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Manufacturing · head to head

ABB 800xA vs ProShop ERP

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
ProShop ERP logo

ProShop ERP

Manufacturing

Web based ERP, MES and quality system written inside a working CNC machine shop

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.; ProShop ERP it runs on a Microsoft stack with Internet Information Services and SQL Server, so a shop choosing on premises deployment needs a Windows server and someone to maintain it, which is not what buyers expect when they hear browser based.
  • They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, ProShop ERP covers Integrated quality management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ABB 800xA and ProShop ERP differ
AttributeABB 800xAProShop ERP
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Windows

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 ProShop ERP

  • Integrated quality management
  • Digital travellers
  • Job costing
  • Capacity scheduling
  • Tool crib and gauge control
  • Purchasing and inventory

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

ProShop ERP

  • A machine shop pursuing or holding AS9100 registration that currently maintains quality records separately from its ERPnot ABB 800xA
  • A high mix low volume shop where every job has different routings and paper travellers keep going missingnot ABB 800xA
  • A contract manufacturer needing material certification and lot traceability from receipt through to shipped partnot ABB 800xA
  • A shop with 1990s machines that wants shop floor data capture through operator kiosks because the controllers cannot be readnot 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.

ProShop ERP

  • It runs on a Microsoft stack with Internet Information Services and SQL Server, so a shop choosing on premises deployment needs a Windows server and someone to maintain it, which is not what buyers expect when they hear browser based.
  • The software is opinionated and expects the shop to adopt its processes, so a shop determined to keep its existing habits gets a poor result and blames the tool.
  • Everything depends on operators entering time and status at each operation, and a shop that cannot enforce that discipline ends up with costing and scheduling data that nobody trusts.
  • It is not a machine monitoring product and does not read controllers, so spindle utilisation and automatic cycle counting require a separate product such as a monitoring platform.
  • The partner ecosystem is very small, so implementation, training and any customisation come from the vendor, and there is no market of independent consultants to fall back on or to price against.

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

ProShop ERP

On request
  • ProShop ERP$undefined/year
    • ERP, MES and quality management
    • On premises or vendor hosted deployment
    • Implementation and training services

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 ProShop ERP if

  • You need integrated quality management.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want digital travellers.
ProShop ERP review

Questions people ask

Is ABB 800xA or ProShop ERP better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and ProShop ERP at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or ProShop ERP?
ABB 800xA starts at On request and ProShop ERP at On request.
Does ABB 800xA or ProShop ERP run on more platforms?
ABB 800xA runs on Windows. ProShop ERP runs on Web, Windows.
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 ProShop ERP is typically brought in for.
What can ABB 800xA do that ProShop ERP cannot?
ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. ProShop ERP covers Integrated quality management, Digital travellers, Job costing, Capacity scheduling.

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.

ProShop ERP: Is it cloud software?

It is browser based and can be vendor hosted, but many customers run it on their own Windows server, which carries the usual infrastructure obligations.

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.

ProShop ERP: Does it replace my accounting system?

No. It handles costing and purchasing and integrates with QuickBooks or similar for the general ledger.

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.

ProShop ERP: Will it work with old CNC machines?

Yes, because it takes operator input at kiosks rather than reading machine controllers. That is a strength for shops with older equipment.

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.

ProShop ERP: Is it suitable for process or batch manufacturing?

No. It is built for discrete machining and fabrication with routings and travellers.

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