OpenSolar has a built-in project management CRM, so most teams do not need an alternative. Add another CRM only if a job you need is missing. OpenSolar’s core app is free, but API Access and connectors, which link it to other tools, have cost money since 16 April 2026.
Last updated: November 2026
Publisher disclosure
SurgePV publishes this guide and sells solar design software. SurgePV and QuickEstimate have a commercial relationship, so QuickEstimate links are sponsored. Facts about other tools come from each vendor’s own site, read in October 2026.
Key takeaways
- OpenSolar’s CRM page lists projects, workflow stages, actions, a calendar, and documents.
- The core app is free. API Access and connectors are paid from 16 April 2026.
- You have three choices: stay, add a CRM, or replace the CRM.
- To leave, OpenSolar documents a CSV export of the project list.
Need design and proposals next to your CRM?
SurgePV is solar design and proposal software, not a CRM. See it beside the CRM you already use.
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What does OpenSolar’s CRM already do?
OpenSolar calls it Project Management CRM. The OpenSolar CRM page (read October 2026) says it helps you “manage customers and solar projects from pre-sale through installation.”
| Job | What OpenSolar’s page says |
|---|---|
| Projects and customers | Customer details, team assignments, tags, site information, and project progress in one place. Search, filters, saved views, and table or Kanban views (a board with one column per stage). |
| Workflows | Create workflows with your own stages and actions. Use different workflows for different projects. |
| Actions | Assign actions, set due dates, and see upcoming or overdue work in the Activity Center. Workflows can auto-assign actions by project role or team member. |
| Calendar | Events linked to projects, such as site visits and installs. Assigned events can sync with Google Calendar or Outlook. |
| Documents and notes | Upload, organize, merge, and send project documents. Keep notes and project activity with the project. |
The same page has an FAQ about existing CRMs. It says: “If you already have a CRM that works for your business, use the OpenSolar API to connect OpenSolar data with your existing system.” An API is a way for two programs to share data.
A page that lists a feature does not prove the feature fits your team. Test it with your own work.
What does OpenSolar cost in 2026?
The core app is free. OpenSolar’s 16 February 2026 post says: “If your data is created and retained inside OpenSolar, the core app stays free.”
The same post says charges start on 16 April 2026 for two things.
- API Access. OpenSolar’s API page says it is “billed as a per-project fee” when you create a project. Charges come out of your OpenSolar Wallet balance. Enabling API Access starts a 30-day free trial.
- Connectors. These are connections built and supported by OpenSolar, such as the Xero and QuickBooks accounting connectors. The API page says they are “billed as a flat monthly subscription.”
Both are priced by region. If you link a CRM through the API and also use an accounting connector, OpenSolar’s FAQ says the two are billed separately. If Wallet is not set up or has too little balance, “new projects will not be created.”
We did not find one price for API Access or connectors on the pages we read. Look up your region’s price in OpenSolar’s Help Center before you plan.
These figures come from OpenSolar’s 16 February 2026 post, its API page and a Help Center article, all read in October 2026.
Key Takeaway
The CRM itself is not what OpenSolar started charging for. The charge applies when another system needs to read or write OpenSolar data through the API or a supported connector. A team that stays inside OpenSolar keeps the free core app.
OpenSolar also sells optional Enterprise Services. Its page shows Support at US$500 / month and Customize at US$1,350 / month. Enterprise is custom priced.
Stay, add a CRM, or replace it?
| Choice | Pick it when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Stay in OpenSolar | The CRM covers the jobs your team does every week | Jobs that move into spreadsheets because the CRM does not fit |
| Add a CRM through the API | Another system must own a sales or lead job, and you still want OpenSolar for design and proposals | Paid API Access, two places that can hold the same customer, and sync errors |
| Replace OpenSolar’s CRM | A needed job is still missing, and a second CRM would cost or risk more than a switch | Moving your data out of OpenSolar (see the export section) |
Start with a job that fails today, not with a vendor list. Write it as a test you can repeat. For example: “A new lead enters once, gets an owner, and shows up in the pipeline.”
Compare design and proposal tools on your own project
Whichever CRM you choose, the design and proposal step still needs to match the roof. Bring a real project to a SurgePV demo.
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Which CRMs can you compare?
This list is alphabetical. It is not complete. It names the CRMs this site has a guide for, plus one that names OpenSolar in its own FAQ. Prices are what each vendor’s site showed in October 2026.
| CRM | Price its site shows | How its site describes it |
|---|---|---|
| Enerflo | Not published. a “flat-rate monthly subscription based on your average monthly volume,” a one-time implementation fee, and a 12-month minimum contract for new partners | “The all-in-one operations platform for residential solar companies.” Its FAQ says it has built-in CRM functionality and lists OpenSolar among the design tools it integrates with |
| OpenSolar’s own CRM | Core app free. API Access and connectors paid | “Manage solar projects, team actions, and schedules in one place” |
| QuickEstimate (sponsored) | Free: ₹0, 1 user, 10 proposals a month. Pro: ₹6,999 per user per year, minimum 3 users, billed annually. Enterprise: custom | “Pricing built for Indian solar EPCs.” Its pipeline page describes solar stages from new lead to commissioned |
| Zoho CRM | Free for up to 3 users. In the US annual-billing view: Standard US$14, Professional US$23, Enterprise US$40 per user per month | Zoho’s labels: Standard “Small team, getting started,” Professional “Growing team, needs automation,” Enterprise “Running a mature sales org” |
Sources: Enerflo FAQ, QuickEstimate pricing, QuickEstimate pipeline page, Zoho CRM pricing. The QuickEstimate pricing page now calls the product “Quickest Solar CRM.”
