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Manufacturing · head to head

ABB 800xA vs Yokogawa CENTUM VP

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
Yokogawa CENTUM VP logo

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

Manufacturing

Distributed control system for continuous process plants with a documented 30-year upgrade path

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.; Yokogawa CENTUM VP there is no published price list and no way to size a budget without engaging Yokogawa or an EPC, so early-stage comparison against DeltaV or Experion is guesswork until quotations arrive.
  • They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, Yokogawa CENTUM VP covers Field Control Station.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB 800xA and Yokogawa CENTUM VP actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB 800xA and Yokogawa CENTUM VP differ
AttributeABB 800xAYokogawa CENTUM VP
PlatformsWindowsWindows, On-premise

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 Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • Field Control Station
  • N-IO
  • Human Interface Station
  • ProSafe-RS integration
  • Vnet/IP
  • Migration from CS 1000 and CS 3000
  • Exaquantum integration
  • Alarm management

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

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • Replacing end-of-life CENTUM CS 3000 controllers during a refinery turnaround without pulling field cablingnot ABB 800xA
  • Greenfield LNG train where the control and safety systems must share one operator console and one event lognot ABB 800xA
  • Specialty chemicals batch plant needing sequence control with recipe management and full electronic batch recordsnot ABB 800xA
  • Combined cycle power station where 99.99999 percent availability figures are written into the contractnot 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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • There is no published price list and no way to size a budget without engaging Yokogawa or an EPC, so early-stage comparison against DeltaV or Experion is guesswork until quotations arrive.
  • Engineering and commissioning routinely cost several times the hardware and software, and owners who budget from the equipment quote alone are consistently short.
  • The ecosystem is closed: controllers, I/O and diagnostics are Yokogawa, and third-party alternatives at the controller layer do not exist, so the vendor holds pricing power for the twenty years or more the plant runs.
  • Operator stations run on Windows and are tied to specific validated Windows releases, so operating system end-of-life forces console refresh cycles that are governed by Yokogawa validation rather than by your IT policy.
  • Engineering staff who know CENTUM are scarce outside Japan, the Middle East and South East Asia, and in North America and Europe you will pay a premium or depend on Yokogawa’s own services organisation for changes.

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

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

On request
  • CENTUM VP$undefined/year
    • Priced as an engineered system, not a per-seat licence
    • Cost driven by I/O count, controller redundancy and number of operator stations
    • Engineering, FAT, commissioning and training quoted separately and usually exceed hardware

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 Yokogawa CENTUM VP if

  • You need field control station.
  • You work on Windows, On-premise.
  • You also want n-io.
Yokogawa CENTUM VP review

Questions people ask

Is ABB 800xA or Yokogawa CENTUM VP better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and Yokogawa CENTUM VP at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or Yokogawa CENTUM VP?
ABB 800xA starts at On request and Yokogawa CENTUM VP at On request.
Does ABB 800xA or Yokogawa CENTUM VP run on more platforms?
ABB 800xA runs on Windows. Yokogawa CENTUM VP runs on Windows, On-premise.
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 Yokogawa CENTUM VP is typically brought in for.
What can ABB 800xA do that Yokogawa CENTUM VP cannot?
ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. Yokogawa CENTUM VP covers Field Control Station, N-IO, Human Interface Station, ProSafe-RS integration.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Can I upgrade from CENTUM CS 3000 without rewiring the plant?

Yes. Yokogawa sells migration packages that replace the controller and keep existing field wiring and marshalling, which is the main reason CENTUM installations stay CENTUM.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Is CENTUM VP sold as a subscription?

No. It is a capital purchase of hardware and licences with an annual service agreement for updates and support.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: How does it compare with Emerson DeltaV on cost?

Neither publishes prices. CENTUM tends to win on brownfield migration cost because the field wiring stays; DeltaV tends to be cheaper on small greenfield systems.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Do I need a separate safety system?

Yes, for SIL-rated functions. ProSafe-RS is the Yokogawa SIS and shares the CENTUM engineering database and operator console.

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