# Looking for a PCBWay alternative for machined parts? Here is the structural difference.

> An honest structural comparison: PCBWay is a China-based PCB manufacturer that added CNC to a one-stop offering; FabVector is a machining specialist. When each one fits.

- HTML page: https://fabvector.com/alternatives/pcbway (Portuguese: https://fabvector.com/pt/alternatives/pcbway)
- Information reviewed on: 2026-08-13

## What PCBWay is

PCBWay is a China-based manufacturer whose foundation is printed circuit board prototyping and assembly. Around that core it has built a one-stop offering that now includes CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet metal and injection moulding, with instant online quoting across them. For a hardware team already having boards made there, adding the machined enclosure to the same account is the obvious convenience — and that convenience is the real proposition.

## When PCBWay is the better choice

- Your boards are already made there and you want the enclosure, bracket or heat sink on the same order, same account and same shipment as the PCBA.
- The part is geometrically simple and the driving constraint is unit price on a small batch, not tolerance, documentation or inspection.
- You are a maker, student or hobbyist project where a single combined vendor beats coordinating two, and a community with lots of shared build experience is worth something to you.

## When to consider FabVector instead

- Machining is the hard part of the job, not an accessory to the board: tight tolerance, thin wall, compound angles or a finish that has to hold on a critical face.
- You need the documentation that a regulated or funded programme asks for: inspection report, material certificate, certificate of conformity, first article.
- You want a manufacturability review before you commit, rather than discovering the problem when the parts arrive.

## Structural comparison

| Dimension | PCBWay | FabVector |
|---|---|---|
| Core business | Printed circuit boards and assembly; machining is part of a one-stop offering built around that core. | Precision machining is the whole business. There is no other core for it to be adjacent to. |
| Process scope | Broad: PCB, PCBA, CNC, 3D printing, sheet metal and injection moulding on one account. | Deliberately narrow: CNC machining and its adjacent operations (milling, turning, Swiss, wire EDM, grinding, micro-machining). |
| Instant quoting | Yes: configure the part online and a quote is returned. | Yes: CAD-based price range in about 60 seconds, then an engineer reviews manufacturability before anything is binding. |
| Where parts are made | China. The company operates from mainland China. | China, Pearl River Delta, stated up front. The same plant is kept on repeat orders where the part warrants it. |
| Best-fit buyer | Hardware teams and makers whose machined parts accompany an electronics order. | Teams whose spend is concentrated in precision machining and who want depth, traceability to a plant and China cost structure. |

## Sources

- [PCBWay — rapid prototyping and manufacturing (CNC, instant quote)](https://www.pcbway.com/rapid-prototyping/manufacture/)
- [PCBWay — PCB prototype service (core business)](https://www.pcbway.com/)

PCBWay is a trademark of its respective owner. FabVector is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by PCBWay. This comparison covers structural differences only and is reviewed on the date above.

Instant quote: https://fabvector.com/quote