Aurora Solar vs OpenSolar

Head-to-head comparison of pricing, features, integrations, and use-case fit.

Verified 2 days ago ยท 2026-05-28 Verified 2 days ago ยท 2026-05-28
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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
Visit Aurora Solar โ†’

OpenSolar

Free, full-featured solar design and sales software

Starting price
Free tier available
Aggregate rating
โ€”
Best team size
1-500
Free trial
No
Visit OpenSolar โ†’

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 โ€” which one is right for you?

Pick Aurora Solar ifโ€ฆ

  • โ†’ 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 ifโ€ฆ

  • โ†’ 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 โ€” Custom Free โ€” 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

Pros
  • + 13 years of product maturity (founded 2013)
Cons
  • โˆ’ No public pricing (contact-sales only)
  • โˆ’ Can be expensive for small shops
  • โˆ’ Lacks permit-ready electrical output (single-line diagrams, wire sizing) natively โ€” many users add AutoCAD or PVCase
  • โˆ’ No public pricing โ€” sales call required for a quote

OpenSolar

Pros
Cons
  • โˆ’ Some advanced API access and third-party connectors are now paid
  • โˆ’ Partner-funded model means hardware/finance partners get in-platform placement
  • โˆ’ Permit-ready electrical depth is limited like most design-first tools

Implementation timeline comparison

Aurora Solar

3-6 months for full deployment with dedicated implementation manager

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

  • โœ“ solar design
  • โœ“ 3d modeling
  • โœ“ production estimates
  • โœ“ proposals

Only in OpenSolar

  • + project management

Integrations

Only in Aurora Solar

  • + crm

Both integrate with

  • โœ“ 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 โ€” 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 โ€” 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: 3-6 months for full deployment with dedicated implementation manager. OpenSolar: 1-3 weeks self-service onboarding. Implementation length scales with pricing tier โ€” 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 โ€” 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 โ€” 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.