Energy · alternatives
Alternatives to ETAP
21 energy tools sit alongside ETAP in this directory. Below is what separates each from ETAP on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 21
- With a free tier
- 2
- Cheaper to start
- 4
- ETAP starts at
- $5000/year
Why people look past ETAP
Only what the record supports. Each point below is a figure on the ETAP entry measured against the tools listed beside it.
It costs more than the category median
ETAP starts at $5000/year. Across the 4 energy tools listed beside it that publish a price, the median entry point is $147/month.
There is no free tier
The record for ETAP carries no free tier, so evaluating it means paying first. 2 of the 21 alternatives below can be used without paying.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
Microinverter monitoring and management platform
- Can be used without paying; ETAP cannot.
- Starts $4990.01 a month cheaper, at $9.99/month.
Solar inverter monitoring and analytics platform
- Can be used without paying; ETAP cannot.
- 1 tier to ETAP's 3.
The leading solar design and sales platform
- Starts $4865 a month cheaper, at $135/month.
Digital solutions for energy and automation
- Sold on a quote model rather than subscription.
Distributed control system for power generation and water treatment plants
- Sold on a quote model rather than subscription.
- 1 tier to ETAP's 3.
Hybrid physics and machine learning prognostics that estimate remaining useful life for process equipment
- Sold on a quote model rather than subscription.
- 1 tier to ETAP's 3.
Every ETAP alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETAP (this page) | $5000/year | Subscription | 3 | |
| Enphase EnlightenMicroinverter monitoring and management platform | Free, then $9.99/month | - | - | vs ETAP |
| Fronius SOLARWEBSolar inverter monitoring and analytics platform | Free | - | 1 | vs ETAP |
| Aurora SolarThe leading solar design and sales platform | $135/month | Subscription | 3 | vs ETAP |
| ABB AbilityDigital solutions for energy and automation | On request | Quote | - | vs ETAP |
| Emerson Ovation | On request | Quote | 1 | vs ETAP |
| Novity | On request | Quote | 1 | vs ETAP |
| Bently Nevada System 1 | On request | Quote | 1 | vs ETAP |
| Cutsforth InsightCM | On request | Quote | 1 | vs ETAP |
| Cognite Data Fusion | On request | Quote | 1 | vs ETAP |
| iHawk by Cyberhawk | On request | Quote | 1 | vs ETAP |
| Wood Mackenzie Lens | On request | Quote | 1 | vs ETAP |
| Uplight | On request | Quote | 1 | vs ETAP |
| GE Digital Grid Software | On request | Quote | - | vs ETAP |
| Enel X DER Optimization | On request | Quote | - | vs ETAP |
| Generac Grid Services | On request | Quote | - | vs ETAP |
| PowerFactory DIgSILENT | On request | Quote | - | vs ETAP |
| AVEVA PI System | On request | One-time | 3 | vs ETAP |
| Helioscope | $159/month | Subscription | 3 | vs ETAP |
| Azelio Energy Storage | On request | Quote | - | vs ETAP |
| EnergyCAP | $1000/month | Subscription | 3 | vs ETAP |
| GE Digital GridOS | On request | Quote | 3 | vs ETAP |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the ETAP badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
Free to start (2)
These publish a tier that costs nothing, so they can be evaluated before any money changes hands.
- Enphase Enlighten , Free, then $9.99/month
- Fronius SOLARWEB , Free
Cheaper than ETAP (4)
Entry price under ETAP's $5000/year. The record does not say what unit that price is charged in, so confirm per-seat versus flat rate before comparing budgets.
- Enphase Enlighten , Free, then $9.99/month
- Aurora Solar , $135/month
- Helioscope , $159/month
- EnergyCAP , $1000/month
What you would be giving up
ETAP is most often brought in for electrical power system modelling, simulation and analysis, arc flash, load flow and protection coordination studies. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If ETAP is broadly right and the question is cost, the ETAP pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the Energy category lists everything the directory holds, and best energy tools ranks them.
ETAP runs on windows, api. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about ETAP alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to ETAP?
- 21 other energy tools are listed in this directory, led by Enphase Enlighten, Fronius SOLARWEB, Aurora Solar, ABB Ability. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to ETAP?
- 2 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Enphase Enlighten, Fronius SOLARWEB.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to ETAP?
- Yes. 4 of the alternatives below start under ETAP's $5000/year: Enphase Enlighten at Free, then $9.99/month, Aurora Solar at $135/month, Helioscope at $159/month, EnergyCAP at $1000/month.
- Why do people look for an alternative to ETAP?
- On the figures on record, 2 things stand out: it costs more than the category median; there is no free tier. Each is set out with the numbers behind it above.
- What would I give up by switching from ETAP?
- ETAP is most often brought in for electrical power system modelling, simulation and analysis, arc flash, load flow and protection coordination studies. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to ETAP?
- None of the energy tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these ETAP alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, Energy, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored placement runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare ETAP against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against ETAP covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every energy tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the Energy category, 21 tools beside ETAP. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.