Price Comparison
Prices checked on Mar 1, 2026
Key finding: Sticker prices are misleading. The “cheapest” raw quote (RapidDirect at $65.55) ships from China with shipping and customs extra. After estimating delivered cost, the range narrows from $65–167 to approximately $100–167. Lead with estimated landed cost, not raw subtotals.
Sorted by estimated delivered cost. This is the comparison that matters for buying decisions.
| Rank | Platform | Raw Quote | Est. Delivered | Confidence | Origin | Lead Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | RapidDirect | $65.55 | ~$112.00 | medium | China (Shenzhen) | Standard - 5 business days |
| #2 | Xometry | $118.10 | $118.10 | high | Global network (US and international) | Standard - 3 business days |
| #3 | SendCutSend | $150.54 | $150.54 | high | US | Default lane (arrives Mar 5) |
| #4 | Hubs | $151.58(EUR 141.66) | ~$151.58 | medium | Global network (cross-docks in Amsterdam and Chicago) | Standard - 14 business days |
| #5 | eMachineShop | $166.81 | $166.81 | high | US | Standard - 20 days |
These are the sticker prices before accounting for shipping and customs. Ordering by raw quote gives a different — and misleading — picture.
| Platform | Raw Quote | Shipping Incl. | Customs Incl. | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RapidDirect | $65.55 | No | No | China (Shenzhen) |
| Xometry | $118.10 | Yes | Yes | Global network (US and international) |
| SendCutSend | $150.54 | Yes | N/A | US |
| Hubs | $151.58 | Yes | Yes | Global network (cross-docks in Amsterdam and Chicago) |
| eMachineShop | $166.81 | Yes | N/A | US |
Configured to Aluminum 6061-T651/T6, qty 1, and default as-machined options, but review page still shows '$—' with 'This part needs to be configured' and only RFQ path.
Quote retrieval blocked by mandatory email verification gate; account cannot access instant quote until inbox verification is completed.
Platform explicitly states it does not provide instant quotes; route is human-reviewed quote in 24h.
Reached MISUMI/meviy login wall requiring existing account credentials before CAD upload or instant subtotal.
Most “cheapest CNC service” rankings are based on opinion, testimonials, or undisclosed testing. eMachineShop, for example, claims to be “about 60% of competitor cost” based on a single user testimonial — but in our test, they quoted $166.81, the highest price of any platform. RapidDirect is frequently cited as the cheapest option, but comparison sites consistently fail to disclose that the sticker price excludes international shipping and US customs.
The data on this page is based on uploading the same STEP file to each platform on the same date and recording actual quotes — not estimates, not advertised pricing, not testimonials. It's the only public, methodology-documented, multi-platform CNC price comparison we're aware of.
By raw quote, RapidDirect was cheapest at $65.55 for our benchmark bracket. But RapidDirect ships from China — after estimated shipping and customs, the delivered cost is $100–125. Xometry delivers for ~$118 all-in. The cheapest option depends on whether you compare sticker prices or delivered costs.
China-based services like RapidDirect quote lower part prices, but you need to add international shipping ($25–40) and US customs duties ($10–20). The total delivered cost gap narrows significantly. You also need to factor in longer lead times (8–15 business days vs 3–5 for US platforms) and IP/communication considerations.
For our benchmark bracket (Aluminum 6061, qty 1, as-machined), delivered costs ranged from ~$100 (RapidDirect, estimated) to ~$167 (eMachineShop). The typical range for a simple single-unit CNC part is $65–170 depending on the platform and where it ships from.
No. A $66 quote from China becomes $100–125 delivered. A $118 quote from Xometry is already all-in. Always check what's included in the quote: shipping, customs, and duties can add 50–90% to a China-sourced part price.
For a single prototype where speed matters, Xometry offers the best combination of all-in pricing ($118) and fast delivery (3 business days). For budget priority with more time, RapidDirect offers the lowest estimated delivered cost ($100–125) with 8–15 business day delivery.
In our test (5 platforms, same Al 6061 bracket, qty 1), raw quotes ranged from $65.55 to $166.81 — a 2.5x spread. Estimated delivered costs ranged from ~$100 to ~$167, a 1.7x spread. Third-party testing found an $800+ difference across 9 services on identical jobs (All3DP Pro), though their methodology is not disclosed.
eMachineShop markets itself with claims of being around 60% of competitor cost based on testimonials. Our data tells a different story: eMachineShop quoted $166.81 for our Al 6061 bracket — the most expensive of the 5 platforms we tested. Their pricing may be more competitive for specific geometries, processes, or quantities. Always get a quote for your specific part before assuming a platform is cheapest.
Significantly. Setup is a fixed cost spread across all units: fixture prep, machine zeroing, programming verification. At qty 1, you absorb 100% of setup. At qty 10, each unit absorbs 10%. Research shows per-unit costs can drop ~78% from qty 1 to qty 100 on simple parts. Our benchmark quotes are all qty 1, the most expensive per-unit scenario. If you're ordering more than 5 units, re-quote at your target quantity — the ranking may change.
The first unit absorbs 100% of the fixed setup cost: fixture preparation, machine zeroing, tool loading, program verification, and first-piece inspection. These fixed costs occur once regardless of quantity — the setup cost doesn't change whether you order 1 part or 100. For simple parts, setup can easily cost as much as the machining itself. This is why prototype prices feel shocking and why per-unit costs drop dramatically at higher quantities.
It depends on what you value. By raw quote, RapidDirect ($65.55) is cheapest. By delivered cost, estimated landed is $100–125 after shipping ($25–40) and US customs duties ($10–20) — close to Xometry's all-in $118.10. Additional factors: 8–15 day total lead time vs 3–5 domestic, IP exposure risk, time zone communication overhead, and tariff uncertainty (Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods subject to change). For low-IP-risk prototypes where you can wait, RapidDirect is likely the cheapest delivered option. For anything production-critical or time-sensitive, the cost gap nearly disappears.
Machined aluminum parts from China are subject to Section 301 tariffs, which have ranged from 7.5–25% depending on HTS code and current tariff schedules. The applicable HTS range for machined aluminum is typically 7616.99 or 8479 depending on the part's function. For our benchmark bracket, we estimate $10–20 in duties — but this is an estimate, not a verified customs quote. HTS classification and tariff rates can change. Always verify the applicable rate for your specific part before finalizing a China-sourced landed cost estimate.