10 Best PVComplete (PVCAD) Alternatives for C&I and Utility Design

PVComplete alternatives are design tools you can use instead of PVCAD, a solar engineering tool that runs inside AutoCAD (a popular drawing program). Designers use PVCAD on commercial and industrial (C&I) and utility jobs. It makes layouts, stringing (how panels wire into inverters), SLDs (single-line diagrams, simple drawings of how the wires connect) and permit plan sets (drawing packages for the permit office). PVCAD Mega handles utility terrain and trackers (mounts that turn panels to follow the sun).

Pylon ranks first at 73.0/100, but it is a web tool for smaller jobs. PVcase Roof Mount ranks second at 68.5/100 and works inside AutoCAD.

On 13 January 2026, Enact Systems bought PVComplete. PVCAD now runs as Enact’s engineering module, and Enact sets the price. That leaves current users with open questions about price and roadmap. We could not reach a current price list, and third-party figures conflict. You also pay for AutoCAD on top, unless you buy a bundle.

Why do installers look for PVComplete alternatives?

Installers give five reasons that we found in reviews and price listings:

• New owner, open roadmap. Enact announced a combined AI platform after the deal. We found no dated PVCAD release notes since.
• Prices you cannot pin down. G2 lists company-supplied prices from USD 325 per user per month. TrustRadius shows "starting at USD 50 per month". We could not reach PVComplete’s or Enact’s site to check.
• AutoCAD on top. The basic PVCAD price assumes you own AutoCAD. The bundle with AutoCAD costs more.
• Speed on big jobs. A G2 reviewer (August 2026) says it is slow on larger projects. They want better tagging for inverter strings, cable trenches and road bends.
• Thin review base. PVCAD has two G2 reviews and no Capterra listing, so peer feedback is scarce.

What you would give up: You would lose SLDs, wire sizing and commercial plan sets in one AutoCAD tool. You would also lose PVsyst (a program that forecasts power output) project export. Few alternatives do all of that in one place.

What are PVComplete and PVCAD at a glance?

Sources: Solar Power World, January 2026 and G2 PVCAD pricing, checked October 2026.

What kinds of PVCAD alternatives are there?

Each PVCAD alternative falls into one of three groups. A plug-in is an add-on that runs inside your drawing software.

• CAD plug-ins (closest swap): PVcase Roof Mount, PVcase Ground Mount and Virto.CAD. You keep working in AutoCAD (or BricsCAD for Virto).
• Utility-scale cloud tools: RatedPower and PVFarm. They replace PVCAD Mega for terrain, trackers and MV/LV (medium and low voltage) design, in a browser.
• Web design and plan-set tools: Pylon, Arka 360, Solargraf, HelioScope and Aurora Solar Instant Plan Sets. They suit smaller C&I and home jobs, not engineering drawings.

Quick picks

✓ Verified on the company’s own pricing page. ◐ Published by the company outside its pricing page (help centre, store or press release). ? We could not read the company’s pricing page, so the figure is not confirmed. Prices checked October 2026.

Quote only means the company shows no public price. You ask it for a quote.

How the 10 tools scored

• Use-case fit 35%
• User reviews 20%
• Pricing 15%
• Ease of use 10%
• Support 10%
• Momentum 10%

Each bar shows the weighted score out of 100.

Sub-scores at a glance (0-10)

A 5.0 on reviews, ease, support or momentum is our neutral score. We use it when public evidence is thin. It is not a judgement.

How did we choose and score these PVComplete alternatives?

How the score is weighted

• Use-case fit 35%
• User reviews 20%
• Pricing 15%
• Ease of use 10%
• Support 10%
• Momentum 10%

We scored 13 alternatives from 22 to 25 October 2026 from company pages, pricing and user reviews. This was desk research. We did not test any tool hands-on. All 13 passed our minimum fit score, so we rank the top 10 and list three under Also considered. PVComplete / PVCAD is not ranked on its own page.

• Use-case fit (35%): How well a tool handles layout, SLDs and permit plan sets, then stringing.
• User reviews (20%): G2 and Capterra ratings. A tool with under eight reviews gets a middle score.
• Pricing (15%): Published prices and free entry points beat prices you must ask for.
• Ease of use, support and momentum (10% each): Review sub-scores and dated releases.

Price, reviews and momentum lift web tools like Pylon above CAD plug-ins with closer features. Read the "vs PVCAD" line in each listing before you choose. Read the full method.

