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Energy · head to head

Cognite Data Fusion vs Helioscope

Cognite Data Fusion logo

Cognite Data Fusion

Energy

Industrial data platform that contextualises OT, IT and engineering data into an asset-centric knowledge graph

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Helioscope logo

Helioscope

Energy

Accurate solar design for commercial projects

From
$159/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cognite Data Fusion the platform is only as good as the contextualisation work, and that mapping effort is a consulting project that regularly costs more than the first-year subscription.; Helioscope licences are single user, so each designer needs their own
  • They diverge on capability: Cognite Data Fusion covers Asset-centric data model, Helioscope covers PV system design.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cognite Data Fusion and Helioscope actually diverge.

Attributes where Cognite Data Fusion and Helioscope differ
AttributeCognite Data FusionHelioscope
Starting priceOn request$159/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, CloudWeb, Api
FoundedUnknown2012

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 Cognite Data Fusion

  • Asset-centric data model
  • Entity matching
  • P&ID parsing
  • 3D contextualisation
  • Cognite Atlas AI
  • Data workflows
  • Open SDKs
  • Extractors

Only in Helioscope

  • PV system design
  • 3D shade modeling
  • Performance simulation
  • Single-line diagrams
  • BOM generation
  • Proposal templates
  • Component database
  • Financial modeling

What people use each for

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

Cognite Data Fusion

  • An operator that wants engineers to find the drawing, the sensor trend and the last work order for a valve from one searchnot Helioscope
  • A company standardising asset data across sites so an analytics team can build once and deploy to many plantsnot Helioscope
  • An upstream operator building a production-optimisation model that needs sensor data joined to equipment metadatanot Helioscope
  • A team replacing a stalled internal data-lake project where nobody could reconstruct what the tag names meantnot Helioscope

Helioscope

  • Solar project design and modelingnot Cognite Data Fusion
  • Rooftop, carport, and ground-mount solar system planningnot Cognite Data Fusion
  • Financial analysis and sales proposal generation for solar installationsnot Cognite Data Fusion

Where each one falls short

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

Cognite Data Fusion

  • The platform is only as good as the contextualisation work, and that mapping effort is a consulting project that regularly costs more than the first-year subscription.
  • Pricing is consumption-based and unpublished, so costs move with data volume and usage patterns you cannot forecast well until a year in.
  • It does not replace your historian, your ERP or your maintenance system, so Cognite is an additional recurring cost layered on systems you still pay for.
  • The reference base and data model lean heavily towards Norwegian and wider oil, gas and process industries; discrete manufacturing fit is weaker and the local partner network thinner outside energy.
  • Getting value out requires in-house Python and data engineering skill; organisations without a data team end up dependent on Cognite professional services for every new use case.

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

Cognite Data Fusion

On request
  • Cognite Data Fusion$undefined/year
    • Consumption-based pricing on data volume, compute and users
    • Available through cloud marketplaces with private offers
    • Contextualisation and onboarding quoted as a separate engagement

Helioscope

$159/month
  • Basic$159/month
    • 1 user per license
    • 10 projects per month (120 per year)
    • 15% discount for annual billing ($1,620/year)
  • Pro$259/month
    • 1 user per license
    • 10 projects per month (120 per year)
    • 15% discount for annual billing ($2,640/year)
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited projects
    • Custom pricing

Which should you pick?

Choose Cognite Data Fusion if

  • You need asset-centric data model.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want entity matching.
Cognite Data Fusion review

Choose Helioscope if

  • You need pv system design.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want 3d shade modeling.
Helioscope review

Questions people ask

Is Cognite Data Fusion or Helioscope better?
Neither clearly leads. Cognite Data Fusion starts at On request and Helioscope at $159/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cognite Data Fusion or Helioscope?
Cognite Data Fusion starts at On request and Helioscope at $159/month.
Does Cognite Data Fusion or Helioscope run on more platforms?
Cognite Data Fusion runs on Web, Cloud. Helioscope runs on Web, Api.
What is Cognite Data Fusion best used for?
Cognite Data Fusion is most often used for an operator that wants engineers to find the drawing, the sensor trend and the last work order for a valve from one search, a company standardising asset data across sites so an analytics team can build once and deploy to many plants, an upstream operator building a production-optimisation model that needs sensor data joined to equipment metadata, a team replacing a stalled internal data-lake project where nobody could reconstruct what the tag names meant. Of those, an operator that wants engineers to find the drawing, the sensor trend and the last work order for a valve from one search and a company standardising asset data across sites so an analytics team can build once and deploy to many plants are not what Helioscope is typically brought in for.
What can Cognite Data Fusion do that Helioscope cannot?
Cognite Data Fusion covers Asset-centric data model, Entity matching, P&ID parsing, 3D contextualisation. Helioscope covers PV system design, 3D shade modeling, Performance simulation, Single-line diagrams.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cognite Data Fusion: Is Cognite a historian?

No. It reads from historians such as PI System and adds context. You still need the historian underneath.

Helioscope: What is the starting price for HelioScope?

HelioScope Basic plan costs $159 per month per license with annual billing at $1,620/year (15% discount). The Pro plan is $259/month or $2,640/year. Each license covers 1 user. Source: https://helioscope.aurorasolar.com/pricing

Source
Cognite Data Fusion: How is it priced?

Consumption-based on data, compute and users, quoted per customer. Nothing is published.

Helioscope: How many projects can I design monthly with HelioScope Basic and Pro?

Both Basic and Pro plans include 10 projects per month, equaling 120 projects per year. The project allocation is the same across both tiers; the difference is in design capability (1.25 MW for Basic vs. 5 MW for Pro). Source: https://helioscope.aurorasolar.com/pricing

Source
Cognite Data Fusion: How long does a deployment take?

First useful graph in a few months is realistic; full plant contextualisation across a site is typically a year or more.

Helioscope: What is the maximum solar design capacity by HelioScope tier?

HelioScope Basic supports designs up to 1.25 MW DC, Pro supports up to 5 MW DC, and Enterprise supports unlimited designs up to 30 MW DC. Accuracy within 1% of PVsyst modeling is maintained across tiers. Source: https://helioscope.aurorasolar.com/pricing

Source
Cognite Data Fusion: Can we do the contextualisation ourselves?

Technically yes, the SDKs and matching tools are open, but most customers use Cognite or a partner for the first site.

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