Our reviews rate NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) a strong fit for solar farm developers, and SolarEdge Designer for home solar installers. NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) suits analysts, engineers and researchers who need free energy and finance models. SolarEdge Designer suits installers who already sell SolarEdge inverters and batteries.
We do not name a winner. How we compared these
| Fact | NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) | SolarEdge Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Runs as | Desktop Verified | Cloud Verified |
| Free plan | Yes Verified | Yes Verified |
| Free trial | Not needed Verified | Not needed Not its job |
| Apps it connects to | 5 named | 4 named |
| Verified strengths | Power estimate, Financing, Battery design Verified | Solar design, Proposals, Shade analysis Verified |
| Difference | NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) | SolarEdge Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic panel layout | Not found : source for Automatic panel layout, opens in a new tab | Advanced Verified : source for Automatic panel layout, opens in a new tab |
| Export to drawing programs (DXF/DWG files) | Not found : source for Export to drawing programs (DXF/DWG files), opens in a new tab | Yes Verified : source for Export to drawing programs (DXF/DWG files), opens in a new tab |
| Likely and worst-case power output (P50/P90) | Advanced Verified : source for Likely and worst-case power output (P50/P90), opens in a new tab | Not found : source for Likely and worst-case power output (P50/P90), opens in a new tab |
Built from the fit ratings in each review. It is not a verdict.
Trade-off: No roof design.
Trade-off: Tied to SolarEdge.
Both are free.
| Fact | NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) | SolarEdge Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free Verified | Free Verified |
| How it charges | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes Verified | Yes Verified |
| Free trial | Not needed Verified | Not needed Not its job |
| Paid add-ons | Paid custom work: the lab says companies can fund new features or studies | Not stated |
| Official pricing | View NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) pricing (opens in a new tab) | View SolarEdge Designer pricing (opens in a new tab) |
| Last checked | 6 October 2026 | 6 October 2026 |
Each price is shown as the company writes it, and we never change one currency into another. What you pay also depends on how many users you have, the plan tier, contract length, setup, training and the apps you connect.
All 19 differences, the ones most likely to matter first.
Scroll the table sideways to see both products. The feature names stay in place.
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Pick it for detailed solar energy reports that banks trust.
Compare NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) with PVsystPick it for sizing off-grid systems and microgrids (small local power grids).
Pick it for a free tool that works with many brands.
Pick it if you install SMA inverters instead.
Where they differ most.
Where they differ most.
Where they differ most.
They differ most on automatic panel layout. In total we found 19 differences and 13 things that are the same.
Both use the same kind of pricing: free. NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) is free. SolarEdge Designer is free.
Our reviews rate NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) a strong fit for solar farm developers, and SolarEdge Designer for home solar installers. On automatic panel layout, NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) shows nothing found and SolarEdge Designer shows “Advanced”. Main thing to weigh for NREL System Advisor Model (SAM): No sales, roof design or customer tools, and the lab says it gives no formal support. Main thing to weigh for SolarEdge Designer: It is scoped to SolarEdge systems and SolarEdge design rules. We do not name a winner, because the right one depends on what you need.
NREL System Advisor Model (SAM): free plan: yes, free trial: not needed, it is free to use. Plans listed: SAM desktop. SolarEdge Designer: free plan: yes, free trial: not needed, it is free to use. Plans listed: SolarEdge Designer. Check what a free version leaves out.
NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) names 5 apps: NSRDB weather data, EnergyPlus EPW weather files, Python (PySAM), MATLAB, Java, C++ and VBA via code generator and GitHub source code. SolarEdge Designer names 4 apps: AutoCAD, PVsyst, SolarEdge Monitoring Platform and BOM export for SolarEdge suppliers. Ask the company about any app not named.
Prices, plans and apps were read on 6 October 2026. In the table we read 15 facts on 6 October 2026, 5 facts on 28 September 2026 and 40 facts on 25 September 2026, each with its own source. The NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) review lists 9 sources and the SolarEdge Designer review lists 6. The reviews confirmed 8 of 14 features for NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) and 7 of 16 for SolarEdge Designer on the companies’ websites.
Last checked
Prices and plans come from each product’s review, checked on this date (the later of the two). Other feature facts in the table were last checked on 28 September 2026.
Companies change prices and features without warning. Check current terms with the company before you decide.
Built from our list of facts, never by hand. We only publish a pair with at least five real differences, and we turned down 61 others.
How we build comparisonsStill deciding between more than two?
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