If you design and sell solar for homes in the United States, Aurora documents the steps you need, and you may not need to leave. If you want a different price unit, commercial design, or a free core app, the tools below fit other cases. Pick by your situation, then check the vendor links.
This page is a desk comparison of what each vendor publishes, checked October 2026. We have not run side-by-side tests.
SurgePV competes with Aurora Solar. Everything we say about Aurora comes from its own website, checked October 2026. If Aurora does not publish something, we say so.
Criteria used: project type, design and sales steps the vendor lists, regions, and published price.
SurgePV publishes this page and is one of the vendors on this list.
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What Aurora Documents
Aurora’s pricing page lists 3D roof modeling, performance simulation, ground mounts, automated panel placement and stringing, and web and PDF proposals. It also lists integrated and custom financing, with GoodLeap, Dividend and Mosaic named. Premium adds LiDAR-assisted modeling, bankable shade reports and battery modeling. LiDAR is laser scanning that measures roof shapes.
Enterprise adds AI-assisted site models, drone mapping, unlimited users, APIs and integrations, dealer configurations, and access to plan sets and engineering stamps. The pricing table lists the Contract Manager (e-signature tools) on Enterprise only.
Aurora has Europe sites and says on its Europe page that projects are designed in 150+ countries. The North America pricing page lists a database of 25,000+ US jurisdictions. Aurora’s Instant Plan Sets are for pitched-roof, grid-tied homes in the United States.
On yield, Aurora’s help center says its production estimates are P50 values. P50 is a yield you expect to meet or beat in 50% of years. Aurora says it does not natively output P90 for solar energy production. P90 is a yield you expect to meet or beat in 90% of years.
Price (checked October 2026): on the North America pricing page, Basic is $159 per user per month billed monthly, or $135 per user per month billed annually. Premium is $259 per user per month billed monthly, or $220 per user per month billed annually. Enterprise is custom, per project.
Stay With Aurora or Switch?
Stay with Aurora if you sell and design for homes, and you want design, proposals and financing partners from one vendor.
Look at another tool if:
- you design commercial projects. Aurora’s site points to HelioScope for that.
- you want a price per project or a free core app, not a price per user.
- you want design and proposals only, at a yearly per-user price.
- you need a tool for utility-scale plants or detailed yield reports.
Best-For Picks by Situation
- Commercial solar-plus-storage design on the web: HelioScope. Its footer reads “an Aurora Inc. Company”. Its pricing page lists rooftop, carport and ground mount on all plans.
- A free core app for design and proposals: OpenSolar. The core app is free. API Access and connectors are charged from 16 April 2026.
- Pay per project for small jobs: Pylon. Its pricing page lists $4.00 per project for Standard and $10.00 per project for Pro. The page does not name the currency.
- Design, proposals and lead management from one vendor, with a monthly US-dollar price: Arka360.
- Utility-scale design inside AutoCAD, or detailed yield simulation: PVcase or PVsyst. Both are Windows programs.
- Rooftop design to proposal in one web application, with a published per-user yearly price: SurgePV. It starts with a guided demo.
Comparison Table
Listed alphabetically. This is not a ranking; pick by the situation above. Aurora is shown first as the reference.
| Tool | Best for | Price (checked October 2026) | Free or paid | Decisive scope fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Solar (reference) | Residential design and sales | Basic $159 per user per month billed monthly, $135 billed annually; Premium $259 monthly, $220 billed annually (aurorasolar.com) | Paid | Contract Manager (e-signature tools) on Enterprise only |
| Arka360 | Design, proposals and lead management | Basic $199 per month (includes 1 user); Premium $358 per month (includes 2 users) (arka360.com) | Paid | Lead management listed on the Basic plan |
| HelioScope | Commercial solar-plus-storage design | Basic $159 per month, Pro $259 per month, per license (helioscope.aurorasolar.com) | Paid; 14-day free trial | Design size cap by plan: 1.25 MW, 5 MW, 30 MW (DC) |
| OpenSolar | Free core app for design and proposals | Core app free (opensolar.com); API Access and connectors charged from 16 April 2026 | Free core app | Project management CRM and e-signature on its Pro pages |
| PVcase | Utility-scale design inside AutoCAD | Not published (“Talk to sales”) | Paid | Built on AutoCAD; Windows 10 (x64) |
| Pylon | Pay-per-project proposals | Standard $4.00 per project; Pro $10.00 per project; currency not named (getpylon.com) | Paid; “Start free trial” button | Standard caps designs at 30kW DC; Pro lists 99kW+ |
| PVsyst | Detailed yield simulation | CHF 700 per year, PVsyst 8 Professional (pvsyst.com) | Paid; one-month free trial | Runs only on Windows; one licence per computer |
| SurgePV | Rooftop design to proposal | $1,899 per user per year (1 user); see /pricing | Paid; guided demo, no self-serve trial | Roof modeling, layout, shading, yield, financial modeling, BOM, proposals |
Every price above was read on the vendor’s own page in October 2026. Units differ, so compare the unit before the amount. Taxes and discounts change, so confirm with the vendor before you buy.