1. Pylon: best for smaller commercial jobs paid per project

Best for: Installers in the UK, Australia and Ireland who want quick web designs without paying per seat. Score: 73.0/100.

vs PVCAD: No AutoCAD and no seat fee. You pay GBP 4 to GBP 10 per project. It lacks PVCAD’s CAD drawings and commercial plan sets.

What it is: Pylon is browser software for solar design and proposals. A Sydney firm makes it. It has a CRM (software that tracks customers and sales) add-on. It targets small and mid-sized installers of home and commercial systems.

Why we picked it: It had the highest total score. Low, published prices and strong Capterra reviews helped. It fits PVCAD users whose work is mostly small commercial jobs.

Key features:

• Pro plan covers commercial sizes from 99 kW.
• Editable single-line diagrams (July 2026).
• Financial projections and custom load profiles.
• Unlimited users on every plan.

Pricing: Standard costs GBP 4 per project (up to 30 kW DC). Pro costs GBP 10 per project. Enterprise is quote only. You get five free Standard credits with no card needed. Checked October 2026 on the Pylon UK pricing page.

Pros (from user reviews):

• Small teams pay only for the jobs they design (Capterra).
• Easy for beginners, with a clear manual (Capterra).
• Quotes and proposals are detailed (G2).

Cons (from reviews and our research):

• Imagery quality depends on where the job is (Capterra).
• Usage modelling is awkward (Capterra).
• We found no CAD export or plan-set output, and we could not confirm US prices.

Reviews: Capterra 4.6/5 (25 reviews) and G2 4.3/5 (2 reviews), checked October 2026.

Read our full Pylon review or our Pylon alternatives.

getpylon.com

2. PVcase Roof Mount: best AutoCAD swap for C&I rooftops

Best for: C&I EPCs and engineering firms who want to stay in AutoCAD for rooftop work. Score: 68.5/100.

vs PVCAD: Same AutoCAD workflow, with detailed rooftop stringing, cabling and ballast tools. We found no permit plan-set output.

What it is: PVcase Roof Mount is PVcase’s rooftop design plug-in for AutoCAD. It supports AutoCAD 2026. It is a separate product from PVcase Ground Mount.

Why we picked it: It is the closest like-for-like swap for C&I roof work, since you stay in AutoCAD. It has 17 G2 reviews, against PVCAD’s two.

Key features:

• Roof layouts around setbacks, parapets and obstacles.
• String and MPPT (inverter input) design, cable trays and cable sizes.
• Mounting calculator.
• PanelClaw ballast reports (weights that hold roof panels down) for Eurocode (European building rules) markets.
• SLD, BOM and PVsyst export.
• DWG/DXF and drone-image import.

Pricing: Quote only (one Professional plan). Checked October 2026 on the PVcase Roof Mount pricing page. Demo only.

Pros (from reviews and our research):

• G2 reviewers score ease of use 9.1/10.
• Support scores 9.8/10 on G2.
• Review tags mention time saved and working inside AutoCAD.

Cons (from our research):

• No published price.
• PanelClaw ballast reports do not cover the US. They cover only Eurocode countries.
• No permit plan-set output is listed.

Reviews: G2 4.6/5 (17 reviews), checked October 2026.

What we could not confirm: Whether the price includes AutoCAD or you need your own licence.

Read our PVcase alternatives.

pvcase.com/roof-mount

3. RatedPower: best cloud swap for PVCAD Mega users

Best for: Utility developers and EPCs who want layout, yield and electrical design without a CAD seat. Score: 68.1/100.

vs PVCAD: A browser replaces AutoCAD, and DWG files still go back and forth. It adds yield, BESS (battery storage) and CAPEX (build cost) studies that we did not find listed for PVCAD Mega.

What it is: RatedPower is a cloud platform for utility-scale PV, storage and hybrid plants. It is now part of Enverus. Developers, EPCs and IPPs use it from early studies to detailed design.

Why we picked it: It covers PVCAD Mega’s utility work without a CAD seat, and 305 G2 reviews back it. Electrical design and SLDs come from the same model.

Key features:

• Layouts set by rules for setbacks, roads, slope and earth moving.
• MV and LV cabling design, SLDs and substation work.
• 3D yield with terrain shading.
• Round-trip DWG files with AutoCAD.
• 400+ editable documents, including BoQ and drawings.

Pricing: Quote only, across Basic, Advanced and Enterprise. Checked October 2026 on the RatedPower pricing page. Demo only.

Pros (from user reviews):

• On G2, ease of use is the most praised point (22 mentions).
• Feasibility layouts are fast (18 mentions of time savings).
• Support gets praise (11 mentions).

