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Manufacturing · head to head

LabVIEW vs PROGNOST Systems

LabVIEW logo

LabVIEW

Manufacturing

Graphical dataflow programming for automated test, measurement and instrument control

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PROGNOST Systems logo

PROGNOST Systems

Manufacturing

SIL 3 rated online monitoring and diagnostics for reciprocating compressors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LabVIEW nI is now part of Emerson, completing in 2023, so LabVIEW sits inside an industrial automation conglomerate rather than being the flagship of a dedicated test company; roadmap priorities and support pricing follow the parent, not the user base.; PROGNOST Systems nothing about price is published, and because the system is instrumented per machine train, there is no per-point comparison that lets a buyer benchmark it against general-purpose condition monitoring.
  • They diverge on capability: LabVIEW covers Graphical dataflow programming, PROGNOST Systems covers Segmented vibration analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LabVIEW and PROGNOST Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where LabVIEW and PROGNOST Systems differ
AttributeLabVIEWPROGNOST Systems
PlatformsWindows, Linux, macOSWindows, 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 LabVIEW

  • Graphical dataflow programming
  • Front panels
  • Instrument driver library
  • Hardware integration
  • Real-time and FPGA targets
  • Analysis and signal processing
  • Application builder
  • Nigel AI assistant

Only in PROGNOST Systems

  • Segmented vibration analysis
  • Dynamic rod position
  • Online pV diagram
  • Dynamic rod load
  • SIL 3 machine protection
  • Damage pattern library
  • PROGNOST-Predictor
  • Remote expert service

What people use each for

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

LabVIEW

  • An automotive supplier building an end-of-line test rig that must drive a power supply, read a scope and log pass/fail against a serial numbernot PROGNOST Systems
  • A semiconductor lab characterising devices across a PXI chassis where deterministic timing between instruments mattersnot PROGNOST Systems
  • A medical device manufacturer needing a validated, documented test system with an operator front panel a technician can run unsupervisednot PROGNOST Systems
  • A research group prototyping a control loop on CompactRIO where part of the logic must compile down to an FPGAnot PROGNOST Systems

PROGNOST Systems

  • A refinery hydrogen recycle compressor where an unplanned trip costs more per day than the monitoring systemnot LabVIEW
  • Replacing a separate protection system and a separate condition monitoring system with one SIL 3 rated installationnot LabVIEW
  • Gas transmission stations needing valve and rider ring wear diagnosis without opening the machinenot LabVIEW
  • A plant moving reciprocating compressors from time-based overhaul to condition-based intervals with evidence a regulator will acceptnot LabVIEW

Where each one falls short

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

LabVIEW

  • NI is now part of Emerson, completing in 2023, so LabVIEW sits inside an industrial automation conglomerate rather than being the flagship of a dedicated test company; roadmap priorities and support pricing follow the parent, not the user base.
  • No prices appear anywhere on the NI site for commercial editions; Base, Full, Professional and the LabVIEW+ suite are all quoted through NI or a reseller, so a buyer cannot compare cost against a Python-plus-PyVISA alternative without opening a sales conversation.
  • Graphical source code diffs badly. Merging two engineers’ changes to the same virtual instrument in git is impractical without NI’s own comparison tools, so team development on LabVIEW is slower and more serialised than on text-based languages.
  • The pool of engineers who write LabVIEW is small and ageing relative to the pool who write Python, so hiring a replacement for the person who built your test rig is materially harder and more expensive than replacing a general software engineer.
  • The environment pulls you toward NI hardware and NI add-on toolkits, and licences for real-time, FPGA and vision modules are sold separately on top of the base edition, so the quoted LabVIEW price is rarely the delivered cost of a working test system.

PROGNOST Systems

  • Nothing about price is published, and because the system is instrumented per machine train, there is no per-point comparison that lets a buyer benchmark it against general-purpose condition monitoring.
  • Installation requires proximity probes, rod position sensors and pressure instrumentation on the machine, which usually means a planned outage and mechanical work before any data exists.
  • The value is concentrated in reciprocating compressors; for general rotating equipment across a whole plant it is a far more expensive route than a broad vibration programme.
  • SIL 3 certification brings the configuration into functional safety scope, so changes to thresholds and logic go through management of change rather than being adjusted by a reliability engineer.
  • The company is small and German-based, so response times and spares logistics for remote sites depend on a partner network rather than a global direct service organisation.

