Solar installers · Updated 2026-08-15
The best solar installer software in 2026
Selling and installing solar means running two workflows that rarely live in the same tool: designing an accurate system for a specific roof, and closing and financing the deal before the customer looks elsewhere. Some platforms specialize in one side — precise shading models, permit-ready plans — and expect you to bring your own CRM; others bundle design and sales into a single pipeline built for door-to-door or high-volume teams. We compared the platforms installers actually design and sell on, from the free full-featured option to the door-to-door sales stack. No paid placements — just the real market, with indicative pricing where vendors publish it.
The picks at a glance
| Software | Best for | Indicative pricing |
|---|
| Aurora Solar | Design-focused solar teams who want the industry-standard modeling engine | quote-based |
| OpenSolar | Small installers and startups who want a full toolchain without a software line item | free core platform (paid API access and connectors added April 2026) |
| Arka 360 | Installers who want design and CRM natively combined instead of stitched together | tiered plans |
| Sunbase | Door-to-door solar sales teams who want canvassing-to-install in one system | quote-based |
| Enerflo | Installers who want to connect existing point tools rather than replace them | flat monthly subscription (quote-based) |
Pricing is indicative, checked at the date above — plans change; always confirm with the vendor. We have no paid relationship with any editor listed here.
The contenders, in detail
1. Aurora Solar
Pricing : quote-based
Design-focused solar teams who want the industry-standard modeling engine
Aurora Solar is the most widely used solar design platform in the US, letting installers model shading, generate permit-ready plans and build sales proposals — with over 100,000 PV systems designed on it every week. Its CRM and sales pipeline tools are comparatively light, so most teams pair it with a separate sales system.
Strengths
- +Design accuracy and permit-package generation set the category benchmark
- +Enormous installed base means trained designers and integration partners are easy to find
- +AI-assisted panel placement and LiDAR-based 3D modeling speed up complex roofs
Watch out for
- −Pricing is sales-led only — no published plans, so budgeting takes a call
- −CRM and post-sale project management are thin; most shops add another tool for that
2. OpenSolar
Pricing : free core platform (paid API access and connectors added April 2026)
Small installers and startups who want a full toolchain without a software line item
OpenSolar is a free, full-featured platform for solar professionals covering 3D design, shading analysis, proposal generation and CRM, monetized through partner integrations (financing, hardware, permitting) rather than license fees. It is used by solar professionals in more than 160 countries.
Strengths
- +Genuinely free — no licensing fee or per-design cap on the core platform
- +Covers design, proposals and CRM in one place rather than three separate tools
- +Broad international coverage, useful outside the more US-centric competitors
Watch out for
- −The free model relies on partner integrations, which can nudge you toward specific financiers or suppliers
- −Since April 2026, API access and third-party connectors carry their own fees on top of the free core app
3. Arka 360
Pricing : tiered plans
Installers who want design and CRM natively combined instead of stitched together
Arka 360 pairs solar design and shading analysis with a native CRM, aiming to take a lead from first contact to a finished proposal in minutes — positioned as a faster, all-in-one alternative to pairing Aurora Solar with a separate sales tool. It covers residential and commercial (C&I) projects with automated permit packages.
Strengths
- +Native CRM removes the need to bolt on a separate sales tool
- +Fast lead-to-proposal workflow, including for commercial and industrial (C&I) projects
- +Automated compliance checks and permit package generation built in
Watch out for
- −Smaller installed base and integration ecosystem than Aurora Solar
- −Published pricing varies by region, so confirm the plan for your market before comparing
4. Sunbase
Pricing : quote-based
Door-to-door solar sales teams who want canvassing-to-install in one system
Sunbase is a contractor management platform built for solar, roofing and home-improvement companies that sell door-to-door, covering the full cycle from canvassing and lead capture through proposals, contracts and installation scheduling. It is used by more than 8,000 contractors across solar, roofing and construction.
Strengths
- +Built specifically around door-to-door canvassing and field sales, not just office-based design
- +Covers the full cycle — leads, proposals, contracts, scheduling — in one platform
- +Also serves roofing and construction, useful if you sell more than solar
Watch out for
- −Design tooling is lighter than dedicated platforms like Aurora Solar or Arka 360
- −Third-party reviews suggest total cost climbs fast at scale — get a quote modeled on your team size
5. Enerflo
Pricing : flat monthly subscription (quote-based)
Installers who want to connect existing point tools rather than replace them
Enerflo is a solar sales workflow platform that connects the tools installers already use — CRM, e-signature, financing, proposal software — into one guided process from door-to-door qualification through permission to operate (PTO). It charges a flat monthly subscription rather than per-user fees.
