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Manufacturing · head to head

ABB 800xA vs Samotics

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
Samotics logo

Samotics

Manufacturing

Condition monitoring of motor-driven assets using electrical signature analysis from the motor control cabinet

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.; Samotics sAM4 only sees what reaches the motor electrically, so it covers the driven train and misses un-driven equipment, structures, process conditions and anything downstream of a mechanical decoupling.
  • They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, Samotics covers Electrical signature analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ABB 800xA and Samotics differ
AttributeABB 800xASamotics
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Cloud

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 Samotics

  • Electrical signature analysis
  • Switchroom installation
  • Energy and efficiency measurement
  • Submersible and hazardous area coverage
  • Fault classification
  • Fleet view

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

Samotics

  • A water utility monitoring submersible and borehole pumps that no vibration sensor can be fitted to without lifting the pumpnot ABB 800xA
  • A chemical plant with assets in ATEX zones where certifying and maintaining in-field sensors is more expensive than the monitoring itselfnot ABB 800xA
  • A food plant that wants pump and mixer condition data without opening guarding or taking a hygiene-critical line down to fit sensorsnot ABB 800xA
  • A site building an energy reduction case, where measured motor efficiency and waste give the business case a payback that reliability alone would notnot 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.

Samotics

  • SAM4 only sees what reaches the motor electrically, so it covers the driven train and misses un-driven equipment, structures, process conditions and anything downstream of a mechanical decoupling.
  • Each monitored motor needs hardware installed in the motor control centre by a qualified electrician, and in older switchrooms that installation, including any required outage, can cost more than a year of the subscription.
  • Per-asset subscription pricing means the cost scales linearly with the number of motors, so a plant with a thousand small motors faces a bill that a fixed-price plant-wide vibration system would not impose.
  • Electrical signature analysis on variable-speed drives is harder than on direct-on-line motors, and results vary with drive type, so a heavily VSD estate should insist on a pilot on its own drives before committing.
  • Nothing is published on price, contract length or minimum deployment size, and the vendor sells multi-year subscriptions, so early exit terms are a negotiation you have to raise yourself.

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

Samotics

On request
  • SAM4$undefined/year
    • Subscription priced per monitored asset
    • SAM4 sensor hardware required in each motor control centre
    • Electrical installation by a qualified electrician, quoted separately

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 Samotics if

  • You need electrical signature analysis.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want switchroom installation.
Samotics review

Questions people ask

Is ABB 800xA or Samotics better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and Samotics at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or Samotics?
ABB 800xA starts at On request and Samotics at On request.
Does ABB 800xA or Samotics run on more platforms?
ABB 800xA runs on Windows. Samotics runs on Web, Cloud.
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 Samotics is typically brought in for.
What can ABB 800xA do that Samotics cannot?
ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. Samotics covers Electrical signature analysis, Switchroom installation, Energy and efficiency measurement, Submersible and hazardous area coverage.

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.

Samotics: Does Samotics replace vibration monitoring?

For motor-driven assets it often does, and it reaches assets vibration cannot. For un-driven equipment and structures it does not apply at all.

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.

Samotics: Do I have to buy Samotics hardware?

Yes. SAM4 requires the vendor's sensors fitted in the motor control centre; there is no software-only option.

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.

Samotics: Does it work on variable-speed drives?

It can, but performance depends on the drive and the operating profile. Pilot it on your own VSD assets rather than accepting a reference from a direct-on-line site.

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.

Samotics: How is it priced?

Subscription per monitored asset, quoted, typically on a multi-year term, with hardware and electrical installation on top.

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