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Manufacturing · head to head

ABB 800xA vs Hippo CMMS

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
Hippo CMMS logo

Hippo CMMS

Manufacturing

Straightforward maintenance management, now part of Eptura

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.; Hippo CMMS no longer sold as a standalone product, so a new evaluation is really an Eptura evaluation with a different scope and price
  • They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, Hippo CMMS covers Interactive site maps.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ABB 800xA and Hippo CMMS differ
AttributeABB 800xAHippo CMMS
PlatformsWindowsWeb, iOS, Android

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 Hippo CMMS

  • Interactive site maps
  • Work order management
  • Preventive maintenance
  • Equipment records
  • Vendor management
  • Mobile access

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

Hippo CMMS

  • Facilities teams wanting a CMMS that a non-specialist can operatenot ABB 800xA
  • Sites where locating an asset on a floor plan is the natural way to find itnot ABB 800xA
  • Existing Hippo customers evaluating whether to stay within Epturanot ABB 800xA
  • Organisations wanting maintenance inside a broader workplace management suitenot 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.

Hippo CMMS

  • No longer sold as a standalone product, so a new evaluation is really an Eptura evaluation with a different scope and price
  • Pricing is not published, which makes it hard to compare against MaintainX or Limble without a sales process
  • The simplicity that was its selling point becomes a ceiling for organisations with complex asset hierarchies
  • Reporting is basic against competitors that have invested heavily in analytics
  • Product direction now follows Eptura workplace strategy rather than maintenance-specific needs

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

Hippo CMMS

On request
  • Eptura Asset$undefined/month
    • Work order management
    • Preventive maintenance
    • Asset records

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 Hippo CMMS if

  • You need interactive site maps.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want work order management.
Hippo CMMS review

Questions people ask

Is ABB 800xA or Hippo CMMS better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and Hippo CMMS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or Hippo CMMS?
ABB 800xA starts at On request and Hippo CMMS at On request.
Does ABB 800xA or Hippo CMMS run on more platforms?
ABB 800xA runs on Windows. Hippo CMMS runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Hippo CMMS is typically brought in for.
What can ABB 800xA do that Hippo CMMS cannot?
ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. Hippo CMMS covers Interactive site maps, Work order management, Preventive maintenance, Equipment records.

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.

Hippo CMMS: Is Hippo CMMS still available?

Not as a standalone purchase. It was acquired by Eptura and its capabilities are part of Eptura Asset. Existing customers are still served.

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.

Hippo CMMS: What was distinctive about it?

Interactive facility maps. Placing assets on a floor plan and raising work orders from the drawing is a genuinely different way to navigate a site, and it is why it retained users against slicker competitors.

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.

Hippo CMMS: What does it cost?

Not published. Eptura quotes, which is a change from Hippo, whose pricing was easier to establish.

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.

Hippo CMMS: Should a new buyer consider it?

Evaluate Eptura Asset on its own terms, against MaintainX and Limble. Choosing it because of Hippo reviews written before the acquisition is a mistake.

Hippo CMMS: What happens to existing customers?

They continue to be supported within Eptura. The practical question is whether the broader workplace suite fits, since that is where the product roadmap now points.

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