Strengths
- +Wide integration list — CRM, financing and proposal tools plug into one guided workflow
- +Flat subscription for unlimited users and deals, rather than per-seat pricing
- +Guides a deal end-to-end from qualification to PTO, reducing dropped handoffs
Watch out for
- −Value depends on already using, or being willing to adopt, its integration partners
- −Less of a standalone design tool than Aurora Solar, OpenSolar or Arka 360
Free shortlist
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How to choose
01Design accuracy vs. sales speed
Some platforms are built for precise shading and production modeling (Aurora Solar); others optimize for turning a doorstep conversation into a signed contract in minutes (Sunbase, Enerflo). Decide which failure costs you more — an underperforming system or a lost sale — before picking a side.
02Native CRM or a tool you bring yourself
Aurora Solar and OpenSolar are strongest on the design side, with lighter sales pipelines; Arka 360, Sunbase and Enerflo build the CRM in natively. If you already run a CRM you like, a design-only tool may fit better than paying for a second, weaker one.
03Permit packages and compliance
A design that cannot become a stamped, submittable permit package just becomes rework. Check that shading analysis, structural data and interconnection paperwork generate automatically for the jurisdictions you actually install in — permit rules vary sharply by state and utility.
04True monthly cost at your team size
Free (OpenSolar) doesn’t mean free of trade-offs, and quote-based pricing (Aurora Solar, Sunbase, Enerflo) can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars a month depending on team size and volume. Model the cost against your actual number of designers and closers, not the marketing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenSolar really free, or is there a catch?
OpenSolar’s core design, proposal and CRM tools carry no license fee — the company monetizes through partner integrations (financing, hardware, permitting services) rather than charging installers directly. Since April 2026 it has also started charging separately for API access and third-party connectors, so the free tier now covers the core app rather than every possible integration. Third-party buyer guides also report installers who stack shading, e-signature, financing and white-label add-ons ending up around $80-150 per user per month once everything is switched on — get a full quote for the specific modules you need rather than assuming free means free of trade-offs.
Aurora Solar or Arka 360 — which is the better design tool?
Aurora Solar has by far the larger installed base and is often treated as the default in the US market, which makes trained designers and third-party integrations easier to find. Arka 360 is positioned as the faster alternative, with a native CRM bundled in and a workflow aimed at getting from lead to proposal in minutes — worth a serious look if you want design and sales under one login rather than two.
We sell door-to-door — do we need a design tool and a sales tool, or one platform?
Sunbase and Enerflo are both built around the door-to-door and canvassing motion end-to-end, so a single platform can realistically cover qualification through installation scheduling. Teams with more complex or commercial designs often still pair one of them with a dedicated design engine like Aurora Solar or Arka 360 for the technical modeling — check each vendor’s integration list before assuming your stack will connect cleanly.
What data actually has to flow from the design tool into our CRM or financing platform?
At minimum: system size in kWp, panel count and model, inverter model, estimated annual production, estimated annual savings and system price. If a design change (a swapped inverter, a resized array) does not automatically update those fields in your CRM or proposal, your sales team is re-keying numbers by hand and risking a proposal that no longer matches the design. Ask each vendor to show you that sync live, with a mid-deal design change, rather than taking "we integrate with X" at face value.
Does faster, more accurate design software actually save money, or is it just a convenience?
There is a real cost basis behind that claim, even if none of these vendors publish it themselves. A widely cited NREL/IEEE analysis by Ardani, Seif, Margolis and Torbert (scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Reducing+solar+PV+soft+costs+a+focus+on+installation+labor) found that non-hardware "soft costs" — including installation labor and the design and permitting work behind it — made up a large share of total US residential solar cost, with installation labor alone running roughly $0.49/W versus $0.18/W in Germany at the time, and estimated that streamlining that labor could cut U.S. labor costs substantially. Design software does not fix labor productivity on the roof, but faster, error-free design-to-permit workflows attack the same cost category the research flags as oversized in the US market.