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Manufacturing · head to head

AVEVA System Platform vs iDempiere

AVEVA System Platform logo

AVEVA System Platform

Manufacturing

Supervisory HMI and SCADA platform, formerly sold as Wonderware System Platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
iDempiere logo

iDempiere

ERP

Community-governed open source ERP, CRM and supply chain built on Java, OSGi and PostgreSQL

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only iDempiere has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AVEVA System Platform wonderware is no longer a name you can buy; if you have inherited documentation, purchase orders or job specifications that say Wonderware, everything has to be re-mapped to AVEVA product names before you can quote it.; iDempiere there is no vendor, so there is no support contract, no service level agreement and nobody to escalate to; you either build the skills internally or you depend entirely on a local partner whose quality you must judge yourself.
  • They diverge on capability: AVEVA System Platform covers ArchestrA object model, iDempiere covers Application dictionary.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AVEVA System Platform and iDempiere actually diverge.

Attributes where AVEVA System Platform and iDempiere differ
AttributeAVEVA System PlatformiDempiere
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows
CategoryManufacturingERP

Identical on both: 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 AVEVA System Platform

  • ArchestrA object model
  • InTouch HMI
  • AVEVA Historian
  • Redundancy
  • Situational awareness graphics
  • OMI
  • Alarm management
  • Connectivity

Only in iDempiere

  • Application dictionary
  • OSGi plug-in architecture
  • Multi-organisation accounting
  • Materials management
  • Manufacturing
  • Workflow engine
  • Report and print engine
  • No paid edition

What people use each for

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

AVEVA System Platform

  • A multi-site food manufacturer standardising operator screens across plants that run different PLC brandsnot iDempiere
  • A water utility with a decade of ArchestrA templates where rewriting to another platform cannot be justifiednot iDempiere
  • A pharmaceutical line needing ISA-88 batch recipe handling above existing Rockwell and Siemens controllersnot iDempiere
  • A plant modernising legacy InTouch applications without discarding the existing screens and scriptsnot iDempiere

iDempiere

  • A distributor wants multi-organisation, multi-currency accounting and warehouse costing without a per-user ERP licence that scales with headcount.not AVEVA System Platform
  • An organisation that has been caught by an open core vendor moving features into a paid tier wants an ERP with no company that can make that decision.not AVEVA System Platform
  • A team needs heavy customisation of screens, fields and approval workflows that must survive version upgrades, which the application dictionary makes possible without forking.not AVEVA System Platform
  • A public sector or university body in Latin America or Indonesia needs a locally supportable ERP where the source and the implementation skills are both available in-country.not AVEVA System Platform

Where each one falls short

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

AVEVA System Platform

  • Wonderware is no longer a name you can buy; if you have inherited documentation, purchase orders or job specifications that say Wonderware, everything has to be re-mapped to AVEVA product names before you can quote it.
  • AVEVA Flex converts licensing to a recurring subscription draw-down, so organisations that budgeted for a perpetual licence with a support percentage face a materially different cost model at renewal.
  • It is Windows only, and version compatibility between System Platform, Historian and InTouch is tight, so upgrades are coordinated projects rather than incremental patches.
  • The ArchestrA object model has a steep learning curve and small systems end up paying for structure they do not need, which is why integrators often deploy standalone InTouch instead.
  • Licence enforcement counts I/O aggressively and unexpected tag growth during commissioning can trigger a mid-project licence purchase at list price.

iDempiere

  • There is no vendor, so there is no support contract, no service level agreement and nobody to escalate to; you either build the skills internally or you depend entirely on a local partner whose quality you must judge yourself.
  • It demands real Java, OSGi and PostgreSQL administration, so the running cost is a systems engineer rather than a subscription, and that engineer is harder to hire than a PHP developer.
  • The ZK-based interface is dense and dated, with a data-entry feel inherited from Compiere that staff used to modern software find hostile, which drives up training cost.
  • Localisation depends on community contribution, so tax, payroll and statutory reporting for your country may be absent, out of date or maintained by one person, and you may end up funding it yourself.
  • The documentation is a community wiki with gaps and stale pages, and much of the practical knowledge sits in forum threads and partner heads rather than in anything you can hand to a new administrator.

