4D vs LabVIEW
4D
us.4d.comLabVIEW
ni.comSide by side
| Figure | 4D | LabVIEW |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $25/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 7 |
| Spec score · Integrated Development Environments | 8.8 (#6) | 8.4 (#10) |
| Founded | 1984 | 1976 |
| Headquarters | Le Pecq, France | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Support | 4D directs end users first to the developer who created their solution and provides developer support options and direct contact information. | A single-seat purchase includes an NI software service agreement with technical support, version downloads, and LabVIEW Core 1 on-demand, with perpetual-license benefits included for the first year. |
| Trial | The 30-day trial provides full access to the 4D development and deployment platform. | The downloadable trial lasts seven days and may be extended for up to 45 days after first opening; the web-based sandbox provides seven days of access. |
Plans
LabVIEW
- LabVIEW Community EditionFree
- LabVIEW Base perpetualPrice not published
- LabVIEW Base subscriptionPrice not published
- LabVIEW Full perpetualPrice not published
- LabVIEW Full subscriptionPrice not published
- LabVIEW Professional perpetualPrice not published
- LabVIEW Professional subscriptionPrice not published
In their own words
LabVIEW
LabVIEW is a graphical programming environment for developing automated test and measurement applications. Its G language uses dataflow programming, supports parallel execution, and includes interactive debugging. LabVIEW connects to instruments from any vendor and offers more than 7,000 instrument drivers. Engineering analysis functions and a native interface support monitoring and controlling tests. Editions can integrate Python, C/C++,.NET, and MathWorks MATLAB code. The Professional edition includes Application Builder, NI Nigel AI, software engineering tools, and Report Generation, Database Connectivity, and Advanced Signal Processing Toolkits. The Community Edition costs nothing, but is limited to personal, non-commercial, non-industrial use and cannot be used for teaching or research at a degree-granting institution. Professional trials provide seven days of access; the downloadable trial can be extended up to 45 days after first opening it. The downloadable trial connects to physical hardware, while the web trial uses simulated hardware only. NI lists Windows and Linux support for editions; starting with LabVIEW 2025 Q3, Community Edition is the only macOS edition. Each target computer running a developed application requires a perpetual deployment license.