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Energy · head to head

Aurora Solar vs Wood Mackenzie Lens

Aurora Solar logo

Aurora Solar

Energy

The leading solar design and sales platform

From
$135/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wood Mackenzie Lens logo

Wood Mackenzie Lens

Energy

Subscription research data and analytics covering oil, gas, power, renewables and mining assets

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aurora Solar both published plans are single user, so a second designer means a second licence; Wood Mackenzie Lens licensing is per named seat and per dataset, so sharing a login across an analyst team breaches the contract and licensing the team properly multiplies the fee rather than adding to it.
  • They diverge on capability: Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Wood Mackenzie Lens covers Upstream asset data.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aurora Solar and Wood Mackenzie Lens actually diverge.

Attributes where Aurora Solar and Wood Mackenzie Lens differ
AttributeAurora SolarWood Mackenzie Lens
Starting price$135/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Api), 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 Aurora Solar

  • 3D solar design
  • Shade analysis
  • LIDAR integration
  • Performance simulation
  • Sales proposals
  • Financing options
  • Permit packages
  • NEC code compliance

Only in Wood Mackenzie Lens

  • Upstream asset data
  • Power and renewables
  • Metals and mining
  • Gas and LNG
  • Energy transition scenarios
  • Emissions data
  • Lens Direct
  • Scenario and portfolio tools

What people use each for

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

Aurora Solar

  • Designing and simulating residential and commercial solar installationsnot Wood Mackenzie Lens
  • Producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projectsnot Wood Mackenzie Lens

Wood Mackenzie Lens

  • A corporate development team screening acquisition targets against independent asset economicsnot Aurora Solar
  • A lender or investor testing a project sponsor case against third-party cost and production estimatesnot Aurora Solar
  • A strategy team building long-term scenarios that need consistent cross-commodity assumptionsnot Aurora Solar
  • A trading or origination desk that needs asset level supply data pulled into its own models through the APInot Aurora Solar

Where each one falls short

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

Aurora Solar

  • Both published plans are single user, so a second designer means a second licence
  • Projects are capped at 50 a month on both Basic and Premium, so the tiers differ on features rather than volume
  • LIDAR assisted modelling, shade reports and battery storage modelling all require Premium at $259 a month
  • API access and integrations are Enterprise only, which is priced per project rather than per month
  • Paying monthly rather than annually costs $288 more a year on Basic and $468 on Premium

Wood Mackenzie Lens

  • Licensing is per named seat and per dataset, so sharing a login across an analyst team breaches the contract and licensing the team properly multiplies the fee rather than adding to it.
  • The content is analyst-modelled rather than operator-reported, so asset economics and reserve figures are estimates and can differ materially from what the owner of the asset publishes.
  • Modules are split by commodity and by region, and a question that spans gas and power, or Americas and EMEA, can require two or three separate subscriptions to answer.
  • Content refresh follows the research publication calendar, so individual asset records can lag a transaction or a project decision by a quarter or more, which matters on live deals.
  • Ownership passed from Verisk to Veritas Capital in 2023, so buyers signing multi-year terms are contracting with a private equity holding whose plans for pricing and packaging are not public.

Pricing, plan by plan

Aurora Solar

$135/month
  • Basic$159/month
    • Tablet-friendly sales proposals
    • Industry-leading design accuracy
    • HD imagery
  • Premium$259/month
    • Tablet-friendly sales proposals
    • Industry-leading design accuracy
    • HD imagery
  • Enterprise$null/project
    • All Premium features
    • AI-assisted site models
    • APIs and integrations

Wood Mackenzie Lens

On request
  • Lens subscription$undefined/year
    • Quoted per dataset and per named user
    • Regional variants of a module are priced as separate subscriptions
    • Lens Direct API access licensed on top of platform access

Which should you pick?

Choose Aurora Solar if

  • You need 3d solar design.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want shade analysis.
Aurora Solar review

Choose Wood Mackenzie Lens if

  • You need upstream asset data.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want power and renewables.
Wood Mackenzie Lens review

Questions people ask

Is Aurora Solar or Wood Mackenzie Lens better?
Neither clearly leads. Aurora Solar starts at $135/month and Wood Mackenzie Lens at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aurora Solar or Wood Mackenzie Lens?
Aurora Solar starts at $135/month and Wood Mackenzie Lens at On request.
Does Aurora Solar or Wood Mackenzie Lens run on more platforms?
Aurora Solar runs on Web, Api. Wood Mackenzie Lens runs on Web, API.
What is Aurora Solar best used for?
Aurora Solar is most often used for designing and simulating residential and commercial solar installations, producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projects. Of those, designing and simulating residential and commercial solar installations and producing shade analysis and sales proposals for solar projects are not what Wood Mackenzie Lens is typically brought in for.
What can Aurora Solar do that Wood Mackenzie Lens cannot?
Aurora Solar covers 3D solar design, Shade analysis, LIDAR integration, Performance simulation. Wood Mackenzie Lens covers Upstream asset data, Power and renewables, Metals and mining, Gas and LNG.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aurora Solar: How much does Aurora Solar cost per month?

Aurora Solar Basic costs $159/month billed monthly or $135/month billed annually (save $288/year). Premium costs $259/month monthly or $220/month annually (save $468/year). Enterprise pricing is custom per project. Monthly plans have no minimum commitment and can be cancelled at any billing period end. Annual plans require a one-year commitment.

Source
Wood Mackenzie Lens: Am I buying software or research?

Research. Lens is the delivery platform for Wood Mackenzie analysis, and the analysis is what the price reflects.

Aurora Solar: What features does Aurora Solar Premium add over Basic?

Premium adds LIDAR-assisted modeling, bankable shade reports, and battery modeling for backup, self-consumption, and arbitrage scenarios. Both tiers include 50 projects per month and support 1 user.

Source
Wood Mackenzie Lens: Who owns Wood Mackenzie?

Veritas Capital, which acquired it from Verisk in 2023.

Aurora Solar: How many users and projects can I have on Aurora Solar?

Basic and Premium plans support 1 user with a 50-project monthly limit. Enterprise plans support unlimited users and custom project limits; Enterprise pricing and terms are custom and determined through sales.

Source
Wood Mackenzie Lens: Can a team share one licence?

No. Licences are per named user, and sharing breaches the subscription terms.

Wood Mackenzie Lens: Can I get the data into my own models?

Yes, through Lens Direct, which is licensed separately from platform access.

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