Protolabs alternative · CNC machining

A Protolabs alternative for CNC machine shops

Protolabs is a digital manufacturer that makes parts in its own factories and through its supplier network, under its own brand. SeekMake works the other way: it puts instant quoting on your own website, so customers order from you, at your prices, under your brand.

CNC shops often lose prototype and short-run work simply because the buyer needed a price the same day. Speed matters, but so does knowing who made the part when the second batch is due. Instant quotes on your own site cover both: the buyer gets a price from your rates while still on the page, and the reorder comes back to your shop.

Watch the demo
Free planFree setup callYour logo, your domain
yourshop.com/instant-quote
SeekMake instant quote widget: a part being analysed and priced, with material options and a cart
Key factsLast updated
Built for
Job shops, milling and turning
Customers upload
STEP and STL
Price follows
Your rates, setup and margins
Your brand on
Widget, portal, emails, quotes, invoices
Domain
Your own
SeekMake name
Never shown to customers
The problem

Your customers should remember your name

Marketplace or third-party tooltheir brand

  • The platform's logo on the quote
  • Customers learn the platform's name
  • Repeat orders go back to the platform
  • Your shop is just a supplier

SeekMake white labelyour brand

  • Your logo on every page and document
  • Your domain in the address bar
  • Repeat orders come back to you
  • The customer relationship is yours
Demo

See SeekMake in action

Watch a customer upload files, get prices and check out, then see the order arrive in the shop’s dashboard.

SeekMake demo video: upload files, see prices and check out
How it works

Customize everything customers see

Input fields, options, post-processing, finishes, certifications, colours, layout and design.

  • 01
    BrandLogo, colours, fonts and corner style.
  • 02
    DomainThe widget and portal on your own domain.
  • 03
    DocumentsQuotes, invoices and emails in your branding.
quote.yourshop.com
SeekMake instant quote widget: a part being analysed and priced, with material options and a cart
Fully customizable

A quote widget that looks and works like your website

Choose what customers fill in and what they can pick, then style it to match your site. Your customers never see the SeekMake name.

  • Input fields
  • Options customers can pick
  • Post-processing
  • Finishes
  • Certifications
  • Colours
  • Layout
  • Design and fonts
100% white labelYour logo, your colours and your domain on the widget, the customer portal, emails, quotes and invoices.
ColourLayoutCorners
Your shopbracket_v3.step
Ready to price4/4
  • Tool access
  • Wall thickness
  • Hole sizes
  • Undercuts
Material
Aluminium 6061
Finish
Anodized, black
Tolerance
±0.05 mm
Thread inserts
2 × M6
Certification
Material certificate 3.1
Quantity: 50
€1,240.00
Ships in 7 working days
Add to cart
Request manual quote
Example widget. Prices are illustrative.
Your pricing rules

Price CNC machining the way your estimator does

These are the inputs you control. Example values are for illustration only.

MaterialMaterial and stockAluminium 6061, steel, brass, plastics, priced per kg or per bar
TimeMachine timeCalculated from the part's geometry and your hourly rate per machine
SetupSetup per jobA fixed charge spread over the quantity ordered
ToleranceTolerance classFor example ±0.1 mm standard or ±0.05 mm precision, with its own surcharge
FinishSurface finishAnodizing, bead blasting, powder coating, each with its price
QtyQuantity breaksLower unit prices as quantity goes up
Customer portal

Customers track every quote and order themselves

Each customer gets a portal on your domain with their quotes, orders, invoices and messages, so they stop emailing you for status updates.

  • 01
    Quotes saved automaticallyEvery upload becomes a quote the customer can reopen, edit and order later.
  • 02
    Order status and chatProduction status and a message thread on each order.
  • 03
    Invoices and receiptsDocuments generated from the order, in your branding.
portal.yourshop.com/quotes
Customer portal listing quotes and their status
Grow your sales

Features that help you win more orders

Instant prices bring the requests in. These features turn more of them into paid orders.

Automatic follow-ups

Customers who didn’t order get reminder emails on the schedule you choose.

See who viewed the quote

Know when a customer opens a quote, so you follow up at the right moment.

Customer portal

Customers reopen quotes, reorder and track production without emailing you.

File repair

Broken meshes are fixed automatically, so fewer quotes stall on a bad file.

Email to quote

Forward an RFQ email and a draft quote is created for you to review.

Discounts and coupons

Offers for new customers, repeat buyers or large orders.

And more: order tracking, analytics, custom emails and online payments.

Not sure it fits your shop?Book a discovery call. We look at your process, your pricing and your website together.
Comparison

Protolabs vs SeekMake for a machine shop

ComparisonProtolabsSeekMake
Who the customer buys fromProtolabsYour shop
Brand on the quote pageProtolabs'sYours
Who sets the priceProtolabsYou
Where repeat orders goBack to ProtolabsYour website
Customer dataHeld by ProtolabsYours
Time saved

What instant quoting saves your shop

Hours saved per month
40 h
Cost saved per month
€1,819

Assumes about 1 minute to review each automatic quote and 4.33 weeks per month. Change the sliders to match your shop.

Back office

Everything after the order, in the same place

Order page with production status and customer chat

Orders and customer chat

Each order carries its files, price breakdown, delivery date and a thread with the customer.

Production board with jobs grouped by status

Production board

Jobs move from quote to production to shipping, grouped by status and machine.

Printable work order instructions

Work orders

Printable instructions with part, material, quantity and inspection fields.

Analytics with revenue, orders and visitors

Reports

Revenue, orders, quote-to-order rate and visitors in one view.

CustomersDiscounts and couponsShipping rulesMachinesMaterialsCustom emailsJob queuePayments: card, PayPal, bank transfer
Integrations

Works with the tools you already use

Integrations: Google Drive, QuickBooks, Trello, Google Sheets, WordPress, Shopify
FAQ

Questions shops ask before switching

Can I keep working with Protolabs?

Yes. SeekMake runs on your own website and doesn't stop you taking work from Protolabs or other platforms.

Do you take a commission on my orders?

SeekMake has a free plan with a small fee on orders paid online, and paid plans with lower or no fees. Orders paid by bank transfer go straight to you.

Who owns the customer?

You do. Customers create accounts on your domain and reorder from you.

How does stock material cost feed into a CNC price?

Material cost is one of your pricing inputs, next to machine time, setup, finishes and margins, so the stock prices you set flow into each quote.

Can I offer anodizing or bead blasting as options?

Yes. Finishes and post-processing are options you configure in the widget and price with your own rates.

Which files can customers upload?

STEP and STL files. The part is checked and measured automatically when it is uploaded.

How much does SeekMake cost?

There is a free plan to start. Paid plans add more features, lower fees on online orders and priority support.

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