OpenSolar is free to start.
Powerlily is paid for by installers.
OpenSolar gives installers a free design, proposal and project platform funded by hardware, finance and service partners. Powerlily is a subscription your company pays for, so the platform answers to you, and it keeps going after the sale into the client portal, crew scheduling and multi-brand fleet monitoring.
Credit where it is due
What OpenSolar does well.
OpenSolar is a capable platform, and free is a real advantage. Its own pages list:
- A free core platform
- Design, proposals, CRM and project management at no subscription cost, funded by partners who pay to be on the platform.
- Built-in invoicing and payments
- Branded invoices, payment milestones and automated payment reminders.
- Hardware and finance in the workflow
- Distributor ordering with a calculated bill of materials, integrated finance options and permitting.
One record, from the knock to the service call.
The sale, the install and, on Pro, the monitored system share one customer record, so nothing is re-keyed between tools. The plan is priced for the company, not the seat.
Who pays for the software
OpenSolar is funded by manufacturers, finance companies, distributors and other partners. Powerlily is funded by the installers who use it. Your catalog, prices and finance choices stay your own, and online payments on Pro land in your own account with no Powerlily cut.
Premium imagery on the plan
OpenSolar offers free imagery with premium captures paid per image. Powerlily includes Google HD and Bing imagery from Essentials, EagleView from Standard, and Nearmap and drone survey processing on Pro. There is no imagery wallet to top up before a design.
Beyond the sale
After the signature, the same record runs the install and the years after it: crew scheduling, Site Safety forms, a branded client portal and multi-brand fleet monitoring. Lilypad takes it to the door and the roof.
OpenSolar list pricing.
Published USD pricing from OpenSolar’s own website. Powerlily is priced per company, with unlimited users and branches on every plan. Current plan prices are on our pricing page. Compare Powerlily plans ↗
- Free
- Core software Funded by partners who pay to be on the platform.
- Pay per image
- Premium imagery Paid from a wallet balance through the imagery marketplace.
Powerlily and OpenSolar compared.
Powerlily entries name the plan that includes each capability. OpenSolar entries reflect its public pricing and product pages.
| Capability | Powerlily | OpenSolar |
|---|---|---|
| How it is funded | Your company subscription | Partners: manufacturers, finance companies, distributors and others |
| Users | Unlimited on every plan | Not listed |
| 3D design and interactive proposals | Included | Included |
| E-signature | Included | Included |
| CRM and project management | Every plan | Included |
| Invoicing and online payments | Invoicing on every plan. Online payments on Pro | Included |
| Premium imagery | Included by plan: EagleView on Standard and Pro, Nearmap on Pro | Pay per image |
| Drone survey processing | Pro | Not listed |
| Single-line diagrams | Pro | Included |
| Branded client portal | Standard and Pro | Not listed |
| Multi-brand fleet monitoring | Pro, no per-system fee | Not listed |
| Crew scheduling, canvassing and Site Safety | Lilypad on iOS, Android and iPad | Not listed |
OpenSolar details were checked on November 7, 2026 against opensolar.com/pro, opensolar.com/free, opensolar.com/imagery-marketplace. “Not listed” means we could not find the capability on those pages. It may be available through an integration, add-on or sales plan. Prices and features change. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it. OpenSolar is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify the product compared.
Who each one is for.
- OpenSolar may fit if
- Keeping software cost at zero is the priority, and partner-funded hardware, finance and imagery options suit the way you buy.
- Powerlily may fit if
- You want software that answers to the installer paying for it, imagery included in the plan instead of a wallet, and the customer carried through installation, monitoring and service on one record.
Switching from OpenSolar?
Bring a real project and your current software bill. We walk the project from design to the monitored system, then set that bill beside one company subscription. Guided onboarding comes with every plan, and your leads and customers import by CSV.
