Still juggling solar designs and endless paperwork?
If you’re evaluating solar software, you want one that actually makes quoting, design, and project handoffs easier—not harder.
But here’s the big problem: You’re losing countless hours to manual proposals and confusing permitting instead of focusing on sales and installs.
Solargraf tackles this head-on by combining advanced 3D design, automated proposals, integrated financing, and simple e-signatures within one truly user-friendly platform. Their approach isn’t just about fancy features—it’s about actually speeding up every step for your solar business.
Throughout this review, I’ll show you how Solargraf can help your team stop wasting time and start closing more deals.
In this Solargraf review, you’ll discover my breakdown of their core features, real-world usability, pricing structure, and how they compare with other solar software, to help guide your software decision.
You’ll walk away with the unbiased insights and the features you need to make a confident choice.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary
- Solargraf is an integrated solar sales platform combining 3D design, proposals, financing, and CRM to speed up sales cycles.
- Best for small to medium solar and roofing teams needing quick, mobile-friendly proposals on residential and light commercial projects.
- You’ll appreciate its intuitive interface and fast proposal generation that reduces training time and streamlines customer engagement.
- Solargraf offers tiered annual pricing starting at $2,799 with no free trial but clear cost structures for projects and users.
Solargraf Overview
Solargraf has been operating since 2013, based in Montreal, Canada. Their core mission is building an intuitive, all-in-one platform that helps both solar and roofing installers reduce their operational costs.
What really sets them apart is their focus on solar and roofing contractors, especially small to medium-sized installation businesses. This sharp focus helps them develop software that solves the practical, on-the-ground problems you face daily, instead of a generic tool.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While we’re discussing operational costs and business growth, my article on best ecommerce personalization software can help improve your online sales.
The 2021 acquisition by Enphase Energy was a pivotal moment, injecting significant resources and deep industry expertise. I see the positive impact on their platform through this Solargraf review.
Unlike competitors like Aurora Solar that can be technically overwhelming, Solargraf emphasizes incredible speed and usability for sales teams. It truly feels like it was built for sales teams not engineers, a major advantage for creating proposals in just minutes.
They work with thousands of residential solar installers and roofing contractors across North America, typically small crews and established SMBs that need one reliable tool to manage their entire workflow.
I find their strategic priority is squarely on sales acceleration and improving your business’s efficiency. You’ll notice this in their practical focus on integrated financing, mobile-ready proposals, and automated permitting to shorten your project timelines.
Now let’s examine their core capabilities.
Solargraf Features
Struggling to manage your solar projects from design to installation?
Solargraf features provide an end-to-end platform designed to streamline every step of the solar sales and installation process. Here are the five main Solargraf features that transform how you do business.
1. 3D Design and Shading Analysis
Is manual solar design eating up your time?
Outdated design methods mean inaccurate proposals and wasted hours. This often leads to frustrated clients and lost sales opportunities.
Solargraf’s 3D design leverages AI and HD aerial imagery to optimize panel placement and predict production figures. From my testing, the single-click shading analysis is incredibly precise, showing exactly how shadows impact energy output. This feature ensures your designs are accurate and visually compelling for clients.
This means you can create detailed, accurate proposals quickly, giving your clients confidence and helping you close deals faster.
2. Automated Proposal Generation
Tired of endless hours customizing proposals?
Creating sales proposals manually is a huge time sink. This often delays your sales cycle and reduces the number of deals you can pursue.
Solargraf excels at fast, polished proposal generation with customizable branding and built-in financing calculators. What I love about this feature is the “Good, Better, Best” option, allowing clients to compare and sign proposals digitally, which significantly boosts engagement.
You could slash proposal time by half, allowing your sales team to focus on building relationships and closing more deals.
3. Integrated Financing Solutions
Do financing options confuse your customers?
Presenting complex loan, lease, or PPA options often overwhelms potential clients. This can lead to hesitation and lost sales opportunities.
Solargraf simplifies financing by integrating with various third-party financiers, displaying multiple options on a single, clear proposal. This feature eliminates the need for external tools, making it easier for sales teams to present clear economic benefits directly within the quote.
