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ABB Ability vs Bently Nevada System 1

ABB Ability logo

ABB Ability

Energy

Digital solutions for energy and automation

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bently Nevada System 1 logo

Bently Nevada System 1

Energy

Machinery condition monitoring software for critical rotating equipment protected by Bently Nevada hardware

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ABB Ability the Internet Archive's capture of ABB Ability's page on 19 December 2021 showed it is sold only through a 'Find Your Sales Partner' channel across industry verticals (Automotive, Buildings, Data Centers, EV Charging, Manufacturing, Mining, Oil & Gas, Power, and others), with no price list published.; Bently Nevada System 1 system 1 assumes Bently Nevada hardware; connected to third-party protection systems it loses access to the dynamic and transient data that is the entire reason to buy it, so the software choice is really made when the racks are specified.
  • They diverge on capability: ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Bently Nevada System 1 covers Turbomachinery plot set.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB Ability and Bently Nevada System 1 actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB Ability and Bently Nevada System 1 differ
AttributeABB AbilityBently Nevada System 1
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiWindows, Web, On-premise
Founded1988Unknown

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

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 Ability

  • Asset health monitoring
  • Predictive maintenance
  • Performance optimization
  • Energy management
  • Grid automation
  • Remote diagnostics
  • Advanced analytics
  • Digital twin technology

Only in Bently Nevada System 1

  • Turbomachinery plot set
  • Transient capture
  • 3500 and Orbit 60 integration
  • Decision support
  • Data diode support
  • Process data correlation

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ABB Ability

  • Asset performance managementnot Bently Nevada System 1
  • Predictive maintenancenot Bently Nevada System 1
  • Grid optimizationnot Bently Nevada System 1
  • Energy efficiencynot Bently Nevada System 1

Bently Nevada System 1

  • A refinery with API 670 protected compressor trains needing transient startup data captured and analysed, which general vibration platforms cannot donot ABB Ability
  • An LNG plant where a single unplanned compressor trip costs more than the entire monitoring programmenot ABB Ability
  • A power station correlating turbine vibration with process conditions to distinguish a real fault from a load-related responsenot ABB Ability
  • An offshore operator using remote diagnostics because there is no rotating machinery specialist on the installationnot ABB Ability

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ABB Ability

  • The Internet Archive's capture of ABB Ability's page on 19 December 2021 showed it is sold only through a 'Find Your Sales Partner' channel across industry verticals (Automotive, Buildings, Data Centers, EV Charging, Manufacturing, Mining, Oil & Gas, Power, and others), with no price list published.

Bently Nevada System 1

  • System 1 assumes Bently Nevada hardware; connected to third-party protection systems it loses access to the dynamic and transient data that is the entire reason to buy it, so the software choice is really made when the racks are specified.
  • It is priced by machine train, which makes it appropriate for a dozen critical machines and prohibitively expensive as a plant-wide condition monitoring system for balance-of-plant equipment.
  • Reading the output well needs a rotating machinery specialist; orbit and shaft centreline plots are not self-explanatory, and a site without that skill will either buy the Baker Hughes remote monitoring service or under-use the software.
  • The annual support and upgrade contract is a continuing cost that must be maintained to stay on supported versions, and lapsing it on a system tied to safety-relevant protection hardware is not a realistic saving.
  • Nothing about pricing is published and the product is sold as part of a machinery relationship with Baker Hughes, so competitive tension at renewal is limited once the hardware is installed.

Pricing, plan by plan

ABB Ability

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ABB Ability review.

Bently Nevada System 1

On request
  • System 1$undefined/year
    • Priced by machine train and connected data source
    • Bently Nevada protection hardware assumed or purchased alongside
    • Annual software support and upgrade contract sold separately

Which should you pick?

Choose ABB Ability if

  • You need asset health monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want predictive maintenance.
ABB Ability review

Choose Bently Nevada System 1 if

  • You need turbomachinery plot set.
  • You work on Windows, Web, On-premise.
  • You also want transient capture.
Bently Nevada System 1 review

Questions people ask

Is ABB Ability or Bently Nevada System 1 better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB Ability starts at On request and Bently Nevada System 1 at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB Ability or Bently Nevada System 1?
ABB Ability starts at On request and Bently Nevada System 1 at On request.
Does ABB Ability or Bently Nevada System 1 run on more platforms?
ABB Ability runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Bently Nevada System 1 runs on Windows, Web, On-premise.
What is ABB Ability best used for?
ABB Ability is most often used for asset performance management, predictive maintenance, grid optimization, energy efficiency. Of those, asset performance management and predictive maintenance are not what Bently Nevada System 1 is typically brought in for.
What can ABB Ability do that Bently Nevada System 1 cannot?
ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Predictive maintenance, Performance optimization, Energy management. Bently Nevada System 1 covers Turbomachinery plot set, Transient capture, 3500 and Orbit 60 integration, Decision support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bently Nevada System 1: Do I need Bently Nevada hardware?

Practically, yes. System 1 can take some third-party inputs but the dynamic and transient data that justify it come from 3500 or Orbit 60 racks.

Bently Nevada System 1: Is System 1 suitable for all my plant motors?

No. It is priced and designed for critical machine trains. Balance-of-plant motors are far better served by a general condition monitoring platform.

Bently Nevada System 1: What does Orbit 60 add?

A newer protection platform with SIL certification and a built-in data diode, which removes the network security objection to connecting protection systems.

Bently Nevada System 1: Can Baker Hughes monitor the machines for me?

Yes, remote machinery diagnostic services are offered, which is how many sites without an in-house specialist actually consume System 1.

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