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Manufacturing · head to head

3YOURMIND vs ABB 800xA

3YOURMIND logo

3YOURMIND

Manufacturing

Order management and MES for additive manufacturing, with digital part inventories

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ABB 800xA logo

ABB 800xA

Manufacturing

Distributed control system and process automation platform for continuous and hybrid process plants

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 3YOURMIND no pricing is published, and the suite is modular, so the quoted figure depends on which of the three product lines you take; the widely repeated 10,000 euro figure comes from third-party directories, not the vendor.; ABB 800xA licensing is by I/O count, controller count and workplace clients, and none of it is published, so two plants of similar size can be quoted very differently with no external benchmark to argue against.
  • They diverge on capability: 3YOURMIND covers Part identification, ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 3YOURMIND and ABB 800xA actually diverge.

Attributes where 3YOURMIND and ABB 800xA differ
Attribute3YOURMINDABB 800xA
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, On-premise, APIWindows

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Manufacturing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 3YOURMIND

  • Part identification
  • Digital inventory
  • Order management
  • Automated quoting
  • Agile MES
  • Quality tracking
  • Distributed manufacturing
  • Machine connectivity

Only in ABB 800xA

  • Extended Automation
  • AC 800M controllers
  • Connectivity servers
  • Safety integration
  • IEC 61850 electrical
  • Batch management
  • Information management
  • Asset optimisation

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

3YOURMIND

  • A navy or defence logistics organisation setting up distributed on-demand manufacturing for spares at forward sitesnot ABB 800xA
  • An energy operator screening a legacy spare parts catalogue to find which items are cheaper printed on demand than stockednot ABB 800xA
  • An additive service bureau automating quoting and order intake so engineers stop pricing jobs by handnot ABB 800xA
  • A manufacturer scheduling mixed jobs across several printer technologies with traceable quality records per partnot ABB 800xA

ABB 800xA

  • A refinery replacing operator consoles and control room infrastructure while keeping working field controllers in placenot 3YOURMIND
  • A pulp and paper mill consolidating process, electrical and safety monitoring into a single operator workplacenot 3YOURMIND
  • A mining operation that needs SIL 3 safety functions on the same network as process control rather than a separate safety systemnot 3YOURMIND
  • A marine or offshore platform where ABB already supplies the electrical distribution and IEC 61850 integration removes a second systemnot 3YOURMIND

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

3YOURMIND

  • No pricing is published, and the suite is modular, so the quoted figure depends on which of the three product lines you take; the widely repeated 10,000 euro figure comes from third-party directories, not the vendor.
  • The part identification module only produces useful output if ERP master data and consumption history are clean, and organisations with poor material master data spend the first phase on data quality rather than printing.
  • It is enterprise-scale software aimed at fleets and networks; a shop with a handful of machines gets more from a printer vendor own job management at no extra cost.
  • Machine integration depth varies by manufacturer, so a mixed fleet including smaller or newer OEMs often needs manual steps that undermine the automated scheduling case.
  • The company is a mid-sized independent in a sector that has consolidated heavily, and buyers making a multi-year distributed manufacturing commitment are exposed to that if ownership changes.

ABB 800xA

  • Licensing is by I/O count, controller count and workplace clients, and none of it is published, so two plants of similar size can be quoted very differently with no external benchmark to argue against.
  • Engineering and commissioning typically cost more than the software and controller hardware together, and that share is not visible in the initial ABB quotation, which prices the system rather than the project.
  • It is Windows only for servers and workplaces, so the operating system lifecycle drives forced upgrade cycles that have nothing to do with your process.
  • Once configured, the aspect object model and the specific integrator conventions used make handing the system to a different service provider expensive; ABB service contracts are effectively sticky.
  • Software maintenance is an annual contract on top of the licence and lapsing it means you cannot take version upgrades, so the system quietly ages out of security support if the plant skips renewals to save money.

Pricing, plan by plan

3YOURMIND

On request
  • 3YOURMIND Suite$undefined/year
    • Modular: Agile PLM, Agile ERP and Agile MES licensed separately
    • Cloud or on-premise deployment
    • Annual subscription quoted by module and scale

ABB 800xA

On request
  • ABB Ability System 800xA$undefined/year
    • Licensed by I/O count, controller count and workplace clients
    • Sold as a project through ABB or a certified partner
    • Annual software maintenance contract priced separately

Which should you pick?

Choose 3YOURMIND if

  • You need part identification.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, On-premise, API.
  • You also want digital inventory.
3YOURMIND review

Choose ABB 800xA if

  • You need extended automation.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want ac 800m controllers.
ABB 800xA review

Questions people ask

Is 3YOURMIND or ABB 800xA better?
Neither clearly leads. 3YOURMIND starts at On request and ABB 800xA at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 3YOURMIND or ABB 800xA?
3YOURMIND starts at On request and ABB 800xA at On request.
Does 3YOURMIND or ABB 800xA run on more platforms?
3YOURMIND runs on Web, Cloud, On-premise, API. ABB 800xA runs on Windows.
What is 3YOURMIND best used for?
3YOURMIND is most often used for a navy or defence logistics organisation setting up distributed on-demand manufacturing for spares at forward sites, an energy operator screening a legacy spare parts catalogue to find which items are cheaper printed on demand than stocked, an additive service bureau automating quoting and order intake so engineers stop pricing jobs by hand, a manufacturer scheduling mixed jobs across several printer technologies with traceable quality records per part. Of those, a navy or defence logistics organisation setting up distributed on-demand manufacturing for spares at forward sites and an energy operator screening a legacy spare parts catalogue to find which items are cheaper printed on demand than stocked are not what ABB 800xA is typically brought in for.
What can 3YOURMIND do that ABB 800xA cannot?
3YOURMIND covers Part identification, Digital inventory, Order management, Automated quoting. ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

3YOURMIND: What does 3YOURMIND cost?

The vendor publishes nothing. Expect an annual subscription quoted per module, plus integration work. Third-party listings cite roughly 10,000 euro a year as an entry point, which should be treated as unverified.

ABB 800xA: Is 800xA sold as a perpetual licence?

Yes, the system licence is perpetual, but a separate annual software maintenance agreement is required to receive updates and version upgrades.

3YOURMIND: Is it a slicer?

No. It sits above build preparation, handling part selection, orders, scheduling and traceability, and integrates with preparation tools such as Netfabb and Magics.

ABB 800xA: Can 800xA control non-ABB field hardware?

Yes. Connectivity servers front third-party PLC and DCS systems and legacy ABB families, which is the main reason it wins brownfield projects.

3YOURMIND: Who actually uses it?

Large asset operators and service bureaus. Public references include US Navy distributed manufacturing and energy sector digital inventory programmes.

ABB 800xA: Does it replace a separate electrical SCADA?

It can. IEC 61850 substation integration is native, so many plants drop a separate electrical monitoring system.

3YOURMIND: Can it run on-premise?

Yes. On-premise deployment is offered, which matters for defence and critical infrastructure customers.

ABB 800xA: What is the realistic implementation timeline?

A full plant migration is measured in years, not months; phased cutovers of one unit at a time are the norm.

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