This means you can offer flexible payment plans effortlessly, helping clients visualize their savings and making solar more accessible.
4. Permitting Services and Automation
Is the permitting process slowing down your projects?
Navigating complex local permit requirements is a notorious bottleneck. This can significantly delay project timelines and increase administrative costs.
Solargraf simplifies permitting by generating permit plan sets and leveraging a database of 14,000+ AHJ records. From my evaluation, their AI-powered DIY permitting feature truly shines, automating much of the process to get plans ready faster.
You can dramatically reduce the time spent on permit applications, accelerating project starts and improving overall operational efficiency.
5. CRM and Team Management
Is managing your solar sales pipeline a messy process?
Disjointed lead tracking and poor team coordination can lead to missed follow-ups. This results in lost leads and less efficient sales operations.
Solargraf includes features for lead management, project assignments, and role-based permissions. This is where Solargraf shines, allowing you to track every lead from prospect to closed deal while ensuring seamless internal communication and data security.
This means your sales team stays organized, improving communication and ensuring no lead slips through the cracks, ultimately boosting your sales pipeline.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: If you’re also optimizing physical spaces, my article on best planogram software covers smarter shelf planning strategies.
Pros & Cons
- ✅ Offers highly accurate 3D design with smart shading analysis capabilities.
- ✅ Greatly speeds up proposal generation with customizable, digital options.
- ✅ Integrates diverse financing options directly into customer proposals.
- ⚠️ The shading software can be less functional for highly complex projects.
- ⚠️ Occasional interface hiccups, especially with heavy 3D scenes.
- ⚠️ Some users reported minor calculation discrepancies in specific cases.
These Solargraf features work together to create a complete business management system for solar and roofing companies, ensuring cohesive project flow from start to finish.
Solargraf Pricing
Worried about unexpected software costs?
Solargraf pricing offers clear, tiered annual plans, allowing you to easily understand and budget for your solar and roofing business software.
Plan | Price & Features |
---|---|
Starter | $2,799 USD annually • 240 projects • 2 users • $11/additional project • $1,440/additional user annually |
Small Business | $4,799 USD annually • 480 projects • 4 users • $10/additional project • $1,200/additional user annually |
Teams | $6,399 USD annually • 720 projects • 6 users • $9/additional project • $960/additional user annually |
Enterprise | $12,999 USD annually • 1500 projects • Unlimited users • $9/additional project |
1. Value Assessment
Solid value for solar businesses.
From my cost analysis, Solargraf’s pricing reflects its robust, end-to-end platform, which combines design, proposals, and CRM. The tiered approach aligns costs with project volume, ensuring you pay for what your business truly needs, not excess features.
This means your budget gets a comprehensive solution for predictable annual costs, helping you manage expenses effectively.
2. Trial/Demo Options
Evaluate before you commit.
What I found regarding pricing is Solargraf does not currently offer a free trial. However, you can generally request a personalized demo to see the software in action and understand how it fits your specific workflow before making a financial commitment.
This lets you assess the value proposition directly, ensuring it meets your operational needs without immediate expenditure.
3. Plan Comparison
Choosing your best fit.
The Starter plan is suitable for smaller operations, but if you have higher project volumes, the Small Business or Teams tiers offer better per-project value. What truly stands out is how the Enterprise plan offers unlimited users, which is ideal for larger, growing teams handling substantial projects.
This tiered pricing helps you match the right plan to your actual usage requirements, optimizing your investment.
My Take: Solargraf’s pricing is structured to support scaling solar and roofing businesses, offering clear tiers that balance feature access with project and user volume, making it a good fit for growth-oriented SMBs.
The overall Solargraf pricing offers transparent, scalable value for solar and roofing businesses.
Solargraf Reviews
What do actual users really think?
To help you understand real-world experiences, I’ve analyzed numerous Solargraf reviews from platforms like G2 and Capterra, focusing on common themes and sentiment patterns.
1. Overall User Satisfaction
Users generally find it valuable.
