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Manufacturing · head to head

ABB 800xA vs Dyndrite

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
Dyndrite logo

Dyndrite

Manufacturing

GPU-accelerated, scriptable toolpath control for metal laser powder bed fusion

From
On request
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.; Dyndrite the value depends on writing Python; a shop without an engineer who codes gets a more expensive version of the build preparation software their machine already came with.
  • They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, Dyndrite covers Accelerated Computation Engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ABB 800xA and Dyndrite differ
AttributeABB 800xADyndrite
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Linux, Desktop, API

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 Dyndrite

  • Accelerated Computation Engine
  • Python API
  • Custom toolpath control
  • Multi-OEM build files
  • Automated build preparation
  • Support generation
  • Materials development framework

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

Dyndrite

  • An aerospace team qualifying a new titanium alloy and needing to script and version scan strategies rather than accept OEM defaultsnot ABB 800xA
  • A production department preparing builds with thousands of small parts where mesh-based tools take hours per filenot ABB 800xA
  • A group running metal printers from two different manufacturers and wanting one process definition that transfers between themnot ABB 800xA
  • A materials research group testing conditional scan strategies by region to control residual stressnot 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.

Dyndrite

  • The value depends on writing Python; a shop without an engineer who codes gets a more expensive version of the build preparation software their machine already came with.
  • No pricing is published anywhere and it is frequently sold through machine OEM catalogues, so the price you are quoted may depend on which printer vendor you buy through rather than on the software itself.
  • It requires a supported NVIDIA GPU, which rules out the shared virtual desktops many manufacturing IT departments standardise on and adds a hardware line to the purchase.
  • Scope is narrow: it is aimed at metal laser powder bed fusion, so polymer, binder jetting and directed energy deposition users are largely outside its target.
  • It is a small independent vendor with a correspondingly small community, so training material, third-party expertise and hiring for the skill are all harder than for OEM tools, and the OEMs it depends on for machine formats are also its competitors.

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

Dyndrite

On request
  • Dyndrite LPBF Pro$undefined/year
    • Annual subscription quoted per seat
    • Also sold through machine OEM catalogues such as Nikon SLM Solutions
    • Developer and academic programmes available on application

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 Dyndrite if

  • You need accelerated computation engine.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Desktop, API.
  • You also want python api.
Dyndrite review

Questions people ask

Is ABB 800xA or Dyndrite better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and Dyndrite at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or Dyndrite?
ABB 800xA starts at On request and Dyndrite at On request.
Does ABB 800xA or Dyndrite run on more platforms?
ABB 800xA runs on Windows. Dyndrite runs on Windows, Linux, Desktop, API.
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 Dyndrite is typically brought in for.
What can ABB 800xA do that Dyndrite cannot?
ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. Dyndrite covers Accelerated Computation Engine, Python API, Custom toolpath control, Multi-OEM build files.

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.

Dyndrite: What does Dyndrite cost?

Nothing is published. It is quoted per seat annually and is also resold through machine OEMs, including Nikon SLM Solutions.

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.

Dyndrite: Do I need to write code to use it?

You can use it without scripting, but the reason to choose it over OEM software is the Python API. Without that the case is weak.

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.

Dyndrite: Which printers does it support?

LPBF Pro produces build files for machines from Aconity3D, Additive Industries, EOS, Nikon SLM Solutions, Renishaw, Velo3D and Xact Metal, among others.

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.

Dyndrite: Does it need special hardware?

Yes. The engine is GPU-accelerated and expects a supported NVIDIA GPU.

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