Software · head to head
Aurora Solar vs Helioscope
Aurora Solar
Software
The leading solar design and sales platform
- From
- $250/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Helioscope has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Aurora Solar both published plans are single user, so a second designer means a second licence; Helioscope licences are single user, so each designer needs their own
- They diverge on capability: Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Helioscope covers PV system design.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Aurora Solar and Helioscope actually diverge.
| Attribute | Aurora Solar | Helioscope |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $250/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2013 | 2012 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Sales proposals
- Financing options
- Permit packages
- NEC code compliance
- Sunrun
Only in Helioscope
- PV system design
- 3D shade modeling
- Single-line diagrams
- BOM generation
- Proposal templates
- Component database
- Financial modeling
- Cloud deployment
Both cover
- Performance simulation
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Zapier
- Google Earth
- Nearmap
- Eagleview
- SOC2
- SSL encryption
- Data backup
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 Helioscope
- Producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projectsnot Helioscope
Helioscope
- Simulating photovoltaic system performance and energy yieldnot Aurora Solar
- Laying out commercial solar arrays and producing design reportsnot 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
Helioscope
- Licences are single user, so each designer needs their own
- Projects are capped at 10 a month on both Basic and Pro
- System size is capped by plan, at 1.25 MW DC on Basic and 5 MW on Pro, so a larger array forces an upgrade regardless of project count
- Trackers, LIDAR modelling and API access sit on the higher tiers
- Enterprise is priced per project with no published figure
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Helioscope
Free- FreeFree
- 3 projects
- Basic design tools
- Shade analysis
- Professional$95/month
- Unlimited projects
- Advanced shading
- Custom reports
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Everything in Pro
- API access
- Custom integrations
Which should you pick?
Choose Aurora Solar if
- You need 3d solar design.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want shade analysis.
Choose Helioscope if
- You need pv system design.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want 3d shade modeling.
Questions people ask
- Is Aurora Solar or Helioscope better?
- Neither clearly leads. Aurora Solar starts at $250/month and Helioscope at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Aurora Solar or Helioscope?
- Helioscope has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $250/month for Aurora Solar and Free for Helioscope.
- Does Aurora Solar or Helioscope run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Helioscope for free?
- Yes. Helioscope has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Aurora Solar starts at $250/month.
- 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 Helioscope is typically brought in for.
- What can Aurora Solar do that Helioscope cannot?
- Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Shade analysis, LIDAR integration, Sales proposals. Helioscope covers PV system design, 3D shade modeling, Single-line diagrams, BOM generation. Both handle Performance simulation, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier.