RealTrac alternative for machine shop scheduling in the browser, with a published price per plant
ProductionPlanning.ai is a RealTrac alternative for machine shops and job shops that want a finite capacity schedule without buying a whole shop management system. RealTrac is job shop software from Livonia, Michigan, started in 1981 inside a machine shop, and priced by quote per module and user: Capterra lists it from 189 USD per feature a month. We schedule every machine against its real shifts and setups in the browser, from 149 USD per plant a month with unlimited users. RealTrac covers estimating, purchasing and time collection, which we do not, and the comparison below says so.
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Machine shop, This week's schedule, finite capacity per work center
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What RealTrac is, and who it is built for
RealTrac is shop management software for machine shops, job shops and make to order manufacturers. It was founded in 1981 in a machine shop in Livonia, Michigan, and it is still based there. It is sold as modules: Shop Management for estimates, sales orders and job tracking, Scheduling, Purchasing and Inventory, Executive Management for reports, and an accounting integration. The scheduling module includes Rightboard, a visual electronic whiteboard where you set the job order on each machine, along with machine loading, open job status and handling for complex jobs and assemblies. Operators clock on and off jobs by barcode or touchscreen. That makes it a full system for running a shop, with the schedule as one part of it.
Why machine shops look for a RealTrac alternative
RealTrac has more than four decades in job shops, and many owners run it for years. Shops that start looking usually hit one of these first.
- There is no price on the site. RealTrac's pricing page explains the model and sends you to a quote form, and directories disagree: Capterra shows 189 USD per feature a month, SelectHub an entry price of 79 USD a month
- You pay by module and by user. The pricing page says you buy the modules and users you need and add more as you grow, so a bigger shop or one more module raises the bill
- Ownership and subscription do not mix. RealTrac sells the software outright or as monthly or annual SaaS, and its pricing page says subscription payments are not credited toward a later purchase
- Reviewers on SelectHub mention a learning curve, slow loading between modules, limited mobile use and limited integrations, including QuickBooks, and some call it costly for smaller shops
- The schedule is only as good as the board. If what you need is a projected finish date on every order and a named bottleneck each week, you are buying a whole shop system to get there
If the last point is the real problem, you may not need to replace RealTrac at all. You can schedule next to it.
RealTrac vs ProductionPlanning.ai, side by side
| What matters | ProductionPlanning.ai | RealTrac |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Finite capacity production scheduling software | Job shop management system with a scheduling module |
| Where it runs | In the browser, hosted for you | Owned software or SaaS, ask RealTrac how SaaS is hosted |
| Published price | Yes, on the pricing page | No, quote by module and user |
| Entry price | 149 USD per plant a month, or 894 USD a year | Capterra lists 189 USD per feature a month, SelectHub from 79 USD a month |
| Users | Unlimited on every plan | Priced per user |
| Contract | Monthly and cancellable, or yearly at half price | Monthly SaaS with no contract, annual SaaS, or purchase |
| Visual schedule by machine | Yes, Gantt by work center and by order | Yes, Rightboard electronic whiteboard |
| Finite capacity against shifts and holidays | Yes, on every plan | Machine loading by estimated time and shop capacity |
| Late order and bottleneck warnings | Projected finish date for every order, the week's bottleneck named | Open job status, ahead or behind schedule |
| Estimating and quoting | No | Yes, in Shop Management |
| Purchasing and inventory | Material shortages against the schedule, on Plant | Yes, a full module |
| Operator time collection | Start and finish jobs from a screen, on Plant | Barcode or touchscreen clock on and off |
| Accounting integration | No, keep your accounting system | Yes, an accounting integration module |
| Setup | Import a spreadsheet the same afternoon | Install or subscribe, set up modules, train the shop |
| Best for | 5 to 60 person shops that want the schedule fixed this week | Shops that want quoting, purchasing, time and scheduling from one vendor |
RealTrac details come from realtrac.com and its pricing page. RealTrac publishes no dollar amounts, so the prices in its column are the figures directories list, not a quote. Our plans and limits are on the pricing page.
What RealTrac costs next to a flat per plant price
RealTrac does not publish a price, so this is a sketch built on the one rate a directory lists. It assumes each module counts as one feature, which RealTrac may not do, so read it as a starting point for your own quote.
| Cost line | RealTrac, directory listing | ProductionPlanning.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Software, year one | 189 USD per feature a month per Capterra, 2,268 USD a year for each module | 894 USD on Line, 2,574 USD on Plant, paid yearly |
| Users | Added to the quote as the shop grows | Unlimited, nothing to add |
| Support and training | Included in SaaS, an optional yearly contract if you buy the software | Included |
| Refunds | None for unused subscription time, 60 day window on a purchase, per RealTrac | Cancel the monthly plan any time |
| Three year software total | Scheduling module alone about 6,800 USD, four modules about 27,200 USD | 2,682 USD on Line, 7,722 USD on Plant |
If you only need the schedule, the totals sit close enough that price will not decide it. What decides it is scope. RealTrac money buys estimating, purchasing, time collection and reports. Ours buys a finite schedule that tells you which orders ship late and why.
