Software · head to head
Helioscope vs Aurora Solar
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: Helioscope licences are single user, so each designer needs their own; Aurora Solar both published plans are single user, so a second designer means a second licence
- They diverge on capability: Helioscope covers PV system design, Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Helioscope and Aurora Solar actually diverge.
| Attribute | Helioscope | Aurora Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $250/month |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2012 | 2013 |
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 Helioscope
- PV system design
- 3D shade modeling
- Single-line diagrams
- BOM generation
- Proposal templates
- Component database
- Financial modeling
- Cloud deployment
Only in Aurora Solar
- 3D solar design
- Shade analysis
- LIDAR integration
- Sales proposals
- Financing options
- Permit packages
- NEC code compliance
- Sunrun
Both cover
- Performance simulation
- Google Earth
- Nearmap
- Eagleview
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Zapier
- SOC2
- SSL encryption
- Data backup
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Helioscope
- Simulating photovoltaic system performance and energy yieldnot Aurora Solar
- Laying out commercial solar arrays and producing design reportsnot Aurora Solar
Aurora Solar
- Designing and simulating residential and commercial solar installationsnot Helioscope
- Producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projectsnot Helioscope
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
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
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
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Aurora Solar if
- You need 3d solar design.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want shade analysis.
Questions people ask
- Is Helioscope or Aurora Solar better?
- Neither clearly leads. Helioscope starts at Free and Aurora Solar at $250/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Helioscope or Aurora Solar?
- Helioscope has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Helioscope and $250/month for Aurora Solar.
- Does Helioscope or Aurora Solar 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 Helioscope best used for?
- Helioscope is most often used for simulating photovoltaic system performance and energy yield, laying out commercial solar arrays and producing design reports. Of those, simulating photovoltaic system performance and energy yield and laying out commercial solar arrays and producing design reports are not what Aurora Solar is typically brought in for.
- What can Helioscope do that Aurora Solar cannot?
- Helioscope covers PV system design, 3D shade modeling, Single-line diagrams, BOM generation. Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Shade analysis, LIDAR integration, Sales proposals. Both handle Performance simulation, Google Earth, Nearmap, Eagleview.