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Manufacturing · head to head

ABB 800xA vs Autodesk Netfabb

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
Autodesk Netfabb logo

Autodesk Netfabb

Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing build preparation and simulation, now sold only bundled with Fusion

From
$4415/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Autodesk Netfabb netfabb Ultimate has been retired outright, with no 2026 release and no renewals, so anyone who bought Ultimate is frozen on the 2025.1 build and must accept the repackaged Netfabb instead.
  • They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, Autodesk Netfabb covers Mesh repair.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB 800xA and Autodesk Netfabb actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB 800xA and Autodesk Netfabb differ
AttributeABB 800xAAutodesk Netfabb
Starting priceOn request$4415/year
Pricing modelquotePer user per year
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Desktop

Identical on both: 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 Autodesk Netfabb

  • Mesh repair
  • Build orientation and nesting
  • Support generation
  • Build simulation
  • Geometry compensation
  • Lattice and shell structures
  • Machine library
  • Fusion bundle

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 Autodesk Netfabb
  • A pulp and paper mill consolidating process, electrical and safety monitoring into a single operator workplacenot Autodesk Netfabb
  • A mining operation that needs SIL 3 safety functions on the same network as process control rather than a separate safety systemnot Autodesk Netfabb
  • A marine or offshore platform where ABB already supplies the electrical distribution and IEC 61850 integration removes a second systemnot Autodesk Netfabb

Autodesk Netfabb

  • A metal additive bureau predicting distortion on a laser powder bed build before committing twenty hours of machine timenot ABB 800xA
  • An aerospace supplier applying automatic geometry compensation so printed parts land within tolerance without iterative trial buildsnot ABB 800xA
  • A production department nesting hundreds of small parts into a single polymer build to raise volume utilisationnot ABB 800xA
  • An engineering team that already subscribes to Fusion and wants AM preparation without adding a second vendornot 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.

Autodesk Netfabb

  • Netfabb Ultimate has been retired outright, with no 2026 release and no renewals, so anyone who bought Ultimate is frozen on the 2025.1 build and must accept the repackaged Netfabb instead.
  • Autodesk has ended development of the Selective Space Structures, Optimization Utility and Lattice Topology utilities, which removes capability some customers specifically bought the product for.
  • It is now only sold bundled as Autodesk Fusion with Netfabb, so a shop that has standardised on other CAD pays for Fusion entitlements it will not use.
  • At around 4,415 US dollars per seat per year it is far above slicer-class tools, and the pricing is per named user with no floating option in the standard subscription, which hurts teams where the AM engineer role is shared.
  • Machine coverage is broad but not universal, and the newest printers from smaller manufacturers often reach their vendor own preparation software long before a Netfabb profile appears.

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

Autodesk Netfabb

$4415/year
  • Autodesk Fusion with Netfabb$4415/year
    • Single-user subscription
    • Netfabb build preparation, formerly Premium
    • Selected functionality from the retired Ultimate edition
  • Netfabb Simulation$undefined/year
    • Metal powder bed build simulation
    • Quoted through Autodesk sales, no published price

Which should you pick?

Choose ABB 800xA if

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

Choose Autodesk Netfabb if

  • You need mesh repair.
  • You work on Windows, Desktop.
  • You also want build orientation and nesting.
Autodesk Netfabb review

Questions people ask

Is ABB 800xA or Autodesk Netfabb better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and Autodesk Netfabb at $4415/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or Autodesk Netfabb?
ABB 800xA starts at On request and Autodesk Netfabb at $4415/year.
Does ABB 800xA or Autodesk Netfabb run on more platforms?
ABB 800xA runs on Windows. Autodesk Netfabb runs on Windows, Desktop.
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 Autodesk Netfabb is typically brought in for.
What can ABB 800xA do that Autodesk Netfabb cannot?
ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. Autodesk Netfabb covers Mesh repair, Build orientation and nesting, Support generation, Build simulation.

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.

Autodesk Netfabb: Is Netfabb discontinued?

No, but Netfabb Ultimate is. There is a 2026 release of Netfabb, sold only as Autodesk Fusion with Netfabb. Ultimate licences cannot be renewed.

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.

Autodesk Netfabb: What does it cost?

The Fusion with Netfabb single-user subscription is listed at roughly 4,415 US dollars a year. Netfabb Simulation is quoted separately.

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.

Autodesk Netfabb: Is there a perpetual licence?

No. Autodesk sells subscription only across its product range.

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.

Autodesk Netfabb: Do I need Fusion to use it?

You do not have to use Fusion, but you now pay for it, because the bundle is the only way Netfabb is sold.

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