Tool-by-Tool Comparison
Listed alphabetically. This is not a ranking; pick by the situation above.
Arka360
Best for: installers who want design, proposals and lead management from one vendor.
Not the right choice if: you want one clear price list. The Arka360 pricing page we read holds several tables, in rupees and in US dollars.
What the vendor documents: the US-dollar table lists design software, an engineering service portal, lead management, a shade report and a basic proposal on Basic. Premium adds AI assisted modeling, battery storage and backup sizing, CAD export (a drawing file for CAD programs) and custom proposals. The full feature list also names a utility rate finder and task management. It names financing options too: cash, loan, lease and PPA (power purchase agreement).
Price (checked October 2026): the US-dollar table shows Basic at $199 per month (includes 1 user) and Premium at $358 per month (includes 2 users). Enterprise is “Talk to Sales”. Source: Arka360 pricing.
Limitations: the pricing page also shows rupee prices plus GST, and other US-dollar amounts. We quote only the visible US-dollar table. Ask Arka360 which table applies to you.
Vendor link: arka360.com
HelioScope
Best for: commercial installers who design rooftop, carport and ground-mount systems with storage, in a web tool.
Not the right choice if: you design homes only. HelioScope’s pricing page describes “commercial solar-plus-storage design”. The pricing page lists single-axis trackers on Enterprise only.
What the vendor documents: all plans list rooftop, carport and ground mount, storage design, single line diagrams and CAD export. They also list “accuracy within 1% of PVsyst” (vendor wording). A single line diagram (SLD) is a simple drawing of how the system is wired. Pro adds LiDAR-assisted modeling, financial modeling and sales proposals, and P90, P95 and P99 values. Enterprise adds unlimited users, single-axis trackers, PVsyst export and API access (a way to connect other software).
Price (checked October 2026): Basic is $159 USD per license per month, or $1,620 USD per license per year. Pro is $259 USD per license per month, or $2,640 USD per license per year. Each license includes 1 user and 10 projects per month. Enterprise is custom, per project. Source: HelioScope pricing. The help center says standard free trials last 14 days.
Limitations: design size is capped by plan at 1.25 MW (Basic), 5 MW (Pro) and 30 MW (Enterprise), all DC (direct current).
Vendor link: helioscope.aurorasolar.com
OpenSolar
Best for: installers who want a free core app for design, proposals and project tracking. OpenSolar says partners such as manufacturers and finance companies fund it.
Not the right choice if: you design large plants. OpenSolar’s help center recommends keeping 3D designs under 500 kW for speed and stability. It says users have modeled systems up to 5 MW by reducing simulation settings.
What the vendor documents: its Pro pages list leads, auto design, single line diagrams, proposals and e-signature. They also list a shop with a bill of materials (the parts list) and a project management CRM (customer and project tracking). The help article says single line diagrams are supported in AU, NZ, US, CA, UK, FR, DE, IT, ES and IN.
Price (checked October 2026): the core app is free, per the vendor (free page). From 16 April 2026, API Access and supported connectors are charged, per the vendor’s 16 February 2026 post. Optional Enterprise Services cost US$500 per month (Support) or US$1,350 per month (Customize) (OpenSolar Enterprise Services).
Limitations: see the 500 kW note above. Source: OpenSolar help center.
Vendor link: opensolar.com
PVcase
Best for: engineers who design utility-scale ground-mount plants or commercial rooftops inside AutoCAD, a drawing program from Autodesk.
Not the right choice if: you do not run Windows 10 (x64) and AutoCAD. PVcase’s system requirements page lists both, and says Ground Mount and Roof Mount “will not run on virtual machines”.
What the vendor documents: PVcase has four products: Prospect for site selection, Ground Mount, Roof Mount and Yield. The plan pages list slope, grading and piling analysis, single line diagram export and bill of materials export. Yield lists “probability scenarios (P50, P90)”. See our full PVcase alternatives list.
