Manufacturing · head to head
ABB 800xA vs AMFG
ABB 800xA
Manufacturing
Distributed control system and process automation platform for continuous and hybrid process plants
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
AMFG
Manufacturing
Automated quoting and production workflow software for machine shops and additive bureaus
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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.; AMFG no pricing is published in any form, and the product is sold by module and site, so total cost is invisible until you are several sales calls in.
- They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AMFG covers Geometric auto-quoting.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ABB 800xA and AMFG actually diverge.
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 ABB 800xA
- Extended Automation
- AC 800M controllers
- Connectivity servers
- Safety integration
- IEC 61850 electrical
- Batch management
- Information management
- Asset optimisation
Only in AMFG
- Geometric auto-quoting
- 2D drawing analysis
- Production planning and scheduling
- Shop-floor control
- Quality tracking
- Customer portal
- CAD and CAM plugins
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ABB 800xA
- A refinery replacing operator consoles and control room infrastructure while keeping working field controllers in placenot AMFG
- A pulp and paper mill consolidating process, electrical and safety monitoring into a single operator workplacenot AMFG
- A mining operation that needs SIL 3 safety functions on the same network as process control rather than a separate safety systemnot AMFG
- A marine or offshore platform where ABB already supplies the electrical distribution and IEC 61850 integration removes a second systemnot AMFG
AMFG
- A machine shop losing work because quoting takes three days and competitors answer in three hoursnot ABB 800xA
- An additive bureau that needs one system for order intake, build scheduling and traceability across several machinesnot ABB 800xA
- A manufacturer running AM and CNC in the same facility and wanting one production record across bothnot ABB 800xA
- Replacing an email and spreadsheet ordering process with a customer portal that produces priced quotes automaticallynot ABB 800xA
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
AMFG
- No pricing is published in any form, and the product is sold by module and site, so total cost is invisible until you are several sales calls in.
- Automated quoting only becomes accurate once your cost model, machine rates and material data are properly loaded, so the value arrives months after go-live and early quotes need human checking.
- The product started in additive manufacturing and has pivoted its marketing towards CNC machine shops, which means some CNC-specific depth is newer than the additive lineage and worth testing against your actual process mix.
- It overlaps heavily with ERP and MES scope, so shops with an existing ERP face an ownership decision over scheduling and customer records that is a political problem, not a technical one.
- It is a comparatively small vendor against established shop-floor systems, so integration work into an incumbent ERP will fall largely on you or a partner rather than on a pre-built certified connector.
Pricing, plan by plan
ABB 800xA
On request- ABB Ability System 800xA$undefined/year
- Licensed by I/O count, controller count and workplace clients
- Sold as a project through ABB or a certified partner
- Annual software maintenance contract priced separately
AMFG
On request- AMFG$undefined/year
- Automated quoting and estimating
- Production planning and scheduling
- Shop-floor control and quality tracking
Which should you pick?
Choose ABB 800xA if
- You need extended automation.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want ac 800m controllers.
Choose AMFG if
- You need geometric auto-quoting.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want 2d drawing analysis.
Questions people ask
- Is ABB 800xA or AMFG better?
- Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and AMFG at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or AMFG?
- ABB 800xA starts at On request and AMFG at On request.
- Does ABB 800xA or AMFG run on more platforms?
- ABB 800xA runs on Windows. AMFG runs on Web, Cloud.
- What is ABB 800xA best used for?
- ABB 800xA is most often used for a refinery replacing operator consoles and control room infrastructure while keeping working field controllers in place, a pulp and paper mill consolidating process, electrical and safety monitoring into a single operator workplace, a mining operation that needs sil 3 safety functions on the same network as process control rather than a separate safety system, a marine or offshore platform where abb already supplies the electrical distribution and iec 61850 integration removes a second system. Of those, a refinery replacing operator consoles and control room infrastructure while keeping working field controllers in place and a pulp and paper mill consolidating process, electrical and safety monitoring into a single operator workplace are not what AMFG is typically brought in for.
- What can ABB 800xA do that AMFG cannot?
- ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. AMFG covers Geometric auto-quoting, 2D drawing analysis, Production planning and scheduling, Shop-floor control.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
AMFG: Does AMFG replace my ERP?
No. It covers quoting through shop-floor execution and quality. Finance, purchasing and inventory usually stay in the ERP, and you must decide which system owns scheduling.
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.
AMFG: Is it only for 3D printing?
No, though that is where it started. It now targets CNC machine shops as well and markets quoting for machining, sheet metal and additive.
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.
AMFG: How accurate is automated quoting out of the box?
Not accurate until your machine rates, materials and cost model are configured. Treat the first months of quotes as assisted rather than automatic.
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.
AMFG: Is pricing published?
No. It is quoted by number of users, sites and selected modules.
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