Solar Design Software Comparison 2026: Aurora vs OpenSolar vs RoofManager
Quick Answer: For solar installers in 2026, Aurora Solar remains the most feature-rich enterprise platform at $159–$259+ per month plus per-design credits, OpenSolar is the best free option for small-to-mid installers (monetized through hardware partnerships), and RoofManager is the fastest AI-driven platform for contractors who need solar design fused with roof measurement and CRM in one tool. The right choice depends on install volume, whether you also do roofing work, and how much you value speed over maximum design customization.
Solar hardware costs have collapsed. Panel prices are down more than 85% over the past decade, and inverter economics have followed. What has not collapsed is the soft cost of solar — the engineering, permitting, customer acquisition, and proposal generation that sits between a lead and an installed system. Design software is the single biggest lever on that soft-cost number, which is why choosing the right platform has become a make-or-break decision for installers scaling past 5 MW a year.
Three platforms dominate the conversation in 2026: Aurora Solar (the enterprise standard), OpenSolar (the free-forever disruptor), and RoofManager (the AI-native challenger that integrates roof measurement, solar design, and CRM in a single pipeline). This comparison is written for installers who need to pick one — not for anyone comparing niche academic tools like PVsyst or SAM.
The State of Solar Installer Automation in 2026
The solar design software market has stratified into three tiers, and understanding which tier you belong in is the first step.
Tier 1 — Enterprise CAD-style platforms. Aurora Solar, Helioscope, and RatedPower dominate. Designed for larger EPCs, commercial installers, and utility-scale developers who need fine-grained control over every wiring run, inverter string, and mounting pattern. Pricing is subscription + credits, total cost of ownership is high, and learning curves are steep. Win when precision and customization matter more than speed.
Tier 2 — Free collaborative platforms. OpenSolar and Arka 360 lead. Monetized through hardware partner product placement (OpenSolar) or freemium models (Arka). Designed for residential installers doing 3–50 systems per month who don't want to amortize an Aurora subscription across low volume. Win when budget is tight and designs are standard.
Tier 3 — AI-native integrated platforms. RoofManager and a handful of newcomers. Designed for contractors who do solar and roofing, or solar installers who want measurement, design, CRM, and proposal generation in one tool instead of stitching five SaaS products together. Win when operational speed and workflow integration matter more than maximum design flexibility.
An installer doing high-volume residential retrofits across a broad service area is not the same customer as an EPC engineering a 500 kW commercial array. The right platform depends on which customer you are.
Aurora Solar: High-Fidelity Remote Design at a Premium
Aurora is the gold standard for enterprise solar design. If you have ever seen a detailed, photorealistic solar proposal with accurate shading animation, monthly production projections, and financial modeling, there's a high probability it was generated in Aurora.
Strengths. Aurora's LiDAR-based 3D modeling is best-in-class. The AI Module for obstruction detection and rule-based design genuinely reduces engineer time. Aurora AI can auto-layout a system in about 15 minutes of actual engineering effort, compared to 60+ minutes for manual layouts. The financial analysis module supports complex PPA, lease, loan, and cash scenarios with lender-grade rigor. Integration with major CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot) is mature.
Weaknesses. Price is the biggest barrier. Aurora's published tiers start around $159/month for Basic and climb to $259+/month for Premium — on top of which many features bill per design credit. At typical usage, real-world total cost lands in the $400–$1,500/month range for an active installer. The learning curve is measured in weeks, not days. For small installers doing 5–10 systems per month, Aurora's cost-per-proposal can exceed $40 once you factor in engineer time and credit consumption.
Best for. EPCs, commercial installers, and enterprise residential operators above roughly 20 systems per month. Anyone selling financed systems where lender-grade financial modeling matters. Installers with a dedicated engineering team who will use the precision tools to their full extent.
OpenSolar: The Free, Collaborative Ecosystem
OpenSolar is the most successful freemium play in solar software history. The platform is genuinely free to use — no per-design charges, no subscription tiers, no usage limits — and it is monetized on the backend through hardware partner product placements inside the design interface (when you pick a panel or inverter, the partner pays OpenSolar).
Strengths. The price is hard to argue with. Residential installers doing 3–30 systems per month can run their entire proposal workflow on OpenSolar without a software line item on the P&L. The design interface is genuinely good — not Aurora-grade, but easily sufficient for standard residential pitched roofs. Ada, OpenSolar's AI assistant, handles conversational design queries and speeds up layout iteration. The integrated e-signature and financing workflows are adequate for residential work.
Weaknesses. Commercial capabilities are limited compared to Aurora. Complex shading analysis, multi-inverter string optimization, and utility-scale workflows are not the product's strengths. The hardware-partner monetization model means the panel and inverter dropdowns are biased toward partner brands, which can steer designs toward products you wouldn't otherwise spec. Customer support is thinner than paid platforms. CRM integration exists but is less mature.
