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Manufacturing · head to head

ABB 800xA vs Siemens Spectrum Power

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
Siemens Spectrum Power logo

Siemens Spectrum Power

Energy

Advanced grid management and control system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, Siemens Spectrum Power covers SCADA.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB 800xA and Siemens Spectrum Power actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB 800xA and Siemens Spectrum Power differ
AttributeABB 800xASiemens Spectrum Power
PlatformsWindowsDesktop, Web, Api
CategoryManufacturingEnergy
FoundedUnknown1847

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Siemens Spectrum Power

  • SCADA
  • Energy management
  • Distribution management
  • Load flow analysis
  • State estimation
  • Contingency analysis
  • Outage management
  • Generation dispatch

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

Siemens Spectrum Power

  • Grid controlnot ABB 800xA
  • System operationsnot ABB 800xA
  • Renewable integrationnot ABB 800xA
  • Market participationnot ABB 800xA
  • Reliability managementnot 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.

Siemens Spectrum Power

Nothing recorded yet. See the Siemens Spectrum Power review.

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

Siemens Spectrum Power

On request
  • SCADA/EMS$undefined/custom
    • SCADA functionality
    • Energy management
    • Generation dispatch
  • DMS/ADMS$undefined/custom
    • Distribution management
    • FLISR
    • Volt/VAR optimization
  • Complete Suite$undefined/custom
    • Integrated T&D
    • Market integration
    • Cybersecurity

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 Siemens Spectrum Power if

  • You need scada.
  • You work on Desktop, Web, Api.
  • You also want energy management.
Siemens Spectrum Power review

Questions people ask

Is ABB 800xA or Siemens Spectrum Power better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and Siemens Spectrum Power at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or Siemens Spectrum Power?
ABB 800xA starts at On request and Siemens Spectrum Power at On request.
Does ABB 800xA or Siemens Spectrum Power run on more platforms?
ABB 800xA runs on Windows. Siemens Spectrum Power runs on Desktop, Web, 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 Siemens Spectrum Power is typically brought in for.
What can ABB 800xA do that Siemens Spectrum Power cannot?
ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. Siemens Spectrum Power covers SCADA, Energy management, Distribution management, Load flow analysis.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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