Nearmap Review: Pros and Cons

SurgePV publishes this page and is a vendor in this category. SurgePV competes with Nearmap only in part, because Nearmap sells imagery and SurgePV sells design software. The facts here come from Nearmap’s public pages and SurgePV’s pricing, checked October 2026. Last checked: October 2026.

What does Nearmap do for solar teams?

Nearmap provides aerial imagery and 3D data of buildings, viewed and measured in the MapBrowser web app. Nearmap says its imagery is captured from aircraft, not satellites (coverage page). It offers vertical, panoramic, oblique and 3D views. Here is what the vendor documents, with the page for each fact.

AI data cannot be exported from MapBrowser since 21 February 2023. Nearmap says you can request an offline export instead (allowance and usage help).

What is Nearmap on OpenSolar?

Nearmap on OpenSolar is a design and sales toolkit that uses Nearmap imagery inside OpenSolar. Nearmap’s help says you need a Nearmap on OpenSolar subscription, and that you can ask a Nearmap Account Manager about the add-on. It has two design modes, Basic and Full (Nearmap on OpenSolar help).

The 3D tutorial shows how panel placement and shade analysis work. You need Full Design Mode. The 3D model loads only if the address is in Nearmap’s 3D coverage area, and the Oblique add-on gives access to the DSM (3D tutorial). The tutorial says OpenSolar then uses the System Advisor Model (SAM), a software model for renewable energy systems.

How much does Nearmap cost?

Nearmap does not publish a subscription price. We found no Nearmap subscription price on its site. We read its home, solar, MapBrowser, contact and coverage pages, the help pages below, and searched its sitemap (October 2026). The only pricing page, “itel Pricing”, is for building-material costs in insurance claims, not for imagery. Here is what the vendor does say about how you buy.

The last two rows describe two different ways to get Nearmap inside OpenSolar. One comes from Nearmap’s help and one from OpenSolar’s page. Ask both vendors which one applies to your account.

Key facts above come from the Nearmap MapBrowser product and contact pages, checked October 2026.

Who should choose Nearmap?

It suits you if:

• You want to check roofs and nearby objects from your desk before a site visit. Nearmap’s solar page describes this use. Our guide to a solar site survey evidence package lists what to record from a remote check.
• You work in an area on Nearmap’s coverage map, which the help lists as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
• You already use, or plan to use, OpenSolar and want 3D design with shade analysis.

Look elsewhere if:

• You need a price before you talk to sales. Nearmap does not publish one.
• You need panel layout, shade results and proposals in one program. The MapBrowser pages we read describe viewing, measuring, projects and exports. Panel placement and shade analysis are documented for Nearmap on OpenSolar. See our note on shade analysis in the design workflow.
• Your address has no 3D coverage. The Nearmap on OpenSolar 3D tutorial says the 3D model loads only if the address is in the 3D coverage area.
• You need to know when the next capture will happen. Nearmap says it is “not able to provide capture dates in advance”, because of air traffic control rules and weather.

Nearmap vs SurgePV: imagery source or design tool?

SurgePV sells design software that overlaps with Nearmap only through the design workflow. The SurgePV column uses only SurgePV’s own product facts and pricing page.

Results from any design tool depend on source data, assumptions and review. SurgePV outputs support design work but do not replace approval by the responsible engineer, authority, lender, insurer or utility. To see SurgePV on your own project, Book a Free Demo.

Bottom line

Choose Nearmap if you want recent aerial pictures and online measuring before a site visit and are willing to ask sales for a quote. Choose a design tool if you need layout, shade results and proposals. To see how SurgePV handles those steps, Book a Free Demo or review the SurgePV pricing page.

Other options

• OpenSolar review: the design tool Nearmap documents for 3D panel placement.
• Best solar design software: tools that cover design and proposals, compared by workflow.
• Best solar shading analysis software: tools compared on shade models and reports.
• Solar design software: SurgePV’s own design page.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nearmap and what does it do for solar?

Nearmap sells aerial imagery and 3D data of buildings. Its solar page says teams can prospect, measure roofs remotely and prepare quotes. MapBrowser is its web app for viewing, measuring and exporting imagery. For panel layout and shade analysis, Nearmap documents a separate route, Nearmap on OpenSolar.

How much does Nearmap cost?

Nearmap does not publish a subscription price on its site. Its contact page offers a free demo through sales. The help center says some accounts move to a Current model when they renew. It counts use in several ways, including credits. For Property Intelligence accounts, one credit gives access to one property. Ask Nearmap for a quote for your users, area and content types. Checked October 2026.

Can I buy Nearmap imagery without a subscription?

Inside OpenSolar, yes. OpenSolar’s Imagery Marketplace says it is pay-as-you-go with no upfront subscription, and shows the price in the app before you buy. It lists Nearmap as available in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. Nearmap’s own help says Nearmap on OpenSolar needs a subscription or add-on. These are two different routes, so confirm which one applies to you.

How good is Nearmap imagery?

The MapBrowser page states 4-7.5 cm or better ground sample distance (GSD), refreshed up to 3 times a year in Nearmap Core. GSD is the ground size of one image pixel. Nearmap’s contact page also states 5.5 cm GSD and an absolute horizontal accuracy of 21.9 cm for its latest vertical camera systems. These are vendor figures, so check your own address.

Does Nearmap do shade analysis for solar?

The MapBrowser pages we read describe viewing, measuring and exporting, not a shade tool. Nearmap’s blog says its AI layers can mark trees that shade a roof. In Nearmap on OpenSolar, Nearmap’s tutorial describes 3D panel placement and a shading analysis tool. It needs Full Design Mode and 3D coverage at the address.

Does Nearmap cover my area?

Nearmap’s help points to its coverage map for the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Its US coverage page says Nearmap Core covers 88% of the U.S. population today. Content type varies by area, so search your address on the vendor’s coverage map.

Is Nearmap better than satellite imagery for solar?

Nearmap says its imagery is captured from aircraft, not satellites, and states 4-7.5 cm or better ground sample distance in Nearmap Core. The pages read do not compare it with any satellite provider, so check your own address on the coverage map. Source: Nearmap MapBrowser and coverage pages, checked October 2026.

Sources

All pages were read in October 2026. Prices and limits are as the vendor shows them on those pages.

• Nearmap MapBrowser product page
• Nearmap solar page
• Nearmap contact page and FAQ
• Nearmap coverage page (US site)
• Help: Getting started with MapBrowser
• Help: MapBrowser content
• Help: Allowance and usage
• Help: Classic vs Current subscription models
• Help: Nearmap on OpenSolar
• Help: Design with Nearmap on OpenSolar 3D
• OpenSolar Imagery Marketplace
• Nearmap blog: how technology is reshaping solar panel infrastructure
• SurgePV pricing