Control charts and Cpk don't need a $1,851 seat.
Minitab is built for statisticians and Six Sigma programs. The Excel add-ins are built for one person and one workbook. If you're the quality person at a small machine or fab shop and the job is charts, capability and the occasional Gage R&R, Cpkboard does that job in the browser for $29 a month. Here's the honest comparison.
| Cpkboard | Minitab | QI Macros, SPC for Excel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year one, one user | $290 yearly, or $29/mo | $1,851 per named user, sold through a sales form | $329-379 one-time, per computer, plus Excel |
| Whole shop | $90/mo, unlimited users | Per named user | Per computer (3-pack $1,017) |
| Runs on | Any browser, Mac, PC or tablet | Windows install, or web with a license | Excel for Windows or Mac, matching version |
| Getting started | Paste readings, chart in seconds | Install, licensing, training | Install the add-in, build the workbook |
| Many features at once | One board with every feature's Cpk | One project at a time | One worksheet per chart |
| Sharing with a customer | PDF or link with the formulas | Export to PDF | Email the workbook |
| Gage R&R | Pro plan, AIAG MSA 4th ed. | Yes | Yes |
| DOE, regression, ANOVA, reliability | No | Yes, the full set | Some |
| Works with no internet | No | Yes (desktop) | Yes |
| One-time license | No | No (subscription since 2021) | Yes |
Cpkboard fits if
- Your quality work is control charts, capability and gage studies for the parts you machine, cut or mold.
- More than one person needs to see the same chart, or a customer needs the report.
- The readings already exist as a CMM export or a spreadsheet.
- The Minitab renewal quote, or the broken spreadsheet, is what brought you here.
Keep Minitab if
- You run designed experiments, regression, ANOVA or reliability analysis.
- Your Six Sigma program standardizes on it and the Black Belts live in it.
- You need a validated statistical package for regulated submissions.
Switching questions
Is Cpkboard a replacement for Minitab?
For control charts, capability and gage studies at a small shop, yes. For designed experiments, regression, ANOVA, reliability and the rest of Minitab's statistics menu, no. If your quality work is charts and Cpk for the parts you make, you're paying Minitab for a lot you don't open.
Will the numbers match Minitab's?
Yes, for the same choices. Minitab's default Cpk uses within-subgroup sigma from R-bar/d2 (or S-bar/c4) and its Ppk uses overall standard deviation; so do ours, and we print which one was used under each number. Where Minitab offers options (unbiasing constants, pooled sigma), we show our choice so the comparison is honest.
What about QI Macros or SPC for Excel?
Both are good Excel add-ins at a one-time price of $329 to $379 per computer. They need Excel on every machine, the chart lives in someone's workbook, and sharing means emailing the file. If one person charts on one PC and never shares, the add-in is cheaper. If two people need the same chart, or the customer needs the report, the board is what you're paying for.
Can I import my Minitab projects?
Not the project files. Export your data to CSV from Minitab and upload it, or paste the readings. Your charts rebuild from the readings.
Put the feature your customer asked about on the board tonight.
Create your account in two minutes. No card, no license keys, no training package. Paste last week's readings and see the chart.