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Manufacturing · head to head

PROGNOST Systems vs Samotics

PROGNOST Systems logo

PROGNOST Systems

Manufacturing

SIL 3 rated online monitoring and diagnostics for reciprocating compressors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Samotics logo

Samotics

Manufacturing

Condition monitoring of motor-driven assets using electrical signature analysis from the motor control cabinet

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Samotics sAM4 only sees what reaches the motor electrically, so it covers the driven train and misses un-driven equipment, structures, process conditions and anything downstream of a mechanical decoupling.
  • They diverge on capability: PROGNOST Systems covers Segmented vibration analysis, Samotics covers Electrical signature analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where PROGNOST Systems and Samotics differ
AttributePROGNOST SystemsSamotics
PlatformsWindows, On-premiseWeb, Cloud

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 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

Only in Samotics

  • Electrical signature analysis
  • Switchroom installation
  • Energy and efficiency measurement
  • Submersible and hazardous area coverage
  • Fault classification
  • Fleet view

What people use each for

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

PROGNOST Systems

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

Samotics

  • A water utility monitoring submersible and borehole pumps that no vibration sensor can be fitted to without lifting the pumpnot PROGNOST Systems
  • A chemical plant with assets in ATEX zones where certifying and maintaining in-field sensors is more expensive than the monitoring itselfnot PROGNOST Systems
  • A food plant that wants pump and mixer condition data without opening guarding or taking a hygiene-critical line down to fit sensorsnot PROGNOST Systems
  • A site building an energy reduction case, where measured motor efficiency and waste give the business case a payback that reliability alone would notnot PROGNOST Systems

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Samotics

  • SAM4 only sees what reaches the motor electrically, so it covers the driven train and misses un-driven equipment, structures, process conditions and anything downstream of a mechanical decoupling.
  • Each monitored motor needs hardware installed in the motor control centre by a qualified electrician, and in older switchrooms that installation, including any required outage, can cost more than a year of the subscription.
  • Per-asset subscription pricing means the cost scales linearly with the number of motors, so a plant with a thousand small motors faces a bill that a fixed-price plant-wide vibration system would not impose.
  • Electrical signature analysis on variable-speed drives is harder than on direct-on-line motors, and results vary with drive type, so a heavily VSD estate should insist on a pilot on its own drives before committing.
  • Nothing is published on price, contract length or minimum deployment size, and the vendor sells multi-year subscriptions, so early exit terms are a negotiation you have to raise yourself.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Samotics

On request
  • SAM4$undefined/year
    • Subscription priced per monitored asset
    • SAM4 sensor hardware required in each motor control centre
    • Electrical installation by a qualified electrician, quoted separately

Which should you pick?

Choose PROGNOST Systems if

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

Choose Samotics if

  • You need electrical signature analysis.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want switchroom installation.
Samotics review

Questions people ask

Is PROGNOST Systems or Samotics better?
Neither clearly leads. PROGNOST Systems starts at On request and Samotics at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PROGNOST Systems or Samotics?
PROGNOST Systems starts at On request and Samotics at On request.
Does PROGNOST Systems or Samotics run on more platforms?
PROGNOST Systems runs on Windows, On-premise. Samotics runs on Web, Cloud.
What is PROGNOST Systems best used for?
PROGNOST Systems is most often used for a refinery hydrogen recycle compressor where an unplanned trip costs more per day than the monitoring system, replacing a separate protection system and a separate condition monitoring system with one sil 3 rated installation, gas transmission stations needing valve and rider ring wear diagnosis without opening the machine, a plant moving reciprocating compressors from time-based overhaul to condition-based intervals with evidence a regulator will accept. Of those, a refinery hydrogen recycle compressor where an unplanned trip costs more per day than the monitoring system and replacing a separate protection system and a separate condition monitoring system with one sil 3 rated installation are not what Samotics is typically brought in for.
What can PROGNOST Systems do that Samotics cannot?
PROGNOST Systems covers Segmented vibration analysis, Dynamic rod position, Online pV diagram, Dynamic rod load. Samotics covers Electrical signature analysis, Switchroom installation, Energy and efficiency measurement, Submersible and hazardous area coverage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Samotics: Does Samotics replace vibration monitoring?

For motor-driven assets it often does, and it reaches assets vibration cannot. For un-driven equipment and structures it does not apply at all.

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

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

Samotics: Do I have to buy Samotics hardware?

Yes. SAM4 requires the vendor's sensors fitted in the motor control centre; there is no software-only option.

PROGNOST Systems: Does it work on centrifugal machines?

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

Samotics: Does it work on variable-speed drives?

It can, but performance depends on the drive and the operating profile. Pilot it on your own VSD assets rather than accepting a reference from a direct-on-line site.

PROGNOST Systems: Is it available on new Burckhardt machines?

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

Samotics: How is it priced?

Subscription per monitored asset, quoted, typically on a multi-year term, with hardware and electrical installation on top.

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