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Energy · head to head

Aurora Solar vs Uplight

Aurora Solar logo

Aurora Solar

Energy

The leading solar design and sales platform

From
$135/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Uplight logo

Uplight

Energy

Customer engagement, rebate marketplaces and demand flexibility software sold to regulated utilities

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; Uplight the product assumes a regulated utility with commission-approved programmes, so competitive retailers and aggregators find much of the reporting and measurement machinery irrelevant while still paying for it.
  • They diverge on capability: Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Uplight covers Energy marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aurora Solar and Uplight actually diverge.

Attributes where Aurora Solar and Uplight differ
AttributeAurora SolarUplight
Starting price$135/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, iOS, Android, API
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 Uplight

  • Energy marketplace
  • Personalised recommendations
  • Rates engagement
  • Demand response
  • Distributed energy resource management
  • Programme reporting
  • Home energy reports
  • OEM and device partnerships

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 Uplight
  • Producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projectsnot Uplight

Uplight

  • A regulated utility that must deliver an approved energy efficiency programme and evidence the savings to its commissionnot Aurora Solar
  • A utility launching a residential demand response programme built on customer-owned thermostats and batteriesnot Aurora Solar
  • A utility moving customers onto time-of-use tariffs that needs enrolment journeys rather than a billing change alonenot Aurora Solar
  • A utility that wants rebates applied at the point of purchase instead of processing claim forms after the factnot 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

Uplight

  • The product assumes a regulated utility with commission-approved programmes, so competitive retailers and aggregators find much of the reporting and measurement machinery irrelevant while still paying for it.
  • Procurement runs through long RFPs tied to rate cases and programme approvals, so implementation dates are set by a regulator rather than by the utility or the vendor and slip when filings slip.
  • The investor group of Schneider Electric, AES and Octopus Energy Group is made up of active energy market participants, which is a governance question a utility should raise in diligence rather than discover later.
  • The platform spans engagement, marketplace and demand management, and those capabilities were built or acquired separately, so a buyer taking one module gets less of the integration benefit than the platform story implies.
  • The reference base and product depth are strongest in North America, so a European or Asia-Pacific utility gets fewer comparable deployments and less functionality built around local market rules.

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

Uplight

On request
  • Uplight platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per utility programme by customer count and modules
    • Frequently structured around approved programme budgets and performance targets
    • Marketplace economics include product fulfilment and rebate handling

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 Uplight if

  • You need energy marketplace.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want personalised recommendations.
Uplight review

Questions people ask

Is Aurora Solar or Uplight better?
Neither clearly leads. Aurora Solar starts at $135/month and Uplight at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aurora Solar or Uplight?
Aurora Solar starts at $135/month and Uplight at On request.
Does Aurora Solar or Uplight run on more platforms?
Aurora Solar runs on Web, Api. Uplight runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
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 Uplight is typically brought in for.
What can Aurora Solar do that Uplight cannot?
Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Shade analysis, LIDAR integration, Performance simulation. Uplight covers Energy marketplace, Personalised recommendations, Rates engagement, Demand response.

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
Uplight: Who owns Uplight?

It is privately held and backed by Schneider Electric, AES Corporation and Octopus Energy Group.

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
Uplight: Can a competitive energy retailer use it?

It can, but the product is designed around regulated programme delivery and measurement, so a retailer pays for machinery it does not need.

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
Uplight: Does Uplight do demand response as well as efficiency?

Yes. It acquired the AutoGrid distributed energy resource platform from Schneider Electric in 2024, which added device control and dispatch to the engagement business.

Uplight: Is pricing published?

No. Deals are quoted per programme and usually sized against an approved programme budget.

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