Honest comparison. PVsyst is the academic gold standard for PV yield simulation. Diaz Editor wins on design speed + visual output + lifetime price. Bonus: Diaz Editor also handles electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and structural work — PVsyst only does PV simulation.
PVsyst is the academic gold standard for PV-yield simulation — great for utility-scale, bank-finance, and R&D. Diaz Editor is a design tool for installers who want to quote and execute fast. For permit work on residential + small commercial scale, Diaz Editor is enough. For utility-scale yield finance, PVsyst (or both).
For those use-cases, PVsyst has been industry-standard since 1992. Nothing comes close.
| Feature | Diaz Editor | PVsyst |
|---|---|---|
| 3D roof design (visual) | ✓ (sales-ready) | — (basic 3D scene) |
| PV yield simulation | ✓ (PVWatts) | ✓ (industry-standard) |
| Loss-budget reporting (IAM/spectral/mismatch) | — | ✓ (deep) |
| Battery system design | ✓ (full) | — (basic) |
| Tracker shading model | — | ✓ |
| PDF permit pack export | ✓ | ✓ (technical report) |
| Panel + inverter library | 3,200+ | 10,000+ |
| Learning curve | ~2 hours | ~20-40 hours |
| Local language UI (NL/ES) | ✓ | ✓ (NL ja, ES ja) |
| No subscription | ✓ | — (yearly) |
Source: PVsyst public documentation + Diaz Editor v0.3 changelog. Updated May 2026.
Many installers use both: Diaz Editor for design + PVsyst for occasional utility-scale yield reports. €99 lifetime + PVsyst yearly only when you actually need it.
Diaz Editor is the right primary tool. Speed + visual output + lifetime pricing. PVsyst is overkill for an 8 kWp roof install.
PVsyst remains essential. Loss-budget depth and tracker modelling can't be replaced. Diaz Editor doesn't try to.
For deep yield-loss modelling (IAM, spectral, mismatch, tracker shading), yes — PVsyst is the academic standard. For typical residential design where ±3% accuracy is acceptable, Diaz Editor's PVWatts-based simulation is sufficient and 10x faster to set up.
For residential and small commercial permit applications in NL/ES/EU, yes. Diaz Editor's PDF permit pack includes all standard items. PVsyst is required for some bank-financed utility-scale projects where deep simulation reports are part of the financing package.
Diaz Editor v0.3 supports manual shade objects and horizon shading. PVsyst's near-shading and 3D obstruction modelling is more advanced. For residential roofs without nearby high obstacles, the difference in calculated yield is typically under 2%.
PVsyst takes 20-40 hours to learn properly. Diaz Editor is designed for 2-hour onboarding. For solo installers, time-to-quote matters as much as simulation rigour.
PVsyst exports project reports as PDF and CSV (BOM, hourly results). Diaz Editor accepts these as reference, but the system geometry must be re-traced. A direct PVsyst project import is on the v0.6 roadmap.
100 founding spots. No subscription. 3 device seats.
Claim founding spot — €99One-time. Lifetime. 3 seats. No subscription.
Built for self-employed tradespeople + small teams (1-10 people). Not for architects or utility-scale engineering — AutoCAD and Aurora are better at those.
Regular price (after founding):
€1.000 €99 today
100 spots total. Stripe checkout. Instant download after payment.