Software · head to head
ABB Ability vs GE Digital GridOS
ABB Ability
Software
Digital solutions for energy and automation
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
GE Digital GridOS
Software
Advanced distribution management for the modern grid
- From
- On request
- 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.; GE Digital GridOS gE Digital publishes no price for GridOS anywhere on its product page; the platform is described as an application suite for utilities across transmission and distribution, gated entirely behind a Contact Us request rather than any published rate (archived product page, 18 May 2023)
- They diverge on capability: ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, GE Digital GridOS covers ADMS.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ABB Ability and GE Digital GridOS actually diverge.
| Attribute | ABB Ability | GE Digital GridOS |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Mobile, Api | Web, On-premise, Api |
| Founded | 1988 | 1892 |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 GE Digital GridOS
- ADMS
- DERMS
- Outage management
- SCADA
- Volt/VAR optimization
- FLISR
- Network modeling
- Grid analytics
Both cover
- NERC CIP
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ABB Ability
- Asset performance managementnot GE Digital GridOS
- Predictive maintenancenot GE Digital GridOS
- Grid optimization
- Energy efficiencynot GE Digital GridOS
GE Digital GridOS
- Grid modernizationnot ABB Ability
- DER integrationnot ABB Ability
- Outage restorationnot ABB Ability
- Grid optimization
- Renewable integrationnot ABB Ability
Both are used for grid optimization, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
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.
GE Digital GridOS
- GE Digital publishes no price for GridOS anywhere on its product page; the platform is described as an application suite for utilities across transmission and distribution, gated entirely behind a Contact Us request rather than any published rate (archived product page, 18 May 2023)
Pricing, plan by plan
ABB Ability
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the ABB Ability review.
GE Digital GridOS
On request- ADMS$undefined/custom
- Distribution management
- Outage management
- SCADA integration
- DERMS$undefined/custom
- DER management
- Virtual power plant
- Grid flexibility
- Enterprise Suite$undefined/custom
- Full ADMS + DERMS
- Analytics platform
- Digital twin
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 GE Digital GridOS if
- You need adms.
- You work on Web, On-premise, Api.
- You also want derms.
Questions people ask
- Is ABB Ability or GE Digital GridOS better?
- Neither clearly leads. ABB Ability starts at On request and GE Digital GridOS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ABB Ability or GE Digital GridOS?
- ABB Ability starts at On request and GE Digital GridOS at On request.
- Does ABB Ability or GE Digital GridOS run on more platforms?
- ABB Ability runs on Web, Mobile, Api. GE Digital GridOS runs on Web, On-premise, 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 GE Digital GridOS is typically brought in for.
- What can ABB Ability do that GE Digital GridOS cannot?
- ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Predictive maintenance, Performance optimization, Energy management. GE Digital GridOS covers ADMS, DERMS, Outage management, SCADA. Both handle NERC CIP, Cloud deployment.