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Manufacturing · head to head

eMaint vs Kepware Server

eMaint logo

eMaint

Manufacturing

Configurable CMMS from Fluke Reliability for asset-heavy operations

From
$69/user/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kepware Server logo

Kepware Server

Manufacturing

Industrial connectivity server translating 150-plus PLC protocols into OPC UA, formerly KEPServerEX

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: eMaint the interface is dated against MaintainX and Limble, and this is the most common objection from technicians during a trial; Kepware Server the base server is the small part of the bill; driver suites are priced by protocol family, and a mixed-vendor plant buys several, which is how a connectivity layer alone reaches tens of thousands of dollars.
  • They diverge on capability: eMaint covers Configurable without code, Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which eMaint and Kepware Server actually diverge.

Attributes where eMaint and Kepware Server differ
AttributeeMaintKepware Server
Starting price$69/user/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer user per month, three-user minimumquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Linux

Identical on both: 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 eMaint

  • Configurable without code
  • Preventive and condition-based
  • Fluke sensor integration
  • Parts and purchasing
  • Compliance reporting
  • Multi-site

Only in Kepware Server

  • 150-plus device drivers
  • OPC UA server
  • IoT Gateway
  • DataLogger
  • Redundancy Master
  • Security Policies
  • Configuration API
  • Kepware Edge

What people use each for

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

eMaint

  • Asset-heavy manufacturing with an established maintenance process to reproducenot Kepware Server
  • Teams moving from calendar-based to condition-based maintenancenot Kepware Server
  • Regulated environments needing audit-ready maintenance recordsnot Kepware Server
  • Organisations already invested in Fluke test and monitoring equipmentnot Kepware Server

Kepware Server

  • Feeding a historian from a mixed plant of Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLCs without writing per-protocol driversnot eMaint
  • Publishing CNC machine state from FANUC and Haas controls to an OEE system over MQTTnot eMaint
  • Bridging legacy serial Modbus devices into an OPC UA architecture during a phased controller replacementnot eMaint
  • Running redundant collection servers so a cloud analytics pipeline does not lose data during Windows patchingnot eMaint

Where each one falls short

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

eMaint

  • The interface is dated against MaintainX and Limble, and this is the most common objection from technicians during a trial
  • Configurability means implementation is a project rather than a signup, and teams that under-resource it end up with a half-configured system
  • The three-user minimum makes it poor value for very small teams
  • Mobile is functional but clearly secondary to the web application
  • Pricing above the Team tier is quote-based, so comparison against published competitors requires a sales conversation

Kepware Server

  • The base server is the small part of the bill; driver suites are priced by protocol family, and a mixed-vendor plant buys several, which is how a connectivity layer alone reaches tens of thousands of dollars.
  • KEPServerEX to Kepware Server 7 is a migration rather than an in-place upgrade, and driver entitlements do not always transfer cleanly, so budget for revalidating every channel.
  • The full driver portfolio is Windows-only; the Linux product, Kepware Edge, supports a subset of drivers and is subscription-licensed by tag count, so an edge-first architecture cannot simply reuse the Windows configuration.
  • Three names have been in circulation for the same lineage, and quotes, forum answers and integrator experience still mix KEPServerEX, ThingWorx Kepware Server and Kepware Server, which produces mismatched proposals.
  • It is a translation layer with no storage, contextualisation or visualisation of its own, so it is always an addition to a historian or platform purchase rather than a substitute for one.

Pricing, plan by plan

eMaint

$69/user/month
  • Team$69/user/month
    • Three-user minimum
    • Work orders
    • Preventive maintenance
  • Professional$undefined/user/month
    • Parts and purchasing
    • Custom forms
    • Advanced reporting
  • Enterprise$undefined/user/month
    • Condition monitoring
    • API and integrations
    • SSO

Kepware Server

On request
  • Kepware Server$undefined/year
    • Base server as a perpetual licence with annual maintenance, or subscription
    • Driver suites priced by protocol family and bought separately from the server
    • Advanced plug-ins such as IoT Gateway, DataLogger and Redundancy Master licensed individually

Which should you pick?

Choose eMaint if

  • You need configurable without code.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want preventive and condition-based.
eMaint review

Choose Kepware Server if

  • You need 150-plus device drivers.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want opc ua server.
Kepware Server review

Questions people ask

Is eMaint or Kepware Server better?
Neither clearly leads. eMaint starts at $69/user/month and Kepware Server at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, eMaint or Kepware Server?
eMaint starts at $69/user/month and Kepware Server at On request.
Does eMaint or Kepware Server run on more platforms?
eMaint runs on Web, iOS, Android. Kepware Server runs on Windows, Linux.
What is eMaint best used for?
eMaint is most often used for asset-heavy manufacturing with an established maintenance process to reproduce, teams moving from calendar-based to condition-based maintenance, regulated environments needing audit-ready maintenance records, organisations already invested in fluke test and monitoring equipment. Of those, asset-heavy manufacturing with an established maintenance process to reproduce and teams moving from calendar-based to condition-based maintenance are not what Kepware Server is typically brought in for.
What can eMaint do that Kepware Server cannot?
eMaint covers Configurable without code, Preventive and condition-based, Fluke sensor integration, Parts and purchasing. Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers, OPC UA server, IoT Gateway, DataLogger.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

eMaint: Who owns eMaint?

Fluke Reliability, part of Fortive. That is why condition monitoring data from Fluke instruments integrates directly.

Kepware Server: Is KEPServerEX discontinued?

The name is. KEPServerEX and ThingWorx Kepware Server have been unified into Kepware Server, currently version 7, and the older names are being retired.

eMaint: What does it actually cost?

The Team plan is 69 USD per user per month with a three-user minimum, so roughly 2,484 USD a year at the floor. Professional and Enterprise are quoted.

Kepware Server: Is a perpetual licence still available?

Yes for the Windows server, with annual maintenance. Kepware Edge on Linux is subscription-only.

eMaint: Is it better than MaintainX or Limble?

Different trade. eMaint is more configurable and better on condition-based maintenance; the others are markedly better on mobile experience and speed of setup. Asset complexity should decide it.

Kepware Server: What drives the price?

The number and type of driver suites, not the number of tags on the Windows product. Kepware Edge is priced by tag count.

eMaint: How long does implementation take?

Weeks rather than days for anything beyond a basic work order setup. The configurability that makes it flexible is also what makes setup a project.

Kepware Server: Can I evaluate it before buying?

Yes. The runtime works for two hours at a time without a licence, indefinitely, which is enough to prove connectivity but not to run production.

eMaint: Does it suit small teams?

Poorly. The three-user minimum and the configuration effort both assume an organisation large enough to have a maintenance function rather than a maintenance person.

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