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Manufacturing · head to head

Kepware Server vs Petasense

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
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: 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.; 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: Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers, Petasense covers Vibration Mote.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Kepware Server and Petasense differ
AttributeKepware ServerPetasense
PlatformsWindows, LinuxWeb, Cloud, iOS, Android

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 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.

Kepware Server

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

Petasense

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

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

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

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 Kepware Server if

  • You need 150-plus device drivers.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want opc ua server.
Kepware Server 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 Kepware Server or Petasense better?
Neither clearly leads. Kepware Server 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, Kepware Server or Petasense?
Kepware Server starts at On request and Petasense at On request.
Does Kepware Server or Petasense run on more platforms?
Kepware Server runs on Windows, Linux. Petasense runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
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 Petasense is typically brought in for.
What can Kepware Server do that Petasense cannot?
Kepware Server covers 150-plus device drivers, OPC UA server, IoT Gateway, DataLogger. Petasense covers Vibration Mote, Transmitter range, ARO cloud, VFD-specific monitoring.

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.

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.

Kepware Server: Is a perpetual licence still available?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Petasense: How is it priced?

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

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