The short version: HelioScope is a commercial and industrial simulation engine validated to within about 1% of PVsyst; Solar Proof is an Australian design-and-proposal platform. They overlap less than the "vs" suggests, so the real question is whether you need bankable simulation or compliant Australian proposals.
If you've been comparing Solar Proof vs HelioScope, you've probably noticed they don't quite line up feature-for-feature. That's because they were built for different stages of the job. Below is an honest, fact-based comparison so you can tell which one your business actually needs, or whether, like many large EPCs, you'd run both.
What is the difference between HelioScope and Solar Proof?
The difference is purpose: HelioScope models how a system will perform, while Solar Proof produces the proposal you send the customer. HelioScope, built by Folsom Labs in 2011 and now owned by Aurora Solar, specialises in 100kW to 5MW commercial and industrial simulation with module-level hourly modelling. Solar Proof, an Australian platform founded in 2017 and used by over 1,000 solar professionals, turns a design into a branded, NETCC-compliant proposal with STCs and the Federal Battery Rebate applied automatically.
Solar Proof vs HelioScope: the facts
| Solar Proof | HelioScope | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Design + proposals + quoting | Energy simulation engine |
| Best-fit system size | Residential to commercial | 100kW–5MW C&I |
| Pricing | From ~A$4/project; Pro from ~A$99/mo | From ~US$159–259/user/mo |
| STCs & Federal Battery Rebate | Calculated automatically | Not handled |
| AS/NZS 5033 SLDs | Built-in browser editor | Not produced |
| Customer proposals | Branded, native | Not produced natively |
| Simulation accuracy | Suits residential & commercial quoting | Validated to ~1% of PVsyst |
| Project limits | No cap (pay per project) | Monthly caps on some plans |
| Free trial | Yes | No full trial (demo only) |
What is HelioScope better at?
HelioScope is better at bankable, engineering-grade simulation for large systems. Its module-level 8760-hour modelling produces P50 and P90 yield figures that lenders and financiers accept, and its energy estimates are validated to within roughly 1% of PVsyst, the benchmark for commercial solar finance. For multi-megawatt arrays with complex wire runs and detailed loss modelling, that depth is the reason it's an industry standard, and it's depth Solar Proof doesn't try to match.
What is Solar Proof better at?
Solar Proof is better at everything that happens between a design and a signed contract in Australia. It applies STCs and the tiered Federal Battery Rebate inside the quote, generates AS/NZS 5033 single-line diagrams in the browser, and outputs a branded, NETCC-compliant proposal, none of which HelioScope produces. It's also priced in Australian dollars per project rather than US dollars per seat, with no project cap and a genuine free trial.
How much does each one cost?
HelioScope costs more, and in a different currency. It runs from about US$159 per user per month (Basic) to US$259 (Pro), with project caps on some plans, so once converted to AUD it sits well above local tools. Solar Proof is pay-as-you-go from around four dollars per project (first projects free), with Pro plans from about ninety-nine dollars per month. For Australian residential and small-commercial work the gap is large; for funded utility projects, HelioScope's cost is easier to justify against the value of bankable data.
What do installers say about Solar Proof?
"Solar Proof has taken our solar layouts and proposals to a professional level. The accuracy with providing solar layouts has been a game changer in our efficiency."
When should you NOT switch from HelioScope to Solar Proof?
Don't switch if bankable simulation is the deliverable that wins your projects, because Solar Proof isn't a replacement for a dedicated C&I engine. If you design utility-scale arrays where a financier requires PVsyst-grade yield validation, keep HelioScope for the engineering. The smarter move for those businesses is usually to add Solar Proof for proposals and Australian compliance while keeping HelioScope for simulation, rather than replacing one with the other.
Verdict: which should you choose?
In Solar Proof vs HelioScope, choose Solar Proof if your bottleneck is producing compliant, professional Australian proposals quickly; choose HelioScope if your bottleneck is bankable simulation of large commercial systems. They sit at different points in the workflow, so for many installers the honest answer isn't "either/or", it's HelioScope for the engineering and Solar Proof for the proposal and the paperwork.
