MPCB Price List: ABB, Schneider, Siemens Compared
What drives MPCB price differences between ABB, Schneider Electric and Siemens? An MPCB's price tracks its frame size and current-setting range under IEC 60947-4-1, since a larger frame needs a heavier bimetal element and a higher-rated fixed magnetic trip (~12-13x In). Pricing by amperage alone misses the bigger cost swings: thermal-magnetic construction costs more than magnetic-only, spring terminals cost more than screw, and a link-module accessory adds cost when the device pairs with a contactor. This guide compares frame and current-rating breakpoints, thermal-magnetic vs magnetic-only cost drivers, terminal and accessory pricing, and where Schneider TeSys GV2/GV3/GV4, ABB MS116/MS132/MS165 and Siemens SIRIUS 3RV2 sit on those factors, plus total cost of ownership beyond the unit price.
Frame Size and Current-Setting Range Set the Base Price
Every one of Stoklink's motor protection circuit breakers is built around a frame that fixes its maximum current and physical size. A compact frame rated to roughly 32 A carries a lighter bimetal strip and a smaller magnetic-trip coil than a frame rated to 65 A or 100 A. That difference in copper and calibrated-part mass is the base driver of unit price: move up a frame size and the price step is usually larger than moving up a setting range within the same frame.
Buyers sizing a new panel sometimes assume the cheapest MPCB in a catalog scales linearly with amperage. It does not. A 5 A setting on a 32 A frame and a 5 A setting on a 100 A frame use the same bimetal and trip curve in different housings, so the larger housing carries the larger housing's price even at a low current setting. Selecting the smallest frame that covers the motor's full-load current and its future headroom keeps the unit price down.
Formula: MPCB current-setting selection — Source: IEC 60947-4-1, motor nameplate FLC
Iset = FLCmotor, chosen within the frame's rated setting range Imin–Imax
| Symbol | Description | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Iset | Thermal dial setting | A |
| FLCmotor | Motor full-load current from the nameplate | A |
| Imin–Imax | Frame's published setting range | A |
Thermal-Magnetic vs Magnetic-Only: Where the Unit Price Splits
A thermal-magnetic MPCB combines the adjustable bimetal overload and the fixed magnetic short-circuit trip in one calibrated device. A magnetic-only variant — Schneider GV2L, ABB MO132/MO165, Siemens 3RV2..-1 — drops the bimetal and its calibration step, which lowers the unit price against an equivalent thermal-magnetic frame.
That lower unit price does not necessarily lower the system price. A magnetic-only device needs a separate thermal overload relay added to the bill of materials — Schneider LR, Siemens 3RU2/3RB3 — see thermal overload relays for the family used across all three brands. Where the application needs finer overload curves than a bimetal gives, or where the overload relay sits on the contactor for panel-space reasons, the combined magnetic-only-plus-relay cost can land close to or above a thermal-magnetic MPCB. See magnetic-only MPCB with a separate overload relay for the wiring and coordination detail.
What we see in the field: panel builders standardizing on thermal-magnetic MPCBs for single-speed motors to cut the BOM line count, and reserving magnetic-only builds for retrofits where an electronic overload relay is already specified.
Terminal Type and Phase-Loss Sensitivity Move the Price
Screw terminals are the base option on every family in this comparison. Spring (cage-clamp) terminals cost more per pole because the clamp mechanism adds parts and assembly steps, and they show up as a price adder on Schneider, ABB and Siemens order codes alike. Panel builders who terminate high wire counts often accept the adder for faster, tool-free wiring.
Phase-loss sensitive tripping is a second price lever. A plain bimetal reacts to single-phasing only through the resulting current rise on the remaining phases; a differential phase-loss design reacts faster to the roughly 1.7x current rise and is priced as a step up within some families rather than a universal standard feature.
Link-Module and Contactor-Pairing Hardware Adds a Line Item
An MPCB rarely stands alone in a motor circuit. Building it into a starter with contactors — see MPCB plus contactor: building a motor starter — needs a mechanical and electrical link module: Siemens' 3RV2 snaps to a 3RT2 through a dedicated link, ABB's MS-series pairs with AF contactors through its own accessory, Schneider's GV2/GV3 pairs with LC1 through TeSys accessories. Each of those modules is a separate line item, and the price difference between brands' link-module ecosystems is often as large as the difference between the base MPCB units.
Auxiliary contacts, shunt trip coils and rotary handle extensions are further accessory-level adders that apply the same way across all three brands: each is priced per accessory, not folded into the base MPCB.
Schneider, ABB and Siemens: Price Position by Frame
Schneider's TeSys GV2ME (rotary knob) and GV2P (toggle) cover thermal-magnetic protection to roughly 32 A; GV2L is the magnetic-only tier at the same frame. GV3P extends to about 65 A, and GV4 to about 115 A with thermal-magnetic or electronic (GV4/GV5) trip options — each step up that ladder is a step up in unit price. ABB's MS116 is a compact-frame unit to 32 A designed to pair directly with its own contactor pack, which can lower the total accessory count against a comparable Schneider or Siemens build; MS132 and MS165 extend the ladder to 32 A and 65 A on screw or spring terminals, with MO132/MO165 as the magnetic-only tier. Siemens SIRIUS 3RV2 spans frame sizes S00, S0, S2 and S3 up to about 100 A, with 3RV2011/3RV2021/3RV2031 as the thermal-magnetic line and magnetic-only variants within the same frame family; its 3RV2-to-3RT2 link-module range is broader than most competitors', which widens the accessory catalog's price spread but also its coordination-table depth. Browse the current stock across all three ladders in motor protection circuit breakers and manual motor starters.
