Comparison
Duro vs Propel, and where ManyRows fits
Both of these are modern cloud PLM, so a feature count will not separate them. What separates them is what each one is anchored to. Duro is anchored to the CAD package: the bill of materials comes out of Altium or SolidWorks and lands in a component library that understands parametric specs. Propel is anchored to Salesforce: product data sits beside the CRM with one admin model and one reporting stack. Pick the anchor that matches where your work actually starts. The third column is for teams whose work starts at neither.
The Duro and Propel columns below say what each product is built for, in its own terms, taken from our full write-up of Duro and Propel PLM. We have not run the two against each other, and nothing here claims one beats the other. Read it as two self-descriptions side by side, with ours in the third column.
| Capability | Duro | Propel | ManyRows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity types, and base types over them | Hardware categories | Objects and record types | Both, in a form |
| One field, reused across types, tuned per type | Category specs | Fields per object | Yes |
| Derived fields that follow a reference | Not its focus | Formula and roll-up fields | Reverse and lookup |
| Relationships that carry their own data | Not its focus | Junction objects | The link is a record |
| The BOM line is a record you design | Line attributes | Junction object | Yes |
| Effectivity on two axes at once | Revisions | Custom fields | Dates and unit numbers |
| Someone to build the model with you | Guided onboarding | Partner-led implementation | Free on Pro and above |
| Multi-level BOM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Where-used, multi-level | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Approved alternates per line | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Formulas with co-products and by-products | Not its focus | Not its focus | Yes |
| Fixed vs variable line quantities | Not its focus | Not its focus | Yes |
| Several BOM planes per product | One structure | One structure | Yes |
| Import a BOM from a CAD or spreadsheet export | Built in | Built in | Built in |
| Delegation and departed-approver handover | Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Immutable revisions with the sign-off manifest | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Several change requests released as one decision | One at a time | Yes | Yes |
| Test rounds with verdicts and dispositions | Not its focus | Yes | Yes |
| Measured values against a spec | Not its focus | Yes | Yes |
| Costed BOM with wastage and landed cost | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lot genealogy and recall trace | Not its focus | Not its focus | Yes |
| Price you can work out yourself | Quoted per seat | Quoted per seat | Listed on the site |
| Free trial | Trial | Demo via sales | 7 days, no card |
| Export the whole project and re-import it | Export tooling | Export tooling | One request |
| Full REST API on every record | Included | Included | Included |
| Outbound webhooks when something changes | Via API | Platform events | Built in, signed |
| Custom development when something is genuinely missing | Roadmap request | Admin or partner build | Free on Pro and above |
When one of these two is the right answer
If your bottleneck is getting a CAD bill of materials in without re-keying, and a component library that already understands parametric part specs, Duro is purpose-built for that and further along than we are. If Salesforce is already the centre of your business, Propel is the obvious choice and probably the right one, with a genuinely strong story for pushing product content out to sales channels. ManyRows is for teams whose product does not start in a CAD package and whose business does not run on Salesforce, and whose portfolio is more than one shape of thing.
Questions
- Neither anchor fits us. Is that common?
- It is the most common reason people end up here. Apparel, food and beverage, cosmetics and mixed portfolios do not start in a CAD package and often are not run out of Salesforce. If that is you, both of these are being evaluated slightly outside what they were shaped for, and it is better to notice early than after a trial.
- Can ManyRows import a bill of materials?
- Yes, from an indented BOM as JSON or CSV, which is what a CAD or spreadsheet export gives you. Parts upsert by part number and the structure comes from the indent level. What we do not do is parse CAD files, and we say so plainly rather than implying a native integration we do not have.
- Does ManyRows push product content to sales channels?
- There is channel and pricing machinery in the product, but it is behind a flag and not something we would sell you on today. If channel distribution is the deciding requirement, Propel's story there is stronger and we would rather tell you that now.
- What do we get that neither of these emphasises?
- A data model you define rather than inherit. Entity types, base types that share a spine of fields, and per-type machinery you switch on: multi-level BOMs, change control, costing, size specs, time and action calendars, quality checks. Plus pricing on a public page and an API over every record.
- How risky is it to try?
- Free plan, seven day trial, no card, and a full project export whenever you want it. The cost of finding out is an afternoon.