Meet an alternative to Watchtower 3D

How does SimplyPrint compare with Watchtower 3D? What's the best 3D printing cloud platform? Discover why SimplyPrint might be what you and your printer never knew you were missing!

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Looking for Watchtower 3D alternatives?

Watchtower is a new print-farm dashboard that runs entirely on your own computer or Raspberry Pi. It's sold as a one-time "lifetime" licence instead of a subscription, and it's crowdfunding on Kickstarter until 31 October 2026. The pitch lands with a lot of farm owners, and it's easy to see why: no cloud, no monthly bill, everything on your own network.

SimplyPrint has run print farms since 2020, and nearly everything on Watchtower's feature list (camera wall, smart queue, filament tracking, AI failure detection, automatic part ejection, Etsy-style order handling) is something farms already run on SimplyPrint, or, in the case of storefronts, already pilot. So the real questions are less about features and more about what you're buying: who keeps the software working as printer firmware changes, what "lifetime" covers, and how much of the platform has been proven at scale. Here's a fair look at both.

Best known for Print farm Hobbyist
The bottom line

Watchtower is a promising local-first dashboard from a two-person team, built by a print-farm operator for farms like theirs. If you want software that never leaves your network, works with the internet down and needs no account, and you're happy to host it, back it up and wait for launch, its Kickstarter offer is appealing.

SimplyPrint has been running print farms since 2020, with 125,000+ users and 6M+ prints managed. It already ships what Watchtower is crowdfunding toward, including a cloud slicer with 7 engines, native iOS and Android apps, and support for 618 printer models from 138 brands. Updates, support and hosting are included for as long as you subscribe. If you'd rather run your farm on a platform with a track record than on a promise, SimplyPrint is the safer choice.

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  1. The bottom line
  2. A proven platform vs. a Kickstarter promise
  3. Everything on Watchtower's list, already shipping
  4. Where Watchtower might be the better pick
  5. Full comparison table
  6. FAQ

A proven platform vs. a Kickstarter promise

Print farm software is a long-term commitment. Printer firmware changes, Bambu tightens its APIs, new printers launch every quarter, and your software has to keep up. That makes "who keeps this working, and for how long" the most important comparison on this page.

Track record
SimplyPrint
Running print farms since 2020. 125,000+ users and 6M+ prints managed, across 138 printer brands.
Watchtower 3D
Concept in October 2024, Kickstarter in October 2026 (the creator's first campaign). Licence keys are due about 30 days after the campaign closes, so it isn't generally available yet.
What "lifetime" covers
SimplyPrint
Every update and new printer integration is included for as long as you subscribe. There's no paid upgrade cycle for the software.
Watchtower 3D
Lifetime use of the version you have, with one year of updates (two for backers if a CA$250K stretch goal is reached). After that, Watchtower's FAQ says updates cost 50% of the retail licence price per year, and retail pricing hasn't been published yet. Critical security fixes are promised free.
Who keeps it running
SimplyPrint
A full team develops, hosts, monitors and backs up the platform, with Discord and AI help on every plan, email support from Pro, live chat from Print Farm and phone support on Enterprise.
Watchtower 3D
"We're a two man team currently," in the founders' own words. You host it, update it and back it up on your own machine.
Watchtower may well grow into a solid product, and we hope farms are well served by it. Today, though, you'd be buying a licence for software that hasn't launched, from a two-person team, with a limited update period included. SimplyPrint has been doing this every day since 2020.

Watchtower details from its Kickstarter campaign, FAQ and creator replies, as of 12 October 2026, while the campaign is still running.

Everything on Watchtower's list, already shipping

Watchtower's feature list will look familiar to any SimplyPrint user. The difference is depth, and that it's already proven on 500+ print farms.

Printers
SimplyPrint
618 printer models from 138 brands: Bambu Lab, Prusa, Creality, Elegoo, Anycubic, Snapmaker, Qidi, Flashforge, UltiMaker and more, via Klipper, OctoPrint, Duet, the SimplyPrint Client and direct integrations. Check your printers.
Watchtower 3D
Four connection methods today: Bambu Lab, Klipper/Moonraker, PrusaLink and OctoPrint. Elegoo and Anycubic support is in development for launch, and broader printer support is a funded stretch goal.
AI and automation
SimplyPrint
AI failure detection for spaghetti, warping and blobbing, plus an AI bed check (beta). AutoPrint has cleared beds since 2023, with official support for FarmLoop, JobOx, SwapMod, PlateCycler and more, and a queue that picks the next matching job for whichever printer frees up.
Watchtower 3D
Spaghetti detection, automatic ejection and a camera check that the bed is clear, all from the Basic licence up.
Slicing and apps
SimplyPrint
A full cloud slicer in the browser with 7 engines, plus native iOS and Android apps.
Watchtower 3D
No built-in slicer yet (it's a funded stretch goal), so you slice on a desktop. Watchtower rates its own native mobile apps as "partial"; phones use the browser.
Almost everything Watchtower promises, a SimplyPrint farm can use today, on more printers, with a slicer and native apps on top.

