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Manufacturing · head to head

Kepware Server vs Xometry

Kepware Server logo

Kepware Server

Manufacturing

Industrial connectivity server translating 150-plus PLC protocols into OPC UA, formerly KEPServerEX

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xometry logo

Xometry

Manufacturing

Custom parts marketplace whose quoting software is free because the money is in the order

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Xometry has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Kepware Server the base server is the small part of the bill; driver suites are priced by protocol family, and a mixed-vendor plant buys several, which is how a connectivity layer alone reaches tens of thousands of dollars.; Xometry xometry is the counterparty rather than the shop, and the margin between what you pay and what the maker receives is never disclosed, so buyers cannot benchmark the part price.
  • They diverge on capability: Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers, Xometry covers Instant Quoting Engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kepware Server and Xometry actually diverge.

Attributes where Kepware Server and Xometry differ
AttributeKepware ServerXometry
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotePer order, priced on the part
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, LinuxWeb, API

Identical on both: 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 Kepware Server

  • 150-plus device drivers
  • OPC UA server
  • IoT Gateway
  • DataLogger
  • Redundancy Master
  • Security Policies
  • Configuration API
  • Kepware Edge

Only in Xometry

  • Instant Quoting Engine
  • Multi-process coverage
  • Teamspace
  • Thomasnet
  • Supplier network
  • Certifications

What people use each for

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

Kepware Server

  • Feeding a historian from a mixed plant of Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLCs without writing per-protocol driversnot Xometry
  • Publishing CNC machine state from FANUC and Haas controls to an OEE system over MQTTnot Xometry
  • Bridging legacy serial Modbus devices into an OPC UA architecture during a phased controller replacementnot Xometry
  • Running redundant collection servers so a cloud analytics pipeline does not lose data during Windows patchingnot Xometry

Xometry

  • An engineering team needing machined prototypes in a week without qualifying a shopnot Kepware Server
  • A procurement group consolidating dozens of low-value part suppliers onto one purchase ordernot Kepware Server
  • A startup with no supply chain buying a first low-volume production runnot Kepware Server
  • A design team price-checking a geometry change before committing to itnot Kepware Server

Where each one falls short

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

Kepware Server

  • The base server is the small part of the bill; driver suites are priced by protocol family, and a mixed-vendor plant buys several, which is how a connectivity layer alone reaches tens of thousands of dollars.
  • KEPServerEX to Kepware Server 7 is a migration rather than an in-place upgrade, and driver entitlements do not always transfer cleanly, so budget for revalidating every channel.
  • The full driver portfolio is Windows-only; the Linux product, Kepware Edge, supports a subset of drivers and is subscription-licensed by tag count, so an edge-first architecture cannot simply reuse the Windows configuration.
  • Three names have been in circulation for the same lineage, and quotes, forum answers and integrator experience still mix KEPServerEX, ThingWorx Kepware Server and Kepware Server, which produces mismatched proposals.
  • It is a translation layer with no storage, contextualisation or visualisation of its own, so it is always an addition to a historian or platform purchase rather than a substitute for one.

Xometry

  • Xometry is the counterparty rather than the shop, and the margin between what you pay and what the maker receives is never disclosed, so buyers cannot benchmark the part price.
  • You usually do not choose or even know which supplier makes the part, so repeat orders can come from different shops with visibly different finish and process consistency.
  • For parts bought repeatedly over years the marketplace margin compounds, and qualifying a shop directly becomes materially cheaper.
  • Instant quotes are geometry-driven and degrade on unusual features, tight tolerances or complex assemblies, where a manual review changes the price after you have planned around the automated figure.
  • Because the software is free and the revenue is in orders, there is no software contract to hold the vendor to; support and continuity are governed by your value as a parts customer, not by a licence.

Pricing, plan by plan

Kepware Server

On request
  • Kepware Server$undefined/year
    • Base server as a perpetual licence with annual maintenance, or subscription
    • Driver suites priced by protocol family and bought separately from the server
    • Advanced plug-ins such as IoT Gateway, DataLogger and Redundancy Master licensed individually

Xometry

Free
  • Buyer accountFree
    • Instant Quoting Engine at no charge
    • Teamspace collaboration
    • Thomasnet sourcing access
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Negotiated part pricing and terms
    • Dedicated account and programme management
    • Procurement system integration

Which should you pick?

Choose Kepware Server if

  • You need 150-plus device drivers.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want opc ua server.
Kepware Server review

Choose Xometry if

  • You need instant quoting engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want multi-process coverage.
Xometry review

Questions people ask

Is Kepware Server or Xometry better?
Neither clearly leads. Kepware Server starts at On request and Xometry at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kepware Server or Xometry?
Xometry has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Kepware Server and Free for Xometry.
Does Kepware Server or Xometry run on more platforms?
Kepware Server runs on Windows, Linux. Xometry runs on Web, API.
Can I use Xometry for free?
Yes. Xometry has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kepware Server starts at On request.
What is Kepware Server best used for?
Kepware Server is most often used for feeding a historian from a mixed plant of allen-bradley and siemens plcs without writing per-protocol drivers, publishing cnc machine state from fanuc and haas controls to an oee system over mqtt, bridging legacy serial modbus devices into an opc ua architecture during a phased controller replacement, running redundant collection servers so a cloud analytics pipeline does not lose data during windows patching. Of those, feeding a historian from a mixed plant of allen-bradley and siemens plcs without writing per-protocol drivers and publishing cnc machine state from fanuc and haas controls to an oee system over mqtt are not what Xometry is typically brought in for.
What can Kepware Server do that Xometry cannot?
Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers, OPC UA server, IoT Gateway, DataLogger. Xometry covers Instant Quoting Engine, Multi-process coverage, Teamspace, Thomasnet.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kepware Server: Is KEPServerEX discontinued?

The name is. KEPServerEX and ThingWorx Kepware Server have been unified into Kepware Server, currently version 7, and the older names are being retired.

Xometry: Does the Xometry software cost anything?

No. Quoting and Teamspace are free. Xometry earns on the parts you order, with the margin built into the part price.

Kepware Server: Is a perpetual licence still available?

Yes for the Windows server, with annual maintenance. Kepware Edge on Linux is subscription-only.

Xometry: Do I get to choose the shop?

Normally no. Xometry routes the job within its supplier network and remains your contracting party.

Kepware Server: What drives the price?

The number and type of driver suites, not the number of tags on the Windows product. Kepware Edge is priced by tag count.

Xometry: Is it cheaper than going direct to a machine shop?

For one-off and low-volume work usually yes, once you count sourcing time. For repeat production the marketplace margin makes a direct qualified supplier cheaper.

Kepware Server: Can I evaluate it before buying?

Yes. The runtime works for two hours at a time without a licence, indefinitely, which is enough to prove connectivity but not to run production.

Xometry: Can it handle ITAR or aerospace work?

It offers ITAR-registered and AS9100 routing on qualifying orders, but you must specify those requirements at quote time.

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