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Energy & Utilities · head to head

ABB Ability vs LIFX

ABB Ability logo

ABB Ability

Energy & Utilities

Digital solutions for energy and automation

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LIFX logo

LIFX

IoT & Smart Home

WiFi-enabled smart lights with no hub required

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.; LIFX the Internet Archive's capture of LIFX's products page on 19 July 2016 priced the White 800 bulb at $39.99 USD (890 lumens) and the Color 1000 bulb at $59.99 USD (1,055 lumens); this is a 2016 capture and current prices likely differ.
  • They diverge on capability: ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, LIFX covers No Hub Required.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB Ability and LIFX actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB Ability and LIFX differ
AttributeABB AbilityLIFX
Pricing modelquoteone-time
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiIOS, Android, Windows, MacOS
CategoryEnergy & UtilitiesIoT & Smart Home
Founded19882012

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 Ability

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

Only in LIFX

  • No Hub Required
  • 16 Million Colors
  • WiFi Direct
  • High Brightness
  • HomeKit
  • Alexa
  • Google Home
  • SmartThings

What people use each for

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

ABB Ability

  • Asset performance managementnot LIFX
  • Predictive maintenancenot LIFX
  • Grid optimizationnot LIFX
  • Energy efficiencynot LIFX

LIFX

  • Ambient lightingnot ABB Ability
  • Gaming setupnot ABB Ability
  • Photography lightingnot ABB Ability
  • Smart homenot 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.

LIFX

  • The Internet Archive's capture of LIFX's products page on 19 July 2016 priced the White 800 bulb at $39.99 USD (890 lumens) and the Color 1000 bulb at $59.99 USD (1,055 lumens); this is a 2016 capture and current prices likely differ.

Pricing, plan by plan

ABB Ability

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ABB Ability review.

LIFX

On request
  • LIFX Bulb$40/month
    • 16M colors
    • WiFi direct
    • No hub required

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 LIFX if

  • You need no hub required.
  • You work on IOS, Android, Windows, MacOS.
  • You also want 16 million colors.
LIFX review

Questions people ask

Is ABB Ability or LIFX better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB Ability starts at On request and LIFX at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB Ability or LIFX?
ABB Ability starts at On request and LIFX at On request.
Does ABB Ability or LIFX run on more platforms?
ABB Ability runs on Web, Mobile, Api. LIFX runs on IOS, Android, Windows, MacOS.
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 LIFX is typically brought in for.
What can ABB Ability do that LIFX cannot?
ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Predictive maintenance, Performance optimization, Energy management. LIFX covers No Hub Required, 16 Million Colors, WiFi Direct, High Brightness.
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