Pros
Cons
Quick answer
Scanifly is solar design software that works from remote imagery or drone photos, with plan sets and racking exports. It does not publish a subscription price, so you need a demo to get a quote. Design Services and imagery are paid with credits at one dollar each, per Scanifly. Onsite design needs a drone with GPS and a camera. Checked October 2026.
Comparing Scanifly with SurgePV?
Book a guided demo and see SurgePV roof modeling, shading and proposals on one of your own projects.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
SurgePV publishes this page and is a vendor in this category. SurgePV competes with Scanifly. The facts here come from Scanifly’s public pages and blog and SurgePV’s pricing page, checked October 2026 (last read 28 October 2026).
What does Scanifly do?
Scanifly sells PV design software, a field app and a paid design team. PV means photovoltaic, the solar panels on a roof. Each fact below comes from a Scanifly page, linked at the end of the line.
PV design
- PrelimDesign is the remote tool for sales. It uses satellite or Nearmap imagery and LiDAR (a laser scan of the ground and trees) to build a layout and estimate production. Scanifly says it supports residential, commercial and ground mount projects. Scanifly PV Design page
- DroneDesign is the onsite tool. Someone flies a drone over the site, and Scanifly builds a 3D model from the photos. Scanifly says it is “accurate to within 1-3 inches of hand measurements.” Scanifly home page FAQ
- Simple Design and Pro Design are two design screens. Simple Design is for sales reps. Pro Design lets you change roof layouts, fire setbacks (the gaps fire rules need at roof edges), module type, direction and shading. It exports to CAD or to racking partners. Scanifly PV Design page
- Shading uses Scanifly’s Viewshed tool. Scanifly says regulators and lenders have approved it, and names NYSERDA, MassCEC, CEC, Austin Energy, Commerce RI, Energy Trust of Oregon, LightReach, EverBrite and Sunlight, “and others.” Scanifly home page FAQ
Field app
Scanifly says its mobile app is free with any design product subscription. It runs on iOS and Android. It has digital checklists for site surveys, and more than 10 ready-made checklist templates. Scanifly Field Ops page
Design Services
Design Services is Scanifly’s paid design team. You order work inside your Scanifly account. Scanifly Design Services page
| Service | What Scanifly says it is | Turnaround listed |
|---|---|---|
| Site Modeling | Roof outlines, obstructions and trees; you add the modules | Under 3 hours |
| Max Fill | Proposal-ready remote design with modules and shading | Under 3 hours |
| Wireframes | Drone-based 3D model with roof planes and obstructions outlined | Under 3 hours |
| True-Ups | Your remote layout lined up with the drone-based 3D model | Under 24 hours |
| Plan Sets | Plan sets and engineering stamps | Under 48 hours |
Scanifly says these times are for residential projects only. Faster service costs extra, and onsite designs need a drone-based 3D model. A plan set is the set of drawings used for permits. A Scanifly blog post from 15 August 2023 says a full plan set includes a one-line plan (a simple drawing of how the system is wired), a bill of materials (the parts list), electrical plans and a placard that shows engineering sign-off. Scanifly blog, plan sets
Integrations
| Type | Partners Scanifly lists |
|---|---|
| Sales and proposals | Enerflo, Pipe, Energy Toolbase, SubcontractorHub |
| Racking and bill of materials | IronRidge, Pegasus, K2 Systems, EcoFasten |
| Plan sets | Unirac, SnapNrack |
| Custom | Scanifly API, Zapier, Pale Blue Dawn |
Source: Scanifly Integrations page. Racking is the metal frame that holds the panels. Scanifly says racking integrations are self-serve, and that most customers save 1 to 3 hours per project.
Proposals and financing
Scanifly’s blog post of 28 May 2026 says it is building a proposal tool, and that it is not building a CRM or a financing origination portal. A blog post of 19 August 2026 refers to “Scanifly Proposals” as a place where reps can edit a design inside a proposal. Scanifly’s PV Design page does not list it, and its Why Scanifly page still says “we don’t seek to build a proposal.” Ask Scanifly what is available today. Blog, 28 May 2026, blog, 19 August 2026, Why Scanifly
For financial modeling, Scanifly points to partners. Its blog describes Energy Toolbase as the partner with “financial modeling and project estimating capabilities.” Blog, Energy Toolbase
Results Scanifly publishes
These are Scanifly’s own case studies. We have not checked them.
- Namaste Solar: Scanifly says revisions fell from 25% to less than 1% of projects within a year. Case study
- Hammond Energy: Scanifly’s page reports an 84% cut in survey time. Case study
Price and plans
| Item | What Scanifly publishes (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Subscription | Not published; the site says “Book a Demo” |
| Design Services and imagery | Paid with credits. “One credit equals one dollar.” Credits roll over when you renew. Credits for Design Services are not stated on the pages we read. A blog post of 27 August 2025 says Nearmap imagery costs 2 credits for up to 2 acres (it used to cost 16). Source, Nearmap blog |
| Mobile app | Free with any design product subscription Source |
| PrelimDesign | “unlimited projects” for sales designs Source |
| Drone | Scanifly does not sell drones. Any drone with GPS and a camera works. Source |
| Outsourced drone survey | “an additional fee”; amount not published. Results in 3 to 5 business days. Source |
| Contract | Terms mention setup fees and recurring fees, and say a subscription can renew automatically unless you cancel first. Source |
We looked for a price list on every page in Scanifly’s public sitemap. The /pricing and /plans addresses return a “not found” page.
