Filametrics vs. Spoolman
Both tools track filament inventory for multi-printer shops. Spoolman is free, open source, and self-hosted. Filametrics is a managed SaaS with a free tier and paid plans. The functional overlap is significant. The decision comes down to whether you want to own the infrastructure or pay someone else to run it.
| Criteria | Filametrics | Spoolman |
|---|---|---|
| Layer coverage | Inventory | Inventory |
| Pricing model | Freemium SaaS | Free / OSS |
| Price | Free – $30 / mo | $0 |
| Shop size fit | Sub-$50K, $50K–$500K | Sub-$50K, $50K–$500K |
| Implementation | Browser-based; no installation. Account setup and data entry is the entire onboarding process | Self-hosted via Docker or direct install. Requires comfort with the command line and basic server administration. Runs on a Raspberry Pi or any local machine |
| Self-hosted | No — cloud-hosted | Yes — runs on your own hardware |
| Open source | No | Yes (MIT license) |
| Hosting model | Vendor manages uptime, backups, and updates. Data lives on vendor servers. Free tier available with limits; paid plans unlock higher spool counts and features | You manage uptime, backups, and updates. Data stays on your hardware. No vendor dependency; the project continues as long as the OSS community maintains it |
| OctoPrint / Moonraker integration | Integration availability not confirmed across all setups. Verify against your current printer control stack before committing | Native OctoPrint plugin and Moonraker integration available. Spool tracking updates automatically as prints run -- no manual weight entry required if integrated |
| Hardware sensor support | Not confirmed. Check current feature set against your hardware | Supports filament weight sensors via integration. Automatic consumption tracking without manual input where hardware supports it |
| Multi-printer tracking | Supported. Spool assignment across multiple printers is a core feature | Supported. Designed for multi-printer environments; spool location and assignment tracked per printer |
| Low-stock alerts | Available on paid tiers. Threshold-based alerts when spool weight drops below a set level | Low-stock alerts available. Configurable thresholds per spool or material type |
| Ongoing maintenance | None required. Vendor handles all updates and infrastructure | Moderate. Self-hosted instances require occasional updates and basic server maintenance |
Pricing verified against vendor sources. For current figures see the Inventory index.
If you are already running OctoPrint or Klipper with Moonraker, Spoolman's native integrations give you automatic consumption tracking that Filametrics cannot confirm matching. If you have no interest in managing a self-hosted service and just want filament tracking to work without touching a command line, Filametrics' free tier is the lower-friction starting point. The paid tier at $30/mo is harder to justify given that Spoolman covers the same ground for free -- that gap only closes if Filametrics adds features Spoolman doesn't have and your shop actually needs them.
Related comparisons:
OctoPrint vs Klipper