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Energy · head to head

Cognite Data Fusion vs SMA 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
SMA Energy logo

SMA Energy

Energy

Inverter monitoring and cloud portal

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SMA Energy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; SMA Energy requires SMA Premium subscription for advanced automation features
  • They diverge on capability: Cognite Data Fusion covers Asset-centric data model, SMA Energy covers Real-time monitoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cognite Data Fusion and SMA Energy differ
AttributeCognite Data FusionSMA Energy
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, CloudWeb, Mobile
FoundedUnknown1981

Identical on both: 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 SMA Energy

  • Real-time monitoring
  • Battery management
  • Energy analytics
  • Mobile portal
  • System optimization
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

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

SMA Energy

  • System monitoringnot Cognite Data Fusion
  • Battery optimizationnot 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.

SMA Energy

  • Requires SMA Premium subscription for advanced automation features
  • SMA Sunny Portal monitoring has data delays and does not guarantee real-time updates
  • Limited scalability for larger residential or commercial installations beyond 18.9 kWh
  • Requires all devices to have latest software versions and compatible communication protocols

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

SMA Energy

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SMA Energy review.

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 SMA Energy if

  • You need real-time monitoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want battery management.
SMA Energy review

Questions people ask

Is Cognite Data Fusion or SMA Energy better?
Neither clearly leads. Cognite Data Fusion starts at On request and SMA Energy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cognite Data Fusion or SMA Energy?
SMA Energy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Cognite Data Fusion and Free for SMA Energy.
Does Cognite Data Fusion or SMA Energy run on more platforms?
Cognite Data Fusion runs on Web, Cloud. SMA Energy runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use SMA Energy for free?
Yes. SMA Energy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cognite Data Fusion starts at On request.
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 SMA Energy is typically brought in for.
What can Cognite Data Fusion do that SMA Energy cannot?
Cognite Data Fusion covers Asset-centric data model, Entity matching, P&ID parsing, 3D contextualisation. SMA Energy covers Real-time monitoring, Battery management, Energy analytics, Mobile portal.

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.

SMA Energy: Is SMA Energy Maximizer free?

No. SMA Energy Maximizer requires an SMA Premium subscription. However, there is a 90-day free trial period. After the trial, the service requires a paid subscription to access automated optimization features. The SMA Premium digital service is built into SMA devices powered by ennexOS.

Source
Cognite Data Fusion: How is it priced?

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

SMA Energy: What are the system requirements for SMA Energy?

SMA Energy requires compatible SMA inverters, SMA Energy Meter for consumption tracking, and communication protocols like Modbus or Speedwire for connectivity. All devices must have the latest software version, and a network connection is required for remote monitoring through SMA Sunny Portal.

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.

SMA Energy: Does SMA Energy work offline?

SMA Energy systems can continue generating electricity offline, but remote monitoring and cloud-based optimization through SMA Sunny Portal require internet connectivity. If communication fails between devices, inverters reduce output power to 0 percent as a safety fallback.

Source
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.

SMA Energy: What is the maximum system size for residential installations?

SMA systems typically support a maximum residential configuration of 18.9 kWh battery storage, which is suitable for most single-family homes but may be insufficient for larger properties or commercial applications.

Source
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