PTA cladding is a widespread means of thermal surfacing of structural components exposed to wear and corrosion. Traditional high performing cladding materials are based on cobalt or nickel, both of which are subject to relatively high prices on the raw metal market. Although the cost of the cladding material is small compared to the total cost of the application and the value it creates, it is nevertheless an important factor. Iron based cladding materials are present on the world consumable market and are less expensive but also not as well understood as cobalt or nickel based materials. This paper provides a comparison of PTA cladding using a well-known cobalt based and two iron based powder alloys.