Energy & Utilities · head to head
AVEVA PI System vs Stem Athena
AVEVA PI System
Energy & Utilities
Industrial data infrastructure for real-time insights
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
S
Stem Athena
Energy & Utilities
AI-driven clean energy optimization
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: AVEVA PI System pricing is not published and comes through an account representative; Stem Athena stem's site names the product PowerTrack Optimizer, formerly Athena, so the Athena name is retired
- They diverge on capability: AVEVA PI System covers Real-time data collection, Stem Athena covers AI optimization.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which AVEVA PI System and Stem Athena actually diverge.
| Attribute | AVEVA PI System | Stem Athena |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | one-time | subscription |
| Platforms | Desktop, Web, Mobile, Api | Web, Mobile, Api |
| Founded | 1967 | 2009 |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 AVEVA PI System
- Real-time data collection
- Time-series data storage
- Asset framework
- Visualization
- Analytics
- Event management
- Notifications
- Data integration
Only in Stem Athena
- AI optimization
- Energy storage management
- Demand charge reduction
- Grid services
- Solar integration
- Weather forecasting
- Performance analytics
- Remote monitoring
Both cover
- ISO27001
- SOC2
- Cybersecurity
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
AVEVA PI System
- Collecting and historising real-time process data from plant equipmentnot Stem Athena
- Operations dashboards and alerting through PI Visionnot Stem Athena
- Edge data collection where connectivity is intermittentnot Stem Athena
- Pulling process data into Excel analysis with PI DataLinknot Stem Athena
- Utilities, pharma, mining and oil and gas process monitoringnot Stem Athena
Stem Athena
- Optimising dispatch and market participation of battery energy storagenot AVEVA PI System
- Monitoring and reporting on solar and storage asset performancenot AVEVA PI System
- Remote diagnostics across renewable generation fleetsnot AVEVA PI System
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Stem Athena
- Stem's site names the product PowerTrack Optimizer, formerly Athena, so the Athena name is retired
- No price, subscription fee or contract term is published anywhere on the site
- The optimizer is one component of the wider PowerTrack suite alongside separate EMS, SCADA, Power Plant Controller and Logger products rather than a standalone licence
- Design, procurement, commissioning and operation are sold as managed services separate from the software
Pricing, plan by plan
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$undefined/license
- PI Integrator
- Cloud connectivity
- Advanced analytics
Stem Athena
On request- Commercial$undefined/custom
- Energy storage optimization
- Demand charge management
- Rate optimization
- Utility$undefined/custom
- Grid services
- VPP management
- Frequency regulation
- Enterprise$undefined/custom
- Fleet management
- Portfolio optimization
- Custom integrations
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Stem Athena if
- You need ai optimization.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
- You also want energy storage management.
Questions people ask
- Is AVEVA PI System or Stem Athena better?
- Neither clearly leads. AVEVA PI System starts at On request and Stem Athena at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, AVEVA PI System or Stem Athena?
- AVEVA PI System starts at On request and Stem Athena at On request.
- Does AVEVA PI System or Stem Athena run on more platforms?
- AVEVA PI System runs on Desktop, Web, Mobile, Api. Stem Athena runs on Web, Mobile, Api.
- What is AVEVA PI System best used for?
- AVEVA PI System is most often used for collecting and historising real-time process data from plant equipment, operations dashboards and alerting through pi vision, edge data collection where connectivity is intermittent, pulling process data into excel analysis with pi datalink. Of those, collecting and historising real-time process data from plant equipment and operations dashboards and alerting through pi vision are not what Stem Athena is typically brought in for.
- What can AVEVA PI System do that Stem Athena cannot?
- AVEVA PI System covers Real-time data collection, Time-series data storage, Asset framework, Visualization. Stem Athena covers AI optimization, Energy storage management, Demand charge reduction, Grid services. Both handle ISO27001, SOC2, Cybersecurity.