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Manufacturing · head to head

Flow Software vs Visibility

Flow Software logo

Flow Software

Manufacturing

Manufacturing KPI and OEE calculation engine with published list prices, licensed by measure count

From
$11390/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Visibility logo

Visibility

ERP

Supply chain and manufacturing execution software

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Flow Software the 11,390 dollar Starter licence caps at 250 measures and events, which a multi-line plant exhausts quickly once each line contributes a dozen calculations, forcing a jump to the 62,230 dollar tier.; Visibility no price, licensing model, minimum or contract term is published on the site; buyers are directed to a sales email and phone number
  • They diverge on capability: Flow Software covers Calculation engine, Visibility covers Supply chain visibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flow Software and Visibility actually diverge.

Attributes where Flow Software and Visibility differ
AttributeFlow SoftwareVisibility
Starting price$11390/one-time$1000/month
Pricing modelOne-time purchasesubscription
PlatformsWindows, WebCloud, On-premise, Web
CategoryManufacturingERP
FoundedUnknown1989

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Flow Software

  • Calculation engine
  • Measure model
  • Historian connectors
  • Manual data entry
  • Event framing
  • Excel and Power BI output
  • Flow dashboards
  • AI Gateway

Only in Visibility

  • Supply chain visibility
  • Manufacturing execution
  • Production planning
  • Analytics
  • Reporting
  • ERP systems
  • REST APIs
  • EDI

What people use each for

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

Flow Software

  • A brewery replacing a fragile network of OEE spreadsheets with governed calculations from the same historian datanot Visibility
  • Reporting specific energy consumption per tonne against an ISO 50001 audit where the calculation method must be documentednot Visibility
  • Feeding Power BI plant dashboards from a historian without giving analysts direct tag-level accessnot Visibility
  • A site that needs lab results typed in and combined with automated tag data in the same yield calculationnot Visibility

Visibility

  • ERP for engineer to order and make to order manufacturersnot Flow Software
  • Job shop production planning and costingnot Flow Software
  • Manufacturing operations in aerospace and defence, fabricated metals and medical devicesnot Flow Software

Where each one falls short

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

Flow Software

  • The 11,390 dollar Starter licence caps at 250 measures and events, which a multi-line plant exhausts quickly once each line contributes a dozen calculations, forcing a jump to the 62,230 dollar tier.
  • The Unlimited licence requires every engine on a single server or VM, so any multi-server or multi-site topology goes straight to Distributed at roughly double the price with no intermediate option.
  • Maintenance renews at about fifteen percent of the installed base annually, so a large perpetual estate carries a five-figure recurring cost that the headline perpetual price hides.
  • It is a Windows product with a Microsoft data stack, so Linux or container-native deployment strategies do not apply and the server has to be managed on the plant Windows estate.
  • It calculates and reports but does not collect from equipment itself, so an existing historian or OPC layer is a prerequisite and Flow adds cost on top of that rather than replacing it.

Visibility

  • No price, licensing model, minimum or contract term is published on the site; buyers are directed to a sales email and phone number
  • The vendor states an implementation of 4 to 6 months, so the product is not usable immediately after purchase
  • The product targets make to order, engineer to order and job shop manufacturers rather than general business use

Pricing, plan by plan

Flow Software

$11390/one-time
  • Starter$11390/one-time
    • 250 KPI measures and events
    • Single server deployment
    • First year of software maintenance included
  • Unlimited$62230/one-time
    • Unlimited KPI measures and events
    • All engines must run on one server or dedicated VM
    • First year of maintenance included
  • Distributed$128450/one-time
    • Unlimited measures with engines distributed across multiple servers
    • Required for multi-server and multi-site deployments
    • Available as an annual subscription at 34,250 USD instead

Visibility

$1000/month
  • Standard$1000/month
    • Supply chain visibility
    • MES
    • Basic analytics
  • Premium$2000/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Custom reports
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Flow Software if

  • You need calculation engine.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want measure model.
Flow Software review

Choose Visibility if

  • You need supply chain visibility.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want manufacturing execution.
Visibility review

Questions people ask

Is Flow Software or Visibility better?
Neither clearly leads. Flow Software starts at $11390/one-time and Visibility at $1000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flow Software or Visibility?
Flow Software starts at $11390/one-time and Visibility at $1000/month.
Does Flow Software or Visibility run on more platforms?
Flow Software runs on Windows, Web. Visibility runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
What is Flow Software best used for?
Flow Software is most often used for a brewery replacing a fragile network of oee spreadsheets with governed calculations from the same historian data, reporting specific energy consumption per tonne against an iso 50001 audit where the calculation method must be documented, feeding power bi plant dashboards from a historian without giving analysts direct tag-level access, a site that needs lab results typed in and combined with automated tag data in the same yield calculation. Of those, a brewery replacing a fragile network of oee spreadsheets with governed calculations from the same historian data and reporting specific energy consumption per tonne against an iso 50001 audit where the calculation method must be documented are not what Visibility is typically brought in for.
What can Flow Software do that Visibility cannot?
Flow Software covers Calculation engine, Measure model, Historian connectors, Manual data entry. Visibility covers Supply chain visibility, Manufacturing execution, Production planning, Analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flow Software: Does Flow publish real prices?

Yes. Starter is 11,390 USD perpetual for 250 measures, Unlimited is 62,230 USD perpetual or 16,595 USD a year, and Distributed is 128,450 USD perpetual or 34,250 USD a year.

Visibility: Does Visibility publish pricing on their website?

No, Visibility does not disclose subscription costs or pricing tiers on their website. Interested parties must contact sales directly.

Source
Flow Software: Is perpetual licensing still offered?

Yes, at every tier, with the first year of maintenance included and renewal at roughly fifteen percent per year. Subscription is available on Unlimited and Distributed only.

Visibility: How do I get a Visibility quote?

Visibility directs interested parties to contact sales at [email protected] or (978) 269-6500, or to request a demo through their website.

Source
Flow Software: Do I need a historian as well?

Effectively yes. Flow reads from historians, databases and OPC sources; it is a calculation layer, not a data collector.

Flow Software: What counts as a measure?

Each configured KPI or event definition. A single line typically consumes ten to thirty, which is what makes the 250 Starter cap tighter than it looks.

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