Pricing, plan by plan

LabVIEW

On request
  • LabVIEW Community EditionFree
    • Free for personal, non-commercial use only
    • Full LabVIEW feature set for hobbyists
    • No commercial deployment rights
  • LabVIEW Base$undefined/year
    • Core acquisition, control and user interface capability
    • Suited to simple test and measurement applications
    • Available as subscription or perpetual licence
  • LabVIEW Full$undefined/year
    • Adds advanced analysis and signal processing
    • Recommended where mathematics and filtering are required
    • Available as subscription or perpetual licence
  • LabVIEW Professional$undefined/year
    • Adds application builder, source control and deployment tooling
    • Includes the Nigel AI assistant
    • Available as subscription or perpetual licence

PROGNOST Systems

On request
  • PROGNOST-NT$undefined/year
    • Priced per machine train as an instrumented system
    • Sensors, proximity probes, rod position and pressure instrumentation included in scope
    • Installation typically requires a machine outage for probe fitting

Which should you pick?

Choose LabVIEW if

  • You need graphical dataflow programming.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, macOS.
  • You also want front panels.
LabVIEW review

Choose PROGNOST Systems if

  • You need segmented vibration analysis.
  • You work on Windows, On-premise.
  • You also want dynamic rod position.
PROGNOST Systems review

Questions people ask

Is LabVIEW or PROGNOST Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. LabVIEW starts at On request and PROGNOST Systems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LabVIEW or PROGNOST Systems?
LabVIEW starts at On request and PROGNOST Systems at On request.
Does LabVIEW or PROGNOST Systems run on more platforms?
LabVIEW runs on Windows, Linux, macOS. PROGNOST Systems runs on Windows, On-premise.
What is LabVIEW best used for?
LabVIEW is most often used for an automotive supplier building an end-of-line test rig that must drive a power supply, read a scope and log pass/fail against a serial number, a semiconductor lab characterising devices across a pxi chassis where deterministic timing between instruments matters, a medical device manufacturer needing a validated, documented test system with an operator front panel a technician can run unsupervised, a research group prototyping a control loop on compactrio where part of the logic must compile down to an fpga. Of those, an automotive supplier building an end-of-line test rig that must drive a power supply, read a scope and log pass/fail against a serial number and a semiconductor lab characterising devices across a pxi chassis where deterministic timing between instruments matters are not what PROGNOST Systems is typically brought in for.
What can LabVIEW do that PROGNOST Systems cannot?
LabVIEW covers Graphical dataflow programming, Front panels, Instrument driver library, Hardware integration. PROGNOST Systems covers Segmented vibration analysis, Dynamic rod position, Online pV diagram, Dynamic rod load.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LabVIEW: Who owns LabVIEW now?

NI, formerly National Instruments, was acquired by Emerson in an acquisition that completed in 2023. LabVIEW is now an Emerson product.

PROGNOST Systems: Does it replace the compressor protection system?

It can. PROGNOST-NT is SIL 3 rated for machine protection, which is the main reason sites choose it over advisory-only monitoring.

LabVIEW: Can I still buy a perpetual licence?

Yes. NI offers both subscription and perpetual licences and states there are no functional or feature-level differences between them.

PROGNOST Systems: Can it be retrofitted to an existing compressor?

Yes, but fitting rod position and internal instrumentation generally needs a machine outage.

LabVIEW: Is there a free version?

LabVIEW Community Edition is free for personal, non-commercial use. It carries no commercial deployment rights.

PROGNOST Systems: Does it work on centrifugal machines?

PROGNOST offers products for general rotating equipment, but the differentiated diagnostics are for reciprocating compressors.

LabVIEW: How much does it cost?

NI does not publish commercial edition prices. Base, Full, Professional and LabVIEW+ are all quoted through NI or a reseller.

PROGNOST Systems: Is it available on new Burckhardt machines?

Yes, Burckhardt Compression offers PROGNOST-NT as a factory-fitted condition monitoring option.

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