Platform comparison
FabriMatch vs Protolabs
Protolabs is two businesses: its own digital factories for injection moulding, CNC machining and 3D printing, and Protolabs Network (formerly Hubs), a marketplace of partner suppliers. Its factories are hard to beat for fast prototypes. FabriMatch is a marketplace only: you work with a named producer and see our fee as a separate line.
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Pick Protolabs when
- →You need prototypes or bridge-tooling parts in days, made in a factory the platform itself owns and controls.
- →You want one large, listed company accountable for the whole order.
- →Your part fits their automated processes well — that is where their speed comes from.
Pick FabriMatch when
- →You want the platform's share visible: our fee is 10% of the producer's quote, shown before you accept.
- →You are past prototyping and want a direct relationship with the producer for series parts.
- →You want EU and Chinese producers compared on one platform with one EU invoice format.
Feature-by-feature
Rows where Protolabs is the stronger choice are marked. If a comparison page tells you it wins everything, it is an advert, not a comparison.
| Feature | FabriMatch | Protolabs |
|---|---|---|
| How your part is made | By a named, KYB-verified producer you choose | In Protolabs' own factories, or by a Protolabs Network partner |
| Share of your payment kept by the platform | 9.1% — our 10% fee on the producer's quote | Protolabs Network: 31% (Network non-GAAP gross margin, full year 2025). Own factories: not comparable — it is the manufacturer |
| Fee visibility | Fee is a separate line on the offer and on the invoice | One price per part |
| Prototype speed | Producer's binding offer within 2h; lead time set by the producer | ★ Automated in-house production built for days-not-weeks prototypes |
| Network maturity | Early — we show supplier density on the quote widget | ★ Long-established factories and partner network |
| Sourcing corridor | EU-27 buyers, producers in the EU and China on one platform | Own factories plus a global partner network |
Paste a quote. See who keeps the difference.
Same buyer price, two platforms: enter a quote and see how much reaches the producer.
What is the same on every FabriMatch order
- A binding offer from a real producer within 2 hours, or our platform fee is waived on the resulting order.
- 10% platform fee, shown on the offer before you accept it — not discovered on the invoice.
- FabriMatch holds your payment and releases it to the factory only after you approve the inspection.
- EUR settlement, EU-VAT-compliant invoicing, KSeF and DAC7 filing.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the 31% figure come from?
Protolabs' CFO reported a 31% non-GAAP gross margin for Protolabs Network for full-year 2025 on the Q4 2025 earnings call (6 February 2026). It covers the Network only — orders made in Protolabs' own factories are not intermediated, so a platform share does not apply to them.
Is FabriMatch a replacement for Protolabs?
Not for fast prototypes from an owned factory — that is their strength and we do not run factories. Where we differ is production with a producer you know by name, and a fee you can see on the offer.
How do I compare prices fairly?
Upload the same CAD file to both, with the same material, tolerance, finish and quantity, and compare the landed total including shipping. Our offer shows the producer's price and our fee as two numbers.