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

Comparison

PVsyst vs SAM (System Advisor Model)

17 differences · 13 identical

PVsystPVsyst SA
Entry price
CHF 700
Charged
Per seat
Free tier or trial
Free trial
Named integrations
15
Verified data points
11
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
  • Free tier free-trial free-forever
  • Entry price 700 CHF per year 0 USD free desktop application

All 17 differences ↓

PVsyst or SAM (System Advisor Model)?

They differ most on pricing model. PVsyst publishes CHF 700; 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 17 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

PVsyst 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.

PVsyst

CHF 700

700 CHF per year

Per seat

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

17 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 PVsyst and SAM (System Advisor Model)
Capability PVsyst SAM (System Advisor Model)
Solar design & simulation
Automatic module layout Advanced Verified — Not found
Ground-mount / tracker layout Advanced Verified — Not found
Loss and uncertainty modelling (P50/P90) — Not found Advanced Verified
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 Advanced Verified Basic Vendor claim
Reporting, data & BI
Report / deliverable export Advanced Verified — Not found
Integrations & extensibility
Named, documented integrations 15 Verified 0 Verified
Platform & deployment
Delivery model software Verified open-source Verified
Desktop OS support Windows 8/10/11 32/64-bit; NOT Citrix, Remote Desktop, Azure Virtual Desktop; workspace cannot sit on OneDrive/Google Drive/Dropbox Verified not stated beyond 'desktop application' Verified
Pricing & commercial terms
Pricing model per-seat Verified free Verified
Free tier free-trial Verified free-forever Verified
Entry price 700 CHF per year Verified 0 USD free desktop application Verified
Currency CHF Verified USD Verified
Market fit & availability
Geographic availability global Verified US; global Verified
Target buyer engineering-firm; small-installer Verified engineering-firm; developer Verified

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

Where they are the same 13 data points
  • Price published
  • Single-line diagram
  • Battery sizing and modelling
  • Annual energy yield simulation
  • Bankable / IE-accepted simulation report
  • Named weather / irradiance data source
  • ROI / payback calculation
  • Public API
  • Product status
  • C&I
  • Residential
  • Utility-scale
  • Web application

Which might suit you

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

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

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

Other options in design & simulation

Frequently asked

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

They differ most on pricing model. In total we recorded 17 verified differences and 13 points where they are the same.

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

PVsyst 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 PVsyst 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