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Energy · head to head

PowerFactory DIgSILENT vs Uplight

PowerFactory DIgSILENT logo

PowerFactory DIgSILENT

Energy

Advanced power system analysis and grid simulation

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Uplight logo

Uplight

Energy

Customer engagement, rebate marketplaces and demand flexibility software sold to regulated utilities

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PowerFactory DIgSILENT no prices are published; the product pages only offer Request a Quotation and Demo Request; Uplight the product assumes a regulated utility with commission-approved programmes, so competitive retailers and aggregators find much of the reporting and measurement machinery irrelevant while still paying for it.
  • They diverge on capability: PowerFactory DIgSILENT covers Load flow calculation, Uplight covers Energy marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PowerFactory DIgSILENT and Uplight actually diverge.

Attributes where PowerFactory DIgSILENT and Uplight differ
AttributePowerFactory DIgSILENTUplight
PlatformsWindows, Linux, ApiWeb, iOS, Android, API
Founded1985Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Energy).

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 PowerFactory DIgSILENT

  • Load flow calculation
  • Short-circuit analysis
  • RMS and EMT simulation
  • Harmonic analysis
  • Stability analysis
  • Protection coordination
  • Renewable energy integration
  • Scripting and automation

Only in Uplight

  • Energy marketplace
  • Personalised recommendations
  • Rates engagement
  • Demand response
  • Distributed energy resource management
  • Programme reporting
  • Home energy reports
  • OEM and device partnerships

What people use each for

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

PowerFactory DIgSILENT

  • Power system load flow, short circuit and stability analysis for transmission and distribution networksnot Uplight
  • Grid code compliance studies and protection coordinationnot Uplight
  • Modelling renewables and distributed generation integrationnot Uplight

Uplight

  • A regulated utility that must deliver an approved energy efficiency programme and evidence the savings to its commissionnot PowerFactory DIgSILENT
  • A utility launching a residential demand response programme built on customer-owned thermostats and batteriesnot PowerFactory DIgSILENT
  • A utility moving customers onto time-of-use tariffs that needs enrolment journeys rather than a billing change alonenot PowerFactory DIgSILENT
  • A utility that wants rebates applied at the point of purchase instead of processing claim forms after the factnot PowerFactory DIgSILENT

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

PowerFactory DIgSILENT

  • No prices are published; the product pages only offer Request a Quotation and Demo Request
  • The commercial licence is sold by node count, in tiers of 100, 250, 500 or unlimited nodes
  • Functions are sold as a configurable package rather than included, so advanced modules are priced separately
  • Support, maintenance and upgrades are included only for the first 12 months of a perpetual licence and then require an annual maintenance contract
  • The number of concurrent users on the Multi-User Edition is limited to the number of licences purchased
  • A floating licence used on a local machine is time limited to a maximum of 30 days
  • Centralised project data on Oracle, SQL Server or PostgreSQL requires the Team Edition; Single-User and Multi-User editions use a local SQLite database
  • Education licences are capped at 50 nodes and forbid commercial use
  • Student licences are capped at 50 nodes, are cloud softkey only and expire 12 months from issue

Uplight

  • The product assumes a regulated utility with commission-approved programmes, so competitive retailers and aggregators find much of the reporting and measurement machinery irrelevant while still paying for it.
  • Procurement runs through long RFPs tied to rate cases and programme approvals, so implementation dates are set by a regulator rather than by the utility or the vendor and slip when filings slip.
  • The investor group of Schneider Electric, AES and Octopus Energy Group is made up of active energy market participants, which is a governance question a utility should raise in diligence rather than discover later.
  • The platform spans engagement, marketplace and demand management, and those capabilities were built or acquired separately, so a buyer taking one module gets less of the integration benefit than the platform story implies.
  • The reference base and product depth are strongest in North America, so a European or Asia-Pacific utility gets fewer comparable deployments and less functionality built around local market rules.

Pricing, plan by plan

PowerFactory DIgSILENT

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the PowerFactory DIgSILENT review.

Uplight

On request
  • Uplight platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per utility programme by customer count and modules
    • Frequently structured around approved programme budgets and performance targets
    • Marketplace economics include product fulfilment and rebate handling

Which should you pick?

Choose PowerFactory DIgSILENT if

  • You need load flow calculation.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Api.
  • You also want short-circuit analysis.
PowerFactory DIgSILENT review

Choose Uplight if

  • You need energy marketplace.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want personalised recommendations.
Uplight review

Questions people ask

Is PowerFactory DIgSILENT or Uplight better?
Neither clearly leads. PowerFactory DIgSILENT starts at On request and Uplight at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PowerFactory DIgSILENT or Uplight?
PowerFactory DIgSILENT starts at On request and Uplight at On request.
Does PowerFactory DIgSILENT or Uplight run on more platforms?
PowerFactory DIgSILENT runs on Windows, Linux, Api. Uplight runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
What is PowerFactory DIgSILENT best used for?
PowerFactory DIgSILENT is most often used for power system load flow, short circuit and stability analysis for transmission and distribution networks, grid code compliance studies and protection coordination, modelling renewables and distributed generation integration. Of those, power system load flow, short circuit and stability analysis for transmission and distribution networks and grid code compliance studies and protection coordination are not what Uplight is typically brought in for.
What can PowerFactory DIgSILENT do that Uplight cannot?
PowerFactory DIgSILENT covers Load flow calculation, Short-circuit analysis, RMS and EMT simulation, Harmonic analysis. Uplight covers Energy marketplace, Personalised recommendations, Rates engagement, Demand response.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PowerFactory DIgSILENT: How does DIgSILENT PowerFactory licensing work?

PowerFactory offers flexible software editions and licensing options. Customers must request a quotation from DIgSILENT to get pricing based on their specific needs and applications. A demo request option is also available.

Source
Uplight: Who owns Uplight?

It is privately held and backed by Schneider Electric, AES Corporation and Octopus Energy Group.

PowerFactory DIgSILENT: What training and support does DIgSILENT offer?

DIgSILENT provides training courses that can be booked directly. Customers also have access to a knowledge base, license migration assistance, and customer portal. Support services include consulting, testing and certification, and IT projects.

Source
Uplight: Can a competitive energy retailer use it?

It can, but the product is designed around regulated programme delivery and measurement, so a retailer pays for machinery it does not need.

PowerFactory DIgSILENT: Is there a demo version available?

Yes, DIgSILENT offers demo requests for PowerFactory and StationWare products. Prospective customers can contact DIgSILENT directly to schedule a demonstration of the software capabilities.

Source
Uplight: Does Uplight do demand response as well as efficiency?

Yes. It acquired the AutoGrid distributed energy resource platform from Schneider Electric in 2024, which added device control and dispatch to the engagement business.

Uplight: Is pricing published?

No. Deals are quoted per programme and usually sized against an approved programme budget.

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