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Energy · head to head

Cognite Data Fusion vs HOMER Energy

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
HOMER Energy logo

HOMER Energy

Energy

Microgrid and distributed energy optimization software

From
$187.5/month
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.; HOMER Energy now owned by UL Solutions rather than being independent
  • They diverge on capability: Cognite Data Fusion covers Asset-centric data model, HOMER Energy covers Microgrid optimization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cognite Data Fusion and HOMER Energy differ
AttributeCognite Data FusionHOMER Energy
Starting priceOn request$187.5/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, CloudWindows, Web
FoundedUnknown2009

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 HOMER Energy

  • Microgrid optimization
  • Techno-economic analysis
  • Component library
  • Sensitivity analysis
  • Energy storage sizing
  • Renewable integration
  • Load profile analysis
  • Financial modeling

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 HOMER Energy
  • A company standardising asset data across sites so an analytics team can build once and deploy to many plantsnot HOMER Energy
  • An upstream operator building a production-optimisation model that needs sensor data joined to equipment metadatanot HOMER Energy
  • A team replacing a stalled internal data-lake project where nobody could reconstruct what the tag names meantnot HOMER Energy

HOMER Energy

  • Sizing and optimising off-grid and microgrid systemsnot Cognite Data Fusion
  • Modelling the economics of solar, wind and battery combinationsnot Cognite Data Fusion
  • Electric bill optimisation for grid-connected sites and EV chargingnot Cognite Data Fusion
  • Utility-scale storage investment analysisnot Cognite Data Fusion
  • Comparing least-cost configurations against load and resource datanot 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.

HOMER Energy

  • Now owned by UL Solutions rather than being independent
  • Split into three separate products, HOMER Pro for off-grid and microgrids, HOMER Grid for bill optimisation and HOMER Front for utility-scale, so the right one depends on project type
  • Pricing is not shown on the product pages

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

HOMER Energy

$187.5/month
  • Base$187.5/month
    • No modules included; add individually
    • Basic support
    • Software updates
  • Professional$373.5/month
    • Any 4 modules included (Biomass Generation, Run of River Hydro, Advanced Grid, Advanced Load, etc.)
    • Basic support
    • Software updates
  • Expert$568.5/month
    • All modules included: Biomass, Hydro, Hydrogen, Advanced Grid/Load/Storage, Combined Heat & Power, Multi-Year, MATLAB Link
    • Basic support
    • Software updates

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 HOMER Energy if

  • You need microgrid optimization.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want techno-economic analysis.
HOMER Energy review

Questions people ask

Is Cognite Data Fusion or HOMER Energy better?
Neither clearly leads. Cognite Data Fusion starts at On request and HOMER Energy at $187.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cognite Data Fusion or HOMER Energy?
Cognite Data Fusion starts at On request and HOMER Energy at $187.5/month.
Does Cognite Data Fusion or HOMER Energy run on more platforms?
Cognite Data Fusion runs on Web, Cloud. HOMER Energy runs on Windows, Web.
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 HOMER Energy is typically brought in for.
What can Cognite Data Fusion do that HOMER Energy cannot?
Cognite Data Fusion covers Asset-centric data model, Entity matching, P&ID parsing, 3D contextualisation. HOMER Energy covers Microgrid optimization, Techno-economic analysis, Component library, Sensitivity analysis.

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.

HOMER Energy: What are the pricing options for HOMER Energy?

HOMER Energy pricing information is not publicly available on their website. Customers must contact the vendor directly to obtain pricing information, trial access, and licensing options.

Source
Cognite Data Fusion: How is it priced?

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

HOMER Energy: Does HOMER Energy offer a free trial or demo?

Trial or demo availability cannot be confirmed from publicly accessible pages. Visit the main website or contact HOMER Energy sales directly to inquire about evaluation 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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