Looking for Obico alternatives?
Obico (formerly The Spaghetti Detective) is an open-source platform that adds AI failure detection and remote access to OctoPrint and Klipper. It's one of the best at exactly that: the AI is good, the free cloud tier lets you try it at no cost, and because it's open-source you can self-host the whole thing for free, with your data staying on your own hardware. For a single maker on a Klipper or OctoPrint setup, it's a genuinely great, principled tool.
What it isn't is a fleet or team management platform, and it doesn't pretend to be. There's no print queue, no cloud slicer, no filament inventory, no maintenance system and no real multi-user teams, and it's native only to OctoPrint and Klipper (Bambu and Duet work through bridges/community plugins). That management layer, across every brand, is what SimplyPrint is. Here's a fair, side-by-side look.
Obico is the best open-source AI failure detection and remote-monitoring tool, especially for self-hosters and the Klipper/OctoPrint maker crowd. Free to self-host, free AI to try on the cloud, and your data stays yours, that's a real, honest advantage we respect.
SimplyPrint is the management platform around the printing. It has AI failure detection too, and adds an AI bed-check, a print queue, AutoPrint continuous printing, a full cloud slicer, filament inventory with NFC and label printing, a maintenance system, multi-user roles with SSO and a school plan, and it runs Bambu, Klipper/Moonraker, Prusa, Marlin, Duet and OctoPrint natively. If you're running a farm or a classroom, that's the layer Obico doesn't try to be.
Monitoring a printer vs running a farm
Both platforms watch your prints with AI. The difference is everything around the watching: dispatching jobs, slicing, tracking filament, keeping the fleet running.
Where Obico is the better pick
Obico is open-source and principled, and for the right user that's exactly right. SimplyPrint is glad to be honest about it:
Bring-your-own-stack vs native everything, and teams
Obico sits on top of a host you already run, and centres on your account. A farm or a school needs broader hardware support and real users.
Obico and SimplyPrint comparison
Nothing is black-and-white, and there are always pros and cons to consider when choosing a 3D printing cloud solution!
And we're not here to simply tell you, that SimplyPrint is the best - we want you to make an informed decision, and of course there are pros of using Obico as well!
Pros of using Obico
Obico has real strengths, and they're worth being honest about:- Open-source & self-hostable: AGPLv3, free forever to self-host, unlimited printers, your data on your own hardware.
- Free AI to try: the free cloud tier includes AI failure detection (with a monthly detection-hours allowance).
- Native OctoPrint & Klipper: first-class on both, well-loved by the maker and self-host community.
- Privacy & control, plus a public OAuth2 REST API and native iOS/Android apps.
Cons of using Obico
Where Obico stops short of a management platform:- It's a monitoring layer: no print queue and no continuous-printing automation.
- No cloud slicer in the platform (their JusPrin slicer is a separate desktop app), and filament is usage tracking only (no inventory, no NFC).
- OctoPrint/Klipper only: Bambu isn't native (needs an OctoPrint bridge) and Duet is a community plugin.
- No real teams: built around a single account, with no SSO and no education plan.
- No maintenance system, NFC or label printing.
Obico vs. SimplyPrint
Side-by-side list comparison of details and features in Obico and SimplyPrint
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|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Has free plan | ||
| Free printers | 1 cloud / unlimited self-host | 2 |
| Max cost | $6.99+/mo (AI Premium) | Free, or from $9.99/mo (Pro) |
| Free cloud storage | 1GB | 1GB |
| Usage based cost | ||
| Unlimited printing | ||
| Supports all printers | OctoPrint & Klipper hosts | |
| Features | ||
| Remote access | ||
| Filament management | ||
| Filament NFC tags (read & write) | ||
| Filament label printing (Dymo / Zebra) | ||
| Knows your printer | ||
| Cloud files | ||
| Print queue | ||
| Livestream | ||
| Gcode analysis | ||
| A.I failure detection | ||
| AI Bed Check (is the bed clear?) | ||
| AutoPrint / continuous printing | ||
| Maintenance & servicing system | ||
| Custom fields | ||
| Staggered Start (for power draw) | ||
| Schedule prints | ||
| Print job history | ||
| Print remotely | ||
| Built-in slicer | ||
| Multi-printer friendly | ||
| Multi-print | ||
| Multi-stream | ||
| Statistics | ||
| API | ||
| Slicer smart-rotation | ||
| Smart filament change | ||
| Bed level helper | ||
| OctoPrint / Mainsail / Fluidd tunnel | ||
| Organization | ||
| Multiple users | ||
| User groups / ranks | ||
| User permissions | ||
| School plan | ||
| Shared files & folders | ||
| Shared slicer profiles | ||
| Hub | ||
| Custom domains | ||
| SSO (single sign-on) | ||
| Notifications | ||
| Email notifications | ||
| Push (mobile / app) notifications | ||
| SMS / text message notifications | Paid plans | |
| Apps | ||
| Android app | ||
| iOS app | ||
| "PWA" (installable web-application) | ||
| Security & privacy | ||
| Account 2-factor authentication | ||
| Privacy-minded analytics & data-gathering ? | ||
| Support | ||
| Live-chat support | ||
| Phone support | ||
| Email support | ||
| Firmware & gateway support | ||
| OctoPrint install | ||
| Native Moonraker support | ||
| Mainsail install | ||
| Fluidd install | ||
| Klipper support | ||
| Duet3D integration | Via community plugin | |
| Direct Prusa support (MK4, XL and up / new main boards) | ||
| Direct Bambu Lab printer integration | ||
| Support for custom integrations | ||
| Enterprise & partners | ||
| OEM | ||
| Partner program (reseller / distributor) | ||
| Affiliate program | ||
| On-prem / self-hosting ? | Contact us | |
| Compare | See pricing | See pricing |
SimplyPrint prices are shown in USD; see our pricing page for your local currency. Competitor prices are shown as they publish them.
Contact us if you think we made a mistake in our comparison!
Obico vs. SimplyPrint: frequently asked questions
Is Obico or SimplyPrint better?
Can I self-host Obico for free?
Does Obico support Bambu Lab printers?
Does Obico have a print queue or a cloud slicer?
Does Obico do AI failure detection like SimplyPrint?
How much does Obico cost compared to SimplyPrint?
Can Obico manage a team or a classroom?
Conclusion
Why SimplyPrint is the Top Obico Alternative
We made SimplyPrint due to the fact, that nothing else on the market quite fit our needs. We wanted a platform that was easy to use, but still had all the features we needed. We wanted a feature-rich platform, intuitive and easy to use, with a great user experience and actual innovation within the 3D print management software space.
In summary, we - humble and unbiased as we are 😉 - believe that the SimplyPrint platform is a great Obico alternative!
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