Comparison · Solar Operations vs Solar Design
For solar EPCs, installers and dealers
We are biased - read both sides
Our verdict: use both, or choose based on your biggest problem
If solar system design and 3D modelling is your core challenge - OpenSolar wins. If project execution, crew management, inventory, vendor procurement and milestone billing are your gaps - OneSolar CRM wins. Many solar companies use OpenSolar for design and OneSolar CRM for operations, connecting them via data handoff.
Side-by-side - every capability that matters
OpenSolar is strong where OneSolar CRM is not (3D design). OneSolar CRM is strong where OpenSolar is not (operations). Here is every category.
Lead pipeline: Stages, assignment, tasks
- OneSolar CRM: Solar-specific stages, agent assignment, follow-up tasks, watcher, source attribution - ready out of the box
- OpenSolar: Basic deal tracking - OpenSolar is design-first, not CRM-first. Pipeline management is limited
Site survey: Structured digital assessment
- OneSolar CRM: Structured digital survey form on mobile - feeds BOQ generation directly, no re-entry
- OpenSolar: Site visit notes and basic info capture, but primarily focused on design inputs rather than operational survey data
BOQ / Proposal: Quote generation
- OneSolar CRM: Auto-generate BOQ from system size using your product catalogue. Internal approval workflow. Branded proposal with e-signature
- OpenSolar: Strong solar proposal and design tool - shade analysis, system design, 3D modelling and proposal generation. This is the OpenSolar core strength
3D solar design: Shade analysis & layout
- OneSolar CRM: Not a primary feature - OneSolar CRM integrates with design tools via data handoff
- OpenSolar: The OpenSolar standout feature - shade analysis, 3D roof modelling, automatic panel layout. Best in class for residential design
Project milestones: Phase tracking
- OneSolar CRM: Full milestone management - tasks, dependencies, crew assignment, billing triggers, live dashboard and mobile updates
- OpenSolar: Basic project status tracking - OpenSolar tracks proposal to installation but lacks structured milestone management for EPC execution
Field crew management: Mobile app, geo attendance
- OneSolar CRM: Purpose-built field crew app - geo check-in, task updates, site photos, offline mode, expense logging
- OpenSolar: Mobile app for basic status updates - not designed for field crew task management and geo-verified attendance
Inventory management: Multi-warehouse stock
- OneSolar CRM: Full multi-warehouse inventory, BOQ-linked stock reservations, consumption tracking, low-stock alerts
- OpenSolar: No inventory management module - OpenSolar is a design and proposal platform, not an operations platform
Vendor & procurement: PO cycle
- OneSolar CRM: Vendor database, RFQ, PO, delivery tracking, vendor payment and credit management
- OpenSolar: No procurement module - vendor and materials management fully external
Milestone invoicing: Auto billing
- OneSolar CRM: Invoice auto-created on milestone completion - zero manual triggers, never miss a billing event
- OpenSolar: Invoice generation available but not automatically triggered by milestone completion
Inventory / cost tracking: Project margin
- OneSolar CRM: Actual material consumption tracked per project against BOQ - live margin visibility
- OpenSolar: Financial tracking focuses on proposal-level pricing - not project-level cost tracking through execution
Multi-currency: Global billing
- OneSolar CRM: Full multi-currency invoicing - USD, AED, AUD, EUR, GBP and more
- OpenSolar: Multi-currency available
Service tickets: AMC, O&M
- OneSolar CRM: Full service ticket module - multi-channel intake, technician dispatch, AMC contracts, preventive maintenance
- OpenSolar: No service ticket or O&M module - post-installation support fully external
HRMS & attendance: Workforce management
- OneSolar CRM: Geo-verified attendance for field crews and technicians. Leave management
- OpenSolar: No HRMS module
Primary strength: Core use case
- OneSolar CRM: Full solar business operations platform - from lead to commissioning to O&M. Best for EPCs, dealers and installers needing end-to-end workflow
- OpenSolar: Solar design and proposal platform - best for companies where accurate 3D system design and professional proposals are the primary need
Switching support
- OpenSolar: No migration assistance to competing platforms
- OneSolar CRM: Operations-first
- OpenSolar: Design-first
Stages, assignment, tasks
Solar-specific stages, agent assignment, follow-up tasks, watcher, source attribution - ready out of the box
Basic deal tracking - OpenSolar is design-first, not CRM-first. Pipeline management is limited
Structured digital assessment
Structured digital survey form on mobile - feeds BOQ generation directly, no re-entry
Site visit notes and basic info capture, but primarily focused on design inputs rather than operational survey data
Auto-generate BOQ from system size using your product catalogue. Internal approval workflow. Branded proposal with e-signature
Strong solar proposal and design tool - shade analysis, system design, 3D modelling and proposal generation. This is the OpenSolar core strength
Not a primary feature - OneSolar CRM integrates with design tools via data handoff
The OpenSolar standout feature - shade analysis, 3D roof modelling, automatic panel layout. Best in class for residential design
Full milestone management - tasks, dependencies, crew assignment, billing triggers, live dashboard and mobile updates
Basic project status tracking - OpenSolar tracks proposal to installation but lacks structured milestone management for EPC execution
Mobile app, geo attendance
Purpose-built field crew app - geo check-in, task updates, site photos, offline mode, expense logging
Mobile app for basic status updates - not designed for field crew task management and geo-verified attendance
