SolarSoftwares
Find Software →

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

Comparison

HELIOS 3D vs PVsyst

19 differences · 12 identical

HELIOS 3DHelios 3D (a product of STÖHR+SAUER CAD- und Computersystem GmbH)
Entry price
Not publicly disclosed
Charged
Quote only
Free tier or trial
No free tier or trial
Named integrations
1
Verified data points
9
PVsystPVsyst SA
Entry price
CHF 700
Charged
Per seat
Free tier or trial
Free trial
Named integrations
15
Verified data points
11

The differences that matter most

  • Price published Not published Published
  • Pricing model quote-only per-seat
  • Free tier Not offered free-trial

All 19 differences ↓

HELIOS 3D or PVsyst?

They differ most on price published. HELIOS 3D publishes Not publicly disclosed; PVsyst publishes CHF 700. They use different pricing models, so those figures do not compare directly.

We do not name a winner. Below are 19 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

HELIOS 3D is priced quote-only and PVsyst is priced per-seat. These are different pricing models, so a single side-by-side figure would be misleading. Each is shown as its vendor states it.

HELIOS 3D

Not publicly disclosed

Quote only

PVsyst

CHF 700

700 CHF per year

Per seat

Prices are shown exactly as each vendor writes them and are never converted between currencies.

Where they differ

19 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 HELIOS 3D and PVsyst
Capability HELIOS 3D PVsyst
Solar design & simulation
Battery sizing and modelling — Not found Advanced Verified
Single-line diagram Advanced Verified — Not found
Annual energy yield simulation Basic Vendor claim Advanced Verified
CAD export (DXF/DWG) Yes Verified Yes Vendor claim
Proposals & sales
E-signature — Not found — Could not read
Estimation & financial modelling
ROI / payback calculation — Not found Advanced Verified
Integrations & extensibility
Public API — Not found Advanced Verified
Named, documented integrations 1 Verified 15 Verified
Platform & deployment
Desktop OS support — Could not read Windows 8/10/11 32/64-bit; NOT Citrix, Remote Desktop, Azure Virtual Desktop; workspace cannot sit on OneDrive/Google Drive/Dropbox Verified
Web application — Could not read No Verified
Pricing & commercial terms
Price published Not published Verified Published Verified
Pricing model quote-only Verified per-seat Verified
Free tier Not offered Verified free-trial Verified
Entry price — Could not read 700 CHF per year Verified
Currency — Could not read CHF Verified
Market fit & availability
C&I No Verified Yes Verified
Geographic availability DE; global Verified global Verified
Residential No Verified Yes Verified
Target buyer enterprise-epc; engineering-firm Verified engineering-firm; small-installer Verified

Scroll the table sideways to see both products. The capability column stays in place.

Where they are the same 12 data points
  • Automatic module layout
  • Ground-mount / tracker layout
  • Inverter sizing
  • Shading analysis
  • Remote site capture from imagery
  • Bankable / IE-accepted simulation report
  • Loss and uncertainty modelling (P50/P90)
  • Named weather / irradiance data source
  • Product status
  • Utility-scale
  • Delivery model
  • Report / deliverable export

Which might suit you

Framed as requirements, not a verdict. Both descriptions come from the same data.

Consider HELIOS 3D if…

  • you work at utility scale

For utility-scale project developers, EPCs and engineering firms that already own a Civil 3D estate, have IT able to run and back up a SQL Server instance, and need a layout that survives into earthworks and pile-driving coordinates. Not for anyone who wants a browser tool, a price they can read, a trial they can self-serve, a rooftop or residential workflow, or a licence that survives losing a USB stick — the vendor's own help centre says losing the dongle "will result in the irrevocable loss of your license" and recommends buying electronics insurance.

Full HELIOS 3D profile

Consider PVsyst if…

  • you need a price you can plan against before talking to sales
  • you need it to connect to tools you already run (15 named)
  • you are comfortable with desktop software and its constraints
  • you work at utility scale
  • your work is mostly residential

For engineers and IEs who need a yield number a bank will accept and are willing to work in a single-machine desktop tool. Not for anyone who needs macOS, a browser, a shared cloud workspace, a terminal-server deployment, or a sales proposal — the vendor explicitly excludes servers, Citrix, Remote Desktop, Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows Enterprise editions and cloud-synced folders, and sells no CRM or proposal module at all.

Full PVsyst profile

Related comparisons

Other options in design & simulation

Frequently asked

What is the main difference between HELIOS 3D and PVsyst?

They differ most on price published. In total we recorded 19 verified differences and 12 points where they are the same.

Which costs more, HELIOS 3D or PVsyst?

HELIOS 3D is priced quote-only and PVsyst is priced per-seat. These are different pricing models, so a single side-by-side figure would be misleading. Each is shown as its vendor states it.

Is HELIOS 3D or PVsyst 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