Softwr

Manufacturing · head to head

Ignition vs JobBOSS²

Ignition logo

Ignition

Manufacturing

Industrial automation platform for SCADA, HMI and MES

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
JobBOSS² logo

JobBOSS²

Manufacturing

ECI shop control system formed by merging JobBOSS and E2 Shop System into one product line

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ignition requires real engineering to implement; it is a platform rather than a finished application; JobBOSS² the product is a merger of two legacy systems, so existing JobBOSS and E2 customers face a migration and retraining project whose cost is negotiated case by case and is easy to underestimate.
  • They diverge on capability: Ignition covers Unlimited-client licensing, JobBOSS² covers Estimating and quoting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ignition and JobBOSS² actually diverge.

Attributes where Ignition and JobBOSS² differ
AttributeIgnitionJobBOSS²
Pricing modelPer-server licensing with published module pricing; unlimited clients and tagsquote
PlatformsWindows, Linux, macOS, WebWindows, Web

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 JobBOSS²

  • Estimating and quoting
  • Order and job management
  • Shop floor data collection
  • Scheduling
  • Job costing
  • Integrated accounting

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 JobBOSS²
  • Replacing installed operator terminals with browser-based clientsnot JobBOSS²
  • Connecting plant floor data to SQL and business systemsnot JobBOSS²

JobBOSS²

  • A job shop quoting from spreadsheets that wants estimating, routing and costing in one systemnot Ignition
  • An existing JobBOSS or E2 Shop System customer evaluating whether to migrate or replacenot Ignition
  • A make to order fabricator that needs accounting inside the manufacturing system rather than alongside itnot Ignition
  • A shop that wants operator time capture at work centres to make job costing reflect what actually happenednot 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

JobBOSS²

  • The product is a merger of two legacy systems, so existing JobBOSS and E2 customers face a migration and retraining project whose cost is negotiated case by case and is easy to underestimate.
  • ECI is a private equity owned portfolio company with many vertical products, and buyers should read renewal, uplift and support tier terms carefully because the commercial model is built around long term contracted revenue.
  • Machine connectivity is limited, so shop floor data comes from operators clocking in and out rather than from controllers, and any automatic utilisation measurement needs a separate monitoring product.
  • Reporting is rigid compared with a modern system and most shops end up exporting to Excel for anything beyond the supplied reports, which reintroduces the spreadsheets the system was bought to eliminate.
  • The user interface carries its lineage and takes longer to learn than a current generation web application, which matters most for occasional users such as estimators and purchasing staff.

Pricing, plan by plan

Ignition

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Ignition review.

JobBOSS²

On request
  • JobBOSS²$undefined/year
    • Quoting through invoicing for job shops
    • Shop floor data collection and scheduling
    • Hosted or on premises deployment

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.
Ignition review

Choose JobBOSS² if

  • You need estimating and quoting.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want order and job management.
JobBOSS² review

Questions people ask

Is Ignition or JobBOSS² better?
Neither clearly leads. Ignition starts at On request and JobBOSS² at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ignition or JobBOSS²?
Ignition starts at On request and JobBOSS² at On request.
Does Ignition or JobBOSS² run on more platforms?
Ignition runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Web. JobBOSS² runs on Windows, 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 JobBOSS² is typically brought in for.
What can Ignition do that JobBOSS² cannot?
Ignition covers Unlimited-client licensing, SCADA and HMI, Historian, MES modules. JobBOSS² covers Estimating and quoting, Order and job management, Shop floor data collection, Scheduling.

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.

JobBOSS²: What happened to E2 Shop System?

ECI acquired it and merged it with JobBOSS into the combined JobBOSS² line. Legacy customers are directed towards migration.

Ignition: 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.

JobBOSS²: Is it cloud based?

It is offered hosted and on premises. Hosted is not the same as a cloud native architecture, and performance expectations should be set accordingly.

Ignition: 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.

JobBOSS²: Does it include accounting?

Yes, accounting is part of the product, which is one of the main reasons small shops choose it over an ERP plus separate finance package.

JobBOSS²: Can it read data from my CNC machines?

Not natively in any meaningful way. Data collection is operator driven, so shops wanting spindle level data buy a monitoring platform alongside it.

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