Easy PV
Midsummer
Design & simulation · Web
Pricing GBP 0 Per seat Free tier, no time limit
Sept 2026
Comparison
Arka 360 vs SAM (System Advisor Model)
27 differences · 9 identical
Arka 360Arka360
- Entry price
- USD 159
- Charged
- Per seat
- Free tier or trial
- No free tier or trial
- Named integrations
- 2
- Verified data points
- 11
SAM (System Advisor Model)National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) — formerly the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
- Entry price
- Free
- Charged
- Free
- Free tier or trial
- Free tier, no time limit
- Named integrations
- 0
- Verified data points
- 6
The differences that matter most
- Pricing model per-seat free
- Free tier Not offered free-forever
- Entry price 159 USD per month (one of three conflicting figures) 0 USD free desktop application
Arka 360 or SAM (System Advisor Model)?
They differ most on pricing model. Arka 360 publishes USD 159; SAM (System Advisor Model) publishes Free. They use different pricing models, so those figures do not compare directly.
We do not name a winner. Below are 27 differences drawn from the same sourced dataset that powers both product pages.
Verified against the vendor’s own pages.
Pricing
These cannot be compared on a single number
Arka 360 is priced per-seat and SAM (System Advisor Model) is priced free. These are different pricing models, so a single side-by-side figure would be misleading. Each is shown as its vendor states it.
Arka 360
USD 159
159 USD per month (one of three conflicting figures)
Per seat
1 seat included
SAM (System Advisor Model)
Free
0 USD free desktop application
Free
Prices are shown exactly as each vendor writes them and are never converted between currencies.
Where they differ
27 differences, ordered by how much they are likely to matter — pricing transparency first, then capabilities the vendor explicitly confirms or denies.
Legend Verified Vendor claim Not offered Not found Could not read
| Capability | Arka 360 | SAM (System Advisor Model) |
|---|---|---|
| Solar design & simulation | ||
| Automatic module layout | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| CAD export (DXF/DWG) | Yes Verified | — Not found |
| Named weather / irradiance data source | — Not found | advanced Verified |
| Remote site capture from imagery | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Single-line diagram | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| 3D roof and obstruction model | Advanced Verified | — Could not read |
| Bankable / IE-accepted simulation report | Basic Vendor claim | — Not found |
| Ground-mount / tracker layout | Basic Vendor claim | — Not found |
| Inverter sizing | — Could not read | Basic Vendor claim |
| On-site capture (drone / photogrammetry) | — Not found | — Could not read |
| Shading analysis | — Could not read | — Not found |
| String sizing / stringing | Advanced Verified | — Could not read |
| Proposals & sales | ||
| Proposal document generation | Advanced Verified | — Could not read |
| Reporting, data & BI | ||
| Report / deliverable export | — Could not read | — Not found |
| AI & automation | ||
| AI design assistance | vendor-claimed Verified | — Could not read |
| Integrations & extensibility | ||
| Named, documented integrations | 2 Verified | 0 Verified |
| Public API | Basic Vendor claim | Advanced Verified |
| Platform & deployment | ||
| Delivery model | hybrid Verified | open-source Verified |
| Desktop OS support | — Could not read | not stated beyond 'desktop application' Verified |
| Web application | Yes Verified | No Verified |
| Pricing & commercial terms | ||
| Pricing model | per-seat Verified | free Verified |
| Free tier | Not offered Verified | free-forever Verified |
| Entry price | 159 USD per month (one of three conflicting figures) Verified | 0 USD free desktop application Verified |
| Seat cap | 1 Verified | — Could not read |
| Market fit & availability | ||
| Geographic availability | US; IN; global Verified | US; global Verified |
| Target buyer | solo-installer; small-installer Verified | engineering-firm; developer Verified |
| Utility-scale | No Verified | Yes Verified |
Scroll the table sideways to see both products. The capability column stays in place.
Where they are the same 9 data points
- Currency
- Price published
- Battery sizing and modelling
- Annual energy yield simulation
- Loss and uncertainty modelling (P50/P90)
- ROI / payback calculation
- Product status
- C&I
- Residential
Which might suit you
Framed as requirements, not a verdict. Both descriptions come from the same data.
Consider Arka 360 if…
- you need a price you can plan against before talking to sales
- AI-assisted workflows matter to you
- your work is mostly residential
Residential and small-commercial installers who want design, shading, proposal and a light CRM in one subscription, and who are willing to buy permit plan sets from the same vendor. It is not for anyone who needs a dependable list price: the `/pricing` URL alone serves four incompatible price schedules in two currencies in a single page, and `/pricing-in` serves two different rupee schedules simultaneously. It is also not a utility-scale tool — there is no tracker or terrain workflow beyond a "single axis tracker" row in a feature table. [✓ https://arka360.com/pricing · 2026-09-25]
Full Arka 360 profileConsider SAM (System Advisor Model) if…
- you need a price you can plan against before talking to sales
- you want to start without a budget approval
- you are comfortable with desktop software and its constraints
- you work at utility scale
- your work is mostly residential
For analysts, researchers, policy people and developers who need a transparent, auditable, free model and a real financial structure behind the kWh. Not for installers who need a roof capture, a proposal or a plan set — SAM has no satellite imagery workflow, no proposal output and no CRM, and it registers users with a free software key rather than selling a licence.
Full SAM (System Advisor Model) profileRelated comparisons
Other options in design & simulation
SolarEdge Designer
SolarEdge Technologies
Design & simulation · Web
Pricing Free Free Free tier, no time limit
Sept 2026
SAM (System Advisor Model)
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) — formerly the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Design & simulation · Desktop
Pricing Free Free Free tier, no time limit
Sept 2026
Frequently asked
What is the main difference between Arka 360 and SAM (System Advisor Model)?
They differ most on pricing model. In total we recorded 27 verified differences and 9 points where they are the same.
Which costs more, Arka 360 or SAM (System Advisor Model)?
Arka 360 is priced per-seat and SAM (System Advisor Model) is priced free. These are different pricing models, so a single side-by-side figure would be misleading. Each is shown as its vendor states it.
Is Arka 360 or SAM (System Advisor Model) better?
We do not name a winner. Both are described from the same verified data, and which suits you depends on your requirements — the differences above are the facts; the choice is yours.
Last verified
Vendors change pricing and features without notice. Check the vendor’s own page before deciding.
This comparison is generated from the feature database, not written by hand. A pair is only published when the data holds at least five stateable differences — which is why 281 candidate pairs were refused. How comparisons are built