Easy PV
Midsummer
Design & simulation · Web
Pricing GBP 0 Per seat Free tier, no time limit
Sept 2026
Comparison
RatedPower (pvDesign) vs SAM (System Advisor Model)
29 differences · 5 identical
RatedPower (pvDesign)RatedPower (part of Enverus)
- Entry price
- Not publicly disclosed
- Charged
- Quote only
- Free tier or trial
- Demo only, no trial
- Named integrations
- 4
- Verified data points
- 9
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 published Published
- Pricing model quote-only free
- Free tier demo-only free-forever
RatedPower (pvDesign) or SAM (System Advisor Model)?
They differ most on price published. RatedPower (pvDesign) publishes Not publicly disclosed; 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 29 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
RatedPower (pvDesign) is priced quote-only 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.
RatedPower (pvDesign)
Not publicly disclosed
Quote only
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
29 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 | RatedPower (pvDesign) | 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 | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Named weather / irradiance data source | — Not found | advanced Verified |
| Remote site capture from imagery | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Bankable / IE-accepted simulation report | Basic Vendor claim | — Not found |
| Inverter sizing | — Could not read | Basic Vendor claim |
| Loss and uncertainty modelling (P50/P90) | Basic Vendor claim | Advanced Verified |
| Manual layout editing | — Verified | — Could not read |
| Shading analysis | Basic Vendor claim | — Not found |
| Single-line diagram | Basic Vendor claim | — Not found |
| Proposals & sales | ||
| E-signature | Yes 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 agent / copilot | vendor-claimed Verified | — Could not read |
| Integrations & extensibility | ||
| Named, documented integrations | 4 Verified | 0 Verified |
| Public API | Basic Vendor claim | Advanced 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 | Not published Verified | Published Verified |
| Pricing model | quote-only Verified | free Verified |
| Free tier | demo-only Verified | 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 |
| Geographic availability | global Verified | US; global Verified |
| Residential | No Verified | Yes Verified |
| Target buyer | enterprise-epc; developer Verified | engineering-firm; developer Verified |
Scroll the table sideways to see both products. The capability column stays in place.
Where they are the same 5 data points
- Battery sizing and modelling
- Annual energy yield simulation
- ROI / payback calculation
- Product status
- Utility-scale
Which might suit you
Framed as requirements, not a verdict. Both descriptions come from the same data.
Consider RatedPower (pvDesign) if…
- AI-assisted workflows matter to you
- you work at utility scale
For developers, IPPs, EPCs and engineering firms who need to iterate hundreds of utility-scale layouts and carry them through to interconnection and off-taker-ready detailed engineering. Not for anyone who needs a published price (all three tiers are "Talk to sales"), not for rooftop or residential, and not for buyers who need site prospecting outside the specific geographies where Enverus PRISM International data is licensed.
Full RatedPower (pvDesign) 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 RatedPower (pvDesign) and SAM (System Advisor Model)?
They differ most on price published. In total we recorded 29 verified differences and 5 points where they are the same.
Which costs more, RatedPower (pvDesign) or SAM (System Advisor Model)?
RatedPower (pvDesign) is priced quote-only 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 RatedPower (pvDesign) 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