Softwr

Energy · head to head

ABB Ability vs AVEVA PI System

ABB Ability logo

ABB Ability

Energy

Digital solutions for energy and automation

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
AVEVA PI System logo

AVEVA PI System

Energy

Industrial data infrastructure for real-time insights

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.; AVEVA PI System pricing is not published and comes through an account representative
  • They diverge on capability: ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, AVEVA PI System covers Real-time data collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB Ability and AVEVA PI System actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB Ability and AVEVA PI System differ
AttributeABB AbilityAVEVA PI System
Pricing modelquoteone-time
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiDesktop, Web, Mobile, Api
Founded19881967

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 AVEVA PI System

  • Real-time data collection
  • Time-series data storage
  • Asset framework
  • Visualization
  • Analytics
  • Event management
  • Notifications
  • Data integration

Both cover

  • SCADA systems
  • ERP systems
  • IEC 62443

What people use each for

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

ABB Ability

  • Asset performance managementnot AVEVA PI System
  • Predictive maintenancenot AVEVA PI System
  • Grid optimizationnot AVEVA PI System
  • Energy efficiencynot AVEVA PI System

AVEVA PI System

  • Industrial data collection and storage for oil, gas, and chemical processingnot ABB Ability
  • Real-time operational data visualization and HMI dashboardsnot ABB Ability
  • Supply chain and asset performance monitoring across sitesnot ABB Ability
  • Compliance and audit trail management for regulated industriesnot ABB Ability
  • Integration with SCADA systems and manufacturing executionnot 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.

AVEVA PI System

  • Pricing is not published and comes through an account representative
  • The vendor is moving to a subscription commercial model, so perpetual licence expectations no longer hold
  • Made up of several separately named components, including PI Server, PI Vision, Edge Data Store and the adapters and connectors needed per data source

Pricing, plan by plan

ABB Ability

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ABB Ability review.

AVEVA PI System

On request
  • Data Archive$undefined/license
    • Time-series data storage
    • High-speed data collection
    • Data compression
  • Operations$undefined/license
    • PI Vision dashboards
    • AF analytics
    • Event frames
  • Enterprise$undefined/license
    • PI Integrator
    • Cloud connectivity
    • Advanced analytics

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 AVEVA PI System if

  • You need real-time data collection.
  • You work on Desktop, Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want time-series data storage.
AVEVA PI System review

Questions people ask

Is ABB Ability or AVEVA PI System better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB Ability starts at On request and AVEVA PI System at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB Ability or AVEVA PI System?
ABB Ability starts at On request and AVEVA PI System at On request.
Does ABB Ability or AVEVA PI System run on more platforms?
ABB Ability runs on Web, Mobile, Api. AVEVA PI System runs on Desktop, Web, Mobile, 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 AVEVA PI System is typically brought in for.
What can ABB Ability do that AVEVA PI System cannot?
ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Predictive maintenance, Performance optimization, Energy management. AVEVA PI System covers Real-time data collection, Time-series data storage, Asset framework, Visualization. Both handle SCADA systems, ERP systems, IEC 62443.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AVEVA PI System: What is AVEVA PI System pricing?

AVEVA does not list PI System pricing on its website. AVEVA markets industrial software through enterprise sales channels with custom quotes.

Source
AVEVA PI System: Does AVEVA offer a Flex Subscription Program?

AVEVA mentions Flex Subscription Program on its site for flexible product access, but pricing and terms are not published publicly.

Source
AVEVA PI System: Is AVEVA PI System available in the cloud?

AVEVA offers cloud options for its products, but per-seat or usage-based pricing for cloud deployments is not disclosed on the vendor website.

Source
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