Energy & Utilities · head to head
ABB Ability vs Aurora Solar
ABB Ability
Energy & Utilities
Digital solutions for energy and automation
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Aurora Solar
Energy & Utilities
The leading solar design and sales platform
- From
- $250/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: ABB Ability the Internet Archive's capture of ABB Ability's page on 19 December 2021 showed it is sold only through a 'Find Your Sales Partner' channel across industry verticals (Automotive, Buildings, Data Centers, EV Charging, Manufacturing, Mining, Oil & Gas, Power, and others), with no price list published.; Aurora Solar both published plans are single user, so a second designer means a second licence
- They diverge on capability: ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ABB Ability and Aurora Solar actually diverge.
| Attribute | ABB Ability | Aurora Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $250/month |
| Pricing model | quote | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile, Api | Web, Api |
| Founded | 1988 | 2013 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Energy & Utilities).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in ABB Ability
- Asset health monitoring
- Predictive maintenance
- Performance optimization
- Energy management
- Grid automation
- Remote diagnostics
- Advanced analytics
- Digital twin technology
Only in Aurora Solar
- 3D solar design
- Shade analysis
- LIDAR integration
- Performance simulation
- Sales proposals
- Financing options
- Permit packages
- NEC code compliance
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ABB Ability
- Asset performance managementnot Aurora Solar
- Predictive maintenancenot Aurora Solar
- Grid optimizationnot Aurora Solar
- Energy efficiencynot Aurora Solar
Aurora Solar
- Designing and simulating residential and commercial solar installationsnot ABB Ability
- Producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projectsnot ABB Ability
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
ABB Ability
- The Internet Archive's capture of ABB Ability's page on 19 December 2021 showed it is sold only through a 'Find Your Sales Partner' channel across industry verticals (Automotive, Buildings, Data Centers, EV Charging, Manufacturing, Mining, Oil & Gas, Power, and others), with no price list published.
Aurora Solar
- Both published plans are single user, so a second designer means a second licence
- Projects are capped at 50 a month on both Basic and Premium, so the tiers differ on features rather than volume
- LIDAR assisted modelling, shade reports and battery storage modelling all require Premium at $259 a month
- API access and integrations are Enterprise only, which is priced per project rather than per month
- Paying monthly rather than annually costs $288 more a year on Basic and $468 on Premium
Pricing, plan by plan
ABB Ability
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the ABB Ability review.
Aurora Solar
$250/month- Starter$250/month
- Basic design tools
- Sales mode
- Shade analysis
- Pro$500/month
- Advanced LIDAR integration
- Performance simulation
- Custom branding
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited users
- Advanced analytics
- Custom integrations
Which should you pick?
Choose ABB Ability if
- You need asset health monitoring.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
- You also want predictive maintenance.
Choose Aurora Solar if
- You need 3d solar design.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want shade analysis.
Questions people ask
- Is ABB Ability or Aurora Solar better?
- Neither clearly leads. ABB Ability starts at On request and Aurora Solar at $250/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ABB Ability or Aurora Solar?
- ABB Ability starts at On request and Aurora Solar at $250/month.
- Does ABB Ability or Aurora Solar run on more platforms?
- ABB Ability runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Aurora Solar runs on Web, Api.
- What is ABB Ability best used for?
- ABB Ability is most often used for asset performance management, predictive maintenance, grid optimization, energy efficiency. Of those, asset performance management and predictive maintenance are not what Aurora Solar is typically brought in for.
- What can ABB Ability do that Aurora Solar cannot?
- ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Predictive maintenance, Performance optimization, Energy management. Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Shade analysis, LIDAR integration, Performance simulation.