Easy PV
Midsummer
Design & simulation · Web
Pricing GBP 0 Per seat Free tier, no time limit
Sept 2026
Comparison
HelioScope vs SAM (System Advisor Model)
28 differences · 10 identical
HelioScopeAurora Solar Inc. (acquired Folsom Labs, 2019)
- Entry price
- USD 159
- Charged
- Capacity tiered
- Free tier or trial
- Free trial
- Named integrations
- 1
- Verified data points
- 12
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 capacity-tiered free
- Free tier free-trial free-forever
HelioScope or SAM (System Advisor Model)?
They differ most on price published. HelioScope 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 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
HelioScope is priced capacity-tiered 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.
HelioScope
USD 159
159 USD per licence/month
Capacity tiered
Size ceiling: 1.25 MW DC (Basic) / 5 MW (Pro) / 30 MW (Enterprise)
1 seat included
10 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
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
| Capability | HelioScope | SAM (System Advisor Model) |
|---|---|---|
| Solar design & simulation | ||
| Automatic module layout | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| CAD export (DXF/DWG) | Yes Verified | — Not found |
| Ground-mount / tracker layout | Not offered Verified | — Not found |
| Remote site capture from imagery | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Shading analysis | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Single-line diagram | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Bankable / IE-accepted simulation report | Basic Vendor claim | — Not found |
| Export to other simulation tools | none Verified | — Could not read |
| Named weather / irradiance data source | basic Vendor claim | advanced Verified |
| Proposals & sales | ||
| E-signature | — Verified | — Could not read |
| Proposal document generation | Advanced Verified | — Could not read |
| Reporting, data & BI | ||
| Report / deliverable export | — Could not read | — Not found |
| AI & automation | ||
| AI defect / anomaly detection | not-claimed Not found | — Could not read |
| AI design assistance | vendor-claimed Verified | — Could not read |
| Integrations & extensibility | ||
| Named, documented integrations | 1 Verified | 0 Verified |
| Platform & deployment | ||
| Delivery model | software 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 | capacity-tiered Verified | free Verified |
| Free tier | free-trial Verified | free-forever Verified |
| Entry price | 159 USD per licence/month Verified | 0 USD free desktop application Verified |
| Project / design cap | 10 Verified | — Could not read |
| Seat cap | 1 Verified | — Could not read |
| System size cap | 1.25 MW DC (Basic) / 5 MW (Pro) / 30 MW (Enterprise) Verified | — Could not read |
| Market fit & availability | ||
| Residential | No Verified | Yes Verified |
| Target buyer | small-installer; engineering-firm 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 10 data points
- Currency
- Inverter sizing
- Battery sizing and modelling
- Annual energy yield simulation
- Loss and uncertainty modelling (P50/P90)
- ROI / payback calculation
- Public API
- Geographic availability
- Product status
- C&I
Which might suit you
Framed as requirements, not a verdict. Both descriptions come from the same data.
Consider HelioScope if…
- your systems fit within 1.25 MW DC (Basic) / 5 MW (Pro) / 30 MW (Enterprise)
- AI-assisted workflows matter to you
For C&I designers and engineers who need a layout, a bankable-grade production estimate and a sales proposal without leaving one tool. Not for residential one-roof sales work (the same vendor routes that to Aurora) and not for jobs above 30 MW DC — the vendor publishes a hard design-size cap on every tier.
Full HelioScope 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 HelioScope and SAM (System Advisor Model)?
They differ most on price published. In total we recorded 28 verified differences and 10 points where they are the same.
Which costs more, HelioScope or SAM (System Advisor Model)?
HelioScope is priced capacity-tiered 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 HelioScope 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