From my review analysis, Solargraf typically earns satisfaction ratings in the 3.2-3.7 range out of 5 across various platforms. What I found in user feedback is that many users appreciate its core utility, especially regarding proposal generation speed and ease of use for basic projects, despite some noted limitations.
This suggests you can expect a generally positive experience, especially for standard projects.
2. Common Praise Points
Its simplicity is consistently loved.
Users frequently praise the software’s intuitive interface and gentle learning curve, noting how quickly new hires become proficient. From my analysis, mobile quoting is a game-changer for sales reps, allowing them to close deals efficiently right at the customer’s location.
This means you can expect faster onboarding and increased productivity for your sales team.
3. Frequent Complaints
Shading functionality can be limiting.
What stood out in customer feedback were recurring complaints about the shading software being less robust than some alternatives and occasional calculation inaccuracies. Review-wise, some users report interface hiccups during complex 3D scenes or when tackling more intricate designs.
These issues are generally minor for simple projects but could be deal-breakers for complex installations.
What Customers Say
- Positive: “It’s easy to use without much technical knowledge and you can come up with the proposals quickly.”
- Constructive: “The shading software is less functional compared to some alternatives.”
- Bottom Line: “Solargraf was just way too easy to pass up. We can now connect with people over 100 miles away.”
Overall Solargraf reviews reveal solid satisfaction for core proposal creation, with areas for improvement in advanced design capabilities.
Best Solargraf Alternatives
Which solar software best fits your business?
The best Solargraf alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different business situations and priorities. I’ll help you navigate the competitive landscape and choose wisely.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: Speaking of design tools, you might also find my guide on product design software helpful for broader application development.
1. Aurora Solar
Need highly accurate, complex engineering designs?
Aurora Solar is more robust for intricate engineering and detailed performance simulations, especially for larger commercial projects, leveraging LIDAR precision. What I found comparing options is that Aurora provides sophisticated 3D modeling and deeper analysis, making it a powerful alternative for specialized needs.
Choose Aurora Solar for projects demanding in-depth engineering and sophisticated financial modeling for complex installations.
2. OpenSolar
Seeking a comprehensive tool without subscription costs?
OpenSolar’s primary advantage is its completely free platform, making it highly attractive for startups or smaller teams on a tight budget. From my competitive analysis, OpenSolar keeps costs at zero with essential tools, contrasting with Solargraf’s tiered subscription model.
Consider this alternative if you’re a startup or small company seeking a full-featured tool without recurring fees.
3. ARKA 360
Require advanced financial modeling and integrated CRM?
ARKA 360 provides a more comprehensive CRM dashboard and sophisticated financial modeling, including tax credit integrations for complex planning. Alternative-wise, your situation calls for ARKA 360’s extensive financial and CRM features if your projects involve intricate incentive structures.
Choose ARKA 360 for a more integrated, end-to-end solution with advanced financial analysis for complex EPC projects.
4. PV*SOL
Focused on in-depth technical analysis and system sizing?
PVSOL excels at detailed technical analysis, system sizing, and comprehensive data analysis for various PV system types, leveraging cutting-edge 3D. From my analysis, PVSOL offers deeper engineering and component databases, making it an ideal alternative for technical specialists.
Choose PV*SOL when detailed system sizing and extensive data analysis are more critical than sales acceleration features.
Quick Decision Guide
- Choose Solargraf: Fast proposals and integrated sales for SMBs
- Choose Aurora Solar: Complex 3D engineering and detailed simulations
- Choose OpenSolar: Free, comprehensive solution for budget-conscious teams
- Choose ARKA 360: Advanced financial modeling and integrated CRM
- Choose PV*SOL: In-depth technical analysis and system sizing
The best Solargraf alternatives depend on your business’s specific needs and budget priorities, rather than just features.
Solargraf Setup
Worried about complicated software setup and training?
This Solargraf review focuses on practical deployment, helping you understand what it takes to successfully implement and adopt the software in your business environment.
1. Setup Complexity & Timeline
Getting started is quite straightforward.
Solargraf implementation boasts a gentle learning curve, with many users reporting new hires become proficient in just a few hours. What I found about deployment is that its simplicity saves hours per project, allowing for quick proficiency without extensive training.