Where Watchtower might be the better pick

Credit where it's due. Watchtower has a few genuine strengths, and for some farms they'll matter most:

Fully local, no account
SimplyPrint
A managed cloud platform. Prints already running carry on if your internet drops, but the dashboard itself lives online.
Watchtower 3D
The whole app runs on your own hardware, keeps working with the internet down and needs no vendor account (licence activation is a one-time online check).
Upfront price
SimplyPrint
2 printers free. On Print Farm, from about $4 per printer per month, so roughly $48 per printer for a first year, with volume discounts and Fair Billing.
Watchtower 3D
A one-time licence by printer count: CA$672 (about US$470) for up to 25 printers at the Kickstarter price, under US$20 per printer including the first year of updates. Cheaper on paper, if you host it yourself and pay for later updates only when you want them.
A few handy extras
SimplyPrint
Uploads from OrcaSlicer and Cura, PSU control through OctoPrint, and AI assistants via our MCP server. Storefront order sync is in a closed pilot.
Watchtower 3D
Shows up as a printer in Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer and PrusaSlicer, auto-discovers Kasa and Matter smart plugs with live power draw, lets you text your farm by SMS or iMessage, and syncs Etsy and Shopify orders from the Pro licence up.
If keeping everything on your own network matters more than anything else, and you're comfortable hosting it yourself, Watchtower is worth a look once it ships. For a farm that wants a proven platform, more printers, a slicer, native apps and support included, SimplyPrint goes further.

Watchtower 3D 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 Watchtower 3D as well!

Pros of using Watchtower 3D

Watchtower has real strengths, and they're worth being honest about:

  • Fully local: runs on your own Mac, Windows, Linux or Raspberry Pi machine, with no vendor account and no cloud dependency after a one-time licence activation.
  • One-time licence: pay once by printer count; further updates after the first year are optional.
  • Slicer "virtual printer": Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer and PrusaSlicer can send jobs straight into its queue.
  • Smart plugs and texting: native Kasa and Matter plugs with live power draw, and a farm agent you can text from SMS, iMessage, Discord or Slack.

Cons of using Watchtower 3D

Where Watchtower falls short today:

  • Not launched yet: still on Kickstarter, with licence keys due about 30 days after the campaign closes on 31 October 2026.
  • "Lifetime" means a limited update period: one year (two for backers if a stretch goal is reached), then 50% of a retail price that hasn't been published, renewed yearly.
  • A two-person team: in the founders' own words, so keeping up with every printer firmware change rests on very few people.
  • Four connection methods: Bambu Lab, Klipper, PrusaLink and OctoPrint; Duet isn't among them. Elegoo, Anycubic and more are promised for launch or later.
  • No slicer or native apps yet: integrated slicing is a stretch goal, and phones use the browser.
  • Features by tier and printer cap: AI detection and ejection start at Basic (10 printers), storefronts and the farm agent at Pro (15); every licence has a printer limit.
  • You run the server: 4-8 GB of RAM to start (a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 works), but Watchtower recommends 16 GB for around 10 printers and 32 GB for 30 or more with cameras, and you handle backups and updates.

Watchtower 3D vs. SimplyPrint

Side-by-side list comparison of details and features in Watchtower 3D and SimplyPrint

