Deburr vs InspectionXpert: an honest comparison.
InspectionXpert, from Ideagen, is the established tool for ballooning and AS9102 reports, and plenty of shops are well served by it. Deburr is newer and browser-based. Here's how they compare, including where InspectionXpert is the better choice.
Which one fits your shop?
- You want software installed on your own machines, or need to work offline.
- You want a long track record and a large existing user base.
- Your team is already trained on it and it's working well.
- You want your whole team in, without paying per seat.
- You'd rather not install anything: it runs in the browser.
- You want AI ballooning that tells you which reads it's unsure about.
- You want gauges, NCRs, SPC, approvals and an audit trail in the same place as your FAIs.
What each one does.
Based on InspectionXpert's public materials and our own product. Where we're not sure what InspectionXpert offers, we say so.
| Capability | InspectionXpert | Deburr |
|---|---|---|
| Ballooning | ||
| Auto-extract characteristics from PDF or image | Yes, OCR | Yes: AI vision plus the PDF text layer, with a confidence score per balloon |
| Capture by drawing a box around a callout | Yes | Yes |
| Balloon styles (shape, size, colour, leader) | Yes | Yes, with per-designator styles for key or critical characteristics |
| Explode multipliers (4X into 4.1–4.4) | Yes | Yes |
| Renumber, insert, undo and redo | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-sheet drawings and zones | Yes | Yes |
| 3D / STEP ballooning | Add-on | Included, plus a simple model built from the drawing |
| Characteristic data | ||
| Classification, custom fields, operations | Yes | Yes |
| Sampling plans (ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, C=0, 100%) | Yes | Yes |
| Default and customer-specific tolerance tables | Yes | Yes |
| Rules that assign method and gauge by tolerance | Partial | Yes |
| Import characteristics from Excel or CSV | Yes | Yes |
| Reports and exports | ||
| AS9102 Forms 1–3 (PDF, Excel) | Yes | Yes |
| Customer Excel templates | Yes, template designer | Yes, visual mapping saved per customer (Pro) |
| PPAP: PSW and dimensional results | Yes | Yes (Pro) |
| Control plan and printable inspection plan | Yes | Yes |
| QIF 3.0 and Net-Inspect export | Yes | Yes (Pro) |
| Bulk export of many FAIs | Not that we know of | Yes |
| Read-only, expiring share link for your customer | Not that we know of | Yes |
| Measurement and quality | ||
| Multi-piece results | Yes | Yes |
| CMM import: PC-DMIS, Calypso, CSV | Yes | Yes |
| Other formats: QIF Results, MCOSMOS, PolyWorks, FARO, Keyence | Partial | Yes |
| Digital gauge input (USB / Bluetooth) | Yes, desktop | Yes, in the browser |
| SPC: Cp, Cpk, control charts | Separate product (QualityXpert) | Included (Pro) |
| Gauge calibration tracking | Not that we know of | Yes, blocks sign-off on out-of-cal gauges |
| NCRs from failed readings | Not that we know of | Yes |
| Revisions and workflow | ||
| Compare drawing revisions, carry balloons forward | Yes | Yes |
| Partial FAI scope filled from the revision diff | Not that we know of | Yes |
| Assignments, approvals, e-signatures with re-authentication | Check with Ideagen | Yes |
| Hash-chained audit trail | Check with Ideagen | Yes |
| AI copilot that can edit the inspection | Not that we know of | Yes |
| Deployment and pricing | ||
| Where it runs | Desktop and cloud editions | Browser only |
| ITAR / CUI drawings | Check with Ideagen | Available as an add-on at added cost |
| Pricing model | Per-seat licensing (as of 2026, check their site) | Flat per shop: $249 or $499 a month, whole team included |
Where Deburr is still catching up
We'd rather you hear this from us than find it in week two.
- We're new. InspectionXpert has years of use in shops like yours. Deburr is a young product, so try it free on one of your own drawings before you decide.
- ITAR and CUI cost extra. Export-controlled work runs in a separate workspace, priced as an add-on to your plan. The standard workspace blocks marked drawings.
- Browser only. There's no offline or on-premises version.
- Newer exports need checking. Our QIF export follows the QIF 3.0 structure and our Net-Inspect export follows the published import format as we understand it. Run one through your customer's system before you rely on it, and tell us if anything doesn't load.
- No SOC 2 report yet. It's on the roadmap. Our security page says exactly what we do today.
Switching from InspectionXpert
You don't have to switch everything at once. The easiest start is to run your next new first article through Deburr alongside their current process.
- Characteristics: export them to Excel or CSV and import with column mapping, or let Deburr re-balloon the drawing and compare.
- Customer forms: upload your customer's Excel template once and map its cells; Deburr fills it for every FAI.
- Your team: invite everyone. There are no seat fees, so there's no reason to share logins.
The quickest test is the free ballooner: run a drawing you've already ballooned in InspectionXpert and compare the two.
InspectionXpert and QualityXpert are trademarks of Ideagen. Deburr is not affiliated with Ideagen. This comparison is our own reading of publicly available information as of October 2026 and may be out of date or incomplete. If something here is wrong, email hello@getdeburr.com and we'll correct it.
Run one first article through Deburr.
14-day free trial, no card. Your whole team, no per-seat fees.