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Manufacturing · head to head

Hippo CMMS vs Kepware Server

Hippo CMMS logo

Hippo CMMS

Manufacturing

Straightforward maintenance management, now part of Eptura

From
On request
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: Hippo CMMS no longer sold as a standalone product, so a new evaluation is really an Eptura evaluation with a different scope and price; 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: Hippo CMMS covers Interactive site maps, 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 Hippo CMMS and Kepware Server actually diverge.

Attributes where Hippo CMMS and Kepware Server differ
AttributeHippo CMMSKepware Server
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Linux

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Hippo CMMS

  • Interactive site maps
  • Work order management
  • Preventive maintenance
  • Equipment records
  • Vendor management
  • Mobile access

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.

Hippo CMMS

  • Facilities teams wanting a CMMS that a non-specialist can operatenot Kepware Server
  • Sites where locating an asset on a floor plan is the natural way to find itnot Kepware Server
  • Existing Hippo customers evaluating whether to stay within Epturanot Kepware Server
  • Organisations wanting maintenance inside a broader workplace management suitenot Kepware Server

Kepware Server

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

Where each one falls short

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

Hippo CMMS

  • No longer sold as a standalone product, so a new evaluation is really an Eptura evaluation with a different scope and price
  • Pricing is not published, which makes it hard to compare against MaintainX or Limble without a sales process
  • The simplicity that was its selling point becomes a ceiling for organisations with complex asset hierarchies
  • Reporting is basic against competitors that have invested heavily in analytics
  • Product direction now follows Eptura workplace strategy rather than maintenance-specific needs

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

Hippo CMMS

On request
  • Eptura Asset$undefined/month
    • Work order management
    • Preventive maintenance
    • Asset records

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 Hippo CMMS if

  • You need interactive site maps.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want work order management.
Hippo CMMS 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 Hippo CMMS or Kepware Server better?
Neither clearly leads. Hippo CMMS starts at On request and Kepware Server at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hippo CMMS or Kepware Server?
Hippo CMMS starts at On request and Kepware Server at On request.
Does Hippo CMMS or Kepware Server run on more platforms?
Hippo CMMS runs on Web, iOS, Android. Kepware Server runs on Windows, Linux.
What is Hippo CMMS best used for?
Hippo CMMS is most often used for facilities teams wanting a cmms that a non-specialist can operate, sites where locating an asset on a floor plan is the natural way to find it, existing hippo customers evaluating whether to stay within eptura, organisations wanting maintenance inside a broader workplace management suite. Of those, facilities teams wanting a cmms that a non-specialist can operate and sites where locating an asset on a floor plan is the natural way to find it are not what Kepware Server is typically brought in for.
What can Hippo CMMS do that Kepware Server cannot?
Hippo CMMS covers Interactive site maps, Work order management, Preventive maintenance, Equipment records. Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers, OPC UA server, IoT Gateway, DataLogger.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hippo CMMS: Is Hippo CMMS still available?

Not as a standalone purchase. It was acquired by Eptura and its capabilities are part of Eptura Asset. Existing customers are still served.

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.

Hippo CMMS: What was distinctive about it?

Interactive facility maps. Placing assets on a floor plan and raising work orders from the drawing is a genuinely different way to navigate a site, and it is why it retained users against slicker competitors.

Kepware Server: Is a perpetual licence still available?

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

Hippo CMMS: What does it cost?

Not published. Eptura quotes, which is a change from Hippo, whose pricing was easier to establish.

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.

Hippo CMMS: Should a new buyer consider it?

Evaluate Eptura Asset on its own terms, against MaintainX and Limble. Choosing it because of Hippo reviews written before the acquisition is a mistake.

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.

Hippo CMMS: What happens to existing customers?

They continue to be supported within Eptura. The practical question is whether the broader workplace suite fits, since that is where the product roadmap now points.

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