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Manufacturing · head to head

MOVUS vs Petasense

MOVUS logo

MOVUS

Manufacturing

Australian condition monitoring combining a magnetic sensor with a monitored alerting service

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Petasense logo

Petasense

Manufacturing

Wireless vibration and asset reliability monitoring, now owned by AssetWatch

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: MOVUS mOVUS is a small independent company, so standardising a large estate on its sensors carries supplier continuity risk that a purchase from a major instrumentation vendor does not.; Petasense petasense is now owned by AssetWatch, whose business is monitoring delivered as a managed service, so a buyer wanting self-service software should get the delivery model written into the contract rather than assume it.
  • They diverge on capability: MOVUS covers FitMachine sensor, Petasense covers Vibration Mote.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MOVUS and Petasense actually diverge.

Attributes where MOVUS and Petasense differ
AttributeMOVUSPetasense

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Cloud, iOS, Android), 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 MOVUS

  • FitMachine sensor
  • FitMachine 3XT EX
  • Assessed alerts
  • Condition scoring
  • Rapid installation
  • Partner delivery

Only in Petasense

  • Vibration Mote
  • Transmitter range
  • ARO cloud
  • VFD-specific monitoring
  • Reliability workflow
  • Mixed wired and wireless

What people use each for

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

MOVUS

  • A mining operation instrumenting pumps and fans in a classified hazardous zone where cabled monitoring would require an outage and an electrical projectnot Petasense
  • A water utility with a small maintenance team that wants assessed alerts rather than a dashboard nobody has time to interpretnot Petasense
  • A food processing site adding condition monitoring to existing assets without production downtime, using magnetic mountingnot Petasense
  • An Australian operator that wants local support and local calibration data rather than a Northern Hemisphere vendor with a resellernot Petasense

Petasense

  • A reliability team wanting continuous vibration data on assets currently covered by a quarterly walkaround routenot MOVUS
  • A plant with variable frequency drive assets where generic vibration analytics produce too many false alarmsnot MOVUS
  • Mixing battery sensors on accessible pumps with wired sensors on the handful of assets that would stop productionnot MOVUS
  • A manufacturer with no in-house vibration analyst that wants the analysis delivered as a service rather than as a dashboardnot MOVUS

Where each one falls short

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

MOVUS

  • MOVUS is a small independent company, so standardising a large estate on its sensors carries supplier continuity risk that a purchase from a major instrumentation vendor does not.
  • Support and service outside Australia and New Zealand depend on partners, which means response times, commercial terms and technical depth vary by country in ways the vendor cannot fully control.
  • Per-asset subscription plus per-asset hardware means the cost of full coverage rises linearly, so most sites end up monitoring a subset and leaving the long tail of small motors unmonitored.
  • The single condition score is designed for planners rather than analysts, which suits teams without vibration expertise but frustrates reliability engineers who want the underlying spectra to diagnose a specific defect.
  • Nothing is published on sensor cost, gateway requirements, subscription rate or contract term, so a realistic total cost for a site rollout cannot be estimated without a sales conversation.

Petasense

  • Petasense is now owned by AssetWatch, whose business is monitoring delivered as a managed service, so a buyer wanting self-service software should get the delivery model written into the contract rather than assume it.
  • Hardware is required per measurement point and gateways are required per area, so the up-front capital for a plant-wide deployment is substantial and separate from the subscription.
  • Per-asset subscription pricing scales linearly, which makes full coverage of a large population of low-value motors uneconomic compared with route-based monitoring.
  • Nothing is published on sensor cost, subscription rate, gateway requirements or contract length, so a total cost of ownership figure requires a full sales engagement before you can compare it against anything.
  • Battery-powered wireless sensors trade measurement richness for battery life, so the sampling rate and resolution are lower than a wired analyser would give, which limits diagnosis of high-frequency bearing defects on critical machines.

Pricing, plan by plan

MOVUS

On request
  • FitMachine$undefined/year
    • Subscription priced per monitored asset
    • FitMachine sensor hardware required per asset
    • Gateway hardware required per area

Petasense

On request
  • Petasense ARO$undefined/year
    • Subscription priced per monitored asset
    • Vibration Mote or Transmitter hardware required per measurement point
    • Gateway hardware required for wireless deployments

Which should you pick?

Choose MOVUS if

  • You need fitmachine sensor.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want fitmachine 3xt ex.
MOVUS review

Choose Petasense if

  • You need vibration mote.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want transmitter range.
Petasense review

Questions people ask

Is MOVUS or Petasense better?
Neither clearly leads. MOVUS starts at On request and Petasense at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MOVUS or Petasense?
MOVUS starts at On request and Petasense at On request.
Does MOVUS or Petasense run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is MOVUS best used for?
MOVUS is most often used for a mining operation instrumenting pumps and fans in a classified hazardous zone where cabled monitoring would require an outage and an electrical project, a water utility with a small maintenance team that wants assessed alerts rather than a dashboard nobody has time to interpret, a food processing site adding condition monitoring to existing assets without production downtime, using magnetic mounting, an australian operator that wants local support and local calibration data rather than a northern hemisphere vendor with a reseller. Of those, a mining operation instrumenting pumps and fans in a classified hazardous zone where cabled monitoring would require an outage and an electrical project and a water utility with a small maintenance team that wants assessed alerts rather than a dashboard nobody has time to interpret are not what Petasense is typically brought in for.
What can MOVUS do that Petasense cannot?
MOVUS covers FitMachine sensor, FitMachine 3XT EX, Assessed alerts, Condition scoring. Petasense covers Vibration Mote, Transmitter range, ARO cloud, VFD-specific monitoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MOVUS: Is there a hazardous area version?

Yes. The FitMachine 3XT EX is certified for hazardous zones, with availability from February 2026.

Petasense: Is Petasense still a separate product?

Yes. It trades under its own name with its own product line, but the owner since January 2024 is AssetWatch.

MOVUS: Do I get raw vibration data?

The product is built around an assessed condition score and reviewed alerts. Reliability engineers wanting full spectra should confirm what data access their contract includes.

Petasense: Do I have to buy Petasense hardware?

Yes. The platform is built around its own Motes and Transmitters; it is not a bring-your-own-sensor analytics product.

MOVUS: Does installation need an electrician?

No for the sensor, which mounts magnetically and runs on battery. Gateways typically need power and network, which is where the site work sits.

Petasense: Can I get monitoring as a service?

Yes, through parent AssetWatch, whose model is condition monitoring engineers reviewing your data. Clarify which model your quote covers.

MOVUS: Is MOVUS available outside Australia?

Yes, largely through partners including industrial services and insurance-linked risk programmes, with support quality varying by region.

Petasense: How is it priced?

Per monitored asset on subscription, plus sensors and gateways. Nothing is published.

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