Pros
Cons
Quick answer
PVComplete sells four solar design tools: PVSketch and PVSketch Mega in a browser, PVCAD and PVCAD Mega inside AutoCAD on Windows, per its site, checked October 2026. The deciding factor is AutoCAD: the Plug-In needs your own licence, and the Bundle includes it. Prices carry a dollar sign with no named currency, and its two pricing pages differ.
Comparing PVComplete with SurgePV?
PVComplete splits design across four tools. SurgePV keeps design, shading and proposals in one web workflow. See it on your own project.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
SurgePV publishes this page and is a vendor in this category, so it competes with PVComplete. The facts here come from the vendors’ public pages, checked October 2026. Last checked: October 2026.
Short answer: PVComplete sells four solar design tools. PVSketch and PVSketch Mega run in a web browser. PVCAD and PVCAD Mega run inside AutoCAD on Windows. The tools suit engineers who already use AutoCAD, and sales teams who want quick layouts. The vendor prices each tool on its own. The PVCAD Bundle is listed at $333 per month with annual billing. PVComplete is now part of Enact Systems. Prices checked October 2026.
What PVComplete does
PVComplete describes its products as “Intuitive software for residential, commercial, and utility scale development and engineering” (PVComplete home page). It splits its tools by project size. PVSketch and PVCAD are for projects up to 5 MW (megawatts). The “Mega” tools are for ground-mount projects above 5 MW.
CAD means computer-aided design. It is drawing software that engineers use to make plans. AutoCAD is a well-known CAD program from Autodesk.
Here is what the vendor says each tool does, with the page for each fact.
| Tool | What the vendor says | Page |
|---|---|---|
| PVSketch | “An easy to use web-based layout tool for distributed generation, free and paid plans available.” You mark obstructions on satellite imagery, pick equipment, review savings and make a proposal. You can export to PVCAD or order a plan set. | PVSketch |
| PVCAD | Makes “engineering and permit-ready drawings” for rooftop, carport and ground-mount projects. Covers stringing, a single line diagram (SLD, a simple drawing of how the system is wired), voltage drop checks and a bill of materials. Exports to PVsyst. The vendor says: “Reduce design time by 50% using solar automated features.” | PVCAD |
| PVSketch Mega | A web tool for early ground-mount layouts. Imports topography, runs layout optimizations and models energy with CASSYS. Shows LCOE (the cost of each unit of energy over time). | PVSketch Mega |
| PVCAD Mega | An AutoCAD add-on for ground mounts and rooftops. Supports fixed-tilt or one-axis tracker layouts, a pier schedule and topography. Exports a 3D scene to PVsyst. | PVCAD Mega |
PVCAD also has an AI assistant tab. The vendor says it answers design and code questions and can start design tasks (PVComplete AI guide).
PVComplete also sells design services. These include plan sets, electrical stamping and structural stamping. The services page lists a price for each (design services). The FAQ says the stamps cover projects in the United States (FAQ).
The Enact deal
The home page says “PVComplete is now part of Enact Systems!” Enact Solar announced the purchase on 13 January 2026. The press release says the combined platform “will continue to serve PVComplete’s existing customer base” (Enact press release). It does not mention prices or product plans.
Price and plans
The vendor shows a dollar sign and does not name the currency. We searched the PVComplete site for a currency name in October 2026 and found none. The pricing pages do not say if tax is included. The Terms of Use say the customer is “responsible for all taxes associated with Services”, other than US taxes on the company’s net income. Prices checked October 2026.
