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Fashion · head to head

Romans CAD vs Shima Seiki

R

Romans CAD

Fashion

CAD software for pattern and marker creation

From
$150/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shima Seiki logo

Shima Seiki

Fashion

Knit design and visualization software

From
$250/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Romans CAD pricing not publicly disclosed; requires direct contact with company; Shima Seiki the Internet Archive's capture of Shima Seiki's homepage on 29 December 2020 named five distinct product categories, Knitting Machines, Design System/Software, CAD/CAM Systems, Inkjet Printing Machine, and PLM Solutions, all sold via an Inquiry form with no price figure published.
  • They diverge on capability: Romans CAD covers Pattern design, Shima Seiki covers Knit design.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Romans CAD and Shima Seiki actually diverge.

Attributes where Romans CAD and Shima Seiki differ
AttributeRomans CADShima Seiki
Starting price$150/month$250/month
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Web (cloud-hosted)Windows
Founded19881962

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Fashion).

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 Romans CAD

  • Pattern design
  • Marker creation
  • Grading
  • Nesting
  • File management
  • Manufacturing equipment
  • French language support
  • Spanish language support

Only in Shima Seiki

  • Knit design
  • Stitch pattern creation
  • Color selection
  • Machine control
  • Visualization
  • Shima Seiki machines
  • Japanese language support
  • Chinese language support

Both cover

  • Production planning
  • CAM systems
  • User authentication
  • Desktop deployment
  • Windows support
  • English language support

What people use each for

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

Romans CAD

  • Pattern designnot Shima Seiki
  • Production optimizationnot Shima Seiki

Shima Seiki

  • Knit designnot Romans CAD
  • Machine programmingnot Romans CAD

Where each one falls short

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

Romans CAD

  • Pricing not publicly disclosed; requires direct contact with company
  • No free tier or trial version available
  • Specialized primarily for footwear; less suitable for general apparel design

Shima Seiki

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Shima Seiki's homepage on 29 December 2020 named five distinct product categories, Knitting Machines, Design System/Software, CAD/CAM Systems, Inkjet Printing Machine, and PLM Solutions, all sold via an Inquiry form with no price figure published.

Pricing, plan by plan

Romans CAD

$150/month
  • Standard$150/month
    • Pattern design
    • Marker creation
  • Professional$300/month
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Full solution

Shima Seiki

$250/month
  • Essential$250/month
    • Basic design
    • Standard features
  • Professional$500/month
    • Advanced design
    • Integration
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Full solution

Which should you pick?

Choose Romans CAD if

  • You need pattern design.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web (cloud-hosted).
  • You also want marker creation.
Romans CAD review

Choose Shima Seiki if

  • You need knit design.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want stitch pattern creation.
Shima Seiki review

Questions people ask

Is Romans CAD or Shima Seiki better?
Neither clearly leads. Romans CAD starts at $150/month and Shima Seiki at $250/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Romans CAD or Shima Seiki?
Romans CAD starts at $150/month and Shima Seiki at $250/month.
Does Romans CAD or Shima Seiki run on more platforms?
Romans CAD runs on Windows, macOS, Web (cloud-hosted). Shima Seiki runs on Windows.
What is Romans CAD best used for?
Romans CAD is most often used for pattern design, production optimization. Of those, pattern design and production optimization are not what Shima Seiki is typically brought in for.
What can Romans CAD do that Shima Seiki cannot?
Romans CAD covers Pattern design, Marker creation, Grading, Nesting. Shima Seiki covers Knit design, Stitch pattern creation, Color selection, Machine control. Both handle Production planning, CAM systems, User authentication, Desktop deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Romans CAD: What industries does Romans CAD serve?

Romans CAD is designed primarily for the footwear and leather goods industry, with additional support for soft materials and apparel manufacturing.

Source
Romans CAD: Can Romans CAD create 3D last designs?

Yes. Romans CAD includes specialized 3D last development tools for creating and grading shoe lasts with scanned 3D and 2D data import capabilities.

Source
Romans CAD: Does Romans CAD support pattern grading?

Yes. Romans CAD 2D tools allow designers to grade patterns across different sizes and widths with over 250 industry-tested features.

Source
Romans CAD: What platforms does Romans CAD run on?

Romans CAD is cloud-hosted and compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems.

Source
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