Justify the cost
Old Artcam Jewelsmith user here. I was happy to see carveco keep the software alive & considered purchasing a license. However upon looking at the pricing structure it appears that Carveco believes it's still 2004. Maker & maker+ additions are stripped of so many features, I know I'd just run into frustration using them. Honestly if you're running a decade old copy of Artcam you've got a more powerful software package than whats being offered in either of the maker additions. I inherited a perpetual Artcam 2018 license & I'm hard pressed to find anything new being offered in the carveco product. I had some interest in the premier Carveco package for continued support but I can't justify the $8k price tag when there are so many less expensive & capable alternatives on the market.
So what's the deal? Why is the carveco package 6.5x more expensive than maker+? It gives the impression that Carvco might be more interested in extorting old artcam users than they are in gaining new clientele. I imagine there are a lot of old shop owners with catalogs of artcam projects. They want to continue using the same system they're accustom too & Carveco is banking on them paying any price.
I understand that Delcam/Artcam was never the most cost competitive but they were the leader then & options were limited. These days that's no longer the case. I hope we see a pricing adjustment that allows more of us access to the fully featured application.
Comments
Hi Joseph,
I worked with ArtCAM JewelSmith for many years, the functionality from JS is available in in the full Carveco version. The full Carveco is like a mix of Pro and JS and for years they’ve kept the software price the same as it was in the early 2000’s which is crazy to think about since everything else in the world has increased at such an expediential rate. I think for a while at the beginning it was even offered at a REALLY great price to existing ArtCAM users.
I’ve used all the versions of Carveco. Maker is starter packages and Maker+ is the intermediate level. They are geared more towards woodworking, signs, and hobbyist makers. Maker is meant give someone new a great and fun start into the world of artistic design and CNC machining. For many Maker+ offers much of core functionality to create interesting designs. The more advanced features that come with the full Carveco give the benefits and tools to create high-end custom work like what you create.
I enjoy using Carveco and I like the changes I find while using it, all the little things that make everyday use a little easier!
Thanks and wishing you a good day,
Jen
I don't doubt that Carveco is a good product. They just aren't priced competitively for today's market.
Over 5 years Carveco is $10,000+ more than Aspire & $8000+ more than Enrout.
Please sign in to leave a comment.