5-Year Cost: Cloud vs On-Prem Shop Software
Compare what shop management software really costs over the years you'll run it: an on-prem Traveler Shop Server you own, Traveler Cloud at $109/mo flat, a per-seat cloud ERP, and a perpetual-license ERP with annual maintenance. Every assumption is editable. The math behind it is in perpetual license vs subscription: the 5-year math. Runs in your browser — nothing leaves this page.
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Options and assumptions
Every number is editable — swap in your own quotes.
5-year costs, 10 users
On these assumptions, Traveler Cloud costs least over 5 years. Change the inputs above to match your quotes — the ranking moves with seat count and how long you keep the system.
Cumulative cost by year
- Traveler Shop Server + continuity
- Traveler Cloud
- Per-seat cloud ERP
- Perpetual-license ERP
| Option | Yr 1 | Yr 2 | Yr 3 | Yr 4 | Yr 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traveler Shop Server + continuity | $4,958+$4,958 | $5,666+$708 | $6,374+$708 | $7,082+$708 | $7,790+$708 |
| Traveler Cloud | $1,308+$1,308 | $2,616+$1,308 | $3,924+$1,308 | $5,232+$1,308 | $6,540+$1,308 |
| Per-seat cloud ERP | $45,000+$45,000 | $75,000+$30,000 | $105,000+$30,000 | $135,000+$30,000 | $165,000+$30,000 |
| Perpetual-license ERP | $35,400+$35,400 | $40,800+$5,400 | $46,200+$5,400 | $51,600+$5,400 | $57,000+$5,400 |
Top: running total at the end of each year. Below: that year's spend. One-time costs land in year 1; the price increase applies to recurring charges from year 2.
Where these numbers come from
These are estimates for comparison, not quotes. Third-party prices are public, unofficial figures — vendors rarely publish list prices, and your quote will differ.
- Traveler: our own published pre-launch prices — Shop Server $4,250 one-time (+$59/mo optional continuity), Shop Server Defense $6,500 (+$99/mo), Traveler Cloud $109/mo flat. Continuity is counted from year 1 even though the box includes 12 months of updates.
- Per-seat cloud ERP: ~$3,000/user/yr is an unofficial JobBOSS² estimate published by ERP Research; implementation of $15,000 sits within the commonly cited $5,000–$40,000 range.
- Perpetual-license ERP: ~$3,000/user is an MIE Trak Pro license estimate; 18%/yr maintenance is a typical perpetual-license maintenance rate, charged from year 1.
- Microsoft 365 GCC High: ~$75/user/mo, within the $60–$93 range Secureframe reports. Licensed through Microsoft resellers; minimums and onboarding fees vary.
- Price increase: defaults to 0%. Vertice reported SaaS prices up 12.3% year over year (Sept 2025) if you want a realistic stress test.
Not included: hardware for on-prem perpetual installs (servers, Windows/SQL licenses, IT time), training, data migration, or customization. They can be significant, but vary too much from shop to shop to default.
Traveler is in early access.
Traveler is quoting and shop management software for small machine shops, offered as a box you own or a flat monthly cloud plan — unlimited users either way. It's pre-launch: nothing is for sale yet, and the prices above are what we plan to charge. See what's in the Shop Server, or get on the early access list.
Straight answers
▸Is on-prem shop software cheaper than cloud over 5 years?
It depends on seat count and how long you keep the system. Per-seat subscriptions grow with every user you add and every price increase; a one-time purchase front-loads the cost and then stays flat. Plug in your own users and quotes above — the crossover year is usually the number that matters.
▸Where do the per-seat and perpetual-license prices come from?
They are public, unofficial estimates — not vendor quotes: about $3,000/user/yr for JobBOSS² cloud (ERP Research), $3,000/user for an MIE Trak Pro license with 18%/yr maintenance, and implementation in the $5,000–$40,000 range. Vendors rarely publish list prices, so replace these with the numbers from your own quotes.
▸Why is Microsoft GCC High a separate line?
Because it's not shop software. Defense subcontractors moving CUI email and files to Microsoft 365 GCC High typically pay $60–$93/user/mo (Secureframe), on top of whatever runs the shop. Whether you need it depends on where your CUI lives and what your assessor accepts — this calculator only shows the cost if you go that way.
▸Does a shop server make me CMMC or ITAR compliant?
No product makes a shop compliant on its own. Compliance comes from your whole environment, your policies and your assessment. Keeping drawings and job data on a box on your own network can simplify where CUI lives, but you still own the controls and the self-assessment.
▸What happens to the Shop Server if I stop paying for continuity?
It keeps working. The $4,250 box includes 12 months of updates; the optional $59/mo continuity plan adds ongoing updates, encrypted offsite backup, remote access for the mobile app and support. Untick continuity above to see the box-only cost.