Machine Monitoring

Software (and sometimes clip-on sensors) that records when machines are cutting, idle or alarmed, so you can find lost hours.

Start with this question: Do you know your real spindle utilization, not your gut feel?

5 tools

MachineMetrics

Price on request

Machine monitoring and MES: real-time dashboards, alerts, ERP-connected job tracking and drag-and-drop scheduling.

Price
Volume-based subscription; price not published.
Best for
Shops of 20+ machines that want monitoring plus scheduling
MonitoringERP & scheduling

Datanomix

Price on request

Hands-off production monitoring for CNC shops: connects to FANUC and Haas controls to capture cycle times, part counts, alarms and tool-level data with no operator input.

Price
Per machine per year; custom quote.
Best for
Small precision CNC shops focused on cycle time and job costing
Monitoring

Scytec DataXchange

Price on request

OEE and machine monitoring with broad CNC protocol support, unlimited users and cloud or on-prem options.

Price
Third-party review lists cloud tiers of $47-$140/machine/month plus a $1,000-$2,500 one-time activation; vendor asks you to request pricing.
Best for
Job shops wanting budget-friendly OEE tracking
Monitoring

Amper

Price on request

Factory operations platform using clip-on current sensors and PLC connections, so it works on old machines without network controls.

Price
Not published; third-party estimate around $50/machine/month. Now sold by ECI Software Solutions.
Best for
Shops with older or mixed equipment
Monitoring

CNC Monitor

Price published

Software-only monitoring pointed at the controller IP; free tier for real-time dashboards, paid tier adds integrations and an MCP server so you can ask an AI assistant about your machines.

Price
Free tier; Full $30/machine/month. No extra hardware.
Best for
Small shops wanting to try monitoring for free
Monitoring