Overview

OpenSolar is software for solar installers, sales teams, and energy professionals handling system design, customer sales, and project work. It is best suited to teams that want those tasks connected in one platform without a core subscription charge. The main caveat is that API access carries a separate, geo-specific project fee.

Ada AI generates multiple system designs from user preferences, while branded proposals and payment tools carry the work into customer transactions. Equipment ordering and project-management features extend the workflow beyond the initial design, making OpenSolar a broader choice than a design-only tool.

Key features

Design, proposals, and payments

Ada AI can produce multiple solar system designs in seconds according to design preferences. That gives teams several starting points for planning and customer discussions, though the design output is only one part of the workflow. Customizable, business-branded proposals support flexible payments and real-time updates, connecting design decisions with the customer-facing offer.

Branded invoices, payment milestones, automated reminders, online payments, and e-signatures cover important steps from agreement through collection. This breadth can reduce the need to split those customer transactions across separate tools. Equipment can be ordered from within the design experience, and a hardware catalogue can generate a bill of materials, keeping purchasing preparation close to the system design.

Project operations and integrations

Site survey forms, design handoff, crew scheduling, and service visit tracking give OpenSolar a place in field and project coordination as well as sales. The API connects with CRM, accounting, operations, and incentive tools, and supports project, design, pricing, hardware, and contact data. That is useful for teams building a connected software stack, but its per-project fee makes API use a cost to evaluate separately from the free core plan.

Security and support

OpenSolar says it encrypts data at rest and in transit using TLS/SSL and applies role-based access controls. It targets 99.95% service availability and says its systems are monitored around the clock. The platform is hosted on AWS, with production systems in Sydney and a global content delivery network. Free accounts include dedicated 24/7 support, with live help, ticket-based assistance, training, webinars, and a Help Center.

Pricing

OpenSolar Pro costs 0.00 USD per free, billed free of charge, and includes solar design, sales, and project management. That makes it a strong starting point for installers and sales teams that want the core workflow without a subscription commitment. The listed pricing model also includes a 30-day trial, but the core Pro plan is free rather than a time-limited entry tier.

OpenSolar API Access is a paid add-on with custom pricing: it is billed per project, varies by geography, and applies when a project is created. It has a 30-day free trial; after that, billing begins at the start of the closest month. Teams that only need the core product can avoid this charge, while organizations relying on CRM, accounting, or operations integrations should account for it in project economics.

Platforms

OpenSolar supports Android, iOS, macOS, web, and API access. That range accommodates teams working across mobile and desktop environments, with the API serving organizations that need system-to-system connections.

Who it's for

OpenSolar fits solar installers, sales teams, and energy professionals who want design, proposals, payment collection, and project coordination together. Its free Pro plan is particularly compelling for teams seeking to control software costs while covering those core tasks. It is less attractive to teams that require integrations but cannot predict or absorb a region-specific fee on each project created through API Access.

Pros and cons

Pros: Pro is free and includes design, sales, and project management, so teams can adopt a broad workflow without a core subscription fee.
Pros: Design, branded proposals, payment tools, equipment ordering, and bill-of-materials generation link customer sales to purchasing preparation.
Pros: Site surveys, design handoff, crew scheduling, and service visit tracking extend coverage into project operations.
Pros: Free accounts include 24/7 support, and the stated security controls include encryption and role-based access.
Cons: API Access is a separate paid add-on with geography-dependent, per-project billing, so integration costs can scale with project activity.
Cons: API billing begins after a 30-day trial at the start of the closest month, a timing detail teams should include in rollout planning.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse Solar Installation Software.

FieldExecutives is worth considering for teams wanting an INR-priced option with a free tier for up to two users; its Starter plan is 1999.00 INR per month and charges extra for additional users. Choose it when a small-user free tier matters more than OpenSolar's free solar design, sales, and project-management bundle.

SolarProjeX starts at 149.00 USD per month, billed $149/mo or $1,490/yr, for up to five users and 100 GB storage. It may suit a team that prefers a paid, user-capped plan with stated storage rather than OpenSolar's free core and separately charged API.

SolarIonix offers a 14-day free trial with one user, unlimited leads and projects, and all features unlocked. Consider it when a short, full-feature trial is the priority; OpenSolar instead offers a free ongoing Pro plan.

MightyFields Solar is an alternative for teams evaluating a per-user SaaS subscription with a 15-user minimum.

SunrAI Project Management has a free plan and a Starter plan priced at 29.00 USD per month, billed $29/user/month, with planned launch pricing and free access during beta. Its stated scope includes up to 25 installs per month, one team, lifecycle and dispatch, and permit tracking; consider it when those project-management limits and workflows fit better than OpenSolar's wider design-to-payment scope.

Scoop Solar uses custom subscription pricing based on modules, workflows, and installation or service volume, with unlimited users, storage, and devices. It is an option for buyers whose priority is a subscription configured around that operating scope.

SuryaHub uses a quoted annual subscription and covers leads, quotes, job files, surveys, and PM Surya Ghar, DISCOM, subsidy, warehouse, and inventory workflows. It may fit buyers seeking those specific India-focused processes rather than OpenSolar's free core offer.

SolarSAAS is another alternative to consider.

Verdict

OpenSolar is a strong choice for solar professionals who want design, customer proposals, payments, and project management under a free core plan. Its connected workflow and operational breadth are the clearest reasons to choose it. Look elsewhere if your decision depends on predictable integration costs: API Access adds a geo-specific fee for each project created.

	OpenSolar	Solar CRM
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	Free	$99.99/mo
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, macOS, Web	Web
Free plan	Yes	No
Site survey forms	Yes
Design handoff	Yes
Crew scheduling	Yes
Service visit tracking	Yes
Customer portal		Yes

OpenSolar vs Solar CRM

OpenSolar

Solar CRM