| Tool | Price on the pricing page | Checkout price, billed monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PVSketch | “Paid Plans Starting At $299 / mo” | Bought inside the app | “Try Limited Use Free Version!” Paid plan: “2 Users Incl., $149/mo per Addl.” “Unlimited Resi Designs. 10 C&I Designs per Month.” |
| PVCAD Plug-In | “$267 / mo (annual)” | $347 per month ($3,199 per year) | “Need AutoCAD License” |
| PVCAD Bundle | “$333 / mo (annual)” | $433 per month ($3,999 per year) | “AutoCAD Included” |
| PVSketch Mega | “$299 / mo (annual)” | Not shown; “Talk to Sales” | “Annual Plans”. “Enterprise Packages Available” |
| PVCAD Mega | “$390 / mo ($4680 annually)” | $506 per month ($4,679 per year) | “Need AutoCAD License” |
| PVCAD Mega Bundle | “$480 / mo ($5760 annually)” | $624 per month ($5,759 per year) | “AutoCAD Included” |
Sources: the distributed generation pricing page and the utility scale pricing page. The checkout prices come from the “Monthly Plan Here” links on those pages, which open the vendor’s checkout. C&I means commercial and industrial.
The PVSketch card does not say if the $299 is billed monthly or yearly.
The two pricing pages do not match for the Mega tools. The table shows the utility scale page. The distributed generation page shows PVSketch Mega at “$125 / mo (annual)”, PVCAD Mega at “$325 / mo (annual)” and PVCAD Mega Bundle at “$400 / mo (annual)”. Its checkout links show $422 per month ($3,899 per year) for PVCAD Mega and $520 per month ($4,799 per year) for the Bundle. Ask PVComplete which prices apply.
The vendor says annual billing gives a “30% Discount”. The checkout prices work out to about 23% for the PVCAD Bundle ($433 x 12 = $5,196, against $3,999 a year). Ask PVComplete which figure applies.
Design services price list
The vendor’s services page lists a fee for each job. The fees are “added to the monthly payment paid on credit card subscription”. Edits cost extra (design services).
| Job | Vendor price |
|---|---|
| Proposal with 3D shade report, bill savings and cashflow | “$20 per proposal” (home) to “$199 per proposal” (over 1 MW) |
| Plan set with layout, single line diagram and bill of materials | “$150” (home) to “$950” (1 MW and above) |
Free versions and trials
The vendor’s user guide says new PVSketch users can “create two projects per month” on the free version. It says the free version limits commercial projects, the AI tool and proposals (PVSketch licences guide). The FAQ says PVSketch is “free to sign up” (FAQ).
An older figure of five free projects appears only in a 2018 vendor post. The current guide says two a month.
The FAQ also lists “7-day free trials for PVCAD, PVSketch Mega, and PVCAD Mega”. You ask for a trial through a form (trial page).
PVCAD and PVCAD Mega licences are “linked and registered to one computer” (FAQ).
- PVCAD Plug-In (own AutoCAD licence)$267
- PVSketch Mega$299
- PVCAD Bundle (AutoCAD included)$333
- PVCAD Mega$390
- PVCAD Mega Bundle$480
Source: PVComplete utility scale pricing page, checked October 2026.
Who PVComplete suits, and who should look elsewhere
It suits you if:
- Your engineers already use AutoCAD and want solar tools inside it.
- You design ground-mount sites and need topography and a pier schedule (PVCAD Mega).
- You want to buy plan sets and engineering stamps from the same vendor for US projects.
- Your sales team wants a free web tool for a first layout.
Look elsewhere if:
- You cannot run Windows. The vendor says “PVCAD requires Windows” (10 or 11, 64-bit). It also needs Microsoft Excel and 8 GB of memory (install guide). The guide says you can use a virtual machine or a split drive to run Windows on a Mac.
- You want one price for every tool. Each tool is priced on its own. PVSketch Mega has no checkout price.
- You need a firm answer on the free PVSketch limit. The vendor’s pages give different figures.
Questions to ask PVComplete:
- Which currency do the prices use, and how much tax will you pay?
- Is the PVSketch $299 billed monthly or yearly?
- Which Mega prices are right, as the two pricing pages show different amounts?
- Will Enact change prices or plans after the deal?