Where RealTrac is the better choice
We would rather you buy the right system. Choose RealTrac if any of these applies.
- You want estimating, quoting, sales orders and job costing in the same system as the schedule
- You want purchasing and inventory managed by one vendor, not matched against the schedule from another tool
- Your operators already clock on and off jobs by barcode and you want that labor data to drive job costs
- You want to own the software outright, with a one time payment or up to 12 monthly payments
- You prefer a vendor that grew up in a Michigan machine shop and sells to job shops across North America
For a shop that wants one system for the whole front office and floor, RealTrac is a reasonable choice, and switching away from it costs more than a schedule fix is worth.
Where a browser based scheduler wins
- A published price, 149 USD per plant a month on Line and 429 USD on Plant, monthly and cancellable, or six months' price for a year (50 percent off)
- Unlimited users, so every shift lead, programmer and salesperson sees the plan without a seat count
- Finite capacity on every machine and shift, with holidays and maintenance windows, on every plan
- Setup times per product family and automatic grouping of similar jobs on Plant, so changeovers stop eating spindle hours
- Projected finish dates for every open order and the week's bottleneck named with the jobs it will make late
- Runs next to RealTrac or any ERP, so you keep quoting and purchasing where they are and fix the schedule only
- Live the same afternoon from a spreadsheet of open jobs and routings, with nothing to install
The clearest fit is a 5 to 60 person machine shop that schedules on a whiteboard or a spreadsheet beside its shop system. See how we load spindles on machine scheduling software and handle make to order work on job shop software. If you are weighing a whole ERP instead, our Global Shop Solutions alternative, JobBOSS alternative and ProShop ERP alternative pages compare the systems most often on a RealTrac shortlist.
How to test a RealTrac alternative on your own jobs
1. Export open jobs and routings
Pull open jobs with part number, quantity and due date, and each operation with its machine, setup and run time, from RealTrac reports or the spreadsheet you schedule in today.
2. Enter machines and shifts
Add each machine or cell with the shifts it runs, holidays and planned maintenance. For a shop with 20 machines this takes about an hour, and it is what makes the schedule finite.
3. Run a week next to Rightboard
Publish the schedule and compare the late order list and the bottleneck with what your board shows. Keep quoting and purchasing in RealTrac while you test.
4. Decide what to keep
If the schedule earns its place, you can keep RealTrac for the front office and run the floor from ours, or plan a full move later. Either way you know before you sign anything.
Questions people ask before replacing RealTrac
What is the best alternative to RealTrac?
It depends on what you want to replace. For a whole job shop system, buyers compare JobBOSS2, ProShop, Global Shop Solutions and E2 Shop System. For a finite capacity schedule with a published price, ProductionPlanning.ai starts at 149 USD per plant a month with unlimited users and runs next to RealTrac. Our best production scheduling software roundup compares eleven tools with real prices.
How much does RealTrac cost?
RealTrac does not publish prices. Its pricing page says you pay for the modules and users you need, as monthly SaaS with no contract, annual SaaS or a purchase. Capterra lists 189 USD per feature a month and SelectHub an entry price of 79 USD a month. Ask for the per module and per user figures in writing.
Is RealTrac cloud based?
RealTrac sells monthly and annual SaaS plans as well as software you own, plus a separate cloud backup service for your data. Its site does not say where the SaaS plans are hosted, so ask before you sign. ProductionPlanning.ai runs in the browser with nothing to install.
RealTrac vs Global Shop Solutions, which is better for a job shop?
They are different sizes of system. RealTrac is a modular shop management system for small machine and job shops. Global Shop Solutions is a full ERP licensed by concurrent user, with third party estimates of 100 to 200 USD per user a month and a 10 user minimum. Our Global Shop Solutions pricing article works through its three year cost.
Does RealTrac integrate with QuickBooks?
RealTrac sells an accounting integration module, but its site does not name the systems it connects to, and some SelectHub reviewers mention limited QuickBooks integration. Ask for a demo with your own accounting file. ProductionPlanning.ai does not touch accounting at all, so it works whatever books you keep.
Can I use ProductionPlanning.ai alongside RealTrac?
Yes. Export open jobs and routings from RealTrac into a spreadsheet, import it, and publish a finite schedule the same afternoon. Quoting, purchasing and time collection stay in RealTrac. On the Plant plan, operators can also mark jobs started and finished at the machine.
Get a finite capacity schedule this week, without a new shop system
Start on the Line plan at 149 USD a month with the whole shop included, or run the demo on a sample week of orders first. You will see your own bottleneck the same afternoon.
Your data stays yours. Export or delete it any time. No card to try the demo.