Cons (from user reviews):

• Reviewers most often fault how layouts handle land limits (14 mentions).
• Drawing flexibility is limited.
• Some BESS-PCS pairings are missing.

Reviews: G2 4.4/5 (305 reviews), checked October 2026.

Read our full RatedPower review or our RatedPower alternatives.

ratedpower.com

4. Arka 360: best web tool for small C&I with SLD export

Best for: Installers in India and the US who want ground-mount and rooftop design with SLD export at a published price. Score: 67.5/100.

vs PVCAD: Published US prices and no CAD licence. Reviewers say it lags above 3 MWp (megawatts of panel capacity), where PVCAD Mega works.

What it is: Arka 360 began as The Solar Labs. Its cloud platform handles design, proposals and a light CRM. India is its main market, and it also has a US offer.

Why we picked it: Its US prices are published, unlike PVCAD’s, and Premium includes SLD export. It also has 137 G2 reviews.

Key features:

• 3D rooftop and ground-mount design.
• SLD export, optimiser design and manual stringing (Premium).
• Premium exports 3D models to SketchUp and PVsyst.
• API on Premium.

Pricing: The international-list Basic is USD 159 a month or USD 1,699 a year. Premium is USD 199 a month or USD 1,999 a year. Enterprise is USD 999 a month or USD 9,999 a year. Indian plans are in INR plus 18% GST, but the page shows two conflicting INR price sets, so we do not quote one. Checked October 2026 on the Arka 360 pricing page.

Pros (from user reviews):

• Easy to use (14 G2 mentions).
• 3D views help close deals.
• Support scores 9.2/10 on G2.

Cons (from user reviews):

• Reviewers see lag or freezes once projects pass 3 MWp.
• Gaps in features, and confusing structure options, come up in reviews.
• Multi-user work is limited.

Reviews: G2 4.3/5 (137 reviews), checked October 2026.

Read our full Arka 360 review.

arka360.com

5. Solargraf: best for US permit plan sets without CAD

Best for: US installers who used PVCAD mainly for permit sets on home and small commercial jobs. Score: 65.3/100.

vs PVCAD: Plan sets, SLDs and three-lines to NEC 2026 (the US electrical code) on every plan, with no AutoCAD. It does not do utility layouts.

What it is: Enphase owns Solargraf. It is a design-to-permit platform that also handles proposals and financing. It is built for US and Canadian installers.

Why we picked it: It covers the permit-set side of PVCAD for home and small commercial jobs, built to NEC 2026. Prices are published by bundle.

Key features:

• NEC 2026 plan sets, with SLDs and three-line diagrams.
• A database of 14,000+ AHJs (local permit offices).
• Shade analysis that Solargraf says NREL and NYSERDA validated.
• Public API on Enterprise.

Pricing: Annual bundles: Starter USD 2,799 (240 projects, 2 users), Small Business USD 4,799, Teams USD 6,399 and Enterprise USD 12,999 (1,500 projects, unlimited users). Checked October 2026 on the Solargraf pricing page.

Pros (from user reviews):

• It takes a job from proposal to permit in one tool.
• Users rate the shading and 3D tools well.
• Proposals and contracts read clearly for clients.

Cons (from user reviews):

• Some users report crashes and wrong property data in 3D.
• Reviewers see it as expensive.
• Support waits have grown longer.

Reviews: Capterra 3.2/5 (15 reviews), checked October 2026.

Read our full Solargraf review or our Solargraf alternatives.

6. PVcase Ground Mount: best AutoCAD swap for PVCAD Mega

Best for: Utility developers and EPCs who want terrain-led layouts inside AutoCAD. Score: 62.8/100.

vs PVCAD: Like PVCAD Mega, it handles terrain, trackers and piling, and it has far more reviews. Users say its SLD tools lag its layout tools.

What it is: PVcase Ground Mount runs in CAD. It handles ground-mount layout, civil grading (land levelling) and electrical design.

Why we picked it: It is the closest AutoCAD match for PVCAD Mega’s terrain and tracker work. It has more G2 reviews than any other tool on this page.

Key features:

• Fixed-tilt and tracker rows laid along the terrain.
• Grading heat maps, cross-sections and pile checks.
• Stringing, cable sizing and SLDs.
• BESS layout and export to PVsyst.

Pricing: Quote only (Professional plan). Checked October 2026 on the PVcase Ground Mount pricing page. Demo only.

Pros (from user reviews):

• All 10 visible G2 reviews cite time savings.
• Familiar AutoCAD setting.
• Support usually replies within a day.

