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Manufacturing · head to head

ABB 800xA vs Flow Software

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
Flow Software logo

Flow Software

Manufacturing

Manufacturing KPI and OEE calculation engine with published list prices, licensed by measure count

From
$11390/one-time
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.; Flow Software the 11,390 dollar Starter licence caps at 250 measures and events, which a multi-line plant exhausts quickly once each line contributes a dozen calculations, forcing a jump to the 62,230 dollar tier.
  • They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, Flow Software covers Calculation engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ABB 800xA and Flow Software differ
AttributeABB 800xAFlow Software
Starting priceOn request$11390/one-time
Pricing modelquoteOne-time purchase
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Web

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 Flow Software

  • Calculation engine
  • Measure model
  • Historian connectors
  • Manual data entry
  • Event framing
  • Excel and Power BI output
  • Flow dashboards
  • AI Gateway

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

Flow Software

  • A brewery replacing a fragile network of OEE spreadsheets with governed calculations from the same historian datanot ABB 800xA
  • Reporting specific energy consumption per tonne against an ISO 50001 audit where the calculation method must be documentednot ABB 800xA
  • Feeding Power BI plant dashboards from a historian without giving analysts direct tag-level accessnot ABB 800xA
  • A site that needs lab results typed in and combined with automated tag data in the same yield calculationnot 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.

Flow Software

  • The 11,390 dollar Starter licence caps at 250 measures and events, which a multi-line plant exhausts quickly once each line contributes a dozen calculations, forcing a jump to the 62,230 dollar tier.
  • The Unlimited licence requires every engine on a single server or VM, so any multi-server or multi-site topology goes straight to Distributed at roughly double the price with no intermediate option.
  • Maintenance renews at about fifteen percent of the installed base annually, so a large perpetual estate carries a five-figure recurring cost that the headline perpetual price hides.
  • It is a Windows product with a Microsoft data stack, so Linux or container-native deployment strategies do not apply and the server has to be managed on the plant Windows estate.
  • It calculates and reports but does not collect from equipment itself, so an existing historian or OPC layer is a prerequisite and Flow adds cost on top of that rather than replacing it.

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

Flow Software

$11390/one-time
  • Starter$11390/one-time
    • 250 KPI measures and events
    • Single server deployment
    • First year of software maintenance included
  • Unlimited$62230/one-time
    • Unlimited KPI measures and events
    • All engines must run on one server or dedicated VM
    • First year of maintenance included
  • Distributed$128450/one-time
    • Unlimited measures with engines distributed across multiple servers
    • Required for multi-server and multi-site deployments
    • Available as an annual subscription at 34,250 USD instead

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 Flow Software if

  • You need calculation engine.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want measure model.
Flow Software review

Questions people ask

Is ABB 800xA or Flow Software better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and Flow Software at $11390/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or Flow Software?
ABB 800xA starts at On request and Flow Software at $11390/one-time.
Does ABB 800xA or Flow Software run on more platforms?
ABB 800xA runs on Windows. Flow Software runs on Windows, Web.
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 Flow Software is typically brought in for.
What can ABB 800xA do that Flow Software cannot?
ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. Flow Software covers Calculation engine, Measure model, Historian connectors, Manual data entry.

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.

Flow Software: Does Flow publish real prices?

Yes. Starter is 11,390 USD perpetual for 250 measures, Unlimited is 62,230 USD perpetual or 16,595 USD a year, and Distributed is 128,450 USD perpetual or 34,250 USD a year.

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.

Flow Software: Is perpetual licensing still offered?

Yes, at every tier, with the first year of maintenance included and renewal at roughly fifteen percent per year. Subscription is available on Unlimited and Distributed only.

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.

Flow Software: Do I need a historian as well?

Effectively yes. Flow reads from historians, databases and OPC sources; it is a calculation layer, not a data collector.

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.

Flow Software: What counts as a measure?

Each configured KPI or event definition. A single line typically consumes ten to thirty, which is what makes the 250 Starter cap tighter than it looks.

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