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Bently Nevada System 1 vs Samotics

Bently Nevada System 1 logo

Bently Nevada System 1

Energy

Machinery condition monitoring software for critical rotating equipment protected by Bently Nevada hardware

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Samotics logo

Samotics

Manufacturing

Condition monitoring of motor-driven assets using electrical signature analysis from the motor control cabinet

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bently Nevada System 1 system 1 assumes Bently Nevada hardware; connected to third-party protection systems it loses access to the dynamic and transient data that is the entire reason to buy it, so the software choice is really made when the racks are specified.; Samotics sAM4 only sees what reaches the motor electrically, so it covers the driven train and misses un-driven equipment, structures, process conditions and anything downstream of a mechanical decoupling.
  • They diverge on capability: Bently Nevada System 1 covers Turbomachinery plot set, Samotics covers Electrical signature analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bently Nevada System 1 and Samotics actually diverge.

Attributes where Bently Nevada System 1 and Samotics differ
AttributeBently Nevada System 1Samotics
PlatformsWindows, Web, On-premiseWeb, Cloud
CategoryEnergyManufacturing

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Bently Nevada System 1

  • Turbomachinery plot set
  • Transient capture
  • 3500 and Orbit 60 integration
  • Decision support
  • Data diode support
  • Process data correlation

Only in Samotics

  • Electrical signature analysis
  • Switchroom installation
  • Energy and efficiency measurement
  • Submersible and hazardous area coverage
  • Fault classification
  • Fleet view

What people use each for

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

Bently Nevada System 1

  • A refinery with API 670 protected compressor trains needing transient startup data captured and analysed, which general vibration platforms cannot donot Samotics
  • An LNG plant where a single unplanned compressor trip costs more than the entire monitoring programmenot Samotics
  • A power station correlating turbine vibration with process conditions to distinguish a real fault from a load-related responsenot Samotics
  • An offshore operator using remote diagnostics because there is no rotating machinery specialist on the installationnot Samotics

Samotics

  • A water utility monitoring submersible and borehole pumps that no vibration sensor can be fitted to without lifting the pumpnot Bently Nevada System 1
  • A chemical plant with assets in ATEX zones where certifying and maintaining in-field sensors is more expensive than the monitoring itselfnot Bently Nevada System 1
  • A food plant that wants pump and mixer condition data without opening guarding or taking a hygiene-critical line down to fit sensorsnot Bently Nevada System 1
  • A site building an energy reduction case, where measured motor efficiency and waste give the business case a payback that reliability alone would notnot Bently Nevada System 1

Where each one falls short

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

Bently Nevada System 1

  • System 1 assumes Bently Nevada hardware; connected to third-party protection systems it loses access to the dynamic and transient data that is the entire reason to buy it, so the software choice is really made when the racks are specified.
  • It is priced by machine train, which makes it appropriate for a dozen critical machines and prohibitively expensive as a plant-wide condition monitoring system for balance-of-plant equipment.
  • Reading the output well needs a rotating machinery specialist; orbit and shaft centreline plots are not self-explanatory, and a site without that skill will either buy the Baker Hughes remote monitoring service or under-use the software.
  • The annual support and upgrade contract is a continuing cost that must be maintained to stay on supported versions, and lapsing it on a system tied to safety-relevant protection hardware is not a realistic saving.
  • Nothing about pricing is published and the product is sold as part of a machinery relationship with Baker Hughes, so competitive tension at renewal is limited once the hardware is installed.

