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Manufacturing · head to head

Kepware Server vs Yokogawa CENTUM VP

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
Yokogawa CENTUM VP logo

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

Manufacturing

Distributed control system for continuous process plants with a documented 30-year upgrade path

From
On request
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.; Yokogawa CENTUM VP there is no published price list and no way to size a budget without engaging Yokogawa or an EPC, so early-stage comparison against DeltaV or Experion is guesswork until quotations arrive.
  • They diverge on capability: Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers, Yokogawa CENTUM VP covers Field Control Station.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kepware Server and Yokogawa CENTUM VP actually diverge.

Attributes where Kepware Server and Yokogawa CENTUM VP differ
AttributeKepware ServerYokogawa CENTUM VP
PlatformsWindows, LinuxWindows, On-premise

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 Kepware Server

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

Only in Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • Field Control Station
  • N-IO
  • Human Interface Station
  • ProSafe-RS integration
  • Vnet/IP
  • Migration from CS 1000 and CS 3000
  • Exaquantum integration
  • Alarm management

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 Yokogawa CENTUM VP
  • Publishing CNC machine state from FANUC and Haas controls to an OEE system over MQTTnot Yokogawa CENTUM VP
  • Bridging legacy serial Modbus devices into an OPC UA architecture during a phased controller replacementnot Yokogawa CENTUM VP
  • Running redundant collection servers so a cloud analytics pipeline does not lose data during Windows patchingnot Yokogawa CENTUM VP

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • Replacing end-of-life CENTUM CS 3000 controllers during a refinery turnaround without pulling field cablingnot Kepware Server
  • Greenfield LNG train where the control and safety systems must share one operator console and one event lognot Kepware Server
  • Specialty chemicals batch plant needing sequence control with recipe management and full electronic batch recordsnot Kepware Server
  • Combined cycle power station where 99.99999 percent availability figures are written into the contractnot 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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

  • There is no published price list and no way to size a budget without engaging Yokogawa or an EPC, so early-stage comparison against DeltaV or Experion is guesswork until quotations arrive.
  • Engineering and commissioning routinely cost several times the hardware and software, and owners who budget from the equipment quote alone are consistently short.
  • The ecosystem is closed: controllers, I/O and diagnostics are Yokogawa, and third-party alternatives at the controller layer do not exist, so the vendor holds pricing power for the twenty years or more the plant runs.
  • Operator stations run on Windows and are tied to specific validated Windows releases, so operating system end-of-life forces console refresh cycles that are governed by Yokogawa validation rather than by your IT policy.
  • Engineering staff who know CENTUM are scarce outside Japan, the Middle East and South East Asia, and in North America and Europe you will pay a premium or depend on Yokogawa’s own services organisation for changes.

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

Yokogawa CENTUM VP

On request
  • CENTUM VP$undefined/year
    • Priced as an engineered system, not a per-seat licence
    • Cost driven by I/O count, controller redundancy and number of operator stations
    • Engineering, FAT, commissioning and training quoted separately and usually exceed hardware

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 Yokogawa CENTUM VP if

  • You need field control station.
  • You work on Windows, On-premise.
  • You also want n-io.
Yokogawa CENTUM VP review

Questions people ask

Is Kepware Server or Yokogawa CENTUM VP better?
Neither clearly leads. Kepware Server starts at On request and Yokogawa CENTUM VP at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kepware Server or Yokogawa CENTUM VP?
Kepware Server starts at On request and Yokogawa CENTUM VP at On request.
Does Kepware Server or Yokogawa CENTUM VP run on more platforms?
Kepware Server runs on Windows, Linux. Yokogawa CENTUM VP runs on Windows, On-premise.
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 Yokogawa CENTUM VP is typically brought in for.
What can Kepware Server do that Yokogawa CENTUM VP cannot?
Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers, OPC UA server, IoT Gateway, DataLogger. Yokogawa CENTUM VP covers Field Control Station, N-IO, Human Interface Station, ProSafe-RS integration.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Can I upgrade from CENTUM CS 3000 without rewiring the plant?

Yes. Yokogawa sells migration packages that replace the controller and keep existing field wiring and marshalling, which is the main reason CENTUM installations stay CENTUM.

Kepware Server: Is a perpetual licence still available?

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

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Is CENTUM VP sold as a subscription?

No. It is a capital purchase of hardware and licences with an annual service agreement for updates and support.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: How does it compare with Emerson DeltaV on cost?

Neither publishes prices. CENTUM tends to win on brownfield migration cost because the field wiring stays; DeltaV tends to be cheaper on small greenfield systems.

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.

Yokogawa CENTUM VP: Do I need a separate safety system?

Yes, for SIL-rated functions. ProSafe-RS is the Yokogawa SIS and shares the CENTUM engineering database and operator console.

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