PV Master vs Solar Setup
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PV Master
This app helps you harness solar energy by providing accurate solar data, weather integration, and tools to optimize your solar panel setup. It offers comprehensive calculators for energy needs, panel requirements, and battery storage, along with guides and a glossary for informed decisions.
- Accurate solar data based on location
- Weather data integration
- Solar potential insights
- Panel positioning tool
- Comprehensive energy calculators
- Guides, FAQs, and glossary
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Thinking about going solar, or trying to get more out of the panels you already have? PV Master turns confusing solar numbers into clear decisions, so you spend less on power and waste less of the sun. Using just your location, PV Master shows you what your roof can really do, when to rely on your own panels, and when to lean on the grid. Whether you are planning your first system or fine tuning an existing one, you get answers you can act on. What PV Master helps you do: Plan with real numbers, not guesses. Get accurate, location based solar data plus a live grid forecast, so you know the best times to use your own power and when cheaper grid power makes sense. Position your panels for maximum output. The built in compass and tilt tool helps you find the angle that captures the most sun all year long. Size your system with confidence. Simple calculators work out how much energy you need, how many panels and batteries it takes, and what it will cost, so you can weigh the ROI before you spend a cent. Get more from every sunny day. Local weather is built in, so you can see how conditions affect production and plan around them. Learn as you go. Clear guides, FAQs, and a plain language glossary explain every solar and photovoltaic term, so nothing holds you back. It all lives in one friendly app, from first idea to finished install, with information that is genuinely easy to read. Download PV Master today and start making smarter, greener energy decisions. Privacy Policy: https://BigBalli.com/privacy Terms of Use: http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula Payment will be charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions in your Account Settings on the App Store after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when purchasing a subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://BigBalli.com/privacy
Solar Setup
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Plan your off-grid solar setup in minutes. Solar Setup Calculator turns your appliance list into a complete, sized system — solar panels, battery bank, inverter, and charge controller — with real-world cost estimates and payback time. No spreadsheets. No installer sales calls. Just answer three questions about where you live, how much power you use, and how many days of battery backup you want — and the app does the off-grid solar math using the same formulas professional installers use. WHY IT'S DIFFERENT * Off-grid solar sizing built for everyone, not just installers. Pick appliances from a built-in catalog of 30+ common loads (fridges, lights, laptops, AC units, water pumps) or type in your own watts and hours. * Real sun-hours data, not guesses. The app pulls NASA POWER satellite data for your exact location on demand, so your panel count reflects what your roof actually gets — not a generic regional average. * Real battery science. Lithium and lead-acid have very different depth-of-discharge limits and round-trip efficiency. The calculator handles both correctly so your battery bank is sized for what it can actually deliver, not what's printed on the label. * Inverter sizing that handles surge loads. Air conditioners, fridges, and pumps draw 3 to 5 times their rated wattage during startup. The app accounts for this so your inverter doesn't trip out on day one. * Cost and payback estimates. Add your local kWh price and see how many years until your solar setup pays for itself versus staying on the grid. * Save and compare. Try different configurations side-by-side — 12V vs 24V vs 48V, lithium vs lead-acid, 1 day vs 3 days of backup — and see which one wins on cost and reliability. * Export as PDF. Share your sized system with an installer or supplier as a clean, professional PDF — no spreadsheet attachments. BUILT FOR - RV and van life — calculate solar for your rig with realistic appliance assumptions - Tiny house and cabin — design a system sized for your real consumption - Backyard sheds, workshops, and outbuildings — keep your tools running without trenching mains - Backup power for grid-tied homes — size a battery bank for blackouts - Marine solar setups — the same off-grid math works on a boat FREE FOREVER - Unlimited setups and saved designs - Cloud sync across devices (optional) - Full off-grid sizing wizard - NASA POWER sun-hours refresh - Built-in solar education library PRO — ONE-TIME $6.99, LIFETIME - PDF export of your sized system - Side-by-side comparison of multiple setups No subscriptions. No ads. Pay once, keep forever. THE STORY Solar Setup Calculator was built by an off-grid enthusiast frustrated with calculators that sized panels for daytime use only and left batteries empty by midnight. The app uses the full daily kWh figure for panel sizing, accounts for system losses, and handles depth-of-discharge correctly — the same way a professional designer would. Whether you're planning a weekend cabin, going full-time off-grid, or just curious what it would take to cover your fridge with solar — Solar Setup Calculator gives you a real answer in 5 minutes. Download free, design unlimited setups, and pay once for Pro if you need the comparison view or PDF export.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Solar Setup at every 2 days against PV Master's every 8 days. Solar Setup also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PV Master sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Solar Setup sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PV Master ships an update every 8 days, Solar Setup every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PV Master | Solar Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (23 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 17.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 23 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BigBalli Consulting llc | Ammar Khatib |
In-app purchases
PV Master
- Full Unlock$4.991 Month
- Yearly$49.991 Year
- Location Solar Panel Data$0.99
- Lifetime$59.99
Solar Setup
- Solar Setup Pro$6.99
Questions
Is PV Master free?
Is Solar Setup free?
Do PV Master or Solar Setup have ads?
Which is updated more often, PV Master or Solar Setup?
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