Manufacturing · head to head
Ignition vs Fulcrum
Ignition
Manufacturing
Industrial automation platform for SCADA, HMI and MES
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Fulcrum
Manufacturing
Field operations management for installing, inspecting and maintaining physical work
- From
- $39/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Ignition requires real engineering to implement; it is a platform rather than a finished application; Fulcrum monthly pricing only available for first 12 months; after that, annual commitment required
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ignition and Fulcrum actually diverge.
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 Ignition
- Unlimited-client licensing
- SCADA and HMI
- Historian
- MES modules
- Web-based clients
- Wide PLC support
Only in Fulcrum
Nothing recorded that Ignition does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Ignition
- Plants where per-tag licensing has made expansion a budget conversationnot Fulcrum
- Replacing installed operator terminals with browser-based clientsnot Fulcrum
- Connecting plant floor data to SQL and business systemsnot Fulcrum
Fulcrum
- Capturing inspection photos and data completely offlinenot Ignition
- Collecting field data in areas without cell coveragenot Ignition
- Tagging asset locations with geospatial coordinatesnot Ignition
- Automating asset maintenance work order workflowsnot Ignition
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Ignition
- Requires real engineering to implement; it is a platform rather than a finished application
- Steep learning curve, and Inductive Automation runs its own training programme because of it
- Self-hosted and self-supported by default, so plant IT carries the availability burden
- Module-based pricing means the entry figure is rarely the final one
Fulcrum
- Monthly pricing only available for first 12 months; after that, annual commitment required
- Additional storage costs $2.20 USD per month per 20 GB block
- Enterprise plan requires minimum of 5 users
Pricing, plan by plan
Ignition
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Ignition review.
Fulcrum
$39/month- Professional$43/month
- 100 GB storage
- 10 data shares
- Standard email and in-app support
- Elite$39/month
- 500 GB storage
- 50 data shares
- Priority email, in-app, and phone support
- Enterprise$null/mo
- Custom pricing
- Unlimited users minimum 5
- Unlimited storage
Which should you pick?
Choose Ignition if
- You need unlimited-client licensing.
- You work on Windows, Linux, macOS, Web.
- You also want scada and hmi.
Choose Fulcrum if
Nothing in the data separates Fulcrum from Ignition on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Ignition or Fulcrum better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ignition starts at On request and Fulcrum at $39/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Ignition or Fulcrum?
- Ignition starts at On request and Fulcrum at $39/month.
- Does Ignition or Fulcrum run on more platforms?
- Ignition runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Web. Fulcrum runs on Web.
- What is Ignition best used for?
- Ignition is most often used for plants where per-tag licensing has made expansion a budget conversation, replacing installed operator terminals with browser-based clients, connecting plant floor data to sql and business systems. Of those, plants where per-tag licensing has made expansion a budget conversation and replacing installed operator terminals with browser-based clients are not what Fulcrum is typically brought in for.
- What can Ignition do that Fulcrum cannot?
- Ignition covers Unlimited-client licensing, SCADA and HMI, Historian, MES modules.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Ignition: What does Ignition cost?
It publishes per-server module pricing with unlimited clients, tags and connections, so cost does not scale with how many people use it.
Fulcrum: How much does Fulcrum cost per user?
Professional and Elite plans cost $43 per month for monthly billing or $55 per user per month when billed annually. Enterprise pricing is custom and requires contacting Fulcrum.
SourceIgnition: Why does unlimited-client licensing matter?
Traditional SCADA is licensed per tag or per screen, which turns adding an operator terminal into a purchase. Ignition removes that ceiling.
Fulcrum: What is Fulcrum's storage limit?
Professional includes 100 GB storage, Elite includes 500 GB storage, and Enterprise includes unlimited storage. Additional storage blocks of 20 GB cost $2.20 USD per month.
SourceIgnition: Is it a finished application?
No, it is a platform. Screens, tags and logic are built for the specific plant, which is real engineering work.
Fulcrum: Are there restrictions on monthly billing for Fulcrum?
Monthly pricing is only available during the first 12 months as a Fulcrum customer. After 12 months, the company learns your usage pattern and offers pricing with an annual commitment required.
Source