Full multi-warehouse inventory, BOQ-linked stock reservations, consumption tracking, low-stock alerts
No inventory management module - OpenSolar is a design and proposal platform, not an operations platform
Vendor database, RFQ, PO, delivery tracking, vendor payment and credit management
No procurement module - vendor and materials management fully external
Invoice auto-created on milestone completion - zero manual triggers, never miss a billing event
Invoice generation available but not automatically triggered by milestone completion
Inventory / cost tracking
Actual material consumption tracked per project against BOQ - live margin visibility
Financial tracking focuses on proposal-level pricing - not project-level cost tracking through execution
Full multi-currency invoicing - USD, AED, AUD, EUR, GBP and more
Multi-currency available
Full service ticket module - multi-channel intake, technician dispatch, AMC contracts, preventive maintenance
No service ticket or O&M module - post-installation support fully external
Geo-verified attendance for field crews and technicians. Leave management
Full solar business operations platform - from lead to commissioning to O&M. Best for EPCs, dealers and installers needing end-to-end workflow
Solar design and proposal platform - best for companies where accurate 3D system design and professional proposals are the primary need
No migration assistance to competing platforms
The fundamental difference
OpenSolar strength: solar design
OpenSolar excels at 3D roof modelling, shade analysis, automatic panel layout and generating visually compelling client proposals with production estimates. For companies where the quality of the design tool is the primary competitive differentiator, OpenSolar is hard to beat.
OneSolar CRM strength: solar operations
OneSolar CRM excels at everything after the proposal is accepted - project milestones, field crew management, inventory control, vendor procurement, milestone-triggered invoicing and O&M ticketing. For companies where operational efficiency and margin protection are the primary concern, OneSolar CRM wins.
The combined approach
Many solar companies use OpenSolar for design and proposal generation, then hand off the approved project data to OneSolar CRM for execution management. This gives them best-in-class design tools and best-in-class operations tools without compromise in either area.
Where OpenSolar falls short for EPCs
OpenSolar has no inventory management, no vendor procurement module, no geo-verified field crew attendance, no milestone billing automation and no O&M/service ticket module. Solar EPC companies managing physical materials, field crews and multi-phase projects consistently find OpenSolar insufficient as their sole operations platform.
Global market coverage
Both platforms support global operations. OpenSolar has strong coverage of irradiance data and utility rate databases for solar design. OneSolar CRM has deep local market support for India (DISCOM, GST), UAE (DEWA, VAT), Australia (DNSP, STCs), UK (DNO G98/G99, MCS) and USA (AHJ, ITC, interconnection).
Reasons solar companies switch
What OpenSolar users tell us before adding OneSolar CRM
OpenSolar is great for the proposal but we have nothing for managing the actual project execution - milestones, crew, materials
OneSolar CRM handles everything after the proposal is signed - milestones, tasks, crew scheduling, inventory and billing - while OpenSolar continues to own the design and proposal phase.
We have no inventory control - we know what we quoted but have no idea what is in stock at each warehouse
The OneSolar CRM inventory module provides real-time stock across all warehouses, BOQ-linked stock reservations and automatic procurement alerts for shortfalls - none of which OpenSolar provides.
Our field crew have no mobile tool - they update WhatsApp groups and we never know actual site progress
The OneSolar CRM mobile app gives field crews task lists with geo check-in, milestone completion updates and photo uploads - live on the project dashboard the moment they submit.
Milestone billing is manual - someone has to remember to raise an invoice when a phase is done. We miss invoices regularly
OneSolar CRM auto-creates the client invoice when a milestone is marked complete. Zero manual triggers. Zero missed billing. Finance is notified instantly for review and send.
OneSolar CRM - use OpenSolar for design, OneSolar CRM for ops
Operations depth advantage
inventory, crew, procurement, billing - all native
from OpenSolar to OneSolar CRM for operations
leads, deals, projects imported at no cost
From someone who switched
Connect your design tool to your operations platform
Most companies run both platforms in parallel - OpenSolar for design and proposal, OneSolar CRM for execution. The handoff takes minutes.
- 1Export approved project data from OpenSolarDownload the system specs, client details and proposal data from OpenSolar when a deal is won.
- 2Create the project in OneSolar CRMImport the project data into OneSolar CRM - system size, client details and BOQ become the starting point for execution management.
- 4Execute in OneSolar CRM - design updates stay in OpenSolarField crew use OneSolar CRM mobile. Finance uses OneSolar CRM billing. Design revisions continue in OpenSolar. Each platform does what it does best.
Try OneSolar CRM alongside OpenSolar
- Run both platforms in parallel
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OneSolar CRM vs Salesforce
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OneSolar CRM vs HubSpot
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OneSolar CRM vs Spreadsheets
Structured solar operations vs manual spreadsheet management.
OpenSolar for design. OneSolar CRM for everything else.
Project milestones, field crew, inventory, vendor procurement and milestone billing - all in OneSolar CRM.