What you need to know
Prodio and Machestra both promise simple production scheduling for small manufacturers. The difference is price. Prodio starts at $97/month. Machestra starts at $0, and the paid plan is $19/mo* with no per-user fees.
Quick Comparison
| Machestra | Prodio | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $0/month (free tier) | $97/month |
| Paid plans | $19/mo* (10 machines), $79/mo* (100 machines) | From $97/mo |
| Pricing model | Flat, by machine tier | Per worker count |
| User limits | No per-user fees (3–100 by plan) | 10–50 workers by plan |
| Free tier | Yes, 3 machines, up to 3 users | 14-day free trial |
| Target shop size | 3–30 machines | Small manufacturers |
| Setup time | Under 10 minutes | Check their site |
| Cloud-based | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile/tablet | Yes, tap-first design | Yes |
| Spreadsheet import | Yes, day-one import wizard | Check their site |
| Multi-step operations | Yes, per-operation assignment | Yes |
| PPP-adjusted pricing | Yes, worldwide via Paddle | No |
Pricing Breakdown: 5-Person Shop, 8 Machines
Machestra: $19/mo* (Starter plan covers up to 10 machines). Up to 50 users included. No extra cost.
Prodio: $97/month minimum (Starter, up to 10 workers). $197/month for up to 25 workers. $397/month for up to 50 workers. So the more people you add, the more it costs.
Annual difference: You save roughly $1,020/year with Machestra. That’s real money for a small shop.
Where Prodio Is Strong
Prodio has been around longer. They have a track record, existing customers, and a more mature product. Their interface is clean and purpose-built for small manufacturers. They understand the space well, they were one of the first to say “you don’t need an ERP, you need something simple.”
If you want a product with more mileage and a proven history, Prodio has that.
Where Machestra Is Different
Price. Machestra is 5x cheaper at the entry level. For a small shop watching every dollar, that gap matters.
No per-user fees. Prodio charges more as you add workers: $97 for 10, $197 for 25, $397 for 50. Machestra includes your whole team, the shop owner, floor workers, office staff. No extra seats to buy. Ever.
Flat pricing by machine tier. You pay one price for the size of your shop, not for the people who look at the schedule. This makes more sense for shops where 3 people might share one login or 10 people need read access.
PPP-adjusted pricing. If your shop is in Brazil, Poland, or India, you pay a fair price for your local economy. Not everyone charges the same everywhere.
Free tier with no expiration. Three machines, no time limit. Not a 14-day trial, a real free plan you can use as long as it fits your shop.
Sounds like a fit? Start free with 3 machines →. No credit card, no time limit.
Who Should Use Prodio
- Shops that want a proven product with a longer track record
- Manufacturers who need features Machestra hasn’t built yet
- Teams that are already on Prodio and happy with it, since switching costs time
Who Should Use Machestra
- Shops with 3–10 machines that can’t justify $97/month for scheduling software
- Any small manufacturer that wants to start free and grow into a paid plan
- Shops where everyone on the floor needs access without paying per head
- Manufacturers outside the US/EU who want fair local pricing
Switching from Prodio
- Export your data from Prodio
- Use Machestra’s import wizard to bring in your machines, jobs, and materials
- Set up takes under 10 minutes
- Run both side by side during your Prodio billing period if you want
No consultants. No onboarding calls. No IT department needed.
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*All Machestra prices shown in USD. Actual price may vary based on your location.