Best for. Residential installers below 30 systems per month. Installers in markets where partner hardware (primarily Tier-1 crystalline panels and major inverter brands) is the default spec anyway. Anyone who wants to validate a solar opportunity before committing to a paid design tool.
RoofManager: AI-Powered Rapid Layouts & CRM Integration
RoofManager is the newcomer in this comparison and it solves a problem neither Aurora nor OpenSolar addresses directly: the installer who does solar and roofing, or who wants their solar design tool to be the same system that handles roof measurement, CRM, lead qualification, and proposal generation.
Strengths. The design loop is the fastest in the category — RoofManager produces a preliminary layout with shading analysis in roughly 20–60 seconds, compared to 15 minutes in Aurora AI and 5–10 minutes in OpenSolar. The platform's roof measurement engine (built for roofers first) delivers slope-adjusted surface area and per-facet pitch/azimuth without any manual tracing, which eliminates the "measure the roof, then design on it" two-step that legacy solar tools require. Native CRM means the lead, the measurement, the design, and the signed proposal all live in the same record — no Zapier, no webhooks, no double entry. Pricing is pay-as-you-go with no monthly minimum.
Weaknesses. Commercial and utility-scale design are not the focus — this is a residential and light-commercial tool. The design-surface customization is deliberately simpler than Aurora's, optimized for speed over pixel-level control. Financial modeling covers standard cash/loan/PPA scenarios but is less comprehensive than Aurora's lender-grade tooling. The product is newer, so some polish and ecosystem integrations (specific CRMs, specific permit packages) are still being added.
Best for. Contractors who do both roofing and solar. Residential solar installers who want speed and workflow integration more than maximum design precision. Small-to-mid installers who are frustrated with the measure-design-quote-CRM tool-chain and want one platform. Dealer networks where speed-to-proposal directly drives close rates.
Head-to-Head Feature Matrix
| Feature | Aurora Solar | OpenSolar | RoofManager |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base price | $159–$259+/mo | Free | Pay-per-design ($8–$15) |
| Per-design cost | Varies (credits) | $0 | $8–$15 |
| Design time (AI-assisted) | ~15 min | 5–10 min | 20–60 sec |
| LiDAR / 3D accuracy | Excellent | Good | Excellent |
| Automated obstruction detection | Yes (Aurora AI) | Partial | Yes |
| Shading analysis | Full physics-based | Simplified | Physics-based |
| Financial modeling depth | Lender-grade | Residential-grade | Residential-grade |
| Roof measurement integrated | No (manual trace) | No (manual trace) | Yes (automated) |
| Native roofing CRM | No | Limited | Yes |
| E-signature + proposal PDF | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Commercial / utility-scale | Yes | Limited | No |
| Learning curve | Weeks | Days | Hours |
| Best for volume | 20+ systems/mo | 3–30/mo | 1–50/mo |
| Integration with roofing ops | None | None | Native |
Pricing Per Design: What Each Platform Actually Costs
Published subscription numbers hide what installers actually spend per proposal. Here's the real math at three volume tiers. Engineer time cost assumes $120/hr loaded labor. Design times: 15 min in Aurora with AI, 7 min in OpenSolar with Ada, 1 min in RoofManager's automated layout.
10 Systems Per Month
| Platform | Subscription | Per-design cost | Engineer time cost | Total per design |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Solar (Standard + credits) | $259/mo | ~$15 | $30 (15 min) | $70.90 |
| OpenSolar | $0 | $0 | $14 (7 min) | $14.00 |
| RoofManager | $0 | $12 | $2 (1 min) | $14.00 |
25 Systems Per Month
| Platform | Subscription | Per-design cost | Engineer time cost | Total per design |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Solar (Premium + credits) | $400/mo | ~$15 | $30 | $61.00 |
| OpenSolar | $0 | $0 | $14 | $14.00 |
| RoofManager | $0 | $12 | $2 | $14.00 |
50 Systems Per Month
| Platform | Subscription | Per-design cost | Engineer time cost | Total per design |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Solar (Enterprise) | $600+/mo | ~$12 (volume) | $30 | $54.00 |
| OpenSolar | $0 | $0 | $14 | $14.00 |
| RoofManager | $0 | $10 (volume) | $2 | $12.00 |
The pattern is consistent across volumes: Aurora's per-design cost runs 4–5x higher than the alternatives once you include engineer time, but the precision it buys is justified when proposals are commercial or lender-underwritten. OpenSolar and RoofManager land at similar per-design economics but with very different strengths — OpenSolar trades some speed for free software, RoofManager trades some customization for integrated workflow.
Canadian and Regional Considerations
Most solar software is built U.S.-first, which creates real gaps for Canadian installers and for U.S. installers in regulatory-heavy states.