Price (checked October 2026): not published. PVcase’s home page FAQ says it does not “offer a complete price list online”. Its plan pages say to talk to sales. Source: pvcase.com.
Limitations: the pages we read describe PVcase for utility-scale and commercial work, not for the home sales visit.
Vendor link: pvcase.com
Pylon
Best for: small installers who want to pay per project and get web and PDF proposals.
Not the right choice if: you design systems above the size cap of your plan. The pricing page lists a maximum of 30kW DC on Standard and 99kW+ on Pro and Enterprise.
What the vendor documents: the pricing page lists solar system design, high resolution imagery in select countries, financial projections and instant web and PDF proposals. Pro adds a custom load profile, battery storage design and commercial sized projects. A Solar CRM is sold as an add-on. The vendor’s single line diagram page says it can generate diagrams from your design.
Price (checked October 2026): Standard is $4.00 per project and Pro is $10.00 per project. The page does not name the currency. Enterprise is “get in touch”. The Solar CRM starts from $49.00 per user per month, billed monthly. eSignature is 80c per project on every plan. Source: Pylon pricing.
Limitations: the pricing page lists 5 designs per project on every plan.
Vendor link: getpylon.com
PVsyst
Best for: engineers who want detailed yield simulation, including P50 and P90 values, and a published yearly price.
Not the right choice if: you do not use Windows. PVsyst’s product page says it “only runs on Windows” and needs one license per computer.
What the vendor documents: system design for grid-connected, standalone and pumping systems. It lists 3D shading scenes, bifacial systems and trackers. It also lists an economic assessment with net present value (NPV), levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and return on investment (ROI). PVsyst’s help page says annual production has a 50% probability of exceeding the P50 value and a 90% probability of exceeding the P90 value. In plain words, you expect a year to meet or beat P90 in 90% of years.
Price (checked October 2026): PVsyst 8 Professional is CHF 700 per year, updates included. Group discounts are 5% for 2 to 4 licences, 15% for 5 to 9, and 20% for 10 or more. Source: PVsyst shop. The product page lists a one-month free trial.
Limitations: the P50 and P90 tool needs inputs you set yourself, such as weather data variability. Source: PVsyst P50-P90 help page.
Vendor link: pvsyst.com
SurgePV
SurgePV is our product. We publish this list and sell this software.
Best for: installers and EPC teams that want one web application for roof modeling, layout, shading and yield modeling. It also covers financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill of materials and proposals, with a published per-user price.
Not the right choice if:
- you need plan sets and engineering stamps from the same vendor. Aurora lists them on its Enterprise plan. SurgePV’s published scope does not list them.
- you need a self-serve trial. SurgePV offers a guided demo and does not advertise one.
- you need approval from a lender, authority or engineer. SurgePV outputs support design and documentation but do not replace that approval.
- you want a free core app. OpenSolar says its core app is free (API Access and connectors are charged from 16 April 2026).
What the vendor documents: 3D roof modeling, solar array layout, shading analysis, energy-yield modeling, financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill-of-materials output and proposal generation. See the pages on solar design, proposals and the generation and financial tool.
Price (checked October 2026): $1,899 per user per year for one user. It is $1,499 per user per year for 3 seats and $1,299 per user per year for 5 seats. The pricing page lists unlimited projects, shadow analysis, generation and financial analysis, and proposal generation under “Everything included”. Access starts with a guided demo.
Limitations: results depend on the source data, assumptions and equipment models you use. Confirm final terms and any fair-use limits with sales.
Vendor link: SurgePV solar design software
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Moving Data Out of Aurora
This page does not give a migration time, because we have no source for one. Here is what Aurora documents.
- Design layout: Aurora can export a system design as a DXF file. DXF is a drawing file type that AutoCAD and other CAD programs can open.
- Production data: the help center describes a CSV download of hourly production data from Design Mode. A CSV file is a plain spreadsheet file.
- API: the pricing page lists APIs and integrations on the Enterprise plan.
In the pages we read, we did not find a guide for moving whole projects to another tool. Ask Aurora what you can take with you before you cancel. For SurgePV, read the Aurora Solar to SurgePV guide.
How to Choose
- Start with your project type. Homes point to Aurora, OpenSolar, Pylon or Arka360. Commercial roofs point to HelioScope. Utility-scale plants point to PVcase.