OpenSolar says to connect another CRM through its API. For Zoho and QuickEstimate, ask both vendors to show the link working with your account before you pay. For more, read our QuickEstimate pricing guide and our guide to solar CRM with Zoho.
Public Website Homepage Captures
These images show the vendors’ public website heroes as seen on 29 October 2026. They are not screenshots from product testing.
OpenSolar
Enerflo
QuickEstimate
Zoho CRM
SurgePV
Where does SurgePV fit?
SurgePV is solar design and proposal software. Its published product scope lists 3D roof modeling, array layout, shading analysis, energy-yield modeling, financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill-of-materials output, and proposal generation. That scope does not list a CRM. Ask in a demo what it covers.
SurgePV’s published price is USD 1,899 per user per year for one user, USD 1,499 per user per year for 3 seats, and USD 1,299 per user per year for 5 seats. You start with a guided demo. SurgePV does not advertise a self-serve trial.
This guide does not compare SurgePV with OpenSolar’s CRM jobs. For SurgePV’s design side, see solar designing and solar proposals. For OpenSolar itself, read the OpenSolar review.
Can you export your data from OpenSolar?
OpenSolar’s Projects List article describes a CSV export “for analysis, reporting, or backup purposes.”
- Open the Projects page and switch to List View.
- Optional: use Sort & Filter to narrow the projects.
- Click Export Report.
- Choose the projects and data columns, then click Export. The export is queued.
The commission article notes: “there is a 2000 export limit set.” It suggests filters such as project creation date.
These two articles describe a project list file. The pages we read do not say whether documents, photos, notes, or activity come with it. Ask OpenSolar before you plan a move.
The API page says the API gives “direct read and write access to the same data your team uses in the OpenSolar app.” API Access is paid, as shown above.
How to test before you switch
Use a small set of real projects, with permission to use the data. Do not load your whole customer list into a trial.
- Follow one new lead from first contact to a quote.
- Add the same customer twice and see what happens.
- Give one project to a new owner.
- Attach documents to a project, then open them from the other system.
- Export your data from each tool and open the file.
- Turn the link between the two systems off on purpose. See how you find out and how you fix it.
Then add up three years of cost: OpenSolar API Access or connector fees, new CRM seats, setup, training, and admin time. Use written quotes, not guesses.
Pro Tip
Run the duplicate-customer test first. Enter the same customer in both systems with a small spelling difference and see whether the link merges, duplicates or fails. A link that handles this cleanly is far more likely to hold up on a busy week.
Questions to ask a CRM vendor
- What is the price after any trial, and what does it cost per user per year?
- Which system owns each customer field when both can edit it?
- How does it stop duplicate customers?
- What can I export, in which file format, and how fast?
- Who fixes it when the link to OpenSolar breaks?
- What happens to my data if I cancel?
Indian solar companies
Test your real lead sources. Our guides cover the IndiaMART lead CRM, the Meta lead CRM, and the WhatsApp CRM. For costs, see the solar CRM pricing guide for India.
More guides
- CRM for solar companies helps you list what your team needs.
- Mobile CRM for installers covers work in the field.
- The solar software stack guide helps if you also change design or finance tools.
Want to see SurgePV’s design and proposal tools? Book a Free Demo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does OpenSolar include a CRM?
Yes. OpenSolar calls it Project Management CRM. Its page lists customer and project details, custom workflow stages, actions with due dates, a calendar, documents, and notes.
Is OpenSolar still free in 2026?
OpenSolar says the core app stays free for work done inside the platform. API Access and supported connectors have been paid since 16 April 2026.
What changed on 16 April 2026?
OpenSolar started charging for API Access and for the connectors it builds and supports. API Access is a per-project fee taken from your OpenSolar Wallet balance. Connectors are a flat monthly subscription. Prices depend on your region.
When should I keep, add or replace OpenSolar’s CRM?
Keep it when its workflows, actions, calendar and documents cover what your team does every week. Add another CRM when a sales or lead job is missing and you still want OpenSolar for design, planning for paid API Access and one owner per customer record. Replace it only when a second CRM would cost or risk more than a switch.
Can I export my data from OpenSolar?
OpenSolar documents a CSV export of the project list from List View. One article notes a 2000 export limit and suggests filters such as project creation date. The pages we read do not say whether documents, photos, notes, or activity are included. Ask OpenSolar before you plan a move.
Is QuickEstimate an OpenSolar CRM alternative for an Indian company?
QuickEstimate says its pricing is built for Indian solar EPCs. It is a sponsored link on this page, so compare it with the same checks you use for any other CRM, including a test with your own lead sources and a data export.
Is SurgePV an OpenSolar CRM alternative?
SurgePV is solar design and proposal software. Its published product scope does not list a CRM. This guide does not compare SurgePV with OpenSolar’s CRM jobs.
Sources
Primary research and reference material used for this desk-research article.
Where this fits
This article is part of SurgePV's Solar Design hub, which works through the topic from first principles to the decisions a project team actually has to make.
