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Aurora Solar vs Home Assistant

Aurora Solar logo

Aurora Solar

Software

The leading solar design and sales platform

From
$250/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

Software

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Home Assistant 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; Home Assistant add-ons run only on Home Assistant Operating System installations, and Container installations have no access to them
  • They diverge on capability: Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Home Assistant covers Local Control.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aurora Solar and Home Assistant actually diverge.

Attributes where Aurora Solar and Home Assistant differ
AttributeAurora SolarHome Assistant
Starting price$250/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ApiLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2013).

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 Home Assistant

  • Local Control
  • Privacy First
  • Automation Engine
  • Custom Integrations
  • 150+ integrations
  • Voice Control
  • Mobile App
  • REST API

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 Home Assistant
  • Producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projectsnot Home Assistant

Home Assistant

  • Home automationnot Aurora Solar
  • Energy monitoringnot Aurora Solar
  • Security systemsnot Aurora Solar
  • Device integrationnot 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

Home Assistant

  • Add-ons run only on Home Assistant Operating System installations, and Container installations have no access to them
  • Thread and Z-Wave are controlled by add-ons, so a Container install has no out-of-the-box support for either
  • A Container installation means bringing your own Linux host with Docker and handling updates by hand
  • The recommended install path expects dedicated hardware such as a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with at least 2 GB of RAM, an Odroid, or an x86-64 machine
  • Every documented hardware option requires a wired Ethernet connection

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

Home Assistant

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Unlimited devices
    • Full automation
    • Local control

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 Home Assistant if

  • You need local control.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want privacy first.
Home Assistant review

Questions people ask

Is Aurora Solar or Home Assistant better?
Neither clearly leads. Aurora Solar starts at $250/month and Home Assistant at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aurora Solar or Home Assistant?
Home Assistant has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $250/month for Aurora Solar and Free for Home Assistant.
Does Aurora Solar or Home Assistant run on more platforms?
Aurora Solar runs on Web, Api. Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Home Assistant for free?
Yes. Home Assistant 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 Home Assistant is typically brought in for.
What can Aurora Solar do that Home Assistant cannot?
Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Shade analysis, LIDAR integration, Performance simulation. Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations.
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