Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free trial?
Yes! We offer a 30-day free trial with full access to all features on up to 5 machines. No credit card required to start.
What does "per machine" mean?
A machine is any physical asset (CNC, extruder, press, saw, packaging line, etc.) that sends data via MQTT. Multi-spindle or multi-station equipment that shares a single PLC counts as one machine.
What's the difference between monthly and annual billing?
Annual billing saves you 20% compared to monthly — pay for 10 months, get 12. Monthly billing gives you flexibility to scale up or down each month with no long-term commitment.
What's included in every plan?
Everything. OEE tracking, batch and continuous process support, alarms, maintenance tracking, material genealogy, AI assistant, custom dashboards, reporting, API access, and unlimited users. No feature paywalls. The tiers differ in support level and deployment options, not features.
Is the integration fee required?
Standard onboarding is included with every plan. The integration packages are for customers who want hands-on help with PLC programming, ERP connectivity, or complex multi-plant rollouts. If your machines already publish MQTT/Sparkplug B, you can self-onboard at no extra cost.
Do you offer custom integrations?
Yes. PulseMQ exposes a full REST API and GraphQL interface that can connect to any ERP or enterprise system. For SAP, Oracle, Epicor, and similar platforms, we build custom middleware tailored to your data flow. Integration work is scoped and quoted per project — or available at $200/hr for ongoing development.
How long does implementation take?
Small deployments (1-5 machines) typically go live in 1-2 weeks. Larger implementations with custom integrations may take 2-4 weeks depending on scope.
Do I need to buy hardware?
Not necessarily. PulseMQ works with your existing PLCs and network infrastructure. If your PLCs don't support MQTT natively, we offer optional IoT edge gateways ($1,500-$2,500) that bridge PLC protocols to MQTT and can also serve as a local headless HMI.
Can I start small and scale up?
Absolutely. Most customers start with 1-3 machines to prove value, then expand plant-wide. You automatically move to better per-machine pricing as you add machines. There are no penalties for starting small.
The ROI Is Clear
A 10-machine deployment at $249/machine/month costs $29,880/year. Here's what that investment returns.
15-25x
Return on Investment
10-15%
Downtime Reduction
<1 Month
Typical Payback Period
Where the Value Comes From
Example: 10 machines averaging $500K annual output each = $5M total.
- 5% OEE improvement = $250,000 additional annual output
- 10% downtime reduction = $100,000+ saved in unplanned stops
- Automated reporting = 10+ hours/week of labor recovered
- Material traceability = faster recalls, fewer scrapped batches
Typical annual value: $250K – $400K on a $30K investment