Updated June 2026 · Independent buyer's guide

The best solar proposal software for
Australian installers in 2026.

Q: What is the best solar proposal software in Australia?

There is no single best tool for everyone. OpenSolar is the best free option and has the largest user base. Solar Proof is the best fit for Australian compliance and quoting, with built-in STCs, AS/NZS 5033 SLDs and the Federal Battery Rebate. Aurora Solar is strongest for US-style design depth.

Q: Is there free solar proposal software for Australian installers?

Yes. OpenSolar is free to use and suits installers with simpler residential workflows. Paid tools such as Solar Proof, Pylon and Aurora add deeper proposal customisation, compliance documents and quoting features that many growing businesses need.

Q: What should Australian installers look for in proposal software?

Prioritise Australian-market fit: native STC calculation, CEC-aligned proposal structure, AS/NZS 5033 single-line diagrams, battery rebate handling, transparent pricing and fast proposal generation. US-first tools often miss these specifics.

Q: How much does solar proposal software cost in Australia?

Pricing ranges from free (OpenSolar) to pay-as-you-go from around $4 per project (Solar Proof) and monthly subscriptions from roughly $99 per user (Pylon, Solar Proof Pro). Aurora Solar is quote-based and aimed at larger operations.

For most Australian installers, OpenSolar is the best free starting point, while Solar Proof is the best fit for AU compliance and quoting (STCs, CEC, AS/NZS 5033, battery rebates). Aurora Solar leads on US-style design depth. Below we rank seven tools, with our methodology shown in full so you can judge it yourself.

Jump to the shortlist How we chose

7 tools evaluated AU-market criteria Pricing shown where public Stated methodology

How we chose

Our methodology

Australia's solar market has specific requirements that generic, US-first tools often miss. We evaluated each platform against the criteria that actually matter to an Australian installer, weighting Australian-market fit most heavily.

AU-market fit — STC calculation, CEC-aligned proposals, AS/NZS 5033 SLDs, Federal Battery Rebate.
Pricing transparency — is pricing public, and is there a free or low-commitment entry point?
Proposal quality — customisation, branding and how persuasive the customer-facing output is.
Feature depth — design, quoting, battery, CRM and integrations in one platform.
Reviews & track record — independent reviews and real-world reliability.

Disclosure: Solar Proof publishes this guide. To keep it honest we've ranked by best-fit use case rather than putting ourselves first, named where competitors win outright, and shown our criteria above. Judge the reasoning, not the logo.

At a glance

The shortlist, compared

Tool	Best for	Pricing	AU focus	Free option
OpenSolar	Free, simple residential	Free	Global	Yes
Solar Proof	AU compliance & quoting	From ~$4/project; Pro ~$99/mo	Built for AU	Free trial
Pylon	Design + sales workflow	From ~$99/user/mo	Partial	Trial
Aurora Solar	US-style design depth	Quote-based	US-first	Demo
SunBase	CRM-led sales teams	Quote-based	US-first	Demo
Solargraf	Quick residential quotes	Subscription	North America	Trial
Others	Niche / regional needs	Varies	Varies	Varies

The shortlist

Seven tools, ranked by best fit

OpenSolar

Best free option

Pricing: Free (monetised via hardware marketplace)

Best for: Residential installers wanting a no-cost tool

Strengths

Genuinely free with a huge global user base
Solid design and proposal basics
Large hardware and component database

Limitations

Less AU-specific compliance depth
Proposal customisation more limited than paid tools
SLD and battery-rebate handling not its focus

Bottom line: If budget is the priority and your jobs are straightforward residential, OpenSolar is hard to beat on value.

