Comparison · Solar energy

Aurora Solar vs OpenSolar

Aurora leads on LIDAR-grade design accuracy and a public seat price for Premium features. OpenSolar leads on $0 core access, built-in CRM/project workflows, and finance options without a second system of record.

Updated September 26, 2026

Solar CRM

Aurora Solar

7.0

Fairout of 10

Industry-standard solar design platform with Sales Mode proposals, integrated loan/TPO financing, contract manager, and CRM sync via API — stronger as design-and-sales than as an ops CRM.

From $159/user/mo (Basic); Premium $259/user/mo

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Higher scoreSolar CRM

OpenSolar

7.8

Strongout of 10

Free end-to-end solar platform — AI design, branded proposals, integrated finance options, e-signature, payments, and a built-in project CRM from lead through install.

Free (core app); API and connectors are paid add-ons

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Criteria where Aurora Solar wins

Ties

Criteria where OpenSolar wins

Editorial verdict

How to choose between them

Aurora is the design standard that added Sales Mode. OpenSolar is the free platform that added design to a CRM.

If lender diligence and change-order risk scare you, Aurora’s shade reports and Premium modeling are the clearer public story. If software cost and tool sprawl scare you, OpenSolar’s free core — design, proposal, finance paths, CRM, and project stages — is the clearer public story.

Neither gives you native WhatsApp. Neither is a plant-monitoring O&M suite. Aurora expects a CRM beside it more often than OpenSolar does; OpenSolar’s own API pages still admit teams that keep Salesforce. Pick the pain: accuracy seats or stack cost.

Score by criterion

In green, who wins the criterion. The overall score uses solar energy weights: proposal generator and financing weigh more.

CriterionAurora SolarOpenSolar

Proposal generator1.5×
PV sizing, shading, production estimates, and a customer-ready proposal or PDF without a parallel spreadsheet.
9.4
8.8
Financing1.2×
Quote and, when it exists, pre-approve solar loans, leases, or PPAs without retyping the homeowner in another portal.
9.0
8.5
Post-sale and monitoring1×
Installed systems, service tickets, and a clean handoff from sales into install / O&M without an orphan spreadsheet.
5.2
7.8
Native messaging0.9×
Native SMS or messaging inbox on the lead card, with team history. WhatsApp Business API also counts. Marketplace apps, extensions, and website buttons do not.
3.0
3.5
Price and transparency0.8×
Public plan, currency, trial, and whether you can start without a vendor sales call.
6.2
9.8
Learning curve0.8×
English UI, solar vocabulary (kW, shade, PTO, TPO), and time to the first usable proposal.
7.0
8.0
Overall score
7.0
7.8

Native features

Only what is part of the product counts. Marketplace integrations or third-party apps are out.

FeatureAurora SolarOpenSolar

Proposal generatorYesYes
FinancingYesYes
Native messagingNoNo
MonitoringNoNo
Website simulatorNoNo
Project managementNoYes
Native marketingNoNo
Sales pipelineNoYes

Compare with another rival

Each pair has its own page. The ranking only highlights the main duels — the rest are here and on each CRM profile.