PLC brands and software
What you learn here applies to any brand, but each manufacturer has its own ranges, software and way of naming addresses. This guide helps you find your way.
Information checked against official sources: October 5, 2026· We do not publish prices: they change by country, distributor and version. We use qualitative ranges.
Siemens
Manufacturing, process industries, infrastructure and mining.
Ranges (small to large)
LOGO! (small) · SIMATIC S7-1200 / S7-1200 G2 (small) · SIMATIC S7-1500 (large)
Programming software
- LOGO! Soft Comfort — LOGO! Paid licenceLow-cost licence; a demo version simulates without downloading to the device.
- TIA Portal (STEP 7 Basic / Professional) — S7-1200 and S7-1500 High-cost licence21-day free trial. S7-1500 requires the Professional edition.
Addresses
I0.0 / Q0.0 / M0.0 (English mnemonics). German mnemonics use E/A.
- Presence in Latin America
- High
- Learning difficulty
- Medium
Official sources: siemens.com — SIMATIC
Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation)
Mining, oil and gas, food and manufacturing; very strong in the Americas.
Ranges (small to large)
Micro800 (small) · CompactLogix (medium) · ControlLogix (large)
Programming software
- Connected Components Workbench — Micro800 FreeThe Standard edition is free; the Developer edition is paid.
- Studio 5000 Logix Designer — CompactLogix and ControlLogix High-cost licenceSeveral editions (Mini, Lite, Standard, Full…); the smaller ones do not program ControlLogix.
Addresses
Tag based (variable names); I/O appears as Local:1:I.Data.0.
- Presence in Latin America
- High
- Learning difficulty
- High
Official sources: rockwellautomation.com — Design software
Schneider Electric
Buildings, water, energy and machine builders.
Ranges (small to large)
Modicon M221 (small) · Modicon M241 / M251 / M262 (medium) · Modicon M340 / M580 (large)
Programming software
- EcoStruxure Machine Expert – Basic — Modicon M221 Free
- EcoStruxure Machine Expert — M241, M251 and M262 Paid licenceBased on CODESYS.
- EcoStruxure Control Expert — M340 and M580 High-cost licenceFormerly Unity Pro.
Addresses
IEC addresses: %I0.0 / %Q0.0 / %M0.
- Presence in Latin America
- High
- Learning difficulty
- Medium
Official sources: se.com — Programming the M221 · se.com — EcoStruxure Control Expert
Mitsubishi Electric
Machine builders, packaging and electronics; very strong in Asia.
Ranges (small to large)
MELSEC iQ-F (FX5) (small) · MELSEC L / Q (medium) · MELSEC iQ-R (large)
Programming software
- GX Works3 — iQ-F (FX5) and iQ-R Paid licenceA trial version exists.
- GX Works2 — Older series (FX3, L, Q) Paid licence
Addresses
X0 / Y0 / M0 (X and Y I/O are numbered in octal).
- Presence in Latin America
- Medium
- Learning difficulty
- Medium
Official sources: mitsubishielectric.com — Factory Automation
Omron
Packaging, electronics, food; strong in vision and robotics.
Ranges (small to large)
CP1 / CP2E (small) · NX1P / CJ2 (medium) · NJ / NX (large)
Programming software
- CX-One (CX-Programmer) — CP, CJ and CS Paid licence30-day free trial.
- Sysmac Studio — NX and NJ Paid licence30-day free trial.
Addresses
Memory areas such as 0.00 (inputs) and 100.00 (outputs) on CP/CJ; variables on NJ/NX.
- Presence in Latin America
- Medium
- Learning difficulty
- Medium
Official sources: industrial.omron.eu — CX-One
ABB
Energy, water, infrastructure and process industries.
Ranges (small to large)
AC500-eCo (small) · AC500 (large)
Programming software
- Automation Builder — AC500 FreeFree Basic edition; Standard and Premium are paid. Based on CODESYS.
Addresses
Variables and IEC addresses (%IX0.0 / %QX0.0).
- Presence in Latin America
- High
- Learning difficulty
- Medium
Official sources: abb.com — Automation Builder
Delta Electronics
Small and medium machines where cost matters.
Ranges (small to large)
DVP (small) · AS (medium) · AH (large)
Programming software
- ISPSoft — DVP, AS and AH Free
- DIADesigner — Newer ranges FreeDownload after registering.
Addresses
X0 / Y0 / M0 on DVP; the AS series uses X0.0 / Y0.0.
- Presence in Latin America
- Medium
- Learning difficulty
- Low
Official sources: diastudio.deltaww.com
WEG
Motors, drives and panels; a Brazilian company very present in Latin America.
Ranges (small to large)
PLC300 (small) · PLC500 (medium)
Programming software
- WEG Programming Suite (WPS) — PLC300 and WEG drives Free
- CODESYS — PLC500 FreeProgrammed with CODESYS V3.5, whose development system is free.
Addresses
Variables and IEC addresses on PLC500 (CODESYS).
- Presence in Latin America
- High
- Learning difficulty
- Low
Official sources: weg.net — PLC500
Comparison table
Filter the brands by what matters to you. The software column shows each brand's most accessible option.
8 of 8 brands
| Brand | Most accessible software | Addresses | Presence in Latin America | Learning difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siemens | LOGO! Soft ComfortPaid licence | I0.0 / Q0.0 / M0.0 (English mnemonics). German mnemonics use E/A. | High | Medium |
| Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation) | Connected Components WorkbenchFree | Tag based (variable names); I/O appears as Local:1:I.Data.0. | High | High |
| Schneider Electric | EcoStruxure Machine Expert – BasicFree | IEC addresses: %I0.0 / %Q0.0 / %M0. | High | Medium |
| Mitsubishi Electric | GX Works3Paid licence | X0 / Y0 / M0 (X and Y I/O are numbered in octal). | Medium | Medium |
| Omron | CX-One (CX-Programmer)Paid licence | Memory areas such as 0.00 (inputs) and 100.00 (outputs) on CP/CJ; variables on NJ/NX. | Medium | Medium |
| ABB | Automation BuilderFree | Variables and IEC addresses (%IX0.0 / %QX0.0). | High | Medium |
| Delta Electronics | ISPSoftFree | X0 / Y0 / M0 on DVP; the AS series uses X0.0 / Y0.0. | Medium | Low |
| WEG | WEG Programming Suite (WPS)Free | Variables and IEC addresses on PLC500 (CODESYS). | High | Low |
Presence in Latin America and learning difficulty are this site's qualitative estimates: they depend on the country, the industry and your prior experience.
CODESYS: one environment, many brands
CODESYS is an IEC 61131-3 programming environment made by an independent company. Many manufacturers use it as the base of their own software, for example ABB (Automation Builder), Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure Machine Expert) or WEG (PLC500).
Its development system is a free download. What you pay for is each device's runtime licence; without it, the trial software PLC runs in demo mode for a limited time.
That is why learning CODESYS pays off: what you know works across several brands.
Why is some software so expensive?
- Small ranges usually come with free or cheap software: the manufacturer earns by selling many devices and wants getting started to be easy.
- In large ranges the software is part of a system that runs whole plants: CPU redundancy, functional safety, motion control, HMI and SCADA integration, teamwork and version control.
- The licence includes technical support, updates and compatibility with equipment installed for decades. In a plant, one hour of downtime costs far more than the licence.
- To learn you do not need the most expensive tool: the concepts (contacts, timers, scan cycle) are the same, and free or trial versions are enough to practise.
Independent educational site, not affiliated with any manufacturer. Brands and product names belong to their respective owners. Always check current information on each manufacturer's official site.