Quick answer
HelioScope publishes plans for commercial solar and storage design: Basic $159, Pro $259 per license per month, with design size up to 1.25, 5 or 30 MW (DC) by plan. PVcase offers AutoCAD-based Roof Mount and Ground Mount with no published price. The deciding factor is project scale and whether you already use AutoCAD. Checked November 2026.
Comparing HelioScope with PVcase?
Run a real C&I project through a per-user design and proposal tool and compare the workflow.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
SurgePV publishes this page and is a vendor in this category. SurgePV is not one of the two products compared here. The facts come from the vendors’ public pages, checked October and November 2026.
HelioScope vs PVcase: Plans, Size and Price
HelioScope sells three plans with published list prices for two of them. PVcase sells four products with no published price.
| HelioScope | PVcase | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus (vendor wording) | Commercial solar-plus-storage design and sales | Ground Mount: utility-scale EPCs and engineers. Roof Mount: C&I designers and sales teams |
| Price | Basic $159 / Pro $259 USD per license per month; $1,620 / $2,640 per year; Enterprise custom | Not published (“Request pricing”) |
| Design size (DC) | 1.25 MW Basic, 5 MW Pro, 30 MW Enterprise | Not stated as a plan limit on the pages read |
| Layout | Rooftop, carport, ground-mount and battery layout on all plans | Ground Mount, Roof Mount (AutoCAD) |
| Ground work | Not listed | Slope, collision, grading and piling analysis |
| Probability values | P90, P95, P99 on Pro and Enterprise | P50 and P90 in Yield |
| Requirements | Not stated on the pages read | AutoCAD, Windows 10 (x64) or newer |
| Trial | 14-day standard trial | “Request a demo”; trial not stated |
Sources: HelioScope pricing, PVcase pricing plans, checked November 2026.
- Basic1.25 MW
- Pro5 MW
- Enterprise30 MW
Source: HelioScope pricing page, checked November 2026.
What Does HelioScope Do?
HelioScope is design and simulation software from Aurora Inc. for commercial projects. Every plan lists a 50,000 component library, an 8760 production report, shade reports, CAD export and single-line diagrams. Pro adds LIDAR-assisted modeling, storage modeling, the Utility Rate Editor and sales proposals. Enterprise adds single-axis trackers, PVsyst export and API access.
Each Basic or Pro license includes 1 user and 10 projects per month. See the HelioScope review.
Pros: published prices, clear size tiers, financials and proposals on Pro. Cons: project limits per license, and no grading or piling analysis listed.
What Does PVcase Do?
PVcase is an AutoCAD-based platform. Roof Mount lists rooftop data import, setbacks and obstructions, a module and inverter library, stringing, cable trays and BOM export. Ground Mount adds slope, grading and piling analysis, cable sizing and battery storage design. Yield adds bifacial and complex terrain modeling.
PVcase says it offers customized packages instead of a price list. See the PVcase review.
Pros: ground-work engineering and CAD integration. Cons: AutoCAD and Windows needed, price not published.
Want published per-user pricing for C&I design?
SurgePV lists roof modeling, layout, shading, yield, financial modeling and proposals per user. See it on your project.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
Who Should Pick Which?
- Pick HelioScope if you design and sell C&I solar with storage, want published prices and need P90 values and proposals on Pro, up to 5 MW (DC), or up to 30 MW on Enterprise.
- Pick PVcase if you engineer ground-mount plants that need slope, grading, piling and cable work, and your team works in AutoCAD on Windows.
- Use both if you sell C&I projects with HelioScope and engineer larger ground-mount sites with PVcase.
- Consider SurgePV if you want a per-user tool that covers design to proposal: $1,899 per user per year for one user, $1,499 per user for three seats, $1,299 per user for five seats, in USD. It is a guided-demo product with no self-serve trial.
Bottom Line
HelioScope is the more direct fit for commercial design and sales, and PVcase is the stronger fit for engineered ground-mount work. If neither matches how your team quotes, book a SurgePV demo or check the pricing page. More reading: HelioScope alternatives, PVcase alternatives, Aurora Solar vs HelioScope and commercial design software.
Sources
- HelioScope pricing: plans, prices, size limits, features by plan. Checked November 2026.
- HelioScope plan help article: project limits and rules. Checked October 2026.
- PVcase pricing plans: products, target users, no published price. Checked November 2026.
- PVcase system requirements: AutoCAD and Windows. Checked October 2026.
- SurgePV: pricing page and published product scope, checked November 2026.
Last checked: 4 November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HelioScope or PVcase better for commercial solar?
HelioScope is aimed at commercial solar and storage design, while PVcase splits the work into Roof Mount for C&I rooftops and Ground Mount for utility-scale plants. HelioScope publishes prices from $159 per license per month. PVcase publishes none. Checked November 2026.
How much does HelioScope cost compared with PVcase?
HelioScope Basic is $159 USD per license per month or $1,620 per year, and Pro is $259 or $2,640. Enterprise is custom. PVcase does not publish prices and shows “Request pricing”. It also needs AutoCAD, whose price the PVcase pages do not state.
What is the largest project HelioScope can design?
It depends on the plan. HelioScope’s pricing page lists design sizes up to 1.25 MW (DC) on Basic, 5 MW on Pro and 30 MW on Enterprise. Projects over the limit still count toward the project allowance, per the vendor’s help article.
Does PVcase need AutoCAD?
Yes, Ground Mount and Roof Mount run inside AutoCAD on Windows 10 (x64) or newer and “will not run on virtual machines”, per PVcase’s system requirements. HelioScope’s pages read do not describe a CAD host requirement.
Which tool handles terrain and piling for ground-mount plants?
PVcase Ground Mount lists slope, collision, grading and piling analysis. HelioScope’s pricing page lists ground-mount layout and, on Enterprise, single-axis trackers. It does not list grading or piling analysis.
Do HelioScope and PVcase give P90 values?
Both list probability values. HelioScope Pro and Enterprise list P90, P95 and P99 values. PVcase Yield lists built-in P50 and P90 scenarios. Confirm lender acceptance with your lender, not the vendor.
