Ignition vs AVEVA (Wonderware) — SCADA Platform Comparison for Industrial Facilities

Quick Answer

Neither platform is universally better. Ignition by Inductive Automation is preferred for new deployments that need unlimited client licensing, web-based HMI (Perspective), cross-platform flexibility, and modern IIoT architecture (MQTT Sparkplug B). AVEVA (formerly Wonderware) is preferred when deep MES/MOM integration, an established historian infrastructure, or compatibility with an existing Wonderware installed base is required.

Architecture Comparison

Ignition uses a gateway-centric architecture where a single server process handles tag processing, client sessions, historian, alarming, and device communication. Clients connect via web browsers (Perspective) or Java launcher (Vision). The gateway runs on Windows, Linux, or macOS.

AVEVA uses a distributed architecture with separate components: InTouch HMI for operator screens, Historian Server for time-series data, System Platform for supervisory control, and Application Server for object-based development. This modularity provides flexibility but increases complexity and licensing costs.

Licensing Model

Ignition licenses by gateway and modules — not by tags, clients, or connections. One gateway license covers unlimited tags, unlimited clients, and unlimited connections. Additional cost comes from optional modules (Perspective, Vision, Tag Historian, Reporting, etc.). This model makes Ignition dramatically more cost-effective for large deployments.

AVEVA licenses by component, tag count, and client count. InTouch licenses are per-development-station and per-runtime-station. Historian licenses are based on tag capacity. System Platform licenses are based on objects and namespaces. For large enterprises, AVEVA licensing costs can be 3-10x higher than equivalent Ignition deployments.

HMI and Visualization

Ignition Perspective provides responsive, mobile-ready web HMI that runs in any modern browser without plugins. Ignition Vision provides a traditional desktop client with Java. Both share the same tag database and alarming infrastructure.

AVEVA InTouch is a mature Windows desktop HMI with decades of development. Its ArchestrA graphics engine provides high-fidelity industrial graphics and symbol libraries. AVEVA has web-based options (InTouch Web Client, AVEVA Insight) but they are less mature than Perspective for new development.

Historian

Ignition Tag Historian stores data in any SQL database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MariaDB) with configurable storage engines. Data is queryable via standard SQL and the built-in Tag History system. No separate product license is required beyond the Tag Historian module.

AVEVA Historian Server is an enterprise-class time-series database with compression, tiered storage, and high-speed data retrieval. It is one of the most capable industrial historians available but requires separate licensing, dedicated server infrastructure, and specialized administration.

MES and Enterprise Integration

AVEVA has a significant advantage in MES (Manufacturing Execution System) integration. AVEVA MES (formerly Wonderware MES) provides production tracking, batch management, quality management, and performance analysis tightly integrated with InTouch and Historian. For regulated industries (pharmaceutical, food and beverage), AVEVA's MES is a proven platform.

Ignition does not include native MES functionality but integrates with third-party MES systems via SQL, REST APIs, and MQTT. Sepasoft MES modules for Ignition provide OEE, SPC, track-and-trace, and batch management within the Ignition framework.

Scripting and Development

Ignition uses Jython (Python 2.7 syntax on the JVM) with a comprehensive system.* API covering tags, database, alarming, GUI, and networking. Python-based scripting is more accessible to engineers and IT professionals than proprietary scripting languages.

AVEVA uses proprietary scripting (InTouch QuickScript, ArchestrA scripting) with .NET integration for advanced development. While powerful, the proprietary scripting creates vendor lock-in and requires AVEVA-specific training.

Best Fit by Use Case

• New greenfield SCADA project — Ignition. Lower total cost, modern architecture, unlimited licensing.
• Existing Wonderware installed base — AVEVA. Migration cost and risk usually outweigh the benefits of switching.
• Pharmaceutical or food manufacturing with MES — AVEVA. Mature MES integration with regulatory compliance (FDA 21 CFR Part 11) support.
• IIoT and MQTT architecture — Ignition. Native MQTT Sparkplug B support and Edge gateway for store-and-forward.
• Multi-site enterprise deployment — Ignition. Unlimited licensing makes scaling across dozens of sites cost-effective.
• Oil and gas with historian focus — Either. AVEVA Historian is more capable; Ignition is more cost-effective.

Summary Comparison