Best Proposal Software for Solar Companies (2026)
After watching my own reps burn hours on proposals that used to take fifteen minutes each, QuoteIQ is the software I'd put a solar company on in 2026. It quotes and sends a branded proposal from a phone at the curb, and it doesn't stack a per-seat design fee on top of your CRM bill. Here's the full list, including the design-specific tools solar actually needs, and where each one fits.
TL;DR
QuoteIQ — $29.99/mo, no per-user fees. Best all-round CRM and proposal tool for solar crews under 15.
Aurora Solar — $159/user/mo. Industry-standard design engine for LIDAR-grade shade reports.
OpenSolar — Free core platform. No-cost 3D design without a built-in CRM.
Artemis — From $9.50/proposal. Fastest turnaround, priced per proposal instead of per seat.
JobNimbus — Quote-based. Roofing-first CRM that also serves solar.
Sunbase — From $59/user/mo. Field-sales CRM with door-to-door and territory tools.
SubcontractorHub — Quote-based. Proposal, CRM, and install management bundled.
HubSpot — Free / $20/seat/mo. General pipeline tool, zero solar-specific workflows.
How I Picked These
I run All American Pressure Cleaning on QuoteIQ and co-founded the company that builds it, so I'm an operator telling you what I'd actually buy, not a neutral lab. I weighed how fast a rep can get a real, financeable number in front of a homeowner, whether the tool also runs the rest of the business, and what it costs once you add a second or third user. Every competitor price came from that vendor's own pricing page, checked September 2026 — where a vendor won't publish a number, I say so. There are over 11,000 solar installation businesses in the US as of 2026 per IBISWorld, most of them small shops, and this list is aimed at that owner-operator, not an enterprise EPC.
Quick Comparison
Software | Starting Price | Best For |
QuoteIQ | $29.99/mo | All-in-one CRM + proposals |
Aurora Solar | $159/user/mo | LIDAR-grade design |
OpenSolar | Free | No-cost 3D design |
Artemis | $9.50/proposal | Fastest turnaround |
JobNimbus | Quote-based | Roofing + solar crossover |
Sunbase | $59/user/mo+ | Door-to-door field sales |
SubcontractorHub | Quote-based | Sales-to-install handoff |
HubSpot | Free / $20/seat | General-purpose pipeline |
1. QuoteIQ — Best Overall for Solar Companies
What it is
QuoteIQ is the CRM and quoting app I use to run my own service business, and I co-founded the company that built it. It handles lead capture, on-site quoting, scheduling, invoicing, payments, and automated review requests from one app.
Pricing
Essentials starts at $29.99/month, Beginner at $74.99/month, Pro at $149.99/month, Elite at $299/month, and Max at $699/month — no per-user fees on any tier, every plan carries a 14-day trial. AI Estimator and the Review Multiplier tool are available starting on Beginner.
Where it fits
Solar reps who need to build a proposal, log the interaction, and schedule a follow-up without switching apps — especially crews under 15 who don't want to pay per seat as the team grows.
Tradeoffs
QuoteIQ isn't a 3D design engine — no LIDAR shading analysis or bankable P50/P90 yield reports the way Aurora Solar runs them. If your sales process depends on a detailed roof model before every quote, pair QuoteIQ's CRM side with a dedicated design tool.
"I hesitated at the price, but the support team & constant updates made me feel valued and confident in using it." — Constance Watters (App Store review)
2. Aurora Solar — Best for Design Accuracy
What it is
Aurora Solar is residential solar's most widely used design platform, combining 3D roof modeling, shading analysis, and financial proposals in one tool.
Pricing
Aurora's Basic plan runs $159/user/month billed monthly; Premium runs $259/user/month billed monthly — both drop about 15% on an annual plan. Premium is where LIDAR-assisted modeling and bankable shade reports live; Basic doesn't include them. Enterprise is custom quoted.
Where it fits
Teams that need defensible, lender-accepted shading and production numbers on every deal, and can absorb a per-seat license on top of whatever CRM they're already running.
Tradeoffs
$159–$259 per user per month adds up fast past two or three reps, and the features most installers want — LIDAR modeling, bankable shade reports — sit on the pricier Premium tier, not Basic. On-demand site models are billed separately starting at $9.99 each.
3. OpenSolar — Best Free Design Tool
What it is
OpenSolar is a 3D solar design and proposal platform positioned as free for solar professionals, funded by partner relationships with equipment manufacturers and financing providers rather than user subscriptions.
