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Energy · head to head

Cognite Data Fusion vs ETAP

Cognite Data Fusion logo

Cognite Data Fusion

Energy

Industrial data platform that contextualises OT, IT and engineering data into an asset-centric knowledge graph

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ETAP logo

ETAP

Energy

Electrical power system design and analysis software

From
$5000/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cognite Data Fusion the platform is only as good as the contextualisation work, and that mapping effort is a consulting project that regularly costs more than the first-year subscription.; ETAP no pricing is published, and reaching a figure requires completing a multi step quote form
  • They diverge on capability: Cognite Data Fusion covers Asset-centric data model, ETAP covers Load flow analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cognite Data Fusion and ETAP actually diverge.

Attributes where Cognite Data Fusion and ETAP differ
AttributeCognite Data FusionETAP
Starting priceOn request$5000/year
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, CloudWindows, Api
FoundedUnknown1986

Identical on both: 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 Cognite Data Fusion

  • Asset-centric data model
  • Entity matching
  • P&ID parsing
  • 3D contextualisation
  • Cognite Atlas AI
  • Data workflows
  • Open SDKs
  • Extractors

Only in ETAP

  • Load flow analysis
  • Short circuit analysis
  • Arc flash analysis
  • Protective device coordination
  • Harmonics analysis
  • Transient stability
  • Cable sizing
  • Panel schedule design

What people use each for

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

Cognite Data Fusion

  • An operator that wants engineers to find the drawing, the sensor trend and the last work order for a valve from one searchnot ETAP
  • A company standardising asset data across sites so an analytics team can build once and deploy to many plantsnot ETAP
  • An upstream operator building a production-optimisation model that needs sensor data joined to equipment metadatanot ETAP
  • A team replacing a stalled internal data-lake project where nobody could reconstruct what the tag names meantnot ETAP

ETAP

  • Electrical power system modelling, simulation and analysisnot Cognite Data Fusion
  • Arc flash, load flow and protection coordination studiesnot Cognite Data Fusion

Where each one falls short

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

Cognite Data Fusion

  • The platform is only as good as the contextualisation work, and that mapping effort is a consulting project that regularly costs more than the first-year subscription.
  • Pricing is consumption-based and unpublished, so costs move with data volume and usage patterns you cannot forecast well until a year in.
  • It does not replace your historian, your ERP or your maintenance system, so Cognite is an additional recurring cost layered on systems you still pay for.
  • The reference base and data model lean heavily towards Norwegian and wider oil, gas and process industries; discrete manufacturing fit is weaker and the local partner network thinner outside energy.
  • Getting value out requires in-house Python and data engineering skill; organisations without a data team end up dependent on Cognite professional services for every new use case.

ETAP

  • No pricing is published, and reaching a figure requires completing a multi step quote form
  • Subscription durations offered are 3 years and 5 years, so there is no short commitment option
  • Licences are banded by user count rather than sold individually, in brackets of 1, 5 to 15, 15 to 25, 25 to 50 and over 50
  • National and international network licences are priced separately

Pricing, plan by plan

Cognite Data Fusion

On request
  • Cognite Data Fusion$undefined/year
    • Consumption-based pricing on data volume, compute and users
    • Available through cloud marketplaces with private offers
    • Contextualisation and onboarding quoted as a separate engagement

ETAP

$5000/year
  • Standard$5000/year
    • Load flow analysis
    • Short circuit analysis
    • Arc flash analysis
  • Professional$15000/year
    • Advanced analysis
    • Protective device coordination
    • Harmonics analysis
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Real-time monitoring
    • SCADA integration
    • Custom modules

Which should you pick?

Choose Cognite Data Fusion if

  • You need asset-centric data model.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want entity matching.
Cognite Data Fusion review

Choose ETAP if

  • You need load flow analysis.
  • You work on Windows, Api.
  • You also want short circuit analysis.
ETAP review

Questions people ask

Is Cognite Data Fusion or ETAP better?
Neither clearly leads. Cognite Data Fusion starts at On request and ETAP at $5000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cognite Data Fusion or ETAP?
Cognite Data Fusion starts at On request and ETAP at $5000/year.
Does Cognite Data Fusion or ETAP run on more platforms?
Cognite Data Fusion runs on Web, Cloud. ETAP runs on Windows, Api.
What is Cognite Data Fusion best used for?
Cognite Data Fusion is most often used for an operator that wants engineers to find the drawing, the sensor trend and the last work order for a valve from one search, a company standardising asset data across sites so an analytics team can build once and deploy to many plants, an upstream operator building a production-optimisation model that needs sensor data joined to equipment metadata, a team replacing a stalled internal data-lake project where nobody could reconstruct what the tag names meant. Of those, an operator that wants engineers to find the drawing, the sensor trend and the last work order for a valve from one search and a company standardising asset data across sites so an analytics team can build once and deploy to many plants are not what ETAP is typically brought in for.
What can Cognite Data Fusion do that ETAP cannot?
Cognite Data Fusion covers Asset-centric data model, Entity matching, P&ID parsing, 3D contextualisation. ETAP covers Load flow analysis, Short circuit analysis, Arc flash analysis, Protective device coordination.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cognite Data Fusion: Is Cognite a historian?

No. It reads from historians such as PI System and adds context. You still need the historian underneath.

ETAP: How is ETAP priced?

ETAP uses subscription-based pricing with tiered bundles (Launch, Grow, Scale) and optional add-ons. Specific prices are not published and require completing a quote request form.

Source
Cognite Data Fusion: How is it priced?

Consumption-based on data, compute and users, quoted per customer. Nothing is published.

ETAP: What products does ETAP offer pricing for?

ETAP offers three main product lines with tiered bundles: CANECO (Electrical Design), ETAP (Power Systems Analysis), and SEE Electrical (Electrical Engineering). Each supports 1-50+ users with 3-5 year term options.

Source
Cognite Data Fusion: How long does a deployment take?

First useful graph in a few months is realistic; full plant contextualisation across a site is typically a year or more.

Cognite Data Fusion: Can we do the contextualisation ourselves?

Technically yes, the SDKs and matching tools are open, but most customers use Cognite or a partner for the first site.

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