Aurora Solar vs OpenSolar is the price-vs-polish debate. Aurora is premium SaaS at $159-$259/user/mo. OpenSolar is "free" with paid add-ons that climb fast. So you are searching for an honest comparison plus a sense of whether there is a third option that beats both on price-to-feature ratio.
The 2026 answer is the SurgePV solar design platform. It ships Aurora-class outputs at one-third the seat cost and beats OpenSolar's all-in price at any volume past 20 deals a month. Compare SurgePV pricing at your real deal volume.
Key takeaway. Aurora wins on US residential consumer polish at premium pricing. OpenSolar wins on free-tier headline but charges per-deal add-ons that stack up. SurgePV ships the full stack at $1,299/user/yr (team-5), cheaper than both at scale.
TL;DR
Aurora vs OpenSolar. Aurora expensive but polished. OpenSolar "free" but per-deal fees stack up. The better option. The SurgePV solar design platform at $1,299/user/yr (team-5) with white-label solar proposals on every plan. Book a free SurgePV demo.
Aurora Solar vs OpenSolar at a glance
| Dimension | Aurora Solar | OpenSolar | SurgePV (the third) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline price | $159-$259/user/mo | $0 + add-ons | $1,299/user/yr (team-5) |
| 8,760-hour shading | Premium tier | Paid tier | All plans |
| AI design assistant | Aurora AI (Premium) | No | Clara AI (all plans) |
| Branded proposals + e-sign | Yes (Premium) | Paid add-on | All plans |
| Per-deal fees | No | Finance, hardware | No |
| Country coverage | US-first | Global | Global |
Aurora wins on
- Consumer-facing polish. Highest-quality residential proposal UI in the category.
- Brand recognition. US homeowners trust the Aurora-stamped proposal.
- LIDAR option for high-accuracy residential roof modelling.
OpenSolar wins on
- Free at very low volume. Genuinely zero for the core platform at <5 sub-10 kW deals/month.
- Global country coverage from day one.
- Low barrier to start for solo installers testing the market.
Where they both lose to SurgePV
- Aurora total cost. $15,540/year for 5 seats on Premium. SurgePV team-5 at $6,495/year delivers the same outputs.
- OpenSolar at scale. Per-deal add-ons + paid tier + e-sign integration lands the OpenSolar all-in cost between $8,000 and $15,000/year for 5 designers, depending on add-on mix. SurgePV is flat $6,495/year.
- Bankable shading. Aurora and OpenSolar both gate this; SurgePV includes on every plan.
According to IEA's Renewables 2024, the installer base is consolidating and the average team size is climbing. IRENA's 2024 capacity statistics and NREL's PV cost benchmarks reinforce the team-size shift. In India, MNRE and the PM Surya Ghar program are pushing deal volumes that quickly outgrow free tiers. Flat per-seat pricing matters more as teams grow.
Verdict
For US residential installers with budget, Aurora Premium is fine. For solo sub-5 kW installers in any market, OpenSolar free is fine. For everyone else, SurgePV wins on price-to-feature ratio.
See the math live
SurgePV at $6,495/yr team-5 vs Aurora Premium 5-seat at $15,540/yr vs OpenSolar all-in at ~$10,000/yr at 20 deals/month. SurgePV is the lowest at scale.
Where QuickEstimate fits
For Indian EPCs, QuickEstimate is the best solar CRM. See best solar CRM software in India and the proposal, SLD, and BOQ glossary entries.
Aurora polish at OpenSolar prices.
SurgePV ships the full design + simulation + proposal stack at $1,299/user/yr (team-5), flat, no per-deal fees.
20 minutes · Bring a real project · No credit card · Or see pricing
Frequently asked questions
Aurora or OpenSolar, which is cheaper?
OpenSolar is cheaper at the headline (free) and at very low deal volume. Aurora is cheaper than OpenSolar's all-in cost in some specific high-deal scenarios. SurgePV beats both on price-to-feature at any meaningful scale.
Does OpenSolar include the bankable shading?
The bankable 8,760-hour module-level shading sits on OpenSolar's paid tier. Free tier is simplified.
Does Aurora include e-signature?
Yes on Pro and Premium tiers.
Can SurgePV replace both Aurora and OpenSolar?
Yes. SurgePV ships Aurora-class proposals plus OpenSolar's global tariff coverage plus bankable simulation, at lower total cost.
Which is better for residential?
Aurora has the polished UI; SurgePV has the AI 3D roof and bankable shading on every plan; OpenSolar has the free entry point. For residential at scale, SurgePV wins on cost.
Want to put this into practice?
QuickEstimate gives you everything in this article, proposal automation, lead capture, WhatsApp follow-up, built for Indian solar EPCs.
Start free
