When creating distributed control systems, we can choose one of two possible approaches based on IEC 61131 and IEC 61499 standards. The first of them has been used for a long time in the PLC sphere, but it does not directly support the creation of extensive distributed systems. The second of the standards, IEC 61499, offers a direct solution for distributed system creation. The truth is that it is a new standard, which is why it is supported by only a few device manufacturers. This raises the question of which approach and which standard is more effective and suitable for individual system designing.