Easy PV
Midsummer
Design & simulation · Web
Pricing GBP 0 Per seat Free tier, no time limit
Sept 2026
Comparison
HELIOS 3D vs SolarEdge Designer
22 differences · 10 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
SolarEdge DesignerSolarEdge Technologies
- Entry price
- Free
- Charged
- Free
- Free tier or trial
- Free tier, no time limit
- Named integrations
- 2
- Verified data points
- 9
The differences that matter most
- Price published Not published Published
- Pricing model quote-only free
- Free tier Not offered free-forever
HELIOS 3D or SolarEdge Designer?
They differ most on price published. HELIOS 3D publishes Not publicly disclosed; SolarEdge Designer publishes Free. They use different pricing models, so those figures do not compare directly.
We do not name a winner. Below are 22 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 SolarEdge Designer 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.
HELIOS 3D
Not publicly disclosed
Quote only
SolarEdge Designer
Free
0 USD no licence or subscription fees
Free
Prices are shown exactly as each vendor writes them and are never converted between currencies.
Where they differ
22 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 | HELIOS 3D | SolarEdge Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Solar design & simulation | ||
| Battery sizing and modelling | — Not found | Advanced Verified |
| Ground-mount / tracker layout | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Named weather / irradiance data source | advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Single-line diagram | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Annual energy yield simulation | Basic Vendor claim | Advanced Verified |
| Proposals & sales | ||
| E-signature | — Not found | — Could not read |
| Proposal document generation | — Could not read | Advanced Verified |
| Estimation & financial modelling | ||
| ROI / payback calculation | — Not found | Advanced Verified |
| Reporting, data & BI | ||
| Report / deliverable export | Advanced Verified | — Could not read |
| AI & automation | ||
| AI design assistance | — Could not read | vendor-claimed Verified |
| Integrations & extensibility | ||
| Named, documented integrations | 1 Verified | 2 Verified |
| Platform & deployment | ||
| Web application | — Could not read | Yes Verified |
| Pricing & commercial terms | ||
| Price published | Not published Verified | Published Verified |
| Pricing model | quote-only Verified | free Verified |
| Free tier | Not offered Verified | free-forever Verified |
| Entry price | — Could not read | 0 USD no licence or subscription fees Verified |
| Currency | — Could not read | USD 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 | — Could not read |
| Utility-scale | Yes Verified | No Verified |
Scroll the table sideways to see both products. The capability column stays in place.
Where they are the same 10 data points
- Automatic module layout
- Inverter sizing
- CAD export (DXF/DWG)
- Shading analysis
- Remote site capture from imagery
- Bankable / IE-accepted simulation report
- Loss and uncertainty modelling (P50/P90)
- Public API
- Product status
- Delivery model
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 profileConsider SolarEdge Designer if…
- you need a price you can plan against before talking to sales
- you want to start without a budget approval
- AI-assisted workflows matter to you
- your work is mostly residential
For installers designing SolarEdge systems who want design, compliance checking and a proposal at no cost, integrated with the SolarEdge Monitoring Platform. Not for vendor-neutral design work: the vendor's own copy scopes it to "all your SolarEdge systems" and to compliance with "the latest SolarEdge design rules". Any comparison page must state that the price is zero because the product sells inverters, not software.
Full SolarEdge Designer profileRelated comparisons
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Frequently asked
What is the main difference between HELIOS 3D and SolarEdge Designer?
They differ most on price published. In total we recorded 22 verified differences and 10 points where they are the same.
Which costs more, HELIOS 3D or SolarEdge Designer?
HELIOS 3D is priced quote-only and SolarEdge Designer 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 HELIOS 3D or SolarEdge Designer 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