- Compare the price unit. Aurora and SurgePV charge per user. Pylon charges per project. HelioScope charges per license. OpenSolar has a free core app. Compare the unit before the amount.
- Check your regions. Aurora lists a US jurisdiction database and Europe sites. Check what each tool offers for your country.
- Test with one real project. Ask each vendor to run a project you know well. Compare the output with your Aurora result.
For more lists, see the HelioScope alternatives and PVsyst alternatives pages.
How We Ordered These Tools
The tools are listed alphabetically. The comparison table and the picks record what each vendor documents, not what we saw in use.
Project type. It matters because home, commercial and utility-scale work need different tools. We did not compare output on one site.
Design and sales steps the vendor lists. It matters because each step left out stays in another tool. We did not open sample proposals or test e-signature.
Regions. It matters because rates, incentives and permit data differ by country. We did not check each country.
Published price. It matters because a published number lets you plan a budget. We did not request quotes, and we left out add-ons, taxes and volume discounts.
Sources and Dates
Vendor pages were read in October 2026. Prices and features come from the vendor pages linked here and in the entries above. Each vendor page can change, so check the vendor before you buy.
- arka360.com: /pricing, home
- aurorasolar.com: /pricing/, /eu/en/
- getpylon.com: /pricing/, /solutions/single-line-diagram/, home
- helioscope.aurorasolar.com: /pricing/, home
- help-center.helioscope.com: /hc/en-us/articles/52658918496275-Free-Trial
- help.aurorasolar.com: /hc/en-us/articles/33543611295379-Instant-Plan-Sets, /hc/en-us/articles/52845822086547-What-PXX-values-does-Aurora-use-for-energy-production-calculations, /hc/en-us/articles/115006194208-Exporting-DXF-files-from-Aurora, /hc/en-us/articles/7046096001299-Hourly-Production-Data-Export
- help.pvcase.com: /hc/en-us/articles/38224016012691-System-requirements-compatibility
- opensolar.com: /free/, /post/free-platform-data-export-pricing/, /enterprise-services/, /pro/
- pvcase.com: home
- pvsyst.com: /en/shop/, /en/products/pvsyst/, /help/project-design/p50-p90-evaluations.html, home
- support.opensolar.com: /hc/en-us/articles/12354314183567-How-to-use-the-Single-Line-Diagram-SLDs, /hc/en-us/articles/12354276533647-How-to-design-commercial-projects-in-OpenSolar
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Aurora Solar?
Aurora Solar sells design and sales software for solar installers. Its pricing page describes the Basic plan as “all the essential tools for residential design and sales”. Aurora’s site lists commercial design under HelioScope, which is “an Aurora Inc. Company”. Aurora has a North America site and Europe sites.
How much does Aurora Solar cost?
On Aurora’s North America pricing page, Basic is $159 per user per month billed monthly, or $135 per user per month billed annually ($1,620 billed annually). Premium is $259 per user per month billed monthly, or $220 per user per month billed annually ($2,640 billed annually). Enterprise is custom, per project. Plan sets, engineering stamps and some other services are add-ons. Prices were checked in October 2026.
Is there a free alternative to Aurora Solar?
OpenSolar says its core app is free. It charges for API Access and connectors from 16 April 2026, and it sells optional paid services. Its help center recommends keeping 3D designs under 500 kW. HelioScope offers a 14-day free trial, not free use.
Can I use HelioScope instead of Aurora Solar?
HelioScope describes itself as “an Aurora Inc. Company”, and its pricing page describes “commercial solar-plus-storage design”. Its license includes 1 user and 10 projects per month. Its Pro plan lists financial modeling and sales proposals. Aurora’s contract signing tools are on its own Enterprise plan, and the HelioScope pricing page does not list them.
Does Aurora Solar work outside the United States?
Aurora has Europe sites and says projects are designed in 150+ countries. Its North America pricing page lists a database of 25,000+ US jurisdictions, and its Instant Plan Sets are for homes in the United States. Check coverage for your country with Aurora before you decide.
Can I move my designs out of Aurora Solar?
Aurora’s help center describes a DXF export of a system design, a CSV download of hourly production data, and API access on the Enterprise plan. In the pages we read, we did not find a guide for moving whole projects to another tool. We do not give a migration time, because we have no source for one.
Related lists
For a broader view, see the best solar design software list. If you are leaving another tool, see PVcase alternatives, HelioScope alternatives and PVsyst alternatives. For the products behind the SurgePV entry, see solar design software and solar proposal software.
