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100 products researched 2,422 sourced facts Verified September 2026 Methodology

Comparison

Easy PV vs SAM (System Advisor Model)

28 differences · 11 identical

Easy PVMidsummer
Entry price
GBP 0
Charged
Per seat
Free tier or trial
Free tier, no time limit
Named integrations
3
Verified data points
10
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
  • Entry price 0 GBP free tier; Pro GBP 35/month 0 USD free desktop application
  • Automatic module layout Advanced Not found

All 28 differences ↓

Easy PV or SAM (System Advisor Model)?

They differ most on pricing model. Easy PV publishes GBP 0; 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 28 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

Easy PV 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.

Easy PV

GBP 0

0 GBP free tier; Pro GBP 35/month

Per seat

20 seats 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

28 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
Differences between Easy PV and SAM (System Advisor Model)
Capability Easy PV SAM (System Advisor Model)
Solar design & simulation
Automatic module layout Advanced Verified — Not found
Named weather / irradiance data source — Not found advanced Verified
Single-line diagram Advanced Verified — Not found
3D roof and obstruction model Advanced Verified — Could not read
Battery sizing and modelling Basic Verified Advanced Verified
Inverter sizing — Could not read Basic Vendor claim
On-site capture (drone / photogrammetry) — Not found — Could not read
Remote site capture from imagery Basic Vendor claim — Not found
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
Permitting & engineering
Interconnection application Advanced Verified — Could not read
Structural analysis Advanced Verified — Could not read
Reporting, data & BI
Report / deliverable export — Could not read — Not found
AI & automation
AI design assistance not-claimed Not found — Could not read
Integrations & extensibility
Named, documented integrations 3 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
Entry price 0 GBP free tier; Pro GBP 35/month Verified 0 USD free desktop application Verified
Currency GBP Verified USD Verified
Seat cap 20 Verified — Could not read
Market fit & availability
Geographic availability UK Verified US; global Verified
Jurisdictional compliance capability uk-mcs Verified — Could not read
Target buyer 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 11 data points
  • Price published
  • Free tier
  • Ground-mount / tracker layout
  • CAD export (DXF/DWG)
  • Annual energy yield simulation
  • Bankable / IE-accepted simulation report
  • 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 Easy PV if…

  • you need a price you can plan against before talking to sales
  • you want to start without a budget approval
  • your work is mostly residential

UK residential and light-commercial installers who already buy from Midsummer, need MCS-compliant self-consumption modelling and structural/wind-loading numbers, and want DNO paperwork handled in the same place as the design. It is not for anyone outside the UK — MCS, DNO and the Midsummer trade account are the whole point — and the free tier's commercial logic should be read plainly: the software is free because the distributor is selling the hardware. [✓ https://easy-pv.co.uk/ · 2026-09-25]

Full Easy PV profile

Consider 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) profile

Related comparisons

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Frequently asked

What is the main difference between Easy PV and SAM (System Advisor Model)?

They differ most on pricing model. In total we recorded 28 verified differences and 11 points where they are the same.

Which costs more, Easy PV or SAM (System Advisor Model)?

Easy PV 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 Easy PV 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