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Manufacturing · head to head

Rockwell FactoryTalk vs Stoll

Rockwell FactoryTalk logo

Rockwell FactoryTalk

Manufacturing

Rockwell Automation software portfolio for HMI, historian, analytics and industrial data

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stoll logo

Stoll

Fashion

Knit design and knitting machine solutions

From
$300/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Rockwell FactoryTalk factoryTalk is a brand, not a product, so a quote that says FactoryTalk may cover any of six separately licensed things; buyers repeatedly find that the demo they saw needed View plus Historian plus a Hub subscription.; Stoll no pricing available; the flat knitting machine business has been discontinued
  • They diverge on capability: Rockwell FactoryTalk covers FactoryTalk View SE and ME, Stoll covers Knit design.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rockwell FactoryTalk and Stoll actually diverge.

Attributes where Rockwell FactoryTalk and Stoll differ
AttributeRockwell FactoryTalkStoll
Starting priceOn request$300/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindows, Linux, Web, CloudWindows
CategoryManufacturingFashion
FoundedUnknown1880

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

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 Rockwell FactoryTalk

  • FactoryTalk View SE and ME
  • FactoryTalk Historian
  • FactoryTalk Optix
  • FactoryTalk Batch
  • FactoryTalk Hub
  • Native Logix tags

Only in Stoll

  • Knit design
  • Pattern creation
  • Machine programming
  • Stitch simulation
  • Production planning
  • Stoll machines
  • CAD systems
  • User authentication

What people use each for

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

Rockwell FactoryTalk

  • A plant standardised on ControlLogix that needs supervisory HMI without building and maintaining an OPC layer between controller and screennot Stoll
  • A hybrid manufacturer needing ISA-88 batch execution audited against recipes, where FactoryTalk Batch is already validated in the industrynot Stoll
  • Consolidating machine-level HMI screens across many Allen-Bradley lines under one tag model and one alarm schemenot Stoll
  • Adding a plant historian quickly where the site has Rockwell distribution support but no PI administrator on staffnot Stoll

Stoll

  • Flat knitting machine manufacturing (legacy/discontinued)not Rockwell FactoryTalk
  • Knitting machine spare parts and servicenot Rockwell FactoryTalk

Where each one falls short

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

Rockwell FactoryTalk

  • FactoryTalk is a brand, not a product, so a quote that says FactoryTalk may cover any of six separately licensed things; buyers repeatedly find that the demo they saw needed View plus Historian plus a Hub subscription.
  • Licensing units differ per product, tags for Historian, display tags and clients for View, another scheme for Optix, which makes forecasting the cost of a plant expansion genuinely hard.
  • The migration of products onto FactoryTalk Hub subscriptions converts what used to be a perpetual licence into an annual payment where lapsing stops the software, changing a capital purchase into an operating one you cannot exit.
  • Value drops sharply outside an Allen-Bradley estate; against a Siemens or Mitsubishi PLC you are back to OPC UA and lose the main reason to buy FactoryTalk at all.
  • There is no public price list and buying is through distribution, so two plants of identical size in the same company can pay materially different amounts depending on when and how they negotiated.

Stoll

  • No pricing available; the flat knitting machine business has been discontinued
  • Production site in Reutlingen closed as of October 31, 2025
  • Only spare parts and legacy service support remain available

Pricing, plan by plan

Rockwell FactoryTalk

On request
  • FactoryTalk$undefined/year
    • Sold through Rockwell distribution, not direct or self-service
    • View licensed by display tag count and client seats
    • Historian licensed by tag count

Stoll

$300/month
  • Basic$300/month
    • Basic design
  • Advanced$600/month
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Full solution

Which should you pick?

Choose Rockwell FactoryTalk if

  • You need factorytalk view se and me.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web, Cloud.
  • You also want factorytalk historian.
Rockwell FactoryTalk review

Choose Stoll if

  • You need knit design.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want pattern creation.
Stoll review

Questions people ask

Is Rockwell FactoryTalk or Stoll better?
Neither clearly leads. Rockwell FactoryTalk starts at On request and Stoll at $300/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rockwell FactoryTalk or Stoll?
Rockwell FactoryTalk starts at On request and Stoll at $300/month.
Does Rockwell FactoryTalk or Stoll run on more platforms?
Rockwell FactoryTalk runs on Windows, Linux, Web, Cloud. Stoll runs on Windows.
What is Rockwell FactoryTalk best used for?
Rockwell FactoryTalk is most often used for a plant standardised on controllogix that needs supervisory hmi without building and maintaining an opc layer between controller and screen, a hybrid manufacturer needing isa-88 batch execution audited against recipes, where factorytalk batch is already validated in the industry, consolidating machine-level hmi screens across many allen-bradley lines under one tag model and one alarm scheme, adding a plant historian quickly where the site has rockwell distribution support but no pi administrator on staff. Of those, a plant standardised on controllogix that needs supervisory hmi without building and maintaining an opc layer between controller and screen and a hybrid manufacturer needing isa-88 batch execution audited against recipes, where factorytalk batch is already validated in the industry are not what Stoll is typically brought in for.
What can Rockwell FactoryTalk do that Stoll cannot?
Rockwell FactoryTalk covers FactoryTalk View SE and ME, FactoryTalk Historian, FactoryTalk Optix, FactoryTalk Batch. Stoll covers Knit design, Pattern creation, Machine programming, Stitch simulation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rockwell FactoryTalk: Is FactoryTalk Historian the same as AVEVA PI?

It is built on the PI engine under an OEM arrangement, tuned for Rockwell integration. If you already run PI enterprise-wide, buying Historian too usually duplicates a system you have.

Stoll: Is STOLL still selling knitting machines?

No, STOLL's flat knitting machine business has been discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed on October 31, 2025. Only spare parts availability and legacy service support remain.

Source
Rockwell FactoryTalk: Can I still buy FactoryTalk perpetually?

Some products yes, but the direction is toward FactoryTalk Hub subscriptions. Confirm per product before assuming a capital purchase is available.

Stoll: Where can I get spare parts for STOLL machines?

STOLL spare parts remain available through their support channels. The company has consolidated service operations under KARL MAYER ownership. Customers should contact STOLL's helpline or webshop for parts availability.

Source
Rockwell FactoryTalk: Does FactoryTalk work with non-Rockwell PLCs?

Yes, through OPC UA and drivers, but the native tag browse advantage disappears and the case for FactoryTalk over a cheaper independent SCADA weakens.

Rockwell FactoryTalk: Where do I find pricing?

You cannot without a distributor. Rockwell publishes no list pricing for the FactoryTalk portfolio.

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