Aurora Solar vs OpenSolar
Head-to-head comparison of pricing, features, integrations, and use-case fit.
Aurora Solar
Solar design, proposal and permit plan set software with published per-user plans
- Starting price
- From $135/user/mo, billed annually
- Best team size
- 1-500
- Free trial
- None listed
OpenSolar
Free solar design, proposal and project management software funded by partners
- Starting price
- Free tier available
- Best team size
- 1-500
- Free trial
- Free tier instead
What actually separates them
Only the points where our data on Aurora Solar and OpenSolar differs. A feature or integration missing from one tool's list means our entry does not record it, not that the tool lacks it. Everything they share is further down.
- → Entry price: OpenSolar has a free tier; Aurora Solar starts at $135 per user a month, billed annually ($159 billed monthly).
- → Integrations listed for one tool only: Aurora Solar: mosaic, eagleview, hubspot, zoho crm; OpenSolar: sunlight financial, xero, quickbooks, metromap.
- → Features listed for one tool only: Aurora Solar: sales workflow, plan sets, battery modeling; OpenSolar: project management, single line diagrams, payments.
Quick verdict
Aurora Solar: Residential and commercial solar installers and sales teams that want 3D design, proposals, financing and permit plan sets in one platform and are fine paying per user.
OpenSolar: Solar installers of any size, in the US, UK, Australia and many other countries, that want free design, proposal and project software and accept partner-funded placement.
OpenSolar has the lower starting price (Free tier available).
Decision matrix: which one is right for you?
Pick Aurora Solar if…
- → Your situation matches Aurora Solar's target profile: Residential and commercial solar installers and sales teams that want 3D design, proposals, financing and permit plan sets in one platform and are fine paying per user
Pick OpenSolar if…
- → Your situation matches OpenSolar's target profile: Solar installers of any size, in the US, UK, Australia and many other countries, that want free design, proposal and project software and accept partner-funded placement
- → Entry price matters most: OpenSolar has a free tier; Aurora Solar starts at $135 per user a month, billed annually ($159 billed monthly)
- → QuickBooks matters: OpenSolar lists a QuickBooks integration (QuickBooks (product not specified)); our entry for Aurora Solar lists none
Pricing side-by-side
| Tier | Aurora Solar | OpenSolar |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Basic: $135/user/mo | Free: free |
| Tier 2 | Premium: $220/user/mo | - |
| Tier 3 | Enterprise: quote | - |
Aurora Solar starts on Basic, at $135 per user a month, billed annually ($159 billed monthly). OpenSolar has a free tier (Free).
Pros & cons
Aurora Solar
- + Founded in 2013
- − Per-user pricing ($135-$220 per user per month billed annually, $159-$259 monthly) with 50 projects a month per Basic or Premium license
- − AI-assisted site models are listed under Enterprise
- − Plan sets, engineering stamps and on-demand site models cost extra
- − No free trial is listed
- − No QuickBooks integration in our data (OpenSolar lists one)
OpenSolar
- + Lower entry price: Free tier available
- + QuickBooks integration listed (QuickBooks (product not specified))
- − Partners pay for placement, so in-app lenders and products are not neutral
- − API Access (per project), connectors (monthly) and premium imagery cost extra and prices are shown only in the app
- − Some features depend on your country
Feature comparison
Features as listed in our entries. The lists use different words for similar features, so check a feature you need on both vendors' sites.
Listed for Aurora Solar only
- + sales workflow
- + plan sets
- + battery modeling
Listed for both
- ✓ solar design
- ✓ 3d modeling
- ✓ production estimates
- ✓ proposals
Listed for OpenSolar only
- + project management
- + single line diagrams
- + payments
- + ai assistant
Integrations
Listed for Aurora Solar only
- + mosaic
- + eagleview
- + hubspot
- + zoho crm
- + utilityapi
Listed for both
- ✓ goodleap
- ✓ sungage
- ✓ dividend finance
- ✓ lightreach
- ✓ enfin
- ✓ nearmap
- ✓ api
Listed for OpenSolar only
- + sunlight financial
- + xero
- + quickbooks
- + metromap
- + hardware distributors
Which fits better in each trade
| Trade | Aurora Solar fit | OpenSolar fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 10 / 10 | 10 / 10 | Tie |
Vertical-fit scores (1-10) rate how well each tool is built for the trade, checked against the trades the vendor's own pages say it serves. See methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Aurora Solar or OpenSolar?
It depends on your trade, team size and budget. Aurora Solar is best for residential and commercial solar installers and sales teams that want 3D design, proposals, financing and permit plan sets in one platform and are fine paying per user. OpenSolar is best for solar installers of any size, in the US, UK, Australia and many other countries, that want free design, proposal and project software and accept partner-funded placement. See the decision matrix above, and the trade-by-trade fit table if you work in one trade.
Is Aurora Solar cheaper than OpenSolar?
OpenSolar has the lower entry price: a free tier, against Aurora Solar at $135 per user a month, billed annually ($159 billed monthly). Total cost depends on your team size, the plan you need and any add-ons; see the pricing table above.
Can Aurora Solar and OpenSolar integrate with QuickBooks?
Our entry for Aurora Solar lists no QuickBooks integration. OpenSolar lists QuickBooks (product not specified). Check which way each sync runs, and on which plans, in each tool's full review before you buy.
Do Aurora Solar or OpenSolar offer a free trial?
Aurora Solar: no free trial in our data. OpenSolar: a free tier.
Can I move from Aurora Solar to OpenSolar (or the other way)?
Our data does not record migration support for either tool. Ask both vendors which records they import and export (customers, jobs, invoices, recurring agreements, price books), in which file format, and whether they help with the import.
Aurora Solar vs OpenSolar: which has better customer support?
WrenchStack does not rate customer support. Check each vendor's own support or contact page for its support channels and hours, and ask which support comes with the plan you would buy. Each full review links to G2 and Capterra, where you can read current user reviews.
Which suits a solo contractor, and which a growing team?
Our data puts Aurora Solar's best team size at 1-500 and OpenSolar's at 1-500. Aurora Solar's entry price is $135 per user a month, billed annually ($159 billed monthly); OpenSolar's is a free tier. Price both at the team size you expect to have, not only today's.
Need a deeper look?
See our full reviews with each tool's pricing tiers, integrations and weaknesses.
Should your product be in this comparison?
We check Aurora Solar and OpenSolar against their own websites and list the cons next to the pros. If you build a competing product that is not listed here, you can submit it for editorial review. An evaluation can end with or without a listing.
Listings are free. We do not accept payment for inclusion, for placement, for a score, or to remove a documented con. Read this page first and decide whether you want that.