Easy PV
Midsummer
Design & simulation · Web
Pricing GBP 0 Per seat Free tier, no time limit
Sept 2026
Comparison
SAM (System Advisor Model) vs Solargis Evaluate
23 differences · 9 identical
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
Solargis EvaluateSolargis
- Entry price
- EUR 12000
- Charged
- Per seat
- Free tier or trial
- No free tier or trial
- Named integrations
- 0
- Verified data points
- 7
The differences that matter most
- Pricing model free per-seat
- Free tier free-forever Not offered
- Entry price 0 USD free desktop application 12000 EUR subscription
SAM (System Advisor Model) or Solargis Evaluate?
They differ most on pricing model. SAM (System Advisor Model) publishes Free; Solargis Evaluate publishes EUR 12000. They use different pricing models, so those figures do not compare directly.
We do not name a winner. Below are 23 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
SAM (System Advisor Model) is priced free and Solargis Evaluate is priced per-seat. These are different pricing models, so a single side-by-side figure would be misleading. Each is shown as its vendor states it.
SAM (System Advisor Model)
Free
0 USD free desktop application
Free
Solargis Evaluate
EUR 12000
12000 EUR subscription
Per seat
60 projects
Prices are shown exactly as each vendor writes them and are never converted between currencies.
Where they differ
23 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 | SAM (System Advisor Model) | Solargis Evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Solar design & simulation | ||
| Automatic module layout | — Not found | Advanced Verified |
| Battery sizing and modelling | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Ground-mount / tracker layout | — Not found | Advanced Verified |
| Remote site capture from imagery | — Not found | Advanced Verified |
| Shading analysis | — Not found | Advanced Verified |
| Bankable / IE-accepted simulation report | — Not found | Basic Vendor claim |
| Inverter sizing | Basic Vendor claim | — Could not read |
| Loss and uncertainty modelling (P50/P90) | Advanced Verified | Basic Verified |
| Proposals & sales | ||
| E-signature | — Could not read | — Not found |
| Estimation & financial modelling | ||
| ROI / payback calculation | Advanced Verified | — Not found |
| Reporting, data & BI | ||
| Report / deliverable export | — Not found | Advanced Verified |
| Integrations & extensibility | ||
| Public API | Advanced Verified | Basic Vendor claim |
| Platform & deployment | ||
| Delivery model | open-source Verified | hybrid Verified |
| Desktop OS support | not stated beyond 'desktop application' Verified | — Could not read |
| Web application | No Verified | Yes Verified |
| Pricing & commercial terms | ||
| Pricing model | free Verified | per-seat Verified |
| Free tier | free-forever Verified | Not offered Verified |
| Entry price | 0 USD free desktop application Verified | 12000 EUR subscription Verified |
| Currency | USD Verified | EUR Verified |
| Project / design cap | — Could not read | 60 Verified |
| Market fit & availability | ||
| Geographic availability | US; global Verified | global Verified |
| Residential | Yes Verified | No Verified |
| Target buyer | engineering-firm; developer Verified | developer Verified |
Scroll the table sideways to see both products. The capability column stays in place.
Where they are the same 9 data points
- Price published
- Single-line diagram
- CAD export (DXF/DWG)
- Annual energy yield simulation
- Named weather / irradiance data source
- Named, documented integrations
- Product status
- C&I
- Utility-scale
Which might suit you
Framed as requirements, not a verdict. Both descriptions come from the same data.
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) profileConsider Solargis Evaluate if…
- you need a price you can plan against before talking to sales
- you work at utility scale
For utility-scale developers, engineers and IEs who are already buying Solargis data and want the design and simulation layer on top of it, with reports investors accept. Not for residential or rooftop sales work, not for anyone needing CAD/construction deliverables, and not for small teams — the published entry subscription is €12,000 and the project allowance is 60 "Early Stage" projects.
Full Solargis Evaluate profileRelated comparisons
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Frequently asked
What is the main difference between SAM (System Advisor Model) and Solargis Evaluate?
They differ most on pricing model. In total we recorded 23 verified differences and 9 points where they are the same.
Which costs more, SAM (System Advisor Model) or Solargis Evaluate?
SAM (System Advisor Model) is priced free and Solargis Evaluate is priced per-seat. These are different pricing models, so a single side-by-side figure would be misleading. Each is shown as its vendor states it.
Is SAM (System Advisor Model) or Solargis Evaluate 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