ETAP vs LabVIEW
ETAP
etap.comLabVIEW
ni.comSide by side
| Figure | ETAP | LabVIEW |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 7 |
| Spec score · Electrical Design Software | 8.7 (#2) | 8.4 (#5) |
| Founded | 1986 | 1976 |
| Headquarters | Irvine, California, USA | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Purpose | ETAP provides software and hardware solutions for electrical systems across design, engineering, operations, and maintenance. | LabVIEW is a graphical programming environment for developing automated test and measurement systems. |
| Security | ETAP Grid Intelligence lists role-based access, audit trails, single sign-on, multi-tenant isolation, and design aligned with IEC 62443 and IEC 62351 cybersecurity standards. | NI says LabVIEW is memory-safe and that it generates software bills of materials for LabVIEW as part of its Secure Development Lifecycle. |
| Support | Power Simulator subscriptions include dedicated priority support, according to ETAP. | 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 | ETAP offers 30-day free trials with featured modules, sample projects, and online or downloadable demo options. | 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
ETAP
- ETAP Power Simulator GrowPriced on request
- ETAP Power Simulator LaunchPriced on request
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
ETAP
ETAP provides software and hardware for electrical systems across design, engineering, operations, and maintenance. Its modular energy management platform centers on a unified electrical digital twin for power system design, analysis, operations, and automation. ETAP 2026 includes analysis for renewable integration, feeder hosting capacity, Volt-VAR optimization, battery energy storage, and grid-code studies. Power Simulator is designed to predict system behavior, optimize grid performance, and run offline or real-time predictive simulations. DataX exchanges information across GIS, BIM, CAD, and legacy tools, with interfaces for products including Revit, AutoCAD, Excel, AVEVA, and ArcGIS. NetPM supports multi-user model creation, concurrent studies, change management, and role-based access. Grid Intelligence lists Modbus TCP, BACnet/IP, and REST protocols and integrations with systems such as SCADA, GIS, and OMS. ETAP serves utilities, infrastructure, industries, and buildings. Design and analysis products list supported 64-bit Windows systems; etapAPP is available for iOS, Windows, and Android tablets. Pricing is by customized quote, with a free 30-day demo and no free plan.
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.