Softwr

Utilities · head to head

EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert vs Magnet

EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert logo

EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert

Utilities

Telemetry SCADA for geographically distributed water, oil and gas assets, formerly ClearSCADA

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Magnet logo

Magnet

Utilities

Mac App Store window manager sold as a one-time paid app, with no free tier

From
$4.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert the ClearSCADA name is retired, so the large body of documentation, forum answers and integrator experience under that name is increasingly stale and does not always match current behaviour.; Magnet there is no free tier at all, so a user cannot try before buying beyond the Mac App Store return window.
  • They diverge on capability: EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert covers Point-banded server licence, Magnet covers Keyboard shortcuts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert and Magnet actually diverge.

Attributes where EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert and Magnet differ
AttributeEcoStruxure Geo SCADA ExpertMagnet
Starting priceOn request$4.99/one-time
Pricing modelquoteOne-time purchase
PlatformsWindows, WebMac

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

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 EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert

  • Point-banded server licence
  • Telemetry protocol stack
  • Store and forward reconciliation
  • ViewX and Virtual ViewX
  • Redundant server pairs
  • Embedded historian and alarms

Only in Magnet

  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Drag to snap
  • Multi-display support
  • Mac App Store distribution
  • Menu bar access
  • Third display layouts

What people use each for

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

EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert

  • A water utility polling several thousand remote pump and lift stations over cellular and radio where outstation log backfill matters more than screen refresh ratenot Magnet
  • A midstream gas operator needing full DNP3 outstation support including unsolicited reporting and time-stamped event retrievalnot Magnet
  • Replacing an ageing ClearSCADA installation where the historical database and driver configuration can be carried forward rather than rebuiltnot Magnet
  • A regional wastewater authority consolidating several inherited SCADA systems onto one redundant server pair with browser clients for on-call staffnot Magnet

Magnet

  • A user who wants the App Store handling licensing, family sharing and updates automaticallynot EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert
  • Someone who prefers paying a small one-time fee up front over evaluating a free tool firstnot EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert
  • A less technical user who does not want to install from GitHub or Homebrewnot EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert
  • A family sharing one Apple ID that wants one purchase to cover multiple Macs in the householdnot EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert

Where each one falls short

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

EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert

  • The ClearSCADA name is retired, so the large body of documentation, forum answers and integrator experience under that name is increasingly stale and does not always match current behaviour.
  • Licensing is point-banded and client-counted with nothing published, and discount depends on your existing entitlement, so a first-time buyer negotiates from a weaker position than an incumbent renewing.
  • The free development mode is capped at 1,000 points and two hours of runtime, which is enough to prototype a screen but not enough to load-test a realistic network before you commit.
  • It is a Windows Server product; there is no Linux server option, so the operating system licensing, patching cadence and hardening burden come with the platform whether you want them or not.
  • Schneider has repeatedly rebranded and repositioned this line, from Control Microsystems to ClearSCADA to EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert, which makes long-horizon roadmap commitments hard to trust for a system a utility expects to run for fifteen years.

Magnet

  • There is no free tier at all, so a user cannot try before buying beyond the Mac App Store return window.
  • It offers fewer customisation options than Rectangle, such as fewer configurable snap zones and less granular per-app behaviour.
  • Update cadence has historically been slower than the actively developed open source Rectangle project.
  • It is Mac only and App Store only, so it cannot be scripted, redistributed internally by a company, or installed outside Apple normal channels.
  • Being a small independent app, support depends on the developer responding to App Store reviews or email rather than a dedicated support team.

Pricing, plan by plan

EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert

On request
  • EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert$undefined/year
    • Server licensed in point bands from around 250 points upward
    • ViewX and Virtual ViewX clients licensed individually or in bundles
    • Free unlicensed development mode limited to 1,000 points and two hours of runtime

Magnet

$4.99/one-time
  • Magnet$4.99/one-time
    • Full app unlocked immediately, no trial gating
    • Mac App Store purchase and family sharing
    • Free updates through the App Store

Which should you pick?

Choose EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert if

  • You need point-banded server licence.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want telemetry protocol stack.
EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert review

Choose Magnet if

  • You need keyboard shortcuts.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want drag to snap.
Magnet review

Questions people ask

Is EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert or Magnet better?
Neither clearly leads. EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert starts at On request and Magnet at $4.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert or Magnet?
EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert starts at On request and Magnet at $4.99/one-time.
Does EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert or Magnet run on more platforms?
EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert runs on Windows, Web. Magnet runs on Mac.
What is EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert best used for?
EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert is most often used for a water utility polling several thousand remote pump and lift stations over cellular and radio where outstation log backfill matters more than screen refresh rate, a midstream gas operator needing full dnp3 outstation support including unsolicited reporting and time-stamped event retrieval, replacing an ageing clearscada installation where the historical database and driver configuration can be carried forward rather than rebuilt, a regional wastewater authority consolidating several inherited scada systems onto one redundant server pair with browser clients for on-call staff. Of those, a water utility polling several thousand remote pump and lift stations over cellular and radio where outstation log backfill matters more than screen refresh rate and a midstream gas operator needing full dnp3 outstation support including unsolicited reporting and time-stamped event retrieval are not what Magnet is typically brought in for.
What can EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert do that Magnet cannot?
EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert covers Point-banded server licence, Telemetry protocol stack, Store and forward reconciliation, ViewX and Virtual ViewX. Magnet covers Keyboard shortcuts, Drag to snap, Multi-display support, Mac App Store distribution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert: Can I still buy ClearSCADA?

No. The product is sold as EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert. ClearSCADA is a retired name and current quotes will use the new one.

Magnet: Does Magnet have a free version?

No. It has always been a paid Mac App Store purchase with no free tier.

EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert: How is the server licensed?

By point count, in bands starting around 250 points and scaling to over a million on a single server. Clients are licensed on top, individually or in bundles.

Magnet: Can I share one purchase across my family Macs?

Yes, through Apple Family Sharing on the Mac App Store, the same as any other App Store app.

EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert: Is there a way to test it for free?

Yes, unlicensed development mode runs up to 1,000 points for two hours at a time. That is a prototyping tool, not a pilot.

Magnet: How is it different from Rectangle?

Magnet is a paid App Store app from the start; Rectangle is free and open source, with paid Pro features sold as a separate app.

EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert: Is Geo SCADA the same as AVEVA Plant SCADA?

No. Plant SCADA is the former Citect product for plant-floor supervisory control. Geo SCADA is the former ClearSCADA product for distributed telemetry. Different codebases, different problems.

Share

Related pages

More on EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert

More on Magnet

Keep looking

Other head to heads