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Energy · head to head

ABB Ability vs Johnson Controls Metasys

ABB Ability logo

ABB Ability

Energy

Digital solutions for energy and automation

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Johnson Controls Metasys logo

Johnson Controls Metasys

Energy

Building management and control system platform

From
On request
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.; Johnson Controls Metasys a Metasys server supports 1,300 devices and 65,000 objects, so larger estates require additional servers
  • They diverge on capability: ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Johnson Controls Metasys covers HVAC control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB Ability and Johnson Controls Metasys actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB Ability and Johnson Controls Metasys differ
AttributeABB AbilityJohnson Controls Metasys
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiWeb, Mobile
Founded19881885

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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
  • Grid automation
  • Remote diagnostics
  • Advanced analytics
  • Digital twin technology
  • SCADA systems

Only in Johnson Controls Metasys

  • HVAC control
  • Building automation
  • Security integration
  • Analytics dashboard
  • SOC2
  • SSL encryption
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

Both cover

  • Energy management
  • 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 Johnson Controls Metasys
  • Predictive maintenancenot Johnson Controls Metasys
  • Grid optimizationnot Johnson Controls Metasys
  • Energy efficiencynot Johnson Controls Metasys

Johnson Controls Metasys

  • Building automation for offices, data centres, hospitals and universitiesnot ABB Ability
  • Managing multi site campuses from one building management systemnot ABB Ability
  • Meeting compliance and reporting requirements for regulated facilitiesnot 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.

Johnson Controls Metasys

  • A Metasys server supports 1,300 devices and 65,000 objects, so larger estates require additional servers
  • No hardware requirement, licensing model, subscription term or price is published on the product page; the routes offered are a demo booking and a contact form

Pricing, plan by plan

ABB Ability

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ABB Ability review.

Johnson Controls Metasys

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Johnson Controls Metasys review.

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 Johnson Controls Metasys if

  • You need hvac control.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want building automation.
Johnson Controls Metasys review

Questions people ask

Is ABB Ability or Johnson Controls Metasys better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB Ability starts at On request and Johnson Controls Metasys at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB Ability or Johnson Controls Metasys?
ABB Ability starts at On request and Johnson Controls Metasys at On request.
Does ABB Ability or Johnson Controls Metasys run on more platforms?
ABB Ability runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Johnson Controls Metasys runs on Web, Mobile.
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 Johnson Controls Metasys is typically brought in for.
What can ABB Ability do that Johnson Controls Metasys cannot?
ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Predictive maintenance, Performance optimization, Grid automation. Johnson Controls Metasys covers HVAC control, Building automation, Security integration, Analytics dashboard. Both handle Energy management, Cloud deployment, On-premise deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Johnson Controls Metasys: How much does Johnson Controls Metasys cost?

Johnson Controls Metasys pricing is not published online. Contact Johnson Controls directly for enterprise building automation system pricing and licensing.

Source
Johnson Controls Metasys: What licensing models does Metasys offer?

Specific Metasys licensing models and pricing are available through Johnson Controls sales team. Contact Johnson Controls for custom quotes based on building management requirements.

Source
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