You should plan for initial company settings configuration, including user roles and customizable permissions.
2. Technical Requirements & Integration
Minimal technical hurdles await your team.
Solargraf is a cloud-based platform accessible from any PC, tablet, or mobile device, eliminating complex hardware or software installations. From my implementation analysis, real-time access to proposals and project data is a key benefit, promoting efficiency and timely delivery without significant IT demands.
You’ll need basic internet connectivity and devices; no major infrastructure changes or deep IT expertise are required.
3. Training & Change Management
User adoption is remarkably smooth here.
The intuitive interface and gentle learning curve mean staff can get up and running quickly, often in just a few hours. What I found about deployment is that fast and easy training minimizes productivity dips, making it simple to onboard new salespeople and connect with customers quickly.
Expect minimal resistance as its ease of use allows for rapid integration into existing sales workflows.
4. Support & Success Factors
Vendor support channels are readily available.
Solargraf provides support through email, phone, a knowledge base, and online forums, complemented by live online training sessions and videos. From my analysis, accessible training resources bolster user confidence, ensuring your team has the help needed to maximize the platform’s potential.
You should leverage these resources to ensure continuous learning and address any questions efficiently for a successful rollout.
Implementation Checklist
- Timeline: Hours to days for basic setup and user proficiency
- Team Size: Sales and admin staff for configuration and training
- Budget: Primarily software subscription, minimal implementation costs
- Technical: Internet-connected devices (PC, tablet, mobile)
- Success Factor: Consistent user training and leveraging mobile quoting
The overall Solargraf setup emphasizes simplicity and quick adoption over complex enterprise deployments, making it highly accessible for SMBs.
Bottom Line
Is Solargraf the right fit for your solar business?
This Solargraf review synthesizes my findings, providing a clear recommendation to help you confidently decide if this software aligns with your specific operational needs and goals.
1. Who This Works Best For
Sales-driven residential and small commercial solar installers.
Solargraf is ideal for small to medium-sized solar and roofing companies prioritizing rapid proposal generation, mobile sales, and streamlined CRM integration. From my user analysis, businesses focused on quick lead-to-close cycles will find immense value in its intuitive design and integrated financing capabilities.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While we’re discussing integrated platforms, understanding best DApp browsers is equally important for various digital projects.
You’ll succeed if your business thrives on efficient sales workflows and reducing soft costs through an all-in-one platform.
2. Overall Strengths
Unmatched speed and simplicity in proposal generation.
The software excels with its intuitive 3D design tools, rapid customizable proposal creation, and direct financing integration, accelerating the sales cycle significantly. From my comprehensive analysis, its mobile accessibility empowers on-site closing by enabling sales teams to generate professional quotes instantly on any device.
These strengths mean faster deal closures for your team and a more professional presentation to your clients.
3. Key Limitations
Advanced engineering and complex financial modeling are limited.
While robust for sales and design, Solargraf’s shading analysis can be less functional, and its financial modeling capabilities may not suit highly intricate projects. Based on this review, users needing deep engineering functionalities might seek alternatives for utility-scale or highly customized installations beyond standard residential projects.
Consider these limitations manageable trade-offs if your core need is streamlined sales rather than highly specialized technical analysis.
4. Final Recommendation
Solargraf is strongly recommended for its target audience.
You should choose this software if your solar business prioritizes a simplified workflow, enhanced sales efficiency, and improved closing rates through an intuitive, integrated platform. From my analysis, this solution is perfect for sales-driven SMBs focused on residential and small commercial projects that value speed and ease of use.
My confidence level is high for businesses seeking to streamline their sales processes and empower their mobile sales teams.
Bottom Line
- Verdict: Recommended
- Best For: Residential and small commercial solar installers, sales teams
- Business Size: Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs)
- Biggest Strength: Rapid and intuitive proposal generation with mobile access
- Main Concern: Limitations in advanced engineering and complex financial modeling
- Next Step: Schedule a demo to see its sales workflow in action
This Solargraf review confirms strong value for sales-focused solar businesses aiming to enhance efficiency and accelerate their sales cycle.