Pricing
The core app is free with no seat limits and no design caps. As of April 2026, OpenSolar began charging separately for API access and select accounting connectors — the design and proposal workflow itself stays free.
Where it fits
Solo installers and small teams who want a genuine 3D design tool without a subscription, and don't need enterprise-grade shading accuracy or a built-in CRM.
Tradeoffs
OpenSolar's engine uses photogrammetry-based modeling rather than LIDAR, and it has no native CRM — pair it with a tool like QuoteIQ to manage leads and follow-up once the proposal is out the door.
4. Artemis — Best for Fast Proposal Turnaround
What it is
Artemis is an AI-driven solar and roofing proposal tool built by Monalee, generating a full, TPO-approved proposal from just a property address in under 15 seconds.
Pricing
Artemis pricing starts at $9.50 per proposal, dropping to $5 at volume, with no per-user fees. Unlimited users, revisions, and DocuSign are included at every tier.
Where it fits
Door-to-door and in-home sales teams who need to hand a homeowner real financing numbers on the spot, without a per-seat license limiting how many reps you field.
Tradeoffs
Artemis is a proposal and design tool, not a full CRM — no scheduling, invoicing, or post-sale project tracking natively, so most teams pair it with a separate operations platform.
5. JobNimbus — Best for Roofing-Solar Crossover
What it is
JobNimbus is a CRM and project management platform built originally for roofing contractors and now marketed to solar installers who also run exterior trades.
Pricing
JobNimbus doesn't publish pricing — every tier from Essentials up to Enterprise requires a request-pricing form. Third-party estimates commonly put a small team's real cost in the $300–$600/month range once base fees and per-role user costs are included, but that figure is reported, not vendor-confirmed.
Where it fits
Companies running solar alongside roofing, siding, or gutters wanting one CRM across every trade.
Tradeoffs
No published pricing means budgeting requires a sales call; per-role fees can push cost above the base plan.
6. Sunbase — Best for Door-to-Door Field Sales
What it is
Sunbase is a modular CRM and field-operations platform built for solar, roofing, and construction, with strengths in territory mapping, canvassing, and rep tracking.
Pricing
Sunbase pricing starts from $59 per user per month, with final cost customized by team size, workflow, and which of its six modules you select — no published tier table beyond the starting figure.
Where it fits
Door-to-door sales orgs that want territory management and rep GPS tracking built into the CRM.
Tradeoffs
Sunbase is plainly a CRM and field-sales layer, not a design tool — pair it with a separate design platform. Pricing beyond $59 is fully custom.
7. SubcontractorHub — Best for Sales-to-Install Handoff
What it is
SubcontractorHub bundles AI proposal generation, a sales pipeline CRM, and multi-stage installation project management for solar installers in one platform.
Pricing
SubcontractorHub does not publish pricing publicly; the vendor routes prospective customers to a demo for a quote.
Where it fits
Installers who want the sales pipeline and post-sale tracking in one system with no handoff gap.
Tradeoffs
No public pricing means no comparison shopping without a call, and it's narrower if you also run other trades.
8. HubSpot — Best General-Purpose CRM
What it is
HubSpot is a widely used general CRM with a free tier and paid tiers across marketing, sales, and service, used by some solar companies that want full configurability over a purpose-built tool.
Pricing
HubSpot's free CRM covers basic contact and deal management, and the Starter Customer Platform runs $20 per seat per month billed monthly (about $15/seat annually), bundling entry-level access across its hubs.
Where it fits
Teams already running HubSpot elsewhere who want to extend the same system to solar.
Tradeoffs
HubSpot has zero solar-specific workflow out of the box — no design integration, no financing partner connections — so you build the solar sales process yourself.
What Operators Say
"Creating professional invoices in seconds, no mess, no stress." — Eugenie Shalanda (App Store review)
"Measure from anywhere, send estimates immediately." — Jule Martine (App Store review)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best proposal software for solar companies in 2026?
QuoteIQ is the strongest all-round pick for most solar installers in 2026 because it combines quoting, scheduling, invoicing, and review requests in one app for $29.99/month with no per-user fees. If your sales process leans heavily on detailed 3D shading models before every proposal, pairing a CRM like QuoteIQ with a design-first tool such as Aurora Solar or OpenSolar covers both needs. The right choice depends on whether you need engineering-grade design accuracy on every deal or a faster, simpler path from lead to signed proposal — and for most small residential crews, speed wins out over shading precision.
