Energy & Utilities · head to head
ABB Ability vs ETAP
ABB Ability
Energy & Utilities
Digital solutions for energy and automation
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
ETAP
Energy & Utilities
Electrical power system design and analysis software
- From
- $5000/year
- Rated
- -
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.; ETAP no pricing is published, and reaching a figure requires completing a multi step quote form
- They diverge on capability: ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, ETAP covers Load flow analysis.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ABB Ability and ETAP actually diverge.
| Attribute | ABB Ability | ETAP |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $5000/year |
| Pricing model | quote | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile, Api | Windows, Api |
| Founded | 1988 | 1986 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Energy & Utilities).
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 ETAP
- Load flow analysis
- Short circuit analysis
- Arc flash analysis
- Protective device coordination
- Harmonics analysis
- Transient stability
- Cable sizing
- Panel schedule design
Both cover
- SCADA systems
- Cloud deployment
- On-premise deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ABB Ability
- Asset performance managementnot ETAP
- Predictive maintenancenot ETAP
- Grid optimizationnot ETAP
- Energy efficiencynot ETAP
ETAP
- Electrical power system modelling, simulation and analysisnot ABB Ability
- Arc flash, load flow and protection coordination studiesnot 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.
ETAP
- No pricing is published, and reaching a figure requires completing a multi step quote form
- Subscription durations offered are 3 years and 5 years, so there is no short commitment option
- Licences are banded by user count rather than sold individually, in brackets of 1, 5 to 15, 15 to 25, 25 to 50 and over 50
- National and international network licences are priced separately
Pricing, plan by plan
ABB Ability
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the ABB Ability review.
ETAP
$5000/year- Standard$5000/year
- Load flow analysis
- Short circuit analysis
- Arc flash analysis
- Professional$15000/year
- Advanced analysis
- Protective device coordination
- Harmonics analysis
- Enterprise$undefined/year
- Real-time monitoring
- SCADA integration
- Custom modules
Which should you pick?
Choose ABB Ability if
- You need asset health monitoring.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
- You also want predictive maintenance.
Choose ETAP if
- You need load flow analysis.
- You work on Windows, Api.
- You also want short circuit analysis.
Questions people ask
- Is ABB Ability or ETAP better?
- Neither clearly leads. ABB Ability starts at On request and ETAP at $5000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ABB Ability or ETAP?
- ABB Ability starts at On request and ETAP at $5000/year.
- Does ABB Ability or ETAP run on more platforms?
- ABB Ability runs on Web, Mobile, Api. ETAP runs on Windows, Api.
- 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 ETAP is typically brought in for.
- What can ABB Ability do that ETAP cannot?
- ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Predictive maintenance, Performance optimization, Energy management. ETAP covers Load flow analysis, Short circuit analysis, Arc flash analysis, Protective device coordination. Both handle SCADA systems, Cloud deployment, On-premise deployment.