The short answer
Guidewheel sells FactoryOps: clip-on current sensors on machine power cables plus software for run/idle/down tracking, with dedicated onboarding and prices that start at US$25,000 a year. InduQT gets the same run/idle/down signal from an off-the-shelf clamp you buy (about US$60 per machine), adds other sensors and PLC data over MQTT, and costs US$49 a month for three machines plus US$12 for each extra, with unlimited users. Choose Guidewheel for a managed OEE programme across a large plant; choose InduQT to start with a handful of machines and grow.
- Guidewheel price: “Prices start at $25k annually”, depending on machines, sites, contract length and hardware (Guidewheel pricing page).
- Guidewheel sensors: clip-on current sensors; 4–20 mA and pulse sources for other values; Ethernet, Wi-Fi or LTE to the cloud (Guidewheel).
- Guidewheel integrations listed as live: MaintainX, Limble, AVEVA and an open API (Guidewheel). MQTT and OPC UA: not published.
- InduQT: free for 3 machines; Fleet Starter US$49 a month for 3 machines plus US$12 each; no sensors sold.
| Guidewheel | InduQT | |
|---|---|---|
| Core signal | Machine run, idle and down from clip-on current sensors | The same from an off-the-shelf clamp, plus temperature, vibration, pressure, cycles and PLC data |
| Hardware | Guidewheel sensors (models not published) | None sold; Shelly, ESP32, Bluetooth, 4–20 mA or existing PLC/meter data |
| Price | From US$25k a year | Free (3 machines); US$49/month (3 + US$12 each); US$399/month per site for live connectors |
| Users | Not published | Unlimited |
| Onboarding | Dedicated onboarding and support for all customers | Self-serve guides; free setup with a 12-month plan |
| Inputs | 4–20 mA, pulse; open API; MQTT/OPC UA not published | MQTT, OPC UA, Azure IoT Hub, HTTPS ingest, Excel/CSV |
| AI | Not compared here | Explains each event with the machine’s manual and confirmed fixes; works inside Claude |
Read this first
When Guidewheel is the better choice
- A large plant or several sites that want one managed OEE and production-tracking programme.
- You want the vendor to supply the hardware and run onboarding and support.
- Your team wants production boards and shift reports out of the box.
When InduQT is the better choice
- A budget well under US$25k a year, or only a few machines to start.
- You want more than run/idle/down: temperatures, vibration, pressure, PLC values, with warnings before failure.
- You already log data in Excel or a home-grown system.
- Unlimited users and a published price matter to you.
Cost for a 20-machine job shop
With InduQT: about US$1,500 once for clamps, counters and a gateway, and US$253 a month for 20 machines on Fleet Starter, about US$4,500 in the first year. Guidewheel’s published starting price is US$25,000 a year; ask them what that includes for your plant.
Frequently asked questions
Can I measure OEE with InduQT?
Availability comes from the current clamp; performance from a cycle counter; quality from your scrap records. See the CNC and injection moulding guides.
Can InduQT use Guidewheel’s data?
If Guidewheel’s open API exports readings, they can be posted to InduQT’s ingest API.