Choosing Between Siemens TIA Portal and Rockwell Studio 5000 for Your Next Project
The choice between Siemens TIA Portal and Rockwell Studio 5000 is one of the most consequential decisions in any automation project — and one of the most poorly understood. Here is the framework FERSMEK uses when clients ask us to make this decision.
The Wrong Way to Choose
Most platform decisions are made for the wrong reasons: the engineer happens to know Siemens better, the distributor is cheaper this month, or someone in management says "we're a Rockwell shop" without examining whether that still makes sense. These are starting points for a conversation, not decision criteria.
Platform choice should be driven by five factors: existing site infrastructure, spare parts ecosystem in your region, the skills of your maintenance team, the type of application, and the total cost of ownership over 10 years — not just purchase price.
Factor 1: Existing Site Infrastructure
If your plant already runs 15 Siemens S7-1500 PLCs with trained maintenance staff and a spare parts inventory, the case for adding a Rockwell system needs to be very strong. The cost of mixed-platform support — two sets of spare parts, two training programs, two sets of software licences — is real and often underestimated.
FERSMEK Recommendation: Standardise on one platform unless there is a compelling technical reason not to. The maintenance and spare parts savings over 10 years will outweigh any upfront cost difference.
Factor 2: Regional Spare Parts & Support
In Southeast Asia, both Siemens and Rockwell have strong distributor networks in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. However, Siemens tends to have slightly better local stocking of common S7-1200/1500 cards and SINAMICS drives. For remote sites or islands, this can make a meaningful difference in how quickly a failed I/O module can be replaced.
In pulp & paper and automotive sectors specifically, Siemens is more prevalent across the region — meaning spare parts and local expertise are easier to source.
Factor 3: Application Type
| Application | Siemens Edge | Rockwell Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Process industry SCADA | WinCC OA is well-established in process | FactoryTalk SE is stronger in discrete manufacturing |
| Multi-axis motion control | S120 / TIA Portal motion well integrated | Kinetix excellent in complex motion |
| Safety PLC | F-CPU very well integrated in TIA Portal | GuardLogix excellent — separate safety project |
| OPC-UA native | S7-1500 has OPC-UA built in (no extra licence) | Requires FactoryTalk Optix or 3rd party for OPC-UA |
| North American market | Less prevalent, may affect service | Allen-Bradley is dominant — strong support |
Factor 4: Programming Experience
Both platforms support IEC 61131-3 programming languages. TIA Portal has historically been stronger in structured text (ST) and function block diagram (FBD), while Studio 5000 has an excellent ladder logic editor. For new projects, either platform supports modern programming styles effectively.
The real difference is in the toolchain: TIA Portal integrates PLC, HMI, drives, and safety in one project. Studio 5000 is the PLC tool — HMI requires FactoryTalk View, drives need CCW, safety needs a separate GuardLogix project. This fragmentation adds project management overhead.
The FERSMEK Decision Framework
FERSMEK's Bottom Line
Both platforms are excellent. Both will deliver reliable automation for 20+ years if programmed and maintained well. The platform debate matters far less than the quality of the engineering team delivering the project.
FERSMEK programs both daily. If your project would benefit from platform-neutral advice — or if you need help justifying a platform decision to a procurement committee — we're happy to discuss it.
Need Platform-Neutral Advice for Your Next Project?
Our engineers work on Siemens and Rockwell daily. We'll give you an honest assessment based on your specific situation — not the platform we happen to stock.