Cons (from user reviews):

• SLD, breaker and DC box automation needs work.
• Small and mid-sized firms say it costs too much.
• New users need training.

Reviews: G2 4.7/5 (415 reviews per a G2 search listing, while the company cites 479), checked October 2026.

Read our full PVcase Ground Mount review or our PVcase alternatives.

pvcase.com/ground-mount

7. HelioScope: best for C&I yield at a published price

Best for: C&I designers up to 5 MW DC who want layout and yield in a browser. Score: 62.1/100.

vs PVCAD: Published monthly prices and stronger yield modelling. It does not make permit plan sets or CAD drawings.

What it is: HelioScope is Aurora Solar’s web tool for commercial PV design and simulation. Enterprise covers projects up to 30 MW DC.

Why we picked it: It gives C&I yield modelling at a published price, with a free trial to test it. That answers PVCAD’s unclear pricing head on.

Key features:

• Rooftop, carport and ground-mount layout.
• Energy estimates that the company claims sit within 1% of PVsyst.
• P90/P95/P99 values (yield forecasts at set confidence levels) on Pro.
• Trackers and PVsyst export on Enterprise.

Pricing: Basic USD 159 a month, or USD 1,620 a year if billed yearly (1.25 MW DC cap). Pro USD 259 a month or USD 2,640 a year (5 MW DC). Enterprise custom. Checked October 2026 on the HelioScope pricing page. Free trial offered.

Pros (from user reviews):

• Easy to learn.
• Fast, accurate layouts and loss maths.
• Quick reports and SLDs.

Cons (from reviews and our research):

• Pricey for occasional users.
• Project limits on large systems.
• Basic stops at 10 projects a month.

Reviews: G2 4.5/5 (19 reviews), checked October 2026.

Read our full HelioScope review or our HelioScope alternatives.

helioscope.aurorasolar.com

8. Virto.CAD: best CAD plug-in for teams on BricsCAD

Best for: European C&I and utility engineers who want a CAD plug-in and may prefer BricsCAD to AutoCAD. Score: 60.1/100.

vs PVCAD: Same plug-in idea, but it also runs in BricsCAD. NEC compliance is not confirmed, so US permit work is less certain.

What it is: Virto.CAD comes from Virto Solar in Geel, Belgium. Virto’s site would not load for us, so we relied on an Intersolar listing, G2 and Capterra.

Why we picked it: It keeps the CAD plug-in approach PVCAD users know. Running it in BricsCAD lets you drop the AutoCAD licence.

Key features:

• Layouts generated automatically in AutoCAD or BricsCAD.
• String plans and single-line drawings.
• Topography analysis for utility sites.
• Virto.MAX web app for quick layouts.

Pricing: Quote only. We could not reach the company’s pricing. A separate AutoCAD or BricsCAD licence is needed. Checked October 2026.

Pros (from user reviews):

• Support is the top theme (G2 9.7/10).
• Ease of use (7 mentions).
• Quick setup (9.3/10).

Cons (from reviews and our research):

• Missing features (6 G2 mentions).
• CAD licence costs extra.
• NEC compliance not confirmed.

Reviews: G2 4.6/5 (26 reviews), checked October 2026.

virto.solar/en

9. PVFarm: best for utility layouts you can trial first

Best for: Utility EPCs and developers who want web-based layouts, grading and electrical design, with a trial before buying. Score: 58.3/100.

vs PVCAD: A browser tool with a 7-day free trial, against PVCAD’s AutoCAD plug-in. Reviewers say AutoCAD export needs work.

What it is: PVFarm is a web design platform for utility-scale solar and storage. It comes from Newport Beach, California. It is not related to PVComplete.

Why we picked it: It is built for utility layouts, grading and LV/MV design, the core of PVCAD Mega work. It is the only ranked utility tool with a free trial.

Key features:

• Automated layouts up to 800 MWdc, including trackers.
• Civil grading and topography.
• LV/MV design with SLDs, BoQ and BoM.
• DXF export with wiring and piles.
• PVsyst SHD export.

Pricing: Quote only, as an annual modular licence. A 7-day free trial includes two 30-minute expert sessions. Checked October 2026 on the PVFarm FAQs.

Pros (from reviews and our research):

• One reviewer found it the easiest tool they tried, as it runs on the web.
• Layout revisions are fast.
• You can test it for 7 days, with two expert sessions.

Cons (from user reviews):

• Export to AutoCAD needs improvement.
• It needs a technical team, and scenarios still take time to build.
• No single-bearing tracker modelling, which can skew grading.

