Software · head to head
OSIsoft PI System vs Helioscope
OSIsoft PI System
Software
Real-time operational intelligence for industrial operations
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Helioscope has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: OSIsoft PI System oSIsoft is now AVEVA and osisoft.com redirects to the AVEVA PI System pages; Helioscope licences are single user, so each designer needs their own
- They diverge on capability: OSIsoft PI System covers Real-time data collection, Helioscope covers PV system design.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which OSIsoft PI System and Helioscope actually diverge.
| Attribute | OSIsoft PI System | Helioscope |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | subscription |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, Web, Api | Web, Api |
| Founded | 1980 | 2012 |
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 OSIsoft PI System
- Real-time data collection
- Time-series data storage
- Advanced analytics
- Asset framework
- Visualization tools
- Event frames
- Data compression
- Notifications and alerts
Only in Helioscope
- PV system design
- 3D shade modeling
- Performance simulation
- Single-line diagrams
- BOM generation
- Proposal templates
- Component database
- Financial modeling
Both cover
- SOC2
- SSL encryption
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
OSIsoft PI System
- Collecting and historising high frequency industrial process and sensor datanot Helioscope
- Operations dashboards and trend analysis for plants and utilitiesnot Helioscope
- Feeding real time operational data into analytics and digital twin applicationsnot Helioscope
Helioscope
- Simulating photovoltaic system performance and energy yieldnot OSIsoft PI System
- Laying out commercial solar arrays and producing design reportsnot OSIsoft PI System
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
OSIsoft PI System
- OSIsoft is now AVEVA and osisoft.com redirects to the AVEVA PI System pages
- No pricing is published; osisoft.com/pricing resolves to AVEVA product pages with no rate, minimum or cost driver
- Licensing runs through the AVEVA Flex Subscription Program rather than a published per-seat or per-tag price
- The PI System is split across separately listed products including PI Server, PI Vision, PI Data Infrastructure and Edge Data Store
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
OSIsoft PI System
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the OSIsoft PI System review.
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
Which should you pick?
Choose OSIsoft PI System if
- You need real-time data collection.
- You work on Windows, Web, Api.
- You also want time-series data storage.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is OSIsoft PI System or Helioscope better?
- Neither clearly leads. OSIsoft PI System starts at On request and Helioscope at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, OSIsoft PI System or Helioscope?
- Helioscope has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for OSIsoft PI System and Free for Helioscope.
- Does OSIsoft PI System or Helioscope run on more platforms?
- OSIsoft PI System runs on Windows, Web, Api. Helioscope runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Helioscope for free?
- Yes. Helioscope has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OSIsoft PI System starts at On request.
- What is OSIsoft PI System best used for?
- OSIsoft PI System is most often used for collecting and historising high frequency industrial process and sensor data, operations dashboards and trend analysis for plants and utilities, feeding real time operational data into analytics and digital twin applications. Of those, collecting and historising high frequency industrial process and sensor data and operations dashboards and trend analysis for plants and utilities are not what Helioscope is typically brought in for.
- What can OSIsoft PI System do that Helioscope cannot?
- OSIsoft PI System covers Real-time data collection, Time-series data storage, Advanced analytics, Asset framework. Helioscope covers PV system design, 3D shade modeling, Performance simulation, Single-line diagrams. Both handle SOC2, SSL encryption.