Aurora Solar vs OpenSolar
Head-to-head comparison of pricing, features, integrations, and use-case fit.
Aurora Solar
The market-leading AI solar design and sales platform
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Aggregate rating
- 4.5 / 5
- Best team size
- 5-500
- Free trial
- No
OpenSolar
Free, full-featured solar design and sales software
- Starting price
- Free tier available
- Aggregate rating
- —
- Best team size
- 1-500
- Free trial
- No
What actually separates them
Only the points where Aurora Solar and OpenSolar genuinely differ, from our verified data. Everything they share is further down.
- → Price transparency: OpenSolar publishes a starting price (Free tier available). Aurora Solar does not, so comparing them costs you a sales call.
- → Integrations: only Aurora Solar connects to crm; only OpenSolar connects to hardware distributors.
- → Features the other lacks: Aurora Solar has sales_workflow; OpenSolar has project_management.
Quick verdict
Aurora Solar: Residential and light-commercial solar contractors that want the deepest, most accurate AI design and proposal platform and can absorb premium, contact-sales pricing.
OpenSolar: Solar contractors of any size that want a genuinely free, full-featured design and sales platform and are comfortable with a partner-funded business model.
Decision matrix — which one is right for you?
Pick Aurora Solar if…
- → Your situation matches Aurora Solar's target profile: Residential and light-commercial solar contractors that want the deepest, most accurate AI design and proposal platform and can absorb premium, contact-sales pricing
Pick OpenSolar if…
- → Your situation matches OpenSolar's target profile: Solar contractors of any size that want a genuinely free, full-featured design and sales platform and are comfortable with a partner-funded business model
Pricing side-by-side
| Tier | Aurora Solar | OpenSolar |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Contact sales — Custom | Free — Free |
Aurora Solar uses custom-quoted pricing (typically $250-$800/user/mo for enterprise FSM platforms); OpenSolar has transparent public pricing starting at $0/mo. If budget predictability matters, OpenSolar wins on transparency alone. If you need enterprise-tier features and don't mind the sales process, Aurora Solar's custom pricing reflects the deeper feature set.
Pros & cons
Aurora Solar
- + 13 years of product maturity (founded 2013)
- − No public pricing (contact-sales only)
- − Can be expensive for small shops
- − Lacks permit-ready electrical output (single-line diagrams, wire sizing) natively — many users add AutoCAD or PVCase
- − No public pricing — sales call required for a quote
OpenSolar
- − Some advanced API access and third-party connectors are now paid
- − Partner-funded model means hardware/finance partners get in-platform placement
- − Permit-ready electrical depth is limited like most design-first tools
Implementation timeline comparison
Aurora Solar
Not published; the vendor quotes per account, so ask for the onboarding plan in writing before signing
OpenSolar
1-3 weeks self-service onboarding
Enterprise-tier platforms ($250+/user/mo) typically require 3-6 months with dedicated admin time, custom pricebook setup, and phased rollout to field techs. Mid-tier platforms reach operational status in 4-8 weeks with optional paid onboarding. Entry-tier platforms are designed for self-service onboarding in 1-3 weeks. Always plan for 2-4 weeks of parallel operation with your existing system before cutting over.
Feature comparison
Only in Aurora Solar
- + sales workflow
Both have
- ✓ solar design
- ✓ 3d modeling
- ✓ production estimates
- ✓ proposals
Only in OpenSolar
- + project management
Integrations
Only in Aurora Solar
- + crm
Both integrate with
- ✓ financing
Only in OpenSolar
- + hardware distributors
Which fits better in each trade
| Trade | Aurora Solar fit | OpenSolar fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 10 / 10 | 9 / 10 | Aurora Solar |
Vertical-fit scores combine feature coverage, customer base concentration, and the tool's own positioning for the trade. See methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Aurora Solar or OpenSolar?
Neither is universally better — they target different buyers. Aurora Solar is best for Residential and light-commercial solar contractors that want the deepest, most accurate AI design and proposal platform and can absorb premium, contact-sales pricing. OpenSolar is best for Solar contractors of any size that want a genuinely free, full-featured design and sales platform and are comfortable with a partner-funded business model. See the decision matrix above for situation-specific guidance, or jump to the per-vertical winner table if you're in a specific trade.
Is Aurora Solar cheaper than OpenSolar?
Both Aurora Solar and OpenSolar use custom pricing or have similar entry costs — request quotes from both to compare apples-to-apples for your specific team size.
Can Aurora Solar and OpenSolar integrate with QuickBooks?
Aurora Solar does not have a native QuickBooks integration (Zapier workaround may exist). OpenSolar does not have a native QuickBooks integration.
Do Aurora Solar or OpenSolar offer a free trial?
Aurora Solar: no free trial advertised; demo on request. OpenSolar: no free trial advertised; demo on request.
How long does Aurora Solar vs OpenSolar take to implement?
Aurora Solar: Not published; the vendor quotes per account, so ask for the onboarding plan in writing before signing. OpenSolar: 1-3 weeks self-service onboarding. Implementation length scales with pricing tier — enterprise platforms ($250+/user/mo) require 3-6 months with dedicated admin time; mid-tier platforms typically reach operational status in 4-8 weeks with optional paid onboarding.
Can I migrate from Aurora Solar to OpenSolar (or vice versa)?
Yes, but expect data normalization work. Customer records and active jobs typically import cleanly via CSV. Historical job data, recurring service agreements, and custom pricebooks rarely transfer perfectly — most shops leave historical data in the source system as archival reference rather than migrating it. Budget 2-4 weeks of parallel operation between the two systems during the cutover.
Aurora Solar vs OpenSolar: which has better customer support?
Both Aurora Solar and OpenSolar offer email support across all tiers, with phone and live chat typically reserved for higher tiers. Response time SLAs vary by tier — entry-tier customers usually get 24-48 hour email response; enterprise customers get dedicated account managers with same-day response. Read recent G2 reviews specifically for support-quality signals before committing.
Which is better for solo contractors vs growing teams?
For solo contractors and 2-3 person teams, the lower-priced option (either) typically wins on cost without sacrificing core features. For growing teams (5-15 employees), evaluate based on which platform's upper tiers include the features you'll need at your 12-18 month projected scale rather than buying for today's team size. For established 15+ employee operations, the depth of enterprise features (reporting, multi-location, marketing attribution) matters more than entry-tier price.
Need a deeper look?
See our full reviews with detailed pricing tiers, integration depth, and weaknesses.
Should your product be in this comparison?
We review Aurora Solar and OpenSolar against their own published pricing and terms, and we publish the cons next to the pros. If you build a competing product and it is not covered here, send it to us and it gets the same treatment.
Listings are free. No vendor can pay for placement, for a score, or to have a documented con removed. Read this page first and decide whether you want that.