Alternative
PVsyst alternative for installers: Solispec
PVsyst is the reference for yield simulation, and Solispec does not replace it. Solispec replaces what PVsyst lacks: the frame and fixings to the DBN, an estimate with a bill of materials, and a proposal the client accepts from a phone.
In the browser, nothing to install, no card: the Start plan is free.
Ground frame designer
Design the ground frame for your solar plant
Solispec picks the profiles and posts, checks the frame against snow and wind to the DBN and prices it down to the last bolt.
Who PVsyst is for
On its own site PVsyst describes itself as a PC software package for the study, sizing and data analysis of complete PV systems, geared to the needs of architects, engineers and researchers. It runs only under Windows, with a 30-day evaluation mode; near shadings are computed from a 3D scene, the result is a simulation report. You need it when the plant’s financing asks for a bankable report.
Who Solispec is for
You need Solispec when the plant has to be sold and built: lay the panels out on the site or the roof, get a frame checked for snow and wind in that city, strings per MPPT, an estimate at your prices and a proposal the client opens from a link. All in the browser; the Start plan is free.
PVsyst and Solispec: the differences
| Solispec | PVsyst | |
|---|---|---|
| Frame and mounting to local norms | YesДБН В.1.2-2, ДБН В.2.6-198, EN 1993-1-3 | Not stated on the vendor’s site |
| Snow and wind by address | Yes | Not stated on the vendor’s site |
| Yield simulation | PartlyPVGIS yield by month and an hourly balance; no hourly simulation from module models | Yes |
| Shading from 3D surroundings | Partlyneighbouring buildings and trees from the map, the yearly shade loss; no 3D model import | Yes |
| Proposal for the client | Yes | Partlya simulation report, not a sales proposal |
| Client view and acceptance | Yes | Not stated on the vendor’s site |
| In the browser, no install | Yes | NoWindows only |
| Free plan | Free | Trial30-day evaluation with a watermark on the report |
| Pricing model | Start is free; Pro and Business monthly, prices on the pricing page | Paid licence, price on the vendor’s site |
Checked October 28, 2026
What carries over from PVsyst
- 01
Equipment models: panels, inverters and batteries from the Solispec catalogue, by the name in your project.
- 02
Yield: Solispec takes it from PVGIS for the same address, tilt and azimuth.
- 03
Your prices: a price list from Excel into «My prices» — the estimate and the proposal use them.
PVsyst project files are not imported: the inputs carry over, not the calculation.
Questions and answers
Is Solispec more accurate than PVsyst?
Not for yield. PVsyst simulates hour by hour from module models; Solispec takes the yield from PVGIS by month. Solispec is more precise where PVsyst does not calculate at all: the frame’s capacity, the fixings, the estimate.
Can I use both?
Yes, and people do: the yield and the bank report in PVsyst, the frame, the estimate and the client proposal in Solispec. The inputs are the same: address, equipment models, tilt and azimuth.
What carries over from PVsyst to Solispec?
The address, the panel and inverter models (from the Solispec catalogue by name), the tilt and azimuth, the panel count. A PVsyst project file is not imported.
Does Solispec have a trial like PVsyst?
Start is free with no time limit, and Pro can be tried for 7 days with a card. A paid plan is needed for the client proposal, your own prices, every drawing and strings per MPPT.
Does Solispec compute shading?
Yes, but more simply than PVsyst: neighbouring buildings and trees come from the map, the sun and the shade are shown for a chosen day, the yearly shade loss goes into the yield. There is no 3D model import.
Do I need Windows?
No. Solispec runs in the browser on any system and on a phone. PVsyst, by its own requirements, runs only under Windows.
Sources
About the competitors only what their public pages state (October 28, 2026); what they do not state is marked «not stated». No competitor prices: they change, see the vendor’s site.