Ignition vs WinCC: how to choose a SCADA platform
We build SCADA in both. Neither is better everywhere; the right choice depends on your plant, your team and how you want to license and access the system.
Choose WinCC when your plant is Siemens throughout, your engineers work in TIA Portal and you want one vendor: WinCC V8 continues WinCC V7 with compatible projects, and WinCC Unified is Siemens' web-based system engineered in TIA Portal. Choose Ignition when you have mixed PLC brands, many users or sites, or want browser and mobile access without per-client licences: Ignition is licensed per server with unlimited clients, tags and projects.
Side by side
| Ignition (Inductive Automation) | WinCC (Siemens) | |
|---|---|---|
| Current line | Ignition 8.3, released 16 Sep 2025, long-term support | WinCC V8 (continues V7); WinCC Unified in TIA Portal |
| Licensing model | One server licence; unlimited clients, sessions, tags and projects | Licensed per Siemens package and size; check the Siemens catalog for your version |
| Clients | Perspective in any browser and on mobile; Vision desktop client | WinCC V8 clients and web options; WinCC Unified runs in browsers without plug-ins |
| Engineering | Ignition Designer; Git version control since 8.3 | WinCC V8 own tools; WinCC Unified inside TIA Portal |
| Scripting | Python (Ignition scripting) | VBS and C in V7/V8; JavaScript in Unified |
| Interfaces | OPC UA, MQTT modules, SQL, built-in REST API since 8.3 | Siemens communication, OPC UA, REST and MQTT connectors (per version) |
Questions that decide it
- How many people and sites need access? Many users across sites favour server licensing; a single control room changes the sum.
- How Siemens is the plant? If everything is S7 and TIA Portal, WinCC Unified keeps engineering in one tool.
- Who maintains it? Pick what your own engineers or your integrator can support for the next ten years.
- What do you have today? An upgrade from WinCC V7 to V8 is often smaller than a platform change. A migration to Ignition pays off when licensing, access or integration are the real problem.
Our position
We are independent of both vendors and do not claim partner status here. We recommend after a short look at your system, users and plans, and we write down why.
Questions we get
Is Ignition free?
No. Production use needs a licence. The model is per server, with unlimited clients, sessions, tags and projects.
Can Ignition talk to Siemens PLCs?
Yes, that is common practice. In a project we check per controller whether a native driver or OPC UA is the better connection.
Is WinCC V7 end of life?
We found no official Siemens end-of-sales notice for WinCC V7.5 at the time of writing. Siemens offers upgrade packages from V7.3, V7.4 and V7.5 to WinCC V8. Check your version in Siemens Industry Online Support.
Sources
- Inductive Automation: Inductive Automation Releases Ignition 8.3 (16 Sep 2025)
- Inductive Automation: Introducing Ignition (Ignition 8.1 user manual) (29 Oct 2025)
- Siemens: SIMATIC WinCC V8, catalog pages (2023)
- Siemens: Web-based visualization system sets new standards for industrial operator control and monitoring (press release) (1 Oct 2019)
A new line, an upgrade, or AI for your plant?
Tell us about your project and we will set up a technical call.
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