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Software · head to head

Helioscope vs NAPA

Helioscope logo

Helioscope

Software

Accurate solar design for commercial projects

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NAPA logo

NAPA

Software

Ship design and operational excellence

From
$5000/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; NAPA the Internet Archive's capture of NAPA's homepage on 1 January 2020 named six distinct maritime software products, NAPA Loading Computer, NAPA Emergency Computer, NAPA Logbook, NAPA Fleet Intelligence, NAPA Voyage Optimization and ClassNK-NAPA GREEN, with no price figure published for any.
  • They diverge on capability: Helioscope covers PV system design, NAPA covers Ship design.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helioscope and NAPA actually diverge.

Attributes where Helioscope and NAPA differ
AttributeHelioscopeNAPA
Starting priceFree$5000/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiWindows, Web
Founded20121989

Identical on both: 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
  • Performance simulation
  • Single-line diagrams
  • BOM generation
  • Proposal templates
  • Component database
  • Financial modeling

Only in NAPA

  • Ship design
  • Stability calculation
  • Voyage optimization
  • Performance monitoring
  • CAD systems
  • Fleet management
  • Weather routing
  • Windows support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Helioscope

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

NAPA

No use cases recorded yet. See the NAPA review.

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

NAPA

  • The Internet Archive's capture of NAPA's homepage on 1 January 2020 named six distinct maritime software products, NAPA Loading Computer, NAPA Emergency Computer, NAPA Logbook, NAPA Fleet Intelligence, NAPA Voyage Optimization and ClassNK-NAPA GREEN, with no price figure published for any.

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

NAPA

$5000/year
  • Fleet Intelligence$15000/year
    • Voyage optimization
    • Performance monitoring
    • Analytics

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 NAPA if

  • You need ship design.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want stability calculation.
NAPA review

Questions people ask

Is Helioscope or NAPA better?
Neither clearly leads. Helioscope starts at Free and NAPA at $5000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helioscope or NAPA?
Helioscope has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Helioscope and $5000/year for NAPA.
Does Helioscope or NAPA run on more platforms?
Helioscope runs on Web, Api. NAPA runs on Windows, Web.
Can I use Helioscope for free?
Yes. Helioscope has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NAPA starts at $5000/year.
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 NAPA is typically brought in for.
What can Helioscope do that NAPA cannot?
Helioscope covers PV system design, 3D shade modeling, Performance simulation, Single-line diagrams. NAPA covers Ship design, Stability calculation, Voyage optimization, Performance monitoring. Both handle Web support.
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