Solar Proof

Best for Australian compliance & quoting

Pricing: From ~$4/project (first projects free); Pro from ~$99/mo

Best for: AU installers who quote a lot and need compliance built in

Strengths

Built for Australia: STCs, CEC alignment, AS/NZS 5033 SLDs, Federal Battery Rebate
Browser-based SLD editor and AI Template Builder
Pay-as-you-go pricing with no lock-in
Fast, highly customisable proposals

Limitations

Smaller global user base than OpenSolar
Australia-first, so less relevant for US-only installers

Bottom line: The strongest fit for Australian installers who want design, compliant proposals, SLDs and battery quoting in one place. See Solar Proof's proposal software →

Pylon

Best for design + sales workflow

Pricing: Subscription from ~$99/user/mo

Best for: Teams wanting design and CRM in one

Strengths

Polished design experience
Integrated sales/CRM workflow
Good proposal presentation

Limitations

Per-seat pricing adds up for larger teams
Less AU-specific than Solar Proof on STCs/SLDs

Bottom line: A strong all-rounder if you value a unified design-and-sales flow. Solar Proof vs Pylon →

Aurora Solar

Best for US-style design depth

Pricing: Quote-based (enterprise-oriented)

Best for: Large operations needing advanced simulation

Strengths

Industry-leading shading and design simulation
Deep feature set for complex projects

Limitations

US-first; weaker on AU compliance specifics
Pricing not public; aimed at bigger budgets

Bottom line: Powerful, but its strengths are tuned to the US market. Solar Proof vs Aurora →

SunBase

Best for CRM-led sales teams

Pricing: Quote-based

Best for: Sales-heavy operations

Strengths

Strong CRM and lead-management focus
End-to-end sales tooling

Limitations

Design/compliance less central than dedicated design tools
Limited AU-specific features

Bottom line: Worth a look if your bottleneck is sales pipeline rather than design.

Solargraf

Best for quick residential quotes

Pricing: Subscription

Best for: Fast residential turnaround

Strengths

Quick, easy residential proposals
Approachable interface

Limitations

North-America focused
Less suited to AU compliance and commercial work

Bottom line: Handy for speed, but not built around the Australian market.

Others worth knowing

Niche / regional

Pricing: Varies

Best for: Specific regional or niche needs

Strengths

May fit a specific niche or region
Sometimes cheaper for very basic needs

Limitations

Smaller ecosystems and support
Rarely AU-compliance focused

Bottom line: Fine for edge cases, but most Australian installers are better served by the tools above.

How to choose

Picking the right tool for your business

Work through these questions in order — the answers usually point clearly to one or two tools.

Is budget the hard constraint? Start with OpenSolar's free tier.
Do you need AU compliance (STCs, CEC, AS/NZS 5033 SLDs, battery rebate)? Solar Proof is purpose-built for it.
Do you quote batteries often? Look for built-in Federal Battery Rebate handling.
Is your bottleneck sales, not design? A CRM-led tool like SunBase may help more.
Are you a large operation needing deep simulation? Aurora is worth evaluating.

FAQ

Common questions

What is the best solar proposal software in Australia?

There's no single best tool for everyone. OpenSolar is the best free option with the largest user base. Solar Proof is the best fit for Australian compliance and quoting, with built-in STCs, AS/NZS 5033 SLDs and the Federal Battery Rebate. Aurora Solar is strongest for US-style design depth.

Is there free solar proposal software for Australian installers?

Yes. OpenSolar is free and suits simpler residential workflows. Paid tools such as Solar Proof, Pylon and Aurora add deeper customisation, compliance documents and quoting features that growing businesses often need.

What should Australian installers look for?

Prioritise AU-market fit: native STC calculation, CEC-aligned proposals, AS/NZS 5033 single-line diagrams, battery rebate handling, transparent pricing and fast proposals. US-first tools often miss these specifics.

How much does solar proposal software cost in Australia?

From free (OpenSolar) to pay-as-you-go from around $4 per project (Solar Proof) and subscriptions from roughly $99 per user (Pylon, Solar Proof Pro). Aurora Solar is quote-based and aimed at larger operations.

Keep exploring

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