Easy PV
Midsummer
Design & simulation · Web
Pricing GBP 0 Per seat Free tier, no time limit
Sept 2026
Comparison
PlantPredict vs SAM (System Advisor Model)
24 differences · 9 identical
PlantPredictTerabase Energy
- Entry price
- Could not verify
- Charged
- Not established
- Free tier or trial
- Not established
- Named integrations
- 0
- 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 Not established Published
- Pricing model Not established free
- Free tier Not established free-forever
PlantPredict or SAM (System Advisor Model)?
They differ most on price published. PlantPredict publishes Could not verify; 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 24 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
PlantPredict is priced on an unrecorded basis 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.
PlantPredict
Could not verify
Model not established
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
24 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 | PlantPredict | SAM (System Advisor Model) |
|---|---|---|
| Solar design & simulation | ||
| Automatic module layout | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Bankable / IE-accepted simulation report | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Ground-mount / tracker layout | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Remote site capture from imagery | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Shading analysis | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| CAD export (DXF/DWG) | Yes Vendor claim | — Not found |
| Inverter sizing | — Could not read | Basic Vendor claim |
| Named weather / irradiance data source | basic Vendor claim | advanced Verified |
| String sizing / stringing | Advanced Verified | — Could not read |
| Reporting, data & BI | ||
| Report / deliverable export | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| AI & automation | ||
| AI agent / copilot | Not offered Verified | — Could not read |
| Integrations & extensibility | ||
| MCP server | — Verified | — Could not read |
| Named, documented integrations | — Could not read | 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 | — Could not read | No Verified |
| Pricing & commercial terms | ||
| Price published | — Could not read | Published Verified |
| Pricing model | — Could not read | free Verified |
| Free tier | — Could not read | free-forever Verified |
| Entry price | — Could not read | 0 USD free desktop application Verified |
| Currency | — Could not read | USD Verified |
| Market fit & availability | ||
| C&I | No Verified | Yes Verified |
| Residential | No Verified | Yes Verified |
| Target buyer | — Could not read | engineering-firm; developer Verified |
Scroll the table sideways to see both products. The capability column stays in place.
Where they are the same 9 data points
- Single-line diagram
- Battery sizing and modelling
- Annual energy yield simulation
- Loss and uncertainty modelling (P50/P90)
- ROI / payback calculation
- Public API
- Geographic availability
- Product status
- Utility-scale
Which might suit you
Framed as requirements, not a verdict. Both descriptions come from the same data.
Consider PlantPredict if…
- you work at utility scale
For utility-scale energy modellers and IEs who want a browser tool with unlimited projects, a documented algorithm set their lender's IE can audit, and automation. **Not for residential or C&I rooftop sales work, not for** teams that need layout-to-construction CAD (Design Pro is GIS-based, not an AutoCAD product), and not for anyone taking the site's structured data at face value — its schema publishes a price that its own pricing page contradicts.
Full PlantPredict 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 PlantPredict and SAM (System Advisor Model)?
They differ most on price published. In total we recorded 24 verified differences and 9 points where they are the same.
Which costs more, PlantPredict or SAM (System Advisor Model)?
PlantPredict is priced on an unrecorded basis 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 PlantPredict 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