QuotedPartComparisons · Updated 2026-10-30
Costimator pricing: what is public and what to ask MTI
Price one of your own parts: Drop a STEP model or PDF drawing — about 90 seconds, no account.
Your part priced in about 90 seconds, no account.
Costimator pricing is by proposal: MTI's current demo/pricing page says the amount depends on modules, users and configuration. It does not publish a dollar list price there. A free specialist-led demonstration is available, including your own parts. Ask for a written configuration and recurring-cost schedule instead of treating an old directory estimate as a current price. At an assumed $75 per estimator-hour, a hypothetical $600 monthly equivalent requires eight hours of useful monthly savings just to cover that cost.
See how QuotedPart connects to your workflow with its API, MCP server, autonomous quoting and shop-specific learning.
What the vendor actually confirms
Checked October 30, 2026: MTI describes feature-based cycle-time and cost models for machining and fabrication, and an optional 3DFX add-on for reading solid-model features. Its demo can use your files, equipment and shop rates. That is a meaningful advantage for shops wanting a detailed process-model demonstration rather than a generic quoting presentation.
| Line item | Ask for | Why it changes the comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Base configuration | Named modules and included cost models | A CAD add-on is not the same scope as manual estimating |
| Users | Named/concurrent basis and extra-user price | Occasional reviewers may need different access |
| 3DFX | License, supported formats and recurring charges | Verify the formats your buyers actually send |
| Training/setup | Hours, deliverables and acceptance criteria | A model needs your shop inputs |
| ERP export | Version, mapping and supported destination | XML availability does not guarantee your final mapping |
| Renewal/exit | Term, maintenance, increases and data export | First-year cash is not lifetime cost |
Normalize the proposal before comparing it
Use first-year cash = initial charges + 12 × monthly charges + internal setup hours × internal hourly value. If a sample proposal had $2,400 of initial charges and $600 monthly, its first-year external cash would be $9,600. Adding 24 staff hours at $75/hour would bring the planning total to $11,400. These numbers are invented worksheet inputs, not Costimator prices.
For a three-year view, add renewal amounts separately and preserve the timing of one-time costs. If the vendor offers different licensing structures, ask for each in writing; do not assume maintenance, upgrades or support are bundled. Likewise, a free demo is not evidence of a free production plan or an unrestricted trial.
Measure estimating depth as well as time
Take a turned shaft with a ground diameter and a laser-cut welded bracket to the demo. Check whether each operation has a sensible basis: setup, run, tooling, secondary processing and inspection. Change the quantity and material and ask which model inputs changed. A fast answer with an omitted grinding allowance is worth less than a slower estimate with complete scope.
MTI's XML export description names Epicor, JobBoss, E2 and ProfitKey. Ask for one export through the exact installed version and reconcile it line by line. QuotedPart is a smaller alternative at $199/month per shop for drawing/model quoting, with a 14-day no-card trial. Costimator's documented process models and optional feature-recognition workflow may be the stronger fit when those are the core requirement; compare those outputs before subscription totals.
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- Costimator: Pricing is supplied after a demo based on modules, user count and configuration; no dollar list price appears on the demo/pricing page. — source (checked 2026-10-30)
- Costimator: Free specialist-led demo can use your own CAD files or drawings and shop rates. — source (checked 2026-10-30)
- Costimator: Feature-based cycle-time and cost models cover machining, sheet metal, laser cutting and welding; optional 3DFX reads solid-model features. — source (checked 2026-10-30)
- Costimator: The demo page describes XML estimate export into Epicor, JobBoss, E2 and ProfitKey. — source (checked 2026-10-30)
Price one of your own parts
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