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Energy · head to head

ABB Ability vs ETAP

ABB Ability logo

ABB Ability

Energy

Digital solutions for energy and automation

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: ABB Ability the Internet Archive's capture of ABB Ability's page on 19 December 2021 showed it is sold only through a 'Find Your Sales Partner' channel across industry verticals (Automotive, Buildings, Data Centers, EV Charging, Manufacturing, Mining, Oil & Gas, Power, and others), with no price list published.; ETAP no pricing is published, and reaching a figure requires completing a multi step quote form
  • They diverge on capability: ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, ETAP covers Load flow analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB Ability and ETAP actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB Ability and ETAP differ
AttributeABB AbilityETAP
Starting priceOn request$5000/year
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiWindows, Api
Founded19881986

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 ABB Ability

  • Asset health monitoring
  • Predictive maintenance
  • Performance optimization
  • Energy management
  • Grid automation
  • Remote diagnostics
  • Advanced analytics
  • Digital twin technology

Only in ETAP

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

Both cover

  • SCADA systems
  • Cloud deployment
  • On-premise deployment

What people use each for

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

ABB Ability

  • Asset performance managementnot ETAP
  • Predictive maintenancenot ETAP
  • Grid optimizationnot ETAP
  • Energy efficiencynot ETAP

ETAP

  • Electrical power system modelling, simulation and analysisnot ABB Ability
  • Arc flash, load flow and protection coordination studiesnot ABB Ability

Where each one falls short

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

ABB Ability

  • The Internet Archive's capture of ABB Ability's page on 19 December 2021 showed it is sold only through a 'Find Your Sales Partner' channel across industry verticals (Automotive, Buildings, Data Centers, EV Charging, Manufacturing, Mining, Oil & Gas, Power, and others), with no price list published.

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

ABB Ability

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ABB Ability review.

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 ABB Ability if

  • You need asset health monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want predictive maintenance.
ABB Ability 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 ABB Ability or ETAP better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB Ability 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, ABB Ability or ETAP?
ABB Ability starts at On request and ETAP at $5000/year.
Does ABB Ability or ETAP run on more platforms?
ABB Ability runs on Web, Mobile, Api. ETAP runs on Windows, Api.
What is ABB Ability best used for?
ABB Ability is most often used for asset performance management, predictive maintenance, grid optimization, energy efficiency. Of those, asset performance management and predictive maintenance are not what ETAP is typically brought in for.
What can ABB Ability do that ETAP cannot?
ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Predictive maintenance, Performance optimization, Energy management. ETAP covers Load flow analysis, Short circuit analysis, Arc flash analysis, Protective device coordination. Both handle SCADA systems, Cloud deployment, On-premise deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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