How much does OEE software cost?

OEE systems are priced per machine, per line, per plant or per project, so a single monthly figure is not comparable across offers. Ask each vendor for the total cost of the same scope over the same term, with every line item listed, then compare the totals and the cost per machine per month.

What is usually not included in an OEE software price?

Often left out: sensors and cabling, data devices or gateways, operator screens, network equipment, installation, integration with ERP, MES or BI, training, higher support tiers and the time your own team spends.

Is a free trial cheaper than a paid pilot?

Not always. A free trial still uses your team’s hours for installation, configuration and follow-up. A paid, supervised pilot should include a baseline, success criteria and a decision date. Compare both on the hours they need and the decision they let you make.

Should I compare an OEE system with an MES?

Compare them on the scope you need in the next 12 months. An MES covers orders, materials, quality and traceability and is usually priced as a project. An OEE monitoring system covers machine states, stops, speed and counts and is usually the lighter first step.

Which currency should I use in the calculator?

Any, as long as every amount is in the same currency. The calculator does not convert currencies.

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What an OEE system really costs: the 3-year calculator

A price per machine is one line of the bill. Devices, sensors, operator screens, installation, integration, training and your own team’s hours decide what you actually pay. Put two offers on the same basis and see the difference before you sign.

In shortCompare OEE offers on the total cost of the same scope over the same term, not on the monthly price per machine. A like-for-like figure adds the subscription for every machine, the hardware that makes each machine report, the screens operators use, installation, integration, training, other fees and the hours your own team spends. The calculator below does this for two offers. The Excel model does it for three, shows how the cost moves with plant size and lists 24 questions to send every vendor.

Compare two offers

The example values are illustrative, not any vendor’s price. Replace them with the figures from your quotes and enter every amount in the same currency.

Your plant

Machines to monitorContract term (years)Internal cost of one staff hourCurrency shown

Offer A

Example: subscription per machine, devices rented, self-installed.

Subscription per billed unit per monthBilled units (machines, lines or plants)Machines one device can connectDevice rental per device per monthDevice purchase per device (one-off)New sensors and cabling per machine (one-off)Operator screens or tablets (number)Price per screen or tabletInstallation and on-site work (one-off)Integration with ERP, MES or BI (one-off)Training and onboarding (one-off)Other fees per year (support tier, modules, SSO)Internal hours over the term (set-up, admin, follow-up)

Offer B

Example: lower subscription, devices bought, installation and training included.

Offer AOffer B

Total over the term··

Year-one cash out··

Equivalent per machine per month··

Share of the total outside the subscription··

SubscriptionDevicesSensors and screensInstallation, integration, trainingOther feesInternal time

Total = one-off costs + term × 12 × (subscription × billed units + device rental × devices) + term × other fees + internal hours × hourly cost. Devices = machines ÷ machines per device, rounded up. Year-one cash out leaves out internal time.

The cost lines a price list leaves out

A published OEE price often covers the software licence only. Ask every vendor to price the same scope line by line, and check who carries each of these costs.

Cost line	Why it matters	Ask every vendor
Signal pickup and sensors	A machine without a usable signal needs a sensor, cabling or a PLC connection before it can report.	Which of our machines need new sensors or wiring, and who installs them?
Data devices or gateways	Devices can be rented, bought or included. How many you need depends on how many machines one device connects.	How many devices for our machines, bought or rented, and what happens to them if we stop?
Operator screens	Stop reasons are entered on a screen at or near the line, and many offers exclude the screens.	Are screens, tablets and mounts included, and which models are supported?
Network	Devices need Wi-Fi, Ethernet or mobile data on the shop floor.	What network do the devices need, and is a SIM or router included?
Installation	Self-installation saves money but costs internal hours. On-site work is often quoted separately.	Is installation remote, on-site or done by us, and what does an on-site day cost?
Integration	Connecting to ERP, MES or BI tools is usually a separate project.	Which integrations are standard, which are quoted, and at what rate?
Training and language	Operators adopt what they understand in their own language.	In which languages are the software, the training and the support?
Support	Hours, time zone and channel decide how fast a stopped line gets help.	What are your support hours in our time zone, and in which language?
Tiers and minimums	Some offers require every licence on the same tier or reserve multi-site features for the top tier.	Can we mix tiers, and which tier do we need for several plants?
Term and price protection	Multi-year terms lower the monthly price but lock the budget.	What is the price for 1 and 3 years, and how are renewals indexed?
Exit	Data and hardware must come back cleanly if you change supplier.	Can we export all raw data, and what happens to the devices at the end?

Four price structures you will meet

Per machine per month

Easy to compare, but the total grows with every machine, and devices or sensors are often billed on top.

Per line or per plant

Flat fees reward monitoring many machines at once. Check what counts as a line and what happens when you add one.

Hardware up front, smaller subscription

More cash in year one, less every month after. Check the device warranty and who replaces a failed unit.

Project quotes for MES-type systems

Licence, integration and services priced together, with a wider scope and a longer lead time than a first monitoring step.

Free trial or paid pilot: what each really costs

A free trial is free on the invoice, not in hours: someone still installs, configures, trains operators and reads the data. A paid, supervised pilot on one line costs money but should come with a baseline, agreed success criteria and a decision date. Whichever you choose, write down before you start the result that would make you buy and the result that would make you stop.

Get the full cost model (Excel)

Done: your cost model is downloading.

Download the cost model (.xlsx)

Next: What one OEE point is worth in your country and Buyer’s Scorecard.

Get the full cost model (Excel)

Three offers side by side with the same inputs
Cash out year by year and the total over the term
Cost per machine per month at 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 machines
24 questions to send every vendor, with a column for each answer

Questions

How much does OEE software cost?: OEE systems are priced per machine, per line, per plant or per project, so a single monthly figure is not comparable across offers. Ask each vendor for the total cost of the same scope over the same term, with every line item listed, then compare the totals and the cost per machine per month.
What is usually not included in an OEE software price?: Often left out: sensors and cabling, data devices or gateways, operator screens, network equipment, installation, integration with ERP, MES or BI, training, higher support tiers and the time your own team spends.
Is a free trial cheaper than a paid pilot?: Not always. A free trial still uses your team’s hours for installation, configuration and follow-up. A paid, supervised pilot should include a baseline, success criteria and a decision date. Compare both on the hours they need and the decision they let you make.
Should I compare an OEE system with an MES?: Compare them on the scope you need in the next 12 months. An MES covers orders, materials, quality and traceability and is usually priced as a project. An OEE monitoring system covers machine states, stops, speed and counts and is usually the lighter first step.
Which currency should I use in the calculator?: Any, as long as every amount is in the same currency. The calculator does not convert currencies.

Related tools

Published by TEEPTRAK SAS, which sells production-monitoring and OEE software. The calculator is vendor-neutral: it applies the same formula to every offer you enter, including TEEPTRAK’s.