Top 10 Best Manufacturing Costing Software of 2026

aPriori is a cloud-based manufacturing insights platform that uses digital twin technology to deliver accurate should-cost estimates, design optimization, and sustainability analysis for discrete manufacturing. It automates cost engineering by simulating real-world manufacturing processes from CAD data, enabling early identification of cost drivers across materials, labor, overhead, and equipment. The software supports collaborative decision-making between design, sourcing, and manufacturing teams to reduce costs and accelerate time-to-market.

Costimator by MTI Systems is a parametric manufacturing costing software tailored for job shops and contract manufacturers, enabling rapid and accurate cost estimates for CNC machined parts and assemblies. Users input part geometry, materials, and processes to generate detailed breakdowns of labor, material, tooling, and overhead costs using a vast database of over 25,000 pre-engineered processes. It supports quoting, profitability analysis, and integration with CAD, ERP, and CRM systems for streamlined operations.

DFMA Software, from Boothroyd Dewhurst, is a specialized suite for Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) analysis, helping engineers evaluate product designs for optimal manufacturability and cost efficiency. It provides detailed costing models for processes like machining, sheet metal fabrication, injection molding, and assembly, while generating reports on design improvements to reduce part counts and complexity. Used across industries such as automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods, it focuses on early-stage cost reduction rather than ongoing production quoting.

QuoteIt is a desktop-based quoting and estimating software tailored for the sign manufacturing industry, enabling precise cost calculations for materials, labor, and production processes. It features customizable databases for substrates, vinyl, inks, and fabrication methods, allowing users to generate professional quotes rapidly. The tool also includes job tracking, scheduling, and QuickBooks integration for streamlined manufacturing workflows.

Tacton is a CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) platform tailored for manufacturing, enabling visual configuration of complex products like machinery and vehicles. It automates accurate cost calculations based on configurations, material choices, and manufacturing rules, integrating with ERP and CAD systems for real-time pricing. This helps sales teams deliver precise quotes while ensuring profitability through detailed cost modeling.

Plex is a cloud-native smart manufacturing platform combining ERP, MES, and QMS capabilities tailored for discrete manufacturers. It excels in manufacturing costing by providing real-time job costing, inventory valuation using standard and actual costing methods, and variance analysis tied directly to production data. The system automates cost roll-ups across bills of materials, labor, and overheads for accurate profitability insights.

Epicor Kinetic is a cloud-native ERP platform tailored for manufacturing enterprises, providing advanced manufacturing costing features such as standard costing, actual costing, job costing, and multi-level BOM analysis. It delivers real-time cost tracking, variance reporting, and integration with production, inventory, and financials for accurate profitability insights. With support for complex manufacturing scenarios like make-to-order and engineer-to-order, it helps optimize costs across multi-site operations.

DELMIAworks is a comprehensive ERP platform from Dassault Systèmes, formerly IQMS, tailored for mid-sized manufacturers with robust manufacturing costing capabilities. It offers real-time job costing, standard vs. actual cost variance analysis, and what-if scenario planning to optimize production expenses. The software integrates costing with inventory, production scheduling, and quality management for end-to-end visibility.

Global Shop Solutions is a comprehensive ERP and MES platform designed for discrete manufacturers, particularly job shops, offering robust manufacturing costing capabilities through real-time job tracking and variance analysis. It enables precise estimating, actual cost capture for labor, materials, and overheads, and integrates seamlessly with shop floor data for accurate profitability insights. The software supports complex quoting and supports make-to-order environments with detailed cost breakdowns.

E2 Shop System by Shoptech is an on-premise ERP software tailored for small to medium-sized job shops and make-to-order manufacturers. It excels in manufacturing costing through accurate estimating, real-time job tracking, and variance analysis for labor, materials, and overhead. The system integrates quoting, scheduling, inventory, and accounting to provide comprehensive cost control from quote to cash.