Canadian Greener Homes / CEIP / provincial rebates. Aurora, OpenSolar, and RoofManager all support Canadian address geocoding and metric/imperial toggling, but rebate modeling varies. OpenSolar has the most mature Canadian partner ecosystem (Canadian Solar, Enphase Canada, major distributors). Aurora handles Canadian financial modeling but requires manual rebate configuration. RoofManager's Canadian coverage is strong on measurement and proposal generation; rebate templates for specific provinces are being added quarterly.
Permit packages and AHJ compliance. Aurora produces the most comprehensive permit sets (stamped PE drawings, line diagrams, structural calcs) out of the box. OpenSolar generates adequate permit documentation for most residential AHJs. RoofManager focuses on the proposal and measurement layers; permit packaging typically routes through a separate service. For high-volume installers in permit-heavy jurisdictions (California, parts of the Northeast), Aurora's permit tooling alone can justify the price gap.
Snow, wind, and fire setback codes. High-latitude and high-wind-zone installers need software that models snow loads, wind uplift, and fire setback requirements (particularly in California's WUI zones and similar). Aurora does this natively. OpenSolar handles the basics. RoofManager handles fire setbacks and CEC exclusion zones; structural load analysis is lighter-weight and often pairs with a structural engineer's separate review.
Which Platform Should You Actually Choose?
If you are a commercial EPC, a utility-scale developer, or a residential operator above ~25 systems/month who sells significantly financed or PPA systems, Aurora is almost certainly the right answer. The financial modeling and permit tooling alone are worth the price.
If you are a residential installer below ~30 systems/month, don't need heavy commercial tooling, and are comfortable with hardware-partner monetization steering some of your product choices, OpenSolar is hard to beat. Free is free.
If you do both roofing and solar, or if you are specifically frustrated with the measure-design-quote-CRM tool-chain and want one integrated workflow, RoofManager is the platform built for exactly that case. It is also the right choice for installers who prioritize speed-to-proposal (a 60-second design turnaround genuinely changes close rates in competitive markets) and for contractors in Canada who want a platform that treats Canadian workflows as first-class rather than a U.S. afterthought.
For installers who aren't sure, the test is simple: run the same address through all three tools this week. The Solar Feasibility Report guide walks through what should be in the final proposal regardless of which tool you use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which software is best for solar design in 2026?
For enterprise and commercial work, Aurora Solar remains the most feature-rich platform. For residential installers on a budget, OpenSolar offers a free design workflow funded by hardware partnerships. For contractors who do roofing and solar together or who want design integrated with measurement and CRM, RoofManager is the most workflow-complete option at $8–$15 per design.
How much does Aurora Solar cost?
Aurora Solar subscriptions start around $159/month for Basic and run to $259+/month for Premium, with many features billed per design credit. Real-world total cost for active installers typically lands in the $400–$1,500/month range depending on volume, design complexity, and which AI and financial modules are used.
Is OpenSolar actually free?
Yes — OpenSolar charges no subscription fees, per-design credits, or usage-based pricing to installers. The platform is monetized through hardware partner placements: panel and inverter manufacturers pay OpenSolar for presence in the product dropdowns. This creates a real cost-benefit tradeoff but not a hidden financial charge to the installer.
What is the most accurate solar simulation software?
For pure physics simulation, PVsyst and NREL's SAM remain the research-grade gold standards. For production installer use, Aurora Solar and RoofManager both deliver shading and yield estimates within 2–3% of ground-truth measured production on residential roofs. OpenSolar is close behind at roughly 3–5% variance.
What software do solar engineers use?
Enterprise solar engineers typically use Aurora Solar or Helioscope for primary design and proposal work, PVsyst or SAM for research-grade yield modeling, and AutoCAD or Revit for detailed electrical and mechanical drawings. Residential installers increasingly use OpenSolar or RoofManager as their primary tool, with PVsyst reserved for projects that specifically require it.
Does Aurora Solar use Google API data?
Aurora uses a combination of licensed aerial imagery, LiDAR data, and in-house 3D reconstruction to produce its roof models. Specific data-provider mix varies by region. Aurora supplements with public data sources in areas where proprietary data is unavailable.
How do I create a solar proposal?
A modern solar proposal starts with a roof measurement and shading analysis, sizes the system to the homeowner's annual consumption, applies local electricity rates and available incentives, computes financing scenarios (cash, loan, PPA, lease), and outputs a branded PDF with e-signature capability. All three platforms in this comparison handle the full proposal workflow; they differ in how much customization and time the process takes.
What is the difference between PVsyst and Aurora?
PVsyst is a research-grade PV simulation tool favored by engineers for detailed yield modeling, loss analysis, and academic work. Aurora is a commercial design-and-sales platform focused on producing homeowner-ready proposals quickly. Most installers use Aurora for day-to-day work and reach for PVsyst only when a utility or lender specifically requires PVsyst-generated production estimates.