Comparison · platforms
Short answer: a manufacturing platform such as Xometry Europe, Protolabs Network or Fractory answers “how much to make this part for me?”: a selling price and a lead time, then the order. RFQdecoder answers “what is this price made of?”: material, every operation, overheads and margin, without manufacturing. The two work together.
By the RFQdecoder team · updated 27 September 2026
A platform price is a selling price: it includes manufacturing at a partner shop, margin and service. A broken-down price is a cost rebuilt line by line, to know what a quote should contain and which line to negotiate.
| Tool | What you upload | What you get | Makes the part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xometry | 11 formats, including STEP, SLDPRT, IPT and DXF | Instant price and lead time, predicted by deep learning | Yes, through its network |
| Protolabs Network | CAD file, 2D drawing as a supplement | Instant price and lead time for most orders, price locked for 30 days | Yes, through its network |
| Fractory | STP, SLDPRT, IPT or DXF | Instant price: cutting, bending and machining from 3D, cutting only from DXF | Yes, delivery in 9 days or less |
| RFQdecoder | PDF, DXF or STEP drawing | Manufacturing routing and cost of each step, editable line by line | No, it prices |
Sources: Xometry Europe, Protolabs Network, Fractory, pages checked on 27 September 2026.
A platform price gives a market benchmark; Xometry Europe states it serves over 85,000 buyers and engineers and has shipped over 165 million parts. The broken-down price explains the gap between that benchmark and your usual supplier’s quote: a short run, a tight tolerance, a finish, a margin.
A platform such as Xometry, Protolabs Network or Fractory gives a selling price and lead time, then makes the part through its network. RFQdecoder rebuilds the cost line by line from the drawing, without manufacturing.
Xometry states it uses deep learning, trained on millions of manufacturing data points, to predict price and lead time from the CAD file.
At Protolabs Network, the price can be locked for 30 days once selected; otherwise it varies with availability across its manufacturing network.
Yes. Fractory gives a laser cutting price from a DXF; a 3D model adds bending and machining. RFQdecoder accepts PDF, DXF and STEP.
No. The platform price is a market benchmark; the broken-down price explains what makes that price and which line to negotiate with your supplier.
Upload your PDF, DXF or STEP drawing: material, every operation, overheads and margin, to read any quote.