Great Design Tool. Not a Way to Run the Whole Business.
OpenSolar is excellent free software for 3D design, auto sizing, and proposals. But it is built around design and sales - not install scheduling, field service, real invoicing, payments, or recurring O and M. Consolify One unifies the entire solar operation in one custom system, and keeps OpenSolar in the loop for design if you want it.
The other way
OpenSolar
Per-seat, off-the-shelf, multiple disconnected tools
The Consolify way
Consolify One
One flat-rate platform, custom-built around your workflow
40-70%
Avg. software cost reduction
4-8 wk
Time to launch
$0
Per-seat fees
1
System, not 5 silos
Where OpenSolar Stops
Free Design Is Not a Run-the-Business System
OpenSolar is one of the best things to happen to solar sales. It is also design and sales centric by design - which means the moment a deal is sold, your operation drops into spreadsheets, email threads, and a stack of other tools.
The Operation Lives Outside It
Once a proposal is signed, the real work begins: permits, AHJ submissions, install crew scheduling, inspections, interconnection, PTO, commissioning. OpenSolar tracks projects, but it was not built to run a dispatched field operation - so most of that ends up in spreadsheets and other apps.
Invoicing and Payments Are Locked Down
OpenSolar CashFlow generates milestone-based invoices with limited template control, and newer single-invoice modes are still in beta and not fully compatible with accounting integrations. For a real back office, you usually bolt on QuickBooks plus separate tooling anyway.
No Recurring Service or O and M Layer
After PTO, the relationship should continue - monitoring, panel cleaning, inverter swaps, warranty service, maintenance agreements. OpenSolar is built for the sale, not the 25-year asset. That recurring revenue is the part owners most often leave on the table.
It Becomes Another Silo
OpenSolar requires an internet connection and centers on design and sales, so it gets wired into a separate CRM, a scheduler, an invoicing tool, and a service app. Every integration is one more place for double entry and sync failures between sales and operations.
Side by Side
OpenSolar vs Consolify One
OpenSolar wins on design and on price - it is free, and the proposal engine is excellent. Consolify One is not trying to beat it at design. It runs everything that happens after the deal is signed, in one custom system. Here is where each one fits.
Competitor details reflect publicly available OpenSolar information as of May 2026, including OpenSolar's free pricing model, CashFlow invoicing and payments, design and proposal features, and the announced API and connector charges beginning April 2026. Pricing and capabilities are set by OpenSolar and may change; verify current details on OpenSolar's website before making a decision.
What We Consolidate
Keep OpenSolar for Design. Replace the Rest of the Stack.
Most solar companies do not run on OpenSolar alone. They run on OpenSolar plus a CRM, plus a scheduler, plus an invoicing tool, plus a payments processor, plus a separate service app - all stitched together. Consolify One collapses everything after the design handoff into one custom system, and integrates OpenSolar or Aurora so designs flow straight into operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Operators Ask Before Switching
Common questions about OpenSolar and how Consolify One compares.
Keep Comparing
More Consolify One Comparisons
Run the Whole Solar Operation in One System
Keep OpenSolar for design if you love it. Send us your current tool stack and a sketch of your install-to-service workflow, and we will model what a custom Consolify One platform would cost versus your current path - and the operations and recurring revenue you would unlock.