Easy PV
Midsummer
Design & simulation · Web
Pricing GBP 0 Per seat Free tier, no time limit
Sept 2026
Comparison
Aurora Solar vs SAM (System Advisor Model)
26 differences · 9 identical
Aurora SolarAurora Solar Inc.
- Entry price
- USD 159
- Charged
- Per seat
- Free tier or trial
- No free tier or trial
- Named integrations
- 7
- Verified data points
- 9
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
- Price published Partial Published
- Pricing model per-seat free
- Free tier Not offered free-forever
Aurora Solar or SAM (System Advisor Model)?
They differ most on price published. Aurora Solar 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 26 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
Aurora Solar 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.
Aurora Solar
USD 159
159 USD per user/month
Per seat
1 seat included
50 projects
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
26 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 | Aurora Solar | SAM (System Advisor Model) |
|---|---|---|
| Solar design & simulation | ||
| Automatic module layout | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Loss and uncertainty modelling (P50/P90) | — Not found | Advanced Verified |
| Named weather / irradiance data source | — Not found | advanced Verified |
| Remote site capture from imagery | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Shading analysis | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Bankable / IE-accepted simulation report | Basic Vendor claim | — Not found |
| Ground-mount / tracker layout | — Not applicable | — Not found |
| Inverter sizing | Advanced Verified | Basic Vendor claim |
| 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 | 7 Verified | 0 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 | ||
| Price published | Partial Verified | Published Verified |
| Pricing model | per-seat Verified | free Verified |
| Free tier | Not offered Verified | free-forever Verified |
| Entry price | 159 USD per user/month Verified | 0 USD free desktop application Verified |
| Project / design cap | 50 Verified | — Could not read |
| Seat cap | 1 Verified | — Could not read |
| Market fit & availability | ||
| C&I | No Verified | Yes Verified |
| Geographic availability | US; CA; EU Verified | US; global Verified |
| Jurisdictional compliance capability | us-nec Verified | — Could not read |
| Target buyer | small-installer; sales-org 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
- Single-line diagram
- CAD export (DXF/DWG)
- Battery sizing and modelling
- Annual energy yield simulation
- ROI / payback calculation
- Public API
- Product status
- Residential
Which might suit you
Framed as requirements, not a verdict. Both descriptions come from the same data.
Consider Aurora Solar if…
- you need it to connect to tools you already run (7 named)
- AI-assisted workflows matter to you
- your work is mostly residential
For residential installers and dealer/sales organisations who need design accuracy and a proposal in the same tool, on a per-seat subscription. Not for utility-scale or large C&I work — the vendor's own navigation routes "Commercial" to a different product (HelioScope), and the Aurora plan tables cap Basic/Premium at 1 user and 50 projects/month.
Full Aurora Solar 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 Aurora Solar and SAM (System Advisor Model)?
They differ most on price published. In total we recorded 26 verified differences and 9 points where they are the same.
Which costs more, Aurora Solar or SAM (System Advisor Model)?
Aurora Solar 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 Aurora Solar 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