Honest comparison
MetalShopHQ vs. ProShop ERP.
ProShop ERP is a comprehensive paperless shop management system, especially well-loved by aerospace, medical, and other ISO-9001 / AS9100 shops. It does a lot. If you need every box of every standard ticked, look at ProShop. If you’re running a custom-fab shop where the priority is getting jobs out the door this week — read on.
ProShop ERP is for…
Quality-regulated manufacturers in aerospace, medical, defence, or other ISO/AS-certified industries that need every quality, document control, CAPA, and audit workflow built in — and have the team capacity to operate a comprehensive ERP.
MetalShopHQ is for…
Custom metal fabrication shops (architectural, structural, food-grade, general fab) that prioritize getting jobs through the door over comprehensive quality-system workflows. Set up the same day; learn it in an afternoon.
Side by side.
Based on publicly available information about ProShop ERPas of 2026. Tell us if something’s out of date.
| Feature | ProShop ERP | MetalShopHQ |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first job tracked | Multi-month implementation typical. | Same day. Most shops are live in under an hour. |
| Pricing transparency | Quote-only. Sales call required. | Free during launch. Tiers published Q2 2026. |
| Shop-floor UX | Powerful but dense — designed for desks. Shop-floor stations need training. | Designed for thumbs and gloves. Tablet-first time tracking. |
| AI document ingest | Not a core feature. | Drop a supplier invoice or quote — AI extracts supplier, doc number, total. |
| ISO-9001 / AS9100 quality workflows | Deep — built around ISO/AS requirements. | Not the focus. We track jobs, time, drawings, inventory, POs — not formal CAPA or document control. |
| Learning curve | Steep. Plan for weeks of team training. | Gentle. Shop staff log time on day one. |
| Quoting integration | Built-in quoting module. | Pairs with MetalCutHQ for instant customer-facing CNC quoting. |
| Role-based shop-floor privacy | Configurable. | Five roles ship by default. Shop staff never see costs or supplier prices. |
When ProShop ERP is the better choice.
You’re ISO-9001 or AS9100 certified (or pursuing it), need comprehensive quality-management workflows, document control, CAPA, and an audit trail that satisfies a quality auditor walking in unannounced. ProShop is genuinely excellent for that — and they have happy customers to prove it.
When MetalShopHQ wins.
Your shop isn’t audit-driven, and what you actually need is a faster, simpler way to know which jobs are where, what your team logged time to, where the drawings live, and what you owe suppliers. You want to be running this week, not next quarter. And you’d like the shop floor to actually open the software without complaining.
See if MetalShopHQ fits your shop.
20-minute call, honest answer. If we’re not a fit, we’ll say so.