Pricing, plan by plan

AVEVA System Platform

On request
  • AVEVA System Platform$undefined/year
    • Licensed by I/O count, client count and platform nodes
    • Sold through AVEVA Flex subscription token pool or legacy perpetual licence
    • Legacy perpetual licences carry an annual customer FIRST support fee

iDempiere

Free
  • iDempiereFree
    • Full ERP, CRM and supply chain source
    • Unlimited users and organisations
    • No enterprise edition and no feature gating
  • Implementation partner$undefined/year
    • Local partners provide installation, configuration, training and support
    • Priced per engagement, not published
    • Realistically the only viable route for a production deployment

Which should you pick?

Choose AVEVA System Platform if

  • You need archestra object model.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want intouch hmi.
AVEVA System Platform review

Choose iDempiere if

  • You need application dictionary.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows.
  • You also want osgi plug-in architecture.
iDempiere review

Questions people ask

Is AVEVA System Platform or iDempiere better?
Neither clearly leads. AVEVA System Platform starts at On request and iDempiere at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AVEVA System Platform or iDempiere?
iDempiere has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for AVEVA System Platform and Free for iDempiere.
Does AVEVA System Platform or iDempiere run on more platforms?
AVEVA System Platform runs on Windows. iDempiere runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows.
Can I use iDempiere for free?
Yes. iDempiere has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. AVEVA System Platform starts at On request.
What is AVEVA System Platform best used for?
AVEVA System Platform is most often used for a multi-site food manufacturer standardising operator screens across plants that run different plc brands, a water utility with a decade of archestra templates where rewriting to another platform cannot be justified, a pharmaceutical line needing isa-88 batch recipe handling above existing rockwell and siemens controllers, a plant modernising legacy intouch applications without discarding the existing screens and scripts. Of those, a multi-site food manufacturer standardising operator screens across plants that run different plc brands and a water utility with a decade of archestra templates where rewriting to another platform cannot be justified are not what iDempiere is typically brought in for.
What can AVEVA System Platform do that iDempiere cannot?
AVEVA System Platform covers ArchestrA object model, InTouch HMI, AVEVA Historian, Redundancy. iDempiere covers Application dictionary, OSGi plug-in architecture, Multi-organisation accounting, Materials management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AVEVA System Platform: Is Wonderware still sold?

No. The brand was retired; buy AVEVA System Platform, AVEVA InTouch HMI, AVEVA Historian or AVEVA Plant SCADA instead.

iDempiere: Is iDempiere the same as ADempiere or Compiere?

It shares the lineage. iDempiere forked from ADempiere in 2011 to rebuild the platform on OSGi, and it is the branch that remains actively developed.

AVEVA System Platform: Can I still buy a perpetual licence?

AVEVA steers new business to Flex subscriptions. Perpetual is increasingly restricted to existing agreements and renewals.

iDempiere: Is there a paid or enterprise edition?

No. There is no commercial owner and no feature gating. Money is spent on implementation partners and hosting, not on licences.

AVEVA System Platform: Do my old InTouch applications still run?

Yes, legacy InTouch applications are supported in System Platform, though the older graphics do not gain the newer situational-awareness features without rework.

iDempiere: What does it actually cost to run?

Nothing in licence fees, and a great deal in skills: expect a partner implementation and ongoing Java and PostgreSQL administration, which for a mid-sized company is comparable to a commercial subscription.

AVEVA System Platform: What is AVEVA Flex?

A subscription credit pool you draw against for any AVEVA product, which trades a fixed licence for a recurring balance you must keep topped up.

iDempiere: Which database does it need?

PostgreSQL or Oracle. PostgreSQL is the mainstream community choice and the one most partners deploy.

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