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Energy & Utilities · head to head

Helioscope vs OATI webSmartEnergy

Helioscope logo

Helioscope

Energy & Utilities

Accurate solar design for commercial projects

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OATI webSmartEnergy logo

OATI webSmartEnergy

Energy & Utilities

Comprehensive utility billing and customer engagement

From
On request
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; OATI webSmartEnergy oATI publishes no price for webSmartEnergy anywhere on its site; even the product overview is gated behind a brochure request form, with further detail requiring direct email contact to sales@oati.net rather than any published rate (archived brochure page, 25 June 2024)
  • They diverge on capability: Helioscope covers PV system design, OATI webSmartEnergy covers Customer information system.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helioscope and OATI webSmartEnergy actually diverge.

Attributes where Helioscope and OATI webSmartEnergy differ
AttributeHelioscopeOATI webSmartEnergy
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Mobile, Api
Founded20121995

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Energy & Utilities).

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 OATI webSmartEnergy

  • Customer information system
  • Utility billing
  • Payment processing
  • Smart meter integration
  • Rate management
  • Service order management
  • Customer portal
  • Demand response

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Helioscope

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

OATI webSmartEnergy

  • Utility billingnot Helioscope
  • Customer managementnot Helioscope
  • Smart meter datanot Helioscope
  • Rate analysisnot Helioscope
  • Demand response programsnot 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

OATI webSmartEnergy

  • OATI publishes no price for webSmartEnergy anywhere on its site; even the product overview is gated behind a brochure request form, with further detail requiring direct email contact to sales@oati.net rather than any published rate (archived brochure page, 25 June 2024)

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

OATI webSmartEnergy

On request
  • CIS Basic$undefined/custom
    • Customer management
    • Billing engine
    • Payment processing
  • CIS Advanced$undefined/custom
    • Advanced rate structures
    • Demand response
    • Prepaid metering
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • MDM integration
    • Analytics suite
    • Multi-commodity

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 OATI webSmartEnergy if

  • You need customer information system.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want utility billing.
OATI webSmartEnergy review

Questions people ask

Is Helioscope or OATI webSmartEnergy better?
Neither clearly leads. Helioscope starts at Free and OATI webSmartEnergy at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helioscope or OATI webSmartEnergy?
Helioscope has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Helioscope and On request for OATI webSmartEnergy.
Does Helioscope or OATI webSmartEnergy run on more platforms?
Helioscope runs on Web, Api. OATI webSmartEnergy runs on Web, Mobile, Api.
Can I use Helioscope for free?
Yes. Helioscope has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OATI webSmartEnergy starts at On request.
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 OATI webSmartEnergy is typically brought in for.
What can Helioscope do that OATI webSmartEnergy cannot?
Helioscope covers PV system design, 3D shade modeling, Performance simulation, Single-line diagrams. OATI webSmartEnergy covers Customer information system, Utility billing, Payment processing, Smart meter integration. Both handle Salesforce, SOC2, Cloud deployment.
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