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Energy & Utilities · head to head

Helioscope vs Home Assistant

Helioscope logo

Helioscope

Energy & Utilities

Accurate solar design for commercial projects

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

IoT & Smart Home

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Helioscope licences are single user, so each designer needs their own; Home Assistant add-ons run only on Home Assistant Operating System installations, and Container installations have no access to them
  • They diverge on capability: Helioscope covers PV system design, Home Assistant covers Local Control.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helioscope and Home Assistant actually diverge.

Attributes where Helioscope and Home Assistant differ
AttributeHelioscopeHome Assistant
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
PlatformsWeb, ApiLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows
CategoryEnergy & UtilitiesIoT & Smart Home
Founded20122013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • Performance simulation
  • Single-line diagrams
  • BOM generation
  • Proposal templates
  • Component database
  • Financial modeling

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.

Helioscope

  • Simulating photovoltaic system performance and energy yieldnot Home Assistant
  • Laying out commercial solar arrays and producing design reportsnot Home Assistant

Home Assistant

  • Home automationnot Helioscope
  • Energy monitoringnot Helioscope
  • Security systemsnot Helioscope
  • Device integrationnot 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

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

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

Home Assistant

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

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.
Helioscope 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 Helioscope or Home Assistant better?
Neither clearly leads. Helioscope starts at Free and Home Assistant at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helioscope or Home Assistant?
Helioscope starts at Free and Home Assistant at Free.
Does Helioscope or Home Assistant run on more platforms?
Helioscope runs on Web, Api. Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Helioscope for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Home Assistant is typically brought in for.
What can Helioscope do that Home Assistant cannot?
Helioscope covers PV system design, 3D shade modeling, Performance simulation, Single-line diagrams. Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations.
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