Samotics

  • SAM4 only sees what reaches the motor electrically, so it covers the driven train and misses un-driven equipment, structures, process conditions and anything downstream of a mechanical decoupling.
  • Each monitored motor needs hardware installed in the motor control centre by a qualified electrician, and in older switchrooms that installation, including any required outage, can cost more than a year of the subscription.
  • Per-asset subscription pricing means the cost scales linearly with the number of motors, so a plant with a thousand small motors faces a bill that a fixed-price plant-wide vibration system would not impose.
  • Electrical signature analysis on variable-speed drives is harder than on direct-on-line motors, and results vary with drive type, so a heavily VSD estate should insist on a pilot on its own drives before committing.
  • Nothing is published on price, contract length or minimum deployment size, and the vendor sells multi-year subscriptions, so early exit terms are a negotiation you have to raise yourself.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bently Nevada System 1

On request
  • System 1$undefined/year
    • Priced by machine train and connected data source
    • Bently Nevada protection hardware assumed or purchased alongside
    • Annual software support and upgrade contract sold separately

Samotics

On request
  • SAM4$undefined/year
    • Subscription priced per monitored asset
    • SAM4 sensor hardware required in each motor control centre
    • Electrical installation by a qualified electrician, quoted separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Bently Nevada System 1 if

  • You need turbomachinery plot set.
  • You work on Windows, Web, On-premise.
  • You also want transient capture.
Bently Nevada System 1 review

Choose Samotics if

  • You need electrical signature analysis.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want switchroom installation.
Samotics review

Questions people ask

Is Bently Nevada System 1 or Samotics better?
Neither clearly leads. Bently Nevada System 1 starts at On request and Samotics at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bently Nevada System 1 or Samotics?
Bently Nevada System 1 starts at On request and Samotics at On request.
Does Bently Nevada System 1 or Samotics run on more platforms?
Bently Nevada System 1 runs on Windows, Web, On-premise. Samotics runs on Web, Cloud.
What is Bently Nevada System 1 best used for?
Bently Nevada System 1 is most often used for a refinery with api 670 protected compressor trains needing transient startup data captured and analysed, which general vibration platforms cannot do, an lng plant where a single unplanned compressor trip costs more than the entire monitoring programme, a power station correlating turbine vibration with process conditions to distinguish a real fault from a load-related response, an offshore operator using remote diagnostics because there is no rotating machinery specialist on the installation. Of those, a refinery with api 670 protected compressor trains needing transient startup data captured and analysed, which general vibration platforms cannot do and an lng plant where a single unplanned compressor trip costs more than the entire monitoring programme are not what Samotics is typically brought in for.
What can Bently Nevada System 1 do that Samotics cannot?
Bently Nevada System 1 covers Turbomachinery plot set, Transient capture, 3500 and Orbit 60 integration, Decision support. Samotics covers Electrical signature analysis, Switchroom installation, Energy and efficiency measurement, Submersible and hazardous area coverage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bently Nevada System 1: Do I need Bently Nevada hardware?

Practically, yes. System 1 can take some third-party inputs but the dynamic and transient data that justify it come from 3500 or Orbit 60 racks.

Samotics: Does Samotics replace vibration monitoring?

For motor-driven assets it often does, and it reaches assets vibration cannot. For un-driven equipment and structures it does not apply at all.

Bently Nevada System 1: Is System 1 suitable for all my plant motors?

No. It is priced and designed for critical machine trains. Balance-of-plant motors are far better served by a general condition monitoring platform.

Samotics: Do I have to buy Samotics hardware?

Yes. SAM4 requires the vendor's sensors fitted in the motor control centre; there is no software-only option.

Bently Nevada System 1: What does Orbit 60 add?

A newer protection platform with SIL certification and a built-in data diode, which removes the network security objection to connecting protection systems.

Samotics: Does it work on variable-speed drives?

It can, but performance depends on the drive and the operating profile. Pilot it on your own VSD assets rather than accepting a reference from a direct-on-line site.

Bently Nevada System 1: Can Baker Hughes monitor the machines for me?

Yes, remote machinery diagnostic services are offered, which is how many sites without an in-house specialist actually consume System 1.

Samotics: How is it priced?

Subscription per monitored asset, quoted, typically on a multi-year term, with hardware and electrical installation on top.

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