documentation, forum answers and integrator experience are split across three product identities.
  • Unlimited licensing sets a high floor: a small site with a few hundred points pays for capacity it cannot use, and tag-priced competitors remain cheaper below a few thousand points.
  • It is a Windows and Microsoft-stack product, depending on SQL Server and Windows services, so Linux-first or containerised deployment strategies do not apply to it.
  • Mitsubishi Electric now owns it outright, and roadmap priorities follow that group’s factory automation strategy rather than the independent building-automation direction Iconics previously set.
  • The 3D and GIS visualisation that distinguishes it takes real modelling effort to populate, and estates that skip that work end up with an expensive licence driving conventional 2D screens.

Protolabs

  • This is a manufacturing service, not software you licence, so comparing it with CAD or MES tools is a category error; the platform is free because the margin is in the parts.
  • Unit prices are well above a conventional job shop at volume, and past a few thousand parts a traditional supplier or an offshore moulder will beat it substantially.
  • The instant quoting engine only handles geometry it can analyse automatically; complex parts, unusual features or tight tolerances fall out to a manual quote and lose the speed advantage that justified the premium.
  • Material, finish and tolerance options are constrained to what the automated process supports, so designs needing a specific alloy temper or an unusual surface treatment are pushed to Protolabs Network and lose the one-day lead time.
  • Protolabs Network parts are made by third-party partners rather than in Protolabs own factories, so quality consistency and communication depend on which partner is allocated, and the buyer does not choose.

Pricing, plan by plan

GENESIS Version 11

On request
  • GENESIS Version 11$undefined/year
    • Unlimited tags, users and connected devices within a licence
    • Licensed by product module rather than by point count
    • Sold and configured through Mitsubishi Electric and Iconics system integrators

Protolabs

On request
  • Protolabs parts$undefined/month
    • The quoting platform itself is free to use with no subscription
    • Parts are priced per order from geometry, material, quantity and lead time
    • No minimum order quantity, including on injection moulding

Which should you pick?

Choose GENESIS Version 11 if

  • You need unlimited tag licensing.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want graphworx.
GENESIS Version 11 review

Choose Protolabs if

  • You need instant cad quoting.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, API.
  • You also want automated dfm feedback.
Protolabs review

Questions people ask

Is GENESIS Version 11 or Protolabs better?
Neither clearly leads. GENESIS Version 11 starts at On request and Protolabs at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GENESIS Version 11 or Protolabs?
GENESIS Version 11 starts at On request and Protolabs at On request.
Does GENESIS Version 11 or Protolabs run on more platforms?
GENESIS Version 11 runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Protolabs runs on Web, Cloud, API.
What is GENESIS Version 11 best used for?
GENESIS Version 11 is most often used for a university or hospital estate adding buildings every year that no longer wants a licence negotiation for each expansion, a data centre operator needing power and cooling status overlaid on a 3d floor model rather than a line diagram, a water utility wanting pump station status on a gis map alongside historised flow and pressure data, a mitsubishi electric factory automation site wanting supervisory visualisation from the same vendor as the controllers. Of those, a university or hospital estate adding buildings every year that no longer wants a licence negotiation for each expansion and a data centre operator needing power and cooling status overlaid on a 3d floor model rather than a line diagram are not what Protolabs is typically brought in for.
What can GENESIS Version 11 do that Protolabs cannot?
GENESIS Version 11 covers Unlimited tag licensing, GraphWorX, Hyper Historian, AnalytiX. Protolabs covers Instant CAD quoting, Automated DFM feedback, CNC machining, Injection moulding.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GENESIS Version 11: Is GENESIS64 discontinued?

It has been superseded. GENESIS Version 11 is the current release and the name GENESIS64 is retired.

Protolabs: Is Protolabs software or a service?

A service. The online quoting platform is free software wrapped around a parts business; you cannot licence the platform on its own.

GENESIS Version 11: Does version 11 really have no tag limits?

Yes, tag, user and device counting was removed in version 11. Licensing is by module instead.

Protolabs: What does the quoting platform cost?

Nothing. You pay only for parts you order.

GENESIS Version 11: Who owns Iconics now?

Mitsubishi Electric, which took full ownership. Iconics continues to operate under its own name from Massachusetts.

Protolabs: Is there a minimum order?

No minimum order quantity, including injection moulding, where a single-cavity aluminium tool can produce a handful of parts.

GENESIS Version 11: Can it act as a building management system on its own?

It is the supervisory and analytics layer. It reads BACnet and building controllers but does not replace field-level plant controllers.

Protolabs: When should I stop using Protolabs?

Once volumes are stable and in the thousands. At that point hard tooling with a conventional moulder or a job shop is materially cheaper per part.

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