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Energy · head to head

Aurora Solar vs Cutsforth InsightCM

Aurora Solar logo

Aurora Solar

Energy

The leading solar design and sales platform

From
$135/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cutsforth InsightCM logo

Cutsforth InsightCM

Energy

Multi-physics condition monitoring for generators and rotating plant, moved from National Instruments to Cutsforth

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aurora Solar both published plans are single user, so a second designer means a second licence; Cutsforth InsightCM ownership moved from National Instruments to Cutsforth while NI itself was absorbed by Emerson, so support contracts, documentation and any assumption of NI or Emerson backing need reconfirming from scratch.
  • They diverge on capability: Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Cutsforth InsightCM covers Multi-physics correlation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aurora Solar and Cutsforth InsightCM actually diverge.

Attributes where Aurora Solar and Cutsforth InsightCM differ
AttributeAurora SolarCutsforth InsightCM
Starting price$135/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, ApiWindows, Web, Cloud
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Energy).

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 Aurora Solar

  • 3D solar design
  • Shade analysis
  • LIDAR integration
  • Performance simulation
  • Sales proposals
  • Financing options
  • Permit packages
  • NEC code compliance

Only in Cutsforth InsightCM

  • Multi-physics correlation
  • Continuous waveform capture
  • NI hardware compatibility
  • Electromagnetic interference analysis
  • On-premise or cloud
  • Configurable acquisition
  • Automated alarming
  • Fleet view

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aurora Solar

  • Designing and simulating residential and commercial solar installationsnot Cutsforth InsightCM
  • Producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projectsnot Cutsforth InsightCM

Cutsforth InsightCM

  • A generating station correlating partial discharge, EMI and vibration on a turbine generator in one diagnosis rather than three separate systemsnot Aurora Solar
  • A nuclear operator needing continuous waveform retention as evidence for a condition-based maintenance casenot Aurora Solar
  • An industrial site with legacy NI acquisition hardware already installed on critical machinesnot Aurora Solar
  • Comparing identical generators across a fleet to separate a machine-specific fault from a design characteristicnot Aurora Solar

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

Cutsforth InsightCM

  • Ownership moved from National Instruments to Cutsforth while NI itself was absorbed by Emerson, so support contracts, documentation and any assumption of NI or Emerson backing need reconfirming from scratch.
  • Cutsforth is a small specialist company, so a buyer standardising a fleet-wide monitoring platform is accepting a vendor with far less scale than Emerson, SKF or Bently Nevada.
  • The product depends on data acquisition hardware on the machine, and that hardware is typically the larger part of the cost, which the software conversation tends to obscure.
  • Its strength is high-value generation and large rotating assets; instrumenting a broad population of ordinary pumps and fans with it is disproportionately expensive.
  • Continuous multi-physics capture produces large volumes of waveform data, so storage sizing and retention policy are real deployment decisions rather than defaults.

Pricing, plan by plan

Aurora Solar

$135/month
  • Basic$159/month
    • Tablet-friendly sales proposals
    • Industry-leading design accuracy
    • HD imagery
  • Premium$259/month
    • Tablet-friendly sales proposals
    • Industry-leading design accuracy
    • HD imagery
  • Enterprise$null/project
    • All Premium features
    • AI-assisted site models
    • APIs and integrations

Cutsforth InsightCM

On request
  • InsightCM$undefined/year
    • Priced per monitored machine and channel count rather than per user
    • Data acquisition hardware quoted separately and often the larger cost
    • On-premise and cloud deployments priced differently

Which should you pick?

Choose Aurora Solar if

  • You need 3d solar design.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want shade analysis.
Aurora Solar review

Choose Cutsforth InsightCM if

  • You need multi-physics correlation.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Cloud.
  • You also want continuous waveform capture.
Cutsforth InsightCM review

Questions people ask

Is Aurora Solar or Cutsforth InsightCM better?
Neither clearly leads. Aurora Solar starts at $135/month and Cutsforth InsightCM at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aurora Solar or Cutsforth InsightCM?
Aurora Solar starts at $135/month and Cutsforth InsightCM at On request.
Does Aurora Solar or Cutsforth InsightCM run on more platforms?
Aurora Solar runs on Web, Api. Cutsforth InsightCM runs on Windows, Web, Cloud.
What is Aurora Solar best used for?
Aurora Solar is most often used for designing and simulating residential and commercial solar installations, producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projects. Of those, designing and simulating residential and commercial solar installations and producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projects are not what Cutsforth InsightCM is typically brought in for.
What can Aurora Solar do that Cutsforth InsightCM cannot?
Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Shade analysis, LIDAR integration, Performance simulation. Cutsforth InsightCM covers Multi-physics correlation, Continuous waveform capture, NI hardware compatibility, Electromagnetic interference analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aurora Solar: How much does Aurora Solar cost per month?

Aurora Solar Basic costs $159/month billed monthly or $135/month billed annually (save $288/year). Premium costs $259/month monthly or $220/month annually (save $468/year). Enterprise pricing is custom per project. Monthly plans have no minimum commitment and can be cancelled at any billing period end. Annual plans require a one-year commitment.

Source
Cutsforth InsightCM: Is InsightCM still a National Instruments product?

No. It was developed by NI but is now owned and developed by Cutsforth. NI itself became part of Emerson in October 2023.

Aurora Solar: What features does Aurora Solar Premium add over Basic?

Premium adds LIDAR-assisted modeling, bankable shade reports, and battery modeling for backup, self-consumption, and arbitrage scenarios. Both tiers include 50 projects per month and support 1 user.

Source
Cutsforth InsightCM: Does it require NI hardware?

It is compatible with NI-based acquisition systems and with Cutsforth monitoring hardware, so existing NI installations carry over.

Aurora Solar: How many users and projects can I have on Aurora Solar?

Basic and Premium plans support 1 user with a 50-project monthly limit. Enterprise plans support unlimited users and custom project limits; Enterprise pricing and terms are custom and determined through sales.

Source
Cutsforth InsightCM: What makes it different from a vibration platform?

It correlates several measurement types, including partial discharge and electromagnetic interference, which matters on generators rather than on general rotating equipment.

Cutsforth InsightCM: Can it be deployed on-premise?

Yes, on-premise or cloud, which is why it remains viable for nuclear and utility sites with data residency rules.

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