HelioScope and Heaven Designs get compared because both show up when a commercial and industrial (C&I) EPC needs a layout and a yield number fast. They are not the same kind of purchase. One is a tool your engineer drives. The other is a team that hands you finished drawings.
Quick answer. HelioScope vs Heaven Designs is a software-versus-service choice. HelioScope is design software, priced from $159 per license per month (Aurora Solar pricing page, October 2026). Your own engineer uses it to produce layouts, yield reports, a basic single-line diagram (SLD), and a CAD export. Heaven Designs is an outsourced engineering team. It delivers those outputs plus the construction, structural, and permit drawings that software does not create.
TL;DR
- HelioScope is very good at fast C&I layout, shading, and production modeling. It is a seat, not a deliverable.
- Its outputs stop at the bid and early design stage: layout, energy report, BOM, a schematic SLD, and DXF.
- Construction drawings, structural calculations, and permit sets need an engineer either way.
- Buy seats if you have a designer with spare hours and steady volume. Outsource when the bottleneck is people, not software.
This comparison is written for the C&I design lead or EPC owner who already knows what HelioScope is. If you want a wider tool view, read the three-way Aurora vs HelioScope vs Heaven Designs guide. This page goes one level deeper: what you actually hold in your hands at each project stage.
What does HelioScope cost in 2026?
HelioScope sells per-license plans with project caps. The figures below come from the official HelioScope pricing page, accessed 6 October 2026. Check it again before you budget, because these numbers change.
| Plan | Monthly (USD) | Yearly (USD) | Projects included | Max design size (DC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $159 per license | $1,620 per license | 10 per month / 120 per year | 1.25 MW |
| Pro | $259 per license | $2,640 per license | 10 per month / 120 per year | 5 MW |
| Enterprise | Custom per-project | Custom | Unlimited users | 30 MW |
Each license covers one user. Pro adds LIDAR-assisted modeling, financial modeling, and P90/P95/P99 values. Enterprise adds single-axis trackers, PVsyst export, API access, and SSO.
Heaven Designs does not publish a price list. Work is quoted per project after scope review, so any per-watt figure you see attributed to us elsewhere is not our rate.
Deliverable by deliverable: what each one hands you
This is the core of the comparison. The table follows a typical C&I rooftop or carport job from proposal to construction.
| Project stage | Deliverable | HelioScope (your engineer drives it) | Heaven Designs (team delivers it) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal | Module layout with setbacks and keepouts | Yes, core strength | Yes |
| Proposal | Shading and production report | Yes | Yes, in HelioScope or PVsyst |
| Proposal | Bill of materials (BOM) | Yes, with stated wiring-length assumptions | Yes, plus a pricing-ready BOQ |
| Financing | Bankable P50/P90 yield report | P90 and up on Pro; PVsyst export on Enterprise only | PVsyst report with P50/P90 |
| Design | Single-line diagram | Schematic SLD, editable after DXF export | Fully annotated SLD with conductor and protection sizing |
| Design | CAD layout | DXF export with layers | AutoCAD drawing set |
| Construction | GA, cable schedule, details | No | Yes |
| Construction | Structural calculations | No | Yes, including STAAD Pro reports |
| Permit | AHJ or CEIG submission set | No | Yes |
The pattern is clear. HelioScope covers the first two rows very well and gives you a head start on the next two. Everything below the line still needs an engineer, whichever option you pick.
What HelioScope does better than a service
Speed at the proposal stage. A trained user can lay out a large flat roof, run a production model, and send a number in one sitting. No outside team beats that for a same-day bid.
Iteration is another strength. If a sales rep wants to test a different module or tilt, the user changes it and reruns. The SLD generator updates as the design changes, per the HelioScope help center.
Control also matters. Your data stays in your account and your team owns the method. For an EPC with a stable design team, that is worth paying for.
Vendor claim, not a test result. The pricing page states HelioScope accuracy is "within 1% of PVsyst." That is the vendor's own statement. If a lender asks for PVsyst, plan for a PVsyst file, which HelioScope exports only on Enterprise.
Where software stops and engineering starts
The HelioScope SLD is a schematic. The help center says identical inverter circuits are collapsed and labeled “Typical of X,” and that you customize the diagram by exporting to DXF. A permit reviewer or CEIG office expects more than that: conductor sizes, overcurrent protection, grounding, and labeling tied to the code edition in force.
The BOM has the same limit. HelioScope measures DC conductor length from the first and last module of each string to the inverter, per its wiring-length article. That is fine for a bid. A procurement BOQ needs actual routing.
The CAD export gives modules as blocks and layers for setbacks and keepouts, per the CAD export guide. Someone still has to turn that into a dimensioned drawing set. Our note on HelioScope DXF export walks through that handoff.
When buying HelioScope seats is the right call
Buy seats when these conditions hold:
- You have at least one designer who knows the tool and has spare hours.
- Your volume is steady enough to use the project allowance (120 per year per license on Basic and Pro).
- Most of your work stops at proposal, or you have in-house staff for construction drawings.
- Your projects fit the size caps: 1.25 MW DC on Basic, 5 MW on Pro.
If all four are true, software is the cheaper path. Our HelioScope review covers how the tool handles day-to-day use.
When a design service is the right call
Outsource when the constraint is people. A seat does nothing on the day your only designer is out, or when five bids land in one week.
It also fits when you need the full package, not just the layout. That means SLDs, structural calculations, and permit or CEIG drawings. See how the stages split in bid-stage vs IFC-stage engineering, and what a tender response needs in our EPC bid-stage engineering checklist.
Choose HelioScope if
- You have designers with capacity
- Work is mostly proposals
- You want full control of the method
Choose a service if
- Design headcount is the bottleneck
- You need construction or permit drawings
- Volume swings month to month
Can you use both?
Yes, and many teams do. A common split is HelioScope in-house for proposals, with the winning jobs sent out for detailed engineering. The layout and DXF become the starting point for the outside team.
If you go this way, agree on file formats up front. Send the HelioScope DXF, the energy report, and the module and inverter choices together. That cuts rework at handover.
How Heaven Designs helps
Heaven Designs has 50+ engineers in Surat and Ahmedabad (company figure). We work in HelioScope, PVsyst, AutoCAD, and STAAD.Pro, so we can pick up your file or start from scratch.
- Solar 3D pre-design for bid layouts, shading, and yield estimates.
- Solar post-design for construction drawings, SLDs, and structural calculations.
- Engineering reports, including PVsyst yield studies.
To judge the output before you commit, download design samples, which include a 130 kW and 200 kW commercial set. When you have a live project, request a project quote. We reply within 1 business day.
FAQ
Is HelioScope a replacement for a solar design company?
No. It replaces some of the hours a designer spends on layout and simulation. It does not produce construction drawings, structural calculations, or permit sets.
Does HelioScope generate a permit-ready single-line diagram?
It generates a schematic SLD that updates with the design. Most AHJs and CEIG offices expect a more detailed, code-specific diagram, so plan for an engineer to complete it.
Can Heaven Designs work from my HelioScope file?
Yes. A DXF export plus the energy report is a good starting point for detailed engineering.
Is HelioScope enough for a lender?
Pro shows P90 and higher values. Many lenders still ask for PVsyst, and PVsyst export is listed only on the Enterprise plan. Ask your lender which report it accepts before you choose. Our PVsyst vs Aurora Solar comparison explains where each tool fits.
Why does other pricing online differ from the figures here?
HelioScope prices have changed over time. The figures on this page were read from the official pricing page on 6 October 2026.