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Manufacturing · head to head

Kepware Server vs Tulip

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
Tulip logo

Tulip

Manufacturing

Frontline operations platform for manufacturing

From
$100/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Tulip minimum 10 interface commitment increases entry cost
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kepware Server and Tulip actually diverge.

Attributes where Kepware Server and Tulip differ
AttributeKepware ServerTulip
Starting priceOn request$100/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindows, LinuxWeb

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 Kepware Server

  • 150-plus device drivers
  • OPC UA server
  • IoT Gateway
  • DataLogger
  • Redundancy Master
  • Security Policies
  • Configuration API
  • Kepware Edge

Only in Tulip

Nothing recorded that Kepware Server does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Kepware Server

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

Tulip

  • Production floor apps and dashboardsnot Kepware Server
  • Quality and assembly workflowsnot Kepware Server
  • Sensor data integrationnot Kepware Server
  • Regulated industry manufacturingnot Kepware Server
  • Multi-site operational dashboardsnot Kepware Server

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Tulip

  • Minimum 10 interface commitment increases entry cost
  • Enterprise and Regulated pricing not transparent
  • Complex per-interface billing model

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Tulip

$100/month
  • Essentials$100/month
    • Apps, Tulip AI, Tables, Analytics
    • Mobile/desktop/touchscreen access
    • USB device integrations
  • Professional$250/month
    • All Essentials features
    • Advanced edge connectivity
    • SSO/SAML/LDAP
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • All Professional features
    • Workspaces, app approval workflows
    • Custom roles, multilingual apps
  • Regulated Industries$null/month
    • eSignatures (21 CFR Part 11)
    • Auditable record history
    • Zero data loss protection

Which should you pick?

Choose Kepware Server if

  • You need 150-plus device drivers.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want opc ua server.
Kepware Server review

Choose Tulip if

Nothing in the data separates Tulip from Kepware Server on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Tulip review

Questions people ask

Is Kepware Server or Tulip better?
Neither clearly leads. Kepware Server starts at On request and Tulip at $100/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kepware Server or Tulip?
Kepware Server starts at On request and Tulip at $100/month.
Does Kepware Server or Tulip run on more platforms?
Kepware Server runs on Windows, Linux. Tulip runs on Web.
What is Kepware Server best used for?
Kepware Server is most often used for feeding a historian from a mixed plant of allen-bradley and siemens plcs without writing per-protocol drivers, publishing cnc machine state from fanuc and haas controls to an oee system over mqtt, bridging legacy serial modbus devices into an opc ua architecture during a phased controller replacement, running redundant collection servers so a cloud analytics pipeline does not lose data during windows patching. Of those, feeding a historian from a mixed plant of allen-bradley and siemens plcs without writing per-protocol drivers and publishing cnc machine state from fanuc and haas controls to an oee system over mqtt are not what Tulip is typically brought in for.
What can Kepware Server do that Tulip cannot?
Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers, OPC UA server, IoT Gateway, DataLogger.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Tulip: How is Tulip pricing calculated?

Tulip pricing is based on 'Monthly Active Interfaces (MAI)', the number of devices running Tulip Player applications with activity during at least one day per month. Minimum commitment is 10 interfaces.

Source
Kepware Server: Is a perpetual licence still available?

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

Tulip: Does Tulip offer a free tier or trial?

No free plan is mentioned on the Tulip pricing page. All pricing tiers require direct contact with sales for quotes and requires a minimum 10 interface commitment.

Source
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.

Tulip: What is the difference between Essentials and Professional tiers?

Professional ($250/MAI/month) adds advanced edge connectivity, SSO/SAML/LDAP, 3rd-party HTTP/SQL integrations, custom widgets, and higher AI Action/automation task limits compared to Essentials ($100/MAI/month).

Source
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.

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