Latest Run Date
Mar 1, 2026
Price Comparison
Weekly Price Comparison Examples
Assisted quote attempts using one benchmark part and fixed specs. Values shown are part-price subtotal only in USD, excluding shipping, taxes, and duties.
Last updated: Mar 1, 2026, 2:34 PM UTC
Quoted Platforms
5/9
Blocked in latest run: 4
Lowest Latest Subtotal
$65.55
RapidDirect
Evidence-Based Comparisons
Each page below uses real quote data from our benchmark runs. Estimated delivered costs include shipping and customs where applicable.
Is Xometry Expensive?
Xometry's $118 includes shipping and customs. The gap with the cheapest platform is smaller than sticker prices suggest.
Cheapest CNC Machining Service
Ranked by estimated delivered cost — not misleading raw quotes. $100–$167 range across 5 platforms.
Xometry vs Protolabs
Xometry quoted instantly. Protolabs required an RFQ. The real difference is accessibility, not just price.
Protolabs Alternatives
5 platforms that provided instant CNC quotes when Protolabs required an RFQ.
Xometry Alternatives
4 alternatives with real prices. Delivered costs range from ~$100 (RapidDirect) to ~$167 (eMachineShop).
CNC Machining Cost Guide
What drives CNC cost, with real prices from 5 platforms for the same part.
Full Run Table
| Run date | Platform | Spec | Status | Part subtotal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2026 | Xometry | CNC machining Aluminum 6061-T6 (Best Available) Qty 1 · Standard - 3 business days | quoted | $118.10 | Quote captured successfully. Evidence link |
| Mar 1, 2026 | Protolabs | CNC machining Aluminum 6061-T651/T6 Qty 1 · RFQ required | blocked | — | Configured to Aluminum 6061-T651/T6, qty 1, and default as-machined options, but review page still shows '$—' with 'This part needs to be configured' and only RFQ path. Evidence link |
| Mar 1, 2026 | Hubs | CNC machining Aluminum 6061-T6 Qty 1 · Standard - 14 business days | quoted | $151.58 | Quote captured successfully. Evidence link |
| Mar 1, 2026 | Fictiv | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | blocked | — | Quote retrieval blocked by mandatory email verification gate; account cannot access instant quote until inbox verification is completed. Evidence link |
| Mar 1, 2026 | Jiga | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Human quote in 24h | blocked | — | Platform explicitly states it does not provide instant quotes; route is human-reviewed quote in 24h. Evidence link |
| Mar 1, 2026 | SendCutSend | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 T6 Qty 1 · Default lane (arrives Mar 5) | quoted | $150.54 | Quote captured successfully. Evidence link |
| Mar 1, 2026 | meviy | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | blocked | — | Reached MISUMI/meviy login wall requiring existing account credentials before CAD upload or instant subtotal. Evidence link |
| Mar 1, 2026 | RapidDirect | CNC machining Aluminum 6061-T6 Qty 1 · Standard - 5 business days | quoted | $65.55 | Quote captured successfully. Evidence link |
| Mar 1, 2026 | eMachineShop | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard - 20 days | quoted | $166.81 | Quote captured successfully. Evidence link |
| Feb 28, 2026 | Xometry | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | quoted | $115.85 | Quote captured successfully. Evidence link |
| Feb 28, 2026 | Protolabs | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | blocked | — | Redirected to signup/account-creation flow before quote retrieval; fake signup fields were populated but no benchmark subtotal was exposed. Evidence link |
| Feb 28, 2026 | Hubs | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | blocked | — | Landing flow showed gate friction and no immediately accessible CAD upload/subtotal path in this automated pass. Evidence link |
| Feb 28, 2026 | Fictiv | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | blocked | — | Signup/login wall encountered before any benchmark quote subtotal; fake account fields were populated but no quote was revealed. Evidence link |
| Feb 28, 2026 | Jiga | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | blocked | — | RFQ/account-first flow blocked direct standardized subtotal retrieval for the CNC benchmark. Evidence link |
| Feb 28, 2026 | SendCutSend | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | blocked | — | STEP upload succeeded and UI showed dollar values, but the result could not be verified as a normalized CNC-machining subtotal for this benchmark spec. Evidence link |
| Feb 28, 2026 | meviy | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | blocked | — | Public entry redirected to a global marketing page and did not expose an immediate benchmark upload/quote subtotal path. Evidence link |
| Feb 28, 2026 | RapidDirect | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | blocked | — | Reached quote detail QC213600001 after signup and part upload, but pricing remained '-' pending additional configuration (finish/profile dialogs and onboarding popups intercepting flow). Evidence link |
| Feb 28, 2026 | eMachineShop | CNC machining Aluminum 6061 Qty 1 · Standard | blocked | — | CAD upload and submit were attempted, but no stable benchmark subtotal was exposed in this automated pass. Evidence link |
Methodology and Caveats
We upload the same STEP file to each platform with identical specs (CNC machining, Al 6061, qty 1, as-machined, standard lead time). No scraping — a real person navigates each quoting flow. Estimated delivered costs include shipping and customs where applicable.
Raw subtotals are not directly comparable — some platforms include shipping and customs, others don't. Some manufacture in the US, others in China. We show both raw quotes and estimated landed costs with confidence ratings.
Read our full methodology, limitations, and improvement plan →Benchmark Definition
Benchmark name: Canonical single-part benchmark for assisted quote comparisons
Benchmark file label: cnc-bracket-v1.step
Spec version: v2-landed-cost