Reviews: G2 4.4/5 (16 reviews), checked October 2026.

pvfarm.io

10. Aurora Solar Instant Plan Sets: best for US home plan sets on Aurora

Best for: US residential installers on Aurora who used PVCAD only for small permit sets. Score: 52.6/100.

vs PVCAD: A plan-set PDF in seconds from a sold design, but only for small US home systems. It does not cover C&I or utility work.

What it is: This Aurora Solar feature turns a sold design into a permit PDF. It uses tech from Aurora’s July 2024 Lyra purchase. Aurora’s human-drafted Plan Set Service is a service, so it is not ranked here.

Why we picked it: It makes small US permit sets in seconds, which covers PVCAD users who only did home jobs. Its narrow scope keeps it at the bottom of the list.

Key features:

• Plan-set PDF in seconds.
• Free regeneration of revisions.
• Battery support for Enphase, Tesla and SolarEdge.
• AHJ and utility found per project.

Pricing: Quote only. Plan sets are an Enterprise add-on priced by volume. Basic (USD 159 per user per month) and Premium (USD 259) do not include them. Checked October 2026 on the Aurora pricing page.

Pros (from our research):

• No wait for drafting on simple jobs.
• Revisions cost nothing extra.
• NEC 2026 support added (help article, January 2026).

Cons (from our research):

• Select customers only.
• US pitched roofs, single-phase, up to 25 kW AC.
• Needs Aurora’s Enterprise tier.

Reviews: No user reviews found as of October 2026.

aurorasolar.com/plan-sets

How do the 10 PVComplete alternatives compare?

This table shows what changes when you leave PVCAD.

Also considered

• SolarPlus: Scored 52.5/100. An Australian design and quoting tool from USD 135 a month (annual), strong on off-grid. It has no CAD engineering and one G2 review.
• HELIOS 3D: Scored 49.2/100. A German utility tool inside Autodesk Civil 3D with SLDs from the electrical tree. You need a Civil 3D licence and Microsoft SQL Server, and its only G2 review gives 2.0/5.
• Enact (Design & Proposals): Scored 49.1/100. This is PVCAD’s new owner, so switching to Enact is not a move away from PVCAD’s owner. Enact’s site would not open for us, and we found no user reviews. See our Enact alternatives.

Plan-set drafting firms are services, not software. Compare them in our solar plan set services list.

How do you choose a PVComplete alternative?

• If you left PVCAD over price doubts and design smaller jobs, pick Pylon (UK, Australia, Ireland) or Arka 360 (India, US).
• If you want to keep working in AutoCAD on C&I roofs, pick PVcase Roof Mount.
• If you used PVCAD Mega for utility sites, pick PVcase Ground Mount in AutoCAD, or RatedPower or PVFarm in the cloud.
• If you want to drop AutoCAD but keep a CAD plug-in, try Virto.CAD on BricsCAD.
• If you mainly produced US permit sets, pick Solargraf.
• If you need C&I yield with a published price, pick HelioScope.

For wider shortlists, see our commercial solar design software and utility-scale solar design software rankings. For a ranked list across every segment, see our best solar design software ranking. For SLD-only tools, see our SmartSLD alternatives.

Want more choices? Browse every tool we checked in our design and simulation category.

How do you switch from PVComplete?

• Save every live project as a DWG file (an AutoCAD drawing file) and keep the PDFs of issued plan sets.
• Export PVsyst project files from PVCAD while you still have access.
• Rebuild your title blocks, symbols and plan-set sheets in the new tool.
• Run one recent project in both tools and compare strings, cable sizes and SLDs.
• Ask Enact about your licence end date before you cancel.

PVComplete alternatives FAQs

Sources

All read 22 to 25 October 2026.

• PVComplete / PVCAD: Solar Power World (January 2026), Solar Power World (March 2020), G2 reviews, G2 pricing
• Pylon: UK pricing, Capterra, G2
• PVcase Roof Mount: pricing, G2 comparison
• RatedPower: pricing, G2
• Arka 360: pricing, G2, G2 comparison
• Solargraf: pricing, Capterra
• PVcase Ground Mount: pricing, G2
• HelioScope: pricing, G2
• Virto.CAD: Intersolar listing, G2, G2 comparison
• PVFarm: FAQs, free trial, G2
• Aurora Solar Instant Plan Sets: help article, Aurora pricing
• SolarPlus: pricing, G2
• HELIOS 3D: G2

Last updated 28 October 2026. Next scheduled review: 23 January 2027.