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Manufacturing · head to head

Aras Innovator vs Yokogawa CENTUM VP

Aras Innovator logo

Aras Innovator

Manufacturing

Subscription PLM platform where every module is included in the seat price

From
Free
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

  • Only Aras Innovator has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Aras Innovator aras publishes no prices at all, so you cannot sanity-check a quote against a list price and every negotiation starts from the vendor knowing more than you do.; 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: Aras Innovator covers Model-based configuration, 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 Aras Innovator and Yokogawa CENTUM VP actually diverge.

Attributes where Aras Innovator and Yokogawa CENTUM VP differ
AttributeAras InnovatorYokogawa CENTUM VP
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Cloud, Self-hostedWindows, On-premise

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), 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 Aras Innovator

  • Model-based configuration
  • Upgrades included
  • All applications in one subscription
  • CAD data management
  • Effectivity and configuration management
  • Community Edition
  • Open REST and OData APIs

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.

Aras Innovator

  • A manufacturer whose current PLM cannot be upgraded because past customisations would break, and who wants configuration that survives releasesnot Yokogawa CENTUM VP
  • An engineering organisation that needs requirements, quality and change management under one data model without buying three modulesnot Yokogawa CENTUM VP
  • A medical device or aerospace firm needing full traceability from requirement to as-built serial numbernot Yokogawa CENTUM VP
  • A company piloting PLM on a real programme using the free 50-user Community Edition before committing budgetnot Yokogawa CENTUM VP

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

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

Where each one falls short

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

Aras Innovator

  • Aras publishes no prices at all, so you cannot sanity-check a quote against a list price and every negotiation starts from the vendor knowing more than you do.
  • The platform ships as a toolkit rather than a configured process, so a first implementation is typically a six to twelve month engagement with an integrator, and services frequently cost more than the first two years of subscription.
  • The Community Edition is capped at 50 named users, gets only annual releases and excludes Aras-performed upgrades, so it is a genuine free tier but a deliberately awkward place to stay.
  • Configuration flexibility invites over-customisation; organisations that model every local exception end up with a system only two internal people understand, which is the same trap they left their previous PLM to escape.
  • CAD connectors are not all equal in maturity, and some are excluded from the base subscription, so a shop standardised on a less common CAD tool should confirm connector scope in writing before signing.

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

Aras Innovator

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Up to 50 named users
    • Core product data platform
    • Yearly release cadence only
  • Subscription (Standard, self-hosted)$undefined/year
    • Named-user subscription
    • All applications included
    • Quarterly releases
  • Subscription (SaaS)$undefined/year
    • Aras-hosted and operated
    • All applications included
    • Quarterly releases

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 Aras Innovator if

  • You need model-based configuration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want upgrades included.
Aras Innovator 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 Aras Innovator or Yokogawa CENTUM VP better?
Neither clearly leads. Aras Innovator starts at Free 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, Aras Innovator or Yokogawa CENTUM VP?
Aras Innovator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Aras Innovator and On request for Yokogawa CENTUM VP.
Does Aras Innovator or Yokogawa CENTUM VP run on more platforms?
Aras Innovator runs on Web, Windows, Cloud, Self-hosted. Yokogawa CENTUM VP runs on Windows, On-premise.
Can I use Aras Innovator for free?
Yes. Aras Innovator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yokogawa CENTUM VP starts at On request.
What is Aras Innovator best used for?
Aras Innovator is most often used for a manufacturer whose current plm cannot be upgraded because past customisations would break, and who wants configuration that survives releases, an engineering organisation that needs requirements, quality and change management under one data model without buying three modules, a medical device or aerospace firm needing full traceability from requirement to as-built serial number, a company piloting plm on a real programme using the free 50-user community edition before committing budget. Of those, a manufacturer whose current plm cannot be upgraded because past customisations would break, and who wants configuration that survives releases and an engineering organisation that needs requirements, quality and change management under one data model without buying three modules are not what Yokogawa CENTUM VP is typically brought in for.
What can Aras Innovator do that Yokogawa CENTUM VP cannot?
Aras Innovator covers Model-based configuration, Upgrades included, All applications in one subscription, CAD data management. Yokogawa CENTUM VP covers Field Control Station, N-IO, Human Interface Station, ProSafe-RS integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aras Innovator: Is Aras Innovator open source?

No. The source is not open. The Community Edition is free of licence fee for up to 50 named users under a revocable licence, which is not the same thing.

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.

Aras Innovator: Can I buy a perpetual licence?

No. Aras sells subscription only. If a perpetual PLM licence is a procurement requirement, Aras is out.

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.

Aras Innovator: Do upgrades cost extra?

No, and that is the central commercial claim. Aras performs upgrades of subscriber environments, including customised ones, as part of the subscription.

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.

Aras Innovator: How many modules do I have to buy?

One subscription covers all applications. Some CAD connectors are the exception, so confirm yours is in scope.

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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