- Before the change16
- After the change2
Source: Scanifly blog post of 27 August 2025, checked October 2026.
Who is Scanifly for, and who should look elsewhere?
Scanifly suits you if:
- You want remote sales designs and drone-based final designs in one tool.
- You work with a program or lender on Scanifly’s approval list and need shade reports they accept.
- You use IronRidge, Pegasus, K2 Systems or EcoFasten and want the design sent to their tools.
Look elsewhere, or ask Scanifly more, if:
- You need a published price before you talk to sales.
- You will not fly a drone or pay for a drone survey. Then you only get the remote tool, because Scanifly says onsite designs need a drone-based 3D model.
- You need a CRM or a financing portal in the same tool. In May 2026 Scanifly said it is not building them.
- You need fast turnaround on commercial projects. The times Scanifly lists are for residential projects only.
How does Scanifly compare with SurgePV?
SurgePV competes with Scanifly. SurgePV facts below come from its pricing page and product scope.
| Topic | Scanifly (its own site) | SurgePV |
|---|---|---|
| Design input | Remote imagery, or drone photos | 3D roof modeling and solar array layout |
| Shading | Viewshed tool, with the approvals Scanifly lists | Shading analysis |
| Proposals and money | Proposal tool described in blog posts; financial modeling through partners | Proposal generation and financial modeling |
| Electrical and parts list | One-line plan in paid plan sets; parts list through racking partners | Electrical workflow support and bill-of-materials output |
| Price and access | Subscription not published; book a demo | USD per user per year: $1,899 for 1 user, $1,499 for 3 seats, $1,299 for 5 seats. Guided demo, no self-serve trial. |
SurgePV results depend on source data and review. They support design work but do not replace approval by the responsible engineer, authority, lender, insurer or utility. See SurgePV pricing and the SurgePV solar design page.
No published price to compare against?
SurgePV lists its per-user prices. Book a demo and ask for the written quote for your team.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
Bottom line: who should pick Scanifly?
Scanifly fits a solar company that wants remote sales designs and drone-based final designs in one tool, and that works with a program or lender on its approval list. Look elsewhere if you need a published price first, will not fly a drone, or want a CRM or financing portal in the same tool.
For a direct comparison read Scanifly vs SurgePV. For related methods see drone-based solar surveys and LiDAR roof models. To see SurgePV on your own project, book a demo or check pricing.
Other options
- Best solar design software compares design tools side by side.
- Best 3D modeling software for solar covers tools that build 3D site models.
- Scanifly vs SurgePV is a direct comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What is Scanifly?
Scanifly is solar design software. It can design from satellite or Nearmap imagery and LiDAR (PrelimDesign), or from drone photos taken at the site (DroneDesign). It also has a free mobile app for site surveys and a paid Design Services team. Scanifly says its drone-based design is accurate to within 1 to 3 inches of hand measurements.
How much does Scanifly cost?
Scanifly does not publish a subscription price. Its site asks you to book a demo. Design Services and imagery are paid with credits, and Scanifly says one credit equals one dollar. The only credit amount we found is for Nearmap imagery: 2 credits for up to 2 acres, per a Scanifly blog post of 27 August 2025. Credits for Design Services are not published on the pages we read. Checked October 2026.
Does Scanifly have a free trial?
Scanifly’s site asks you to book a demo. We found no free trial offer on the Scanifly pages we read in October 2026. The Scanifly mobile app is free with any design product subscription.
Do you need a drone to use Scanifly?
You need a drone for DroneDesign. Scanifly says any drone with GPS and a camera works, and it does not sell drones. PrelimDesign works from remote imagery and needs no drone. If you have no drone, Scanifly says it can arrange a drone survey for an additional fee, with results in 3 to 5 business days.
Does Scanifly make proposals or single line diagrams?
Scanifly’s blog says it has a proposal builder called Scanifly Proposals. It is not listed on Scanifly’s PV Design page. A single line diagram is a simple drawing of how the system is wired. Scanifly says full plan sets from its Design Services include a one-line plan. Plan sets are ordered as a paid service.
How does Scanifly compare with SurgePV?
Scanifly designs from remote imagery or drone data and sells plan sets and imagery as paid services. SurgePV covers 3D roof modeling, array layout, shading analysis, energy-yield modeling, financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill-of-materials output and proposals. Scanifly does not publish a price. SurgePV publishes USD prices per user per year and offers a guided demo, not a self-serve trial.
Sources
All read on 28 October 2026. Scanifly’s main site is the source for every Scanifly fact on this page.
- Scanifly home page
- Scanifly PV Design
- Scanifly Field Ops
- Scanifly Design Services
- Scanifly Integrations
- Why Scanifly
- Scanifly Terms of Service
- Blog: Credit Analytics, 15 October 2026
- Blog: Why We Finally Built a Solar Proposal Tool, 28 May 2026
- Blog: Embedded Scanifly Designs, 19 August 2026
- Blog: Get a Full Solar Plan Set in 4 Steps, 15 August 2023
- Blog: August 2025 PV Design platform updates, 27 August 2025
- Blog: Scanifly integrates with Energy Toolbase
- Namaste Solar case study
- Hammond Energy case study
- SurgePV: pricing and solar design
About the Contributors
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.
CEO & Co-Founder · SurgePV
Keyur Rakholiya is identified by SurgePV as its CEO and a company co-founder. His SurgePV author page lists only role information that can be tied to the public profile below; credentials, project totals, testing claims, media appearances, and speaking engagements are not asserted without retained evidence.
