Manufacturing · head to head
ABB 800xA vs Oqton
ABB 800xA
Manufacturing
Distributed control system and process automation platform for continuous and hybrid process plants
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Oqton
Manufacturing
3D Systems manufacturing operating system for additive, narrowed after Geomagic was sold to Hexagon
- 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.; Oqton 3D Systems sold the Geomagic portfolio to Hexagon in April 2025, so buyers who chose Oqton for an end-to-end scanning-to-production suite now deal with two separate vendors and two roadmaps.
- They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, Oqton covers Manufacturing OS.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ABB 800xA and Oqton 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 Oqton
- Manufacturing OS
- Build preparation
- Machine connectivity
- Traceability
- Automated nesting
- Quality data
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 Oqton
- A pulp and paper mill consolidating process, electrical and safety monitoring into a single operator workplacenot Oqton
- A mining operation that needs SIL 3 safety functions on the same network as process control rather than a separate safety systemnot Oqton
- A marine or offshore platform where ABB already supplies the electrical distribution and IEC 61850 integration removes a second systemnot Oqton
Oqton
- A metal additive production site scheduling builds across several machines rather than per operatornot ABB 800xA
- A dental manufacturer needing batch to part traceability for regulated devicesnot ABB 800xA
- A 3D Systems printer customer moving from prototyping to serial productionnot ABB 800xA
- A factory automating build nesting to raise platform utilisationnot 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.
Oqton
- 3D Systems sold the Geomagic portfolio to Hexagon in April 2025, so buyers who chose Oqton for an end-to-end scanning-to-production suite now deal with two separate vendors and two roadmaps.
- No pricing is published, and licensing is split between the manufacturing OS and separately licensed build preparation modules, so the quoted figure is rarely the full cost.
- Support is deepest on 3D Systems hardware despite multi-vendor claims, so a mixed fleet gets uneven data capture and control.
- The parent company has been under financial pressure and has already divested a major software line, which is a genuine continuity risk for a system running a production floor.
- It is additive-only, so a manufacturer with mixed processes needs a conventional MES alongside it and an integration between the two.
Pricing, plan by plan
ABB 800xA
On request- ABB Ability System 800xA$undefined/year
- Licensed by I/O count, controller count and workplace clients
- Sold as a project through ABB or a certified partner
- Annual software maintenance contract priced separately
Oqton
On request- Oqton Industrial Manufacturing OS$undefined/year
- Annual subscription quoted by 3D Systems
- Priced on connected machines and sites
- Build preparation modules licensed separately
Which should you pick?
Choose ABB 800xA if
- You need extended automation.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want ac 800m controllers.
Choose Oqton if
- You need manufacturing os.
- You work on Web, Windows, API.
- You also want build preparation.
Questions people ask
- Is ABB 800xA or Oqton better?
- Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and Oqton at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or Oqton?
- ABB 800xA starts at On request and Oqton at On request.
- Does ABB 800xA or Oqton run on more platforms?
- ABB 800xA runs on Windows. Oqton runs on Web, Windows, 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 Oqton is typically brought in for.
- What can ABB 800xA do that Oqton cannot?
- ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. Oqton covers Manufacturing OS, Build preparation, Machine connectivity, Traceability.
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.
Oqton: Who owns Oqton?
3D Systems, which acquired it in 2021 and made it the central software brand.
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.
Oqton: Did Oqton include Geomagic?
It did. 3D Systems completed the sale of the Geomagic portfolio, including Design X, Control X, Freeform and Wrap, to Hexagon for $123 million in April 2025. Oqton retained 3D Sprint, 3DXpert and the Manufacturing OS.
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.
Oqton: Does Oqton work with printers from other manufacturers?
It connects to multi-vendor equipment, but the deepest integration and support is on 3D Systems machines.
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.
Oqton: How much does it cost?
Not published. It is quoted annually, typically on connected machines and sites, with build preparation modules licensed separately.
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