Watchtower 3D logo SimplyPrint logo
General
Has free plan
Free printers 0 2
Free cloud storage Local storage only 1GB
Usage based cost
Unlimited printing
Pricing
Pricing model One-time licence + optional yearly updates Flat plan + per-printer
Price per printer ~US$19/printer once (25-printer licence) From $4 to ~$3/mo at scale
Fair Billing (only pay for printers & seats you use) ? N/A (one-time licence)
Volume pricing (per-printer cost drops at scale) ? Larger licences cost less per printer
Supports all printers Bambu, Klipper, PrusaLink, OctoPrint
Features
Remote access Via a VPN or tunnel it sets up
Filament management
Filament NFC tags (read & write)
Filament label printing (Dymo / Zebra)
Knows your printer
Cloud files Local library (G-code)
Print queue
Livestream
Gcode analysis
A.I failure detection Spaghetti only (Basic licence+)
AI Bed Check (is the bed clear?) Camera bed-clear check (Basic+)
AutoPrint / continuous printing Ejection templates (Basic+)
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
Organization
Multiple users
User groups / ranks 3 roles, 85 permissions
User permissions
School plan
Shared files & folders
Shared slicer profiles
Hub
Custom domains Via Cloudflare Tunnel
SSO (single sign-on)
Notifications
Email notifications
Push (mobile / app) notifications Browser push
SMS / text message notifications
Apps
Android app Browser only
iOS app Browser only
"PWA" (installable web-application)
Security & privacy
Account 2-factor authentication
Privacy-minded analytics & data-gathering ?
Support
Live-chat support Discord community
Phone support
Email support
Firmware & gateway support
OctoPrint install Connects to OctoPrint
Native Moonraker support
Mainsail install
Fluidd install
Klipper support
Duet3D integration
Direct Prusa support (MK4, XL and up / new main boards) Via PrusaLink
Direct Creality integration (modern printers) ? Via Klipper
Direct Bambu Lab printer integration
Support for custom integrations
Enterprise & partners
OEM On request
Partner program (reseller / distributor)
Affiliate program
On-prem / self-hosting ? Contact us
Selling & custom products
Automated Etsy / Shopify order-to-print ? Etsy + Shopify (Pro licence+) Closed beta: coming soon
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!

Watchtower 3D vs. SimplyPrint: frequently asked questions

Is Watchtower really a lifetime licence?

Partly. You can use the version you have forever, but Watchtower's Kickstarter FAQ says each licence includes one year of software updates (two for backers if a CA$250K stretch goal is reached). After that, updates cost 50% of the retail licence price for each further year, and retail pricing hasn't been published yet. Critical security fixes are promised free. With SimplyPrint, every update and new printer integration is included for as long as you subscribe.

Is Watchtower available yet?

Not generally. Watchtower is crowdfunding on Kickstarter until 31 October 2026, and backers are told to expect licence keys about 30 days after the campaign closes. Beta testers have used it on their own farms. SimplyPrint has been available, and running print farms, since 2020.

Is Watchtower or SimplyPrint better for a print farm?

It depends on what matters most. If you want software that runs only on your own network and you're happy to host it yourself, Watchtower's approach will appeal. For most farms, SimplyPrint is the stronger choice: a track record since 2020, more printer brands, AI detection beyond spaghetti, AutoPrint with official hardware partners, a cloud slicer, native mobile apps, and updates and support included.

Which printers does Watchtower support?

Watchtower lists four connection methods: Bambu Lab, Klipper (Moonraker), PrusaLink and OctoPrint, plus AMS, CFS, Qidi Box and toolchanger multi-material. Elegoo and Anycubic support is in development for launch, and broader support is a funded stretch goal. SimplyPrint supports 618 printer models from 138 brands, including Duet, and Creality, Elegoo, Anycubic, Flashforge and more through the SimplyPrint Client. Check your printers.

Does Watchtower work without the internet? Does SimplyPrint?

Watchtower runs entirely on your own computer and keeps working offline after a one-time online licence activation, which is a real advantage for some farms. SimplyPrint is a managed cloud platform: prints already running carry on if your internet drops, and the dashboard, queue, AI and apps work from anywhere without you hosting a server, opening ports or running a VPN.

Is Watchtower open source?

No. The founders have confirmed on Kickstarter that it isn't open source, though it has a REST API. Like SimplyPrint, it's proprietary software, so you depend on the company to keep it updated.

Is Watchtower's comparison with SimplyPrint accurate?

Partly. Watchtower's campaign compares itself with SimplyPrint and others, and some of its SimplyPrint cells understate what's included. SimplyPrint has a live camera view of every printer at once, AI detection of spaghetti, warping and blobbing with an AI bed check (beta), and per-printer permissions through ranks. Its separate automation table, which says "other solutions" rely on hand-edited G-code with no safety checks, names no product; it doesn't describe SimplyPrint's AutoPrint, which has shipped since 2023 with per-printer templates, official hardware integrations and a bed-clear check before the next print.

Is Watchtower cheaper than SimplyPrint?

On upfront price, usually yes. A 25-printer licence is CA$672 (about US$470) at the Kickstarter price, under US$20 per printer including the first year of updates; later updates are optional and paid. On SimplyPrint Print Farm, the same printer costs from about $4 a month, roughly $48 for a first year, with hosting, updates and support included, volume discounts and Fair Billing. With Watchtower, factor in a computer to host it (16 GB of RAM is recommended for about 10 printers) and the time to maintain it.

Conclusion
Why SimplyPrint is the Top Watchtower 3D 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 Watchtower 3D alternative!

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