Compared with SurgePV
SurgePV sells competing software. The SurgePV column uses only SurgePV’s own product facts and pricing page.
| Topic | PVComplete | SurgePV |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Four tools: PVSketch for layouts and proposals, PVCAD for AutoCAD plan sets, and two Mega tools for ground mounts | 3D roof modeling, solar array layout, shading analysis, energy-yield modeling, financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill-of-materials output and proposal generation |
| Price | Per tool, in dollars per month. Example: PVCAD Bundle at $333 / mo (annual) | USD per user per year: $1,899 (1 user), $1,499 (3 seats), $1,299 (5 seats) |
| Try it first | Free PVSketch version. 7-day trials for the other three tools | Guided demo; no self-serve trial |
| Limits | PVCAD needs AutoCAD and Windows | Results depend on source data, assumptions, equipment models, configuration and review. Outputs support design work but do not replace approval by the responsible engineer, authority, lender, insurer or utility. |
The prices use different units, so do not compare them directly. To see SurgePV on your own project, Book a Free Demo.
Want design without AutoCAD?
SurgePV is a web workflow for 3D roof modeling, layout, shading and proposals. Book a demo and bring a real project.
Book a Free DemoBottom line
PVComplete suits engineers who already work in AutoCAD and want solar tools inside it. If your team wants one browser workflow from layout to proposal, look at SurgePV pricing, the CAD tools list, or book a demo.
Other options
- Solar CAD tools: a list of CAD-style tools for solar design.
- Solar design software: a list of design tools by use case.
- Enact Solar vs SurgePV: PVComplete is now part of Enact, so see how Enact’s platform compares.
Sources
All pages read October 2026.
- PVComplete home page
- PVSketch, PVCAD, PVSketch Mega, PVCAD Mega
- Distributed generation pricing and utility scale pricing, with the vendor’s linked checkout pages
- Design services
- FAQ and trial page
- PVSketch licences guide, PVCAD install guide and PVComplete AI guide
- Terms of Use
- Enact press release, 13 January 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is PVComplete?
PVComplete sells four solar design tools. PVSketch and PVSketch Mega run in a web browser. PVCAD and PVCAD Mega run inside AutoCAD on Windows. The company says it was founded in 2015 and is now part of Enact Systems.
How much does PVComplete cost?
The vendor lists PVSketch paid plans from $299 / mo, PVCAD Plug-In at $267 / mo (annual) and the PVCAD Bundle at $333 / mo (annual). PVCAD Mega is $390 / mo and the PVCAD Mega Bundle is $480 / mo on the utility scale page, but the distributed generation page shows $325 and $400. The pages show a dollar sign and do not name the currency. The Terms of Use make the customer responsible for taxes. Checked October 2026.
Is PVComplete free?
PVSketch has a free version. The vendor’s user guide says it allows two projects a month and limits some features. The vendor’s FAQ lists 7-day free trials for PVCAD, PVSketch Mega and PVCAD Mega. The other tools need a paid licence after the trial.
Does PVComplete need AutoCAD?
PVCAD and PVCAD Mega run inside AutoCAD. The Plug-In needs your own AutoCAD licence. The Bundle includes AutoCAD. PVSketch and PVSketch Mega run in a web browser and do not need AutoCAD.
Who owns PVComplete?
The PVComplete home page says it is now part of Enact Systems. Enact Solar announced the deal on 13 January 2026. The press release says the combined platform will keep serving PVComplete’s existing customers. It does not mention prices.
How does PVComplete compare with SurgePV?
PVComplete splits its work across four tools, and PVCAD needs AutoCAD on Windows. SurgePV covers 3D roof modeling, array layout, shading analysis, energy-yield modeling, financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill-of-materials output and proposal generation. SurgePV sells competing software. Prices use different units, so do not compare them directly.
About the Contributors
Solar-industry contributor
Nimesh Katariya contributes to SurgePV content concerning solar project workflows. This profile intentionally does not assert certifications, project totals, seminar counts, or technical-review authority without retained verification evidence.
Editorial contributor · SurgePV
Rainer Neumann is credited as an editorial contributor on SurgePV content. This profile does not assert engineering credentials, project totals, software-testing experience, education, speaking engagements, or media citations because independent verification evidence is not retained in the publication record.
