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Manufacturing · head to head

AVEVA System Platform vs Ignition

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
Ignition logo

Ignition

Manufacturing

Industrial automation platform for SCADA, HMI and MES

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Ignition requires real engineering to implement; it is a platform rather than a finished application
  • They diverge on capability: AVEVA System Platform covers ArchestrA object model, Ignition covers Unlimited-client licensing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where AVEVA System Platform and Ignition differ
AttributeAVEVA System PlatformIgnition
Pricing modelquotePer-server licensing with published module pricing; unlimited clients and tags
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Linux, macOS, Web

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 AVEVA System Platform

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

Only in Ignition

  • Unlimited-client licensing
  • SCADA and HMI
  • Historian
  • MES modules
  • Web-based clients
  • Wide PLC support

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 Ignition
  • A water utility with a decade of ArchestrA templates where rewriting to another platform cannot be justifiednot Ignition
  • A pharmaceutical line needing ISA-88 batch recipe handling above existing Rockwell and Siemens controllersnot Ignition
  • A plant modernising legacy InTouch applications without discarding the existing screens and scriptsnot Ignition

Ignition

  • Plants where per-tag licensing has made expansion a budget conversationnot AVEVA System Platform
  • Replacing installed operator terminals with browser-based clientsnot AVEVA System Platform
  • Connecting plant floor data to SQL and business systemsnot 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.

Ignition

  • Requires real engineering to implement; it is a platform rather than a finished application
  • Steep learning curve, and Inductive Automation runs its own training programme because of it
  • Self-hosted and self-supported by default, so plant IT carries the availability burden
  • Module-based pricing means the entry figure is rarely the final one

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

Ignition

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Ignition review.

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 Ignition if

  • You need unlimited-client licensing.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, macOS, Web.
  • You also want scada and hmi.
Ignition review

Questions people ask

Is AVEVA System Platform or Ignition better?
Neither clearly leads. AVEVA System Platform starts at On request and Ignition at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AVEVA System Platform or Ignition?
AVEVA System Platform starts at On request and Ignition at On request.
Does AVEVA System Platform or Ignition run on more platforms?
AVEVA System Platform runs on Windows. Ignition runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Web.
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 Ignition is typically brought in for.
What can AVEVA System Platform do that Ignition cannot?
AVEVA System Platform covers ArchestrA object model, InTouch HMI, AVEVA Historian, Redundancy. Ignition covers Unlimited-client licensing, SCADA and HMI, Historian, MES modules.

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.

Ignition: What does Ignition cost?

It publishes per-server module pricing with unlimited clients, tags and connections, so cost does not scale with how many people use it.

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.

Ignition: Why does unlimited-client licensing matter?

Traditional SCADA is licensed per tag or per screen, which turns adding an operator terminal into a purchase. Ignition removes that ceiling.

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.

Ignition: Is it a finished application?

No, it is a platform. Screens, tags and logic are built for the specific plant, which is real engineering work.

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.

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