Softwr

Manufacturing · head to head

Simplify3D vs Yokogawa CENTUM VP

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
Yokogawa CENTUM VP logo

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

Manufacturing

Distributed control system for continuous process plants with a documented 30-year upgrade path

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Yokogawa CENTUM VP there is no published price list and no way to size a budget without engaging Yokogawa or an EPC, so early-stage comparison against DeltaV or Experion is guesswork until quotations arrive.
  • They diverge on capability: Simplify3D covers Process-based slicing, Yokogawa CENTUM VP covers Field Control Station.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Simplify3D and Yokogawa CENTUM VP actually diverge.

Attributes where Simplify3D and Yokogawa CENTUM VP differ
AttributeSimplify3DYokogawa CENTUM VP
Starting price$199/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelOne-time purchasequote
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows, On-premise

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 Simplify3D

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

Only in Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • Field Control Station
  • N-IO
  • Human Interface Station
  • ProSafe-RS integration
  • Vnet/IP
  • Migration from CS 1000 and CS 3000
  • Exaquantum integration
  • Alarm management

What people use each for

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

Simplify3D

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

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • Replacing end-of-life CENTUM CS 3000 controllers during a refinery turnaround without pulling field cablingnot Simplify3D
  • Greenfield LNG train where the control and safety systems must share one operator console and one event lognot Simplify3D
  • Specialty chemicals batch plant needing sequence control with recipe management and full electronic batch recordsnot Simplify3D
  • Combined cycle power station where 99.99999 percent availability figures are written into the contractnot Simplify3D

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • There is no published price list and no way to size a budget without engaging Yokogawa or an EPC, so early-stage comparison against DeltaV or Experion is guesswork until quotations arrive.
  • Engineering and commissioning routinely cost several times the hardware and software, and owners who budget from the equipment quote alone are consistently short.
  • The ecosystem is closed: controllers, I/O and diagnostics are Yokogawa, and third-party alternatives at the controller layer do not exist, so the vendor holds pricing power for the twenty years or more the plant runs.
  • Operator stations run on Windows and are tied to specific validated Windows releases, so operating system end-of-life forces console refresh cycles that are governed by Yokogawa validation rather than by your IT policy.
  • Engineering staff who know CENTUM are scarce outside Japan, the Middle East and South East Asia, and in North America and Europe you will pay a premium or depend on Yokogawa’s own services organisation for changes.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

On request
  • CENTUM VP$undefined/year
    • Priced as an engineered system, not a per-seat licence
    • Cost driven by I/O count, controller redundancy and number of operator stations
    • Engineering, FAT, commissioning and training quoted separately and usually exceed hardware

Which should you pick?

Choose Simplify3D if

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

Choose Yokogawa CENTUM VP if

  • You need field control station.
  • You work on Windows, On-premise.
  • You also want n-io.
Yokogawa CENTUM VP review

Questions people ask

Is Simplify3D or Yokogawa CENTUM VP better?
Neither clearly leads. Simplify3D starts at $199/one-time and Yokogawa CENTUM VP at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Simplify3D or Yokogawa CENTUM VP?
Simplify3D starts at $199/one-time and Yokogawa CENTUM VP at On request.
Does Simplify3D or Yokogawa CENTUM VP run on more platforms?
Simplify3D runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Yokogawa CENTUM VP runs on Windows, On-premise.
What is Simplify3D best used for?
Simplify3D is most often used for a print farm running machines from four manufacturers that wants one slicer and one set of profiles rather than four, an engineering department on an air-gapped network that cannot use a slicer requiring online activation, a team standardising support and infill settings across operators so prints are reproducible between shifts, a shop printing tall parts that need different settings at different heights in a single job. Of those, a print farm running machines from four manufacturers that wants one slicer and one set of profiles rather than four and an engineering department on an air-gapped network that cannot use a slicer requiring online activation are not what Yokogawa CENTUM VP is typically brought in for.
What can Simplify3D do that Yokogawa CENTUM VP cannot?
Simplify3D covers Process-based slicing, Support generation, Layer preview, Floating licences. Yokogawa CENTUM VP covers Field Control Station, N-IO, Human Interface Station, ProSafe-RS integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Simplify3D: Is Simplify3D a subscription?

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

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Can I upgrade from CENTUM CS 3000 without rewiring the plant?

Yes. Yokogawa sells migration packages that replace the controller and keep existing field wiring and marshalling, which is the main reason CENTUM installations stay CENTUM.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Is CENTUM VP sold as a subscription?

No. It is a capital purchase of hardware and licences with an annual service agreement for updates and support.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: How does it compare with Emerson DeltaV on cost?

Neither publishes prices. CENTUM tends to win on brownfield migration cost because the field wiring stays; DeltaV tends to be cheaper on small greenfield systems.

Simplify3D: Can I try it first?

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

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Do I need a separate safety system?

Yes, for SIL-rated functions. ProSafe-RS is the Yokogawa SIS and shares the CENTUM engineering database and operator console.

Share

Related pages

More on Simplify3D

More on Yokogawa CENTUM VP

Keep looking

Other head to heads