None of the three publishes a public list price that holds still: distributor pricing moves with volume, region and current promotions, so treat frame breakpoint and accessory count, not a specific figure, as the comparison that survives a price-list refresh.
Total Cost of Ownership: Unit Price vs Coordination and Downtime
The cheapest MPCB on a quote is not always the cheapest starter over the panel's service life. Manufacturers publish Type 1 vs Type 2 coordination tables that pair a specific MPCB with a specific contactor and, where used, overload relay. A Type 2 pairing survives a short circuit with light, easily separated contact welding and stays serviceable; a Type 1 pairing may need parts replaced after the same fault. A starter built to a documented Type 2 table costs more up front and less after the first fault it clears — that trade-off does not show up on a per-unit price list. See IEC 60947-4-1 standards for contactors and motor starters for the coordination clause detail.
| Criteria | Schneider TeSys GV2/GV3/GV4 | ABB MS116/MS132/MS165 | Siemens SIRIUS 3RV2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frame breakpoints | ~32 A / ~65 A / ~115 A | ~32 A (compact MS116) / ~32 A / ~65 A | S00 / S0 / S2 / S3 to ~100 A |
| Magnetic-only tier | GV2L | MO132 / MO165 | Magnetic-only within 3RV2 family |
| Terminal options | Screw; spring on select references | Screw or spring across MS132/MS165 | Screw; spring on select references |
| Contactor link ecosystem | TeSys LC1 link accessories | AF-series link accessories | 3RT2 link modules, broad range |
| Coordination-table depth | Published Type 1/Type 2, TeSys-wide | Published Type 1/Type 2, MS+AF | Published Type 1/Type 2, extensive SIRIUS tables |
Buying Practically: What to Price and What to Standardize
Request quotes by frame and setting range, not by brand name alone, since two 32 A-class frames from different brands rarely land at the same price once accessories are added. Standardizing on one brand's manual motor starters across a panel line cuts the number of link-module part numbers a build technician has to stock, which is a labor saving that does not show on the MPCB price list itself. Where a plant already runs one brand's contactors, staying in that brand's family for the MPCB avoids adding a second link-module inventory line for a marginal unit-price saving — see how an MPCB works for the construction background. For the setting procedure itself, see how to select and set an MPCB for a motor.
Some panel builders set the dial to the frame's maximum on the assumption that a higher setting means fewer nuisance trips. It does not reduce price, and it removes the overload protection the motor's nameplate FLC calls for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a magnetic-only MPCB cheaper than a thermal-magnetic one?
The magnetic-only unit itself is usually priced lower than an equivalent thermal-magnetic frame, since it omits the bimetal and its calibration. Add the required separate overload relay and the total system cost often closes the gap or exceeds the thermal-magnetic option.
Does frame size alone determine MPCB price?
No. Frame size and current-setting range set the base price, but terminal type, phase-loss sensitivity, and link-module accessories are separate price adders that vary by order code within the same frame.
Why do spring terminals cost more than screw terminals?
Spring (cage-clamp) terminals add a clamp mechanism and assembly steps compared to a screw terminal, and manufacturers price that as a per-pole adder. Panel builders with high wire counts often accept it for faster termination.
Does Type 2 coordination affect the total price of a motor starter?
Yes, indirectly. A starter built to a documented Type 2 table typically costs more up front than a mismatched, cheaper combination, but it avoids part replacement after a short-circuit fault that a Type 1 pairing would need.
Should I buy the MPCB and contactor from the same brand?
Matching brands is not mandatory, but it keeps the pairing inside the manufacturer's published coordination table and avoids stocking a second link-module part number. Mixing brands is possible only where a coordination table or independent test data covers that specific combination.
Why does the same amperage MPCB cost different amounts across brands?
Frame breakpoints do not align exactly across Schneider, ABB and Siemens, so a given current setting can fall in a compact frame on one brand's ladder and a mid-size frame on another's, which shifts the base price even at the same amperage.
Conclusion
MPCB price comparisons that stop at a per-unit number miss the factors that move the total starter cost: frame breakpoint, thermal-magnetic vs magnetic-only construction, terminal type, phase-loss sensitivity, and the link-module accessory that ties the MPCB to its contactor. Schneider TeSys GV2/GV3/GV4, ABB MS116/MS132/MS165 and Siemens SIRIUS 3RV2 each ladder those factors differently, and the cheapest unit on a quote is not always the cheapest starter once accessories and coordination are priced in. Size the frame to the motor's FLC, price the accessory list alongside the base unit, and check the Type 2 coordination table before treating price as the deciding factor. For the full protection-selection background, see the MPCB engineering guide.