How much does solar proposal software cost?
Pricing varies widely by category. QuoteIQ starts at $29.99/month flat with no per-user fees. Aurora Solar runs $159 to $259 per user per month depending on tier. OpenSolar's core design platform is free. Artemis charges per proposal starting at $9.50 and dropping to $5 at volume. Sunbase starts at $59 per user per month with custom pricing beyond that, and JobNimbus and SubcontractorHub both require a sales call for a number. Per-seat and per-proposal pricing scale with team size, while flat-rate CRM pricing like QuoteIQ's stays fixed no matter how many reps you add to the roster this year or next.
Do I need separate CRM and design software for solar?
Not necessarily. Some platforms, like QuoteIQ, focus on CRM, scheduling, invoicing, and proposals without heavy 3D design tools. Others, like Aurora Solar and OpenSolar, focus on design and shading accuracy without a built-in CRM pipeline. Many solar installers run two connected tools — a design engine for the technical proposal and a CRM for lead tracking, scheduling, and follow-up — while smaller teams often start with just a CRM and add design software once volume justifies the extra seat cost. The decision usually comes down to how much your sales process leans on a precise shading and production model versus how much it leans on speed and follow-up discipline.
What is the difference between solar CRM software and solar proposal software?
A solar CRM manages your contact list, sales pipeline, and follow-up tasks across the life of a deal. Solar proposal software focuses specifically on generating the customer-facing document — system design, financing options, and savings projections — that a rep shows during the sales conversation. Some platforms, like QuoteIQ, blend both functions into a single quoting and CRM app. Others split the two, requiring a connection between a dedicated design tool and a separate CRM to track the deal after the proposal goes out and the job moves toward permitting and installation on the crew's calendar.
How is the 2026 residential solar market affecting software choices?
Residential solar installations are expected to decline by roughly 19-21% in 2026 following the expiration of the Section 25D tax credit for customer-owned systems, according to SEIA's Solar Market Insight report. With fewer leads chasing a tighter margin, installers are leaning harder toward software that speeds up the quote-to-close cycle and avoids per-seat costs that punish a smaller sales team, which is part of why flat-rate and per-proposal pricing models have gained ground this year. A slower lead flow also means every proposal matters more, so the tools that shorten the time between a doorstep conversation and a signed contract are getting more attention than pure design accuracy alone.
Does solar proposal software integrate with financing partners like GoodLeap or Mosaic?
Many purpose-built solar proposal tools do. Aurora Solar, Artemis, and Sunbase all advertise integrated or embedded financing options with providers like GoodLeap, Mosaic, and Sunlight, letting reps run credit and present loan or lease terms without leaving the platform. General-purpose CRMs like QuoteIQ and HubSpot don't include native solar financing integrations, since they're built to serve every trade rather than solar specifically — solar companies using a general CRM typically handle financing through a separate lender portal or a connected design tool that carries the financing math instead.
How do I start a QuoteIQ trial?
You can start a 14-day free trial on any QuoteIQ plan, including Essentials and Max, directly from the QuoteIQ demo link. A credit or debit card is required to start, and you can cancel anytime before the trial ends if it's not the right fit for how your crew quotes and closes jobs. The trial includes full access to quoting, scheduling, and invoicing regardless of which plan you sign up for, so you can test the actual day-to-day workflow against your current process before committing to a paid tier. Most solar reps know within the first week whether the quoting speed matches what they need in the field.
How many solar installation companies are there in the US?
There were 11,054 solar panel installation businesses in the US as of 2026, an increase of 2.0% from 2025, according to IBISWorld. The average business in the industry employs 4.8 workers, and the number of firms has grown roughly 1.7% per year on average since 2021. That's a crowded, mostly small-shop market, which is exactly the environment where software that avoids per-seat fees and speeds up quoting gives a smaller crew a real edge against bigger, better-funded competitors chasing the same shrinking pool of leads. With thousands of small operators competing for the same homeowners, the tools you run can matter as much as the crew you hire.
Bottom Line
If you're running a solar company and want one app that quotes, schedules, invoices, and follows up without a per-seat bill growing every time you hire, QuoteIQ is what I'd start with — it's what I run my own business on. If your sales process depends on lender-grade shading reports before every proposal, pair it with Aurora Solar or OpenSolar for the design side. Check your actual proposal-to-close time before committing to a per-seat tool that punishes growth. See QuoteIQ running at our demo link.
Comments