Both are genuinely good solar design and proposal tools, and we partner with both. This is a straight look at how they differ on pricing, design, proposals and scale, so you can pick the one that fits how you actually work. Whichever you choose, Pipereply connects it and adds the follow-up engine on top.
1 proposal integration included in every Pipereply package
OpenSolar and Pylon are both trusted by thousands of solar professionals. They design systems, produce polished proposals and track a job through to sold. Where they differ is how they charge, where they focus and how the proposal is signed. Get those differences right and the choice becomes obvious for your business.
Both give you solar design, a customer-facing online proposal and a clear path from lead to sold. Both expose a modern API with webhooks, which is exactly what lets Pipereply keep your CRM in sync with proposal activity in real time.
Pricing model, design workflow and how a customer signs and pays a deposit. One is a free-forever global platform, the other is an Australian-built, pay-per-project tool with signing and deposits inside the proposal. Neither is better in the abstract, only better for you.
Facts only, drawn from what each company publishes about itself. Scroll the table sideways on mobile.
| Consideration | OpenSolar | Pylon |
|---|---|---|
| Where it started | Founded in Sydney in 2017 | Australian, founded in 2016 |
| Reach | Used by 25,000+ solar professionals across 160+ countries, with more than 6 million system designs | Around 3,500 solar businesses; voted the number one solar design tool in 2025 by Australian installers |
| Pricing model | Free forever, no per-seat fees, unlimited users and projects (partner-funded) | Pay per project, with no subscription |
| Design and proposals | Solar design and a customer-facing online proposal built in | Fast, 3D-shaded proposals |
| Signing and payments | Online proposal with a mark-as-sold workflow | Native eSignature and deposit payment inside the proposal |
| Lead imports | Leads flow in from your website, ads and lead providers via the API | Imports leads directly from SolarQuotes and SolarChoice |
| Workflow language | Projects, stages and milestones (Presold, Sold, Installed) | Proposal-centred workflow from enquiry to signed |
| Proposal tracking | Project History Tracker logs when a customer opens the email, views the proposal and how long they viewed it | Proposal activity available through the platform and its API |
| Developer access | API with webhooks on the Project, Contact and Event models | REST API plus webhooks |
| Best described as | A global, free-forever design and CRM platform at serious scale | An Australian-first design and proposal tool with signing and deposits built in |
Want the deep dive on either one? Read the OpenSolar integration page or the Pylon integration page.
Here is the simplest way to think about it. Match the list that sounds most like your business.
Free forever, global scale
Australian-first, all-in-one proposal
Still deciding? Bring it to a Strategy Call and we will map both against your lead flow, then set up whichever you choose.
OpenSolar and Pylon are excellent at designing and presenting a quote. What neither does on its own is multi-channel follow-up when a proposal is viewed but not signed. That gap between sent and signed is where deals quietly die. That is Pipereply's lane.
Whether you run OpenSolar or Pylon, Pipereply listens for the moment a proposal is sent, viewed or signed and keeps your CRM in sync automatically.
Andy, our AI proposal follow-up agent, chases viewed-but-not-signed proposals with context from the actual call, so quotes stop stalling in inboxes.
The integration syncs dozens of fields between your proposal tool and the CRM, so nobody re-types job details across systems.
See how the follow-up works: OpenSolar proposal follow-up and Pylon proposal follow-up, both powered by Andy.
You do not pay extra to connect the proposal tool you already use. Pick OpenSolar or Pylon and it is built into your package.
Core and Complete both include 1 proposal integration, OpenSolar or Pylon, set up and connected by our team as part of onboarding.
Some installers use both tools. Adding a second proposal integration so OpenSolar and Pylon both sync is $490 setup plus $99 per month.
All prices AUD ex GST. See the full breakdown on the pricing page, or the solar and battery installers page for how it fits your workflow.
Neither is better in the abstract. OpenSolar is a free-forever global platform with unlimited users and projects. Pylon is an Australian-built, pay-per-project tool with eSignature and deposit collection inside the proposal. The right one depends on your team size, how you like to charge and whether you want signing and payment built into the proposal. We are happy to walk you through both on a Strategy Call.
No. Keep the tool you already run. Pipereply integrates with OpenSolar and Pylon, so you carry on designing and quoting exactly as you do now, and we add the follow-up engine and CRM sync on top.
Yes. Every package includes one proposal integration. If you use both tools, adding a second proposal integration is $490 setup plus $99 per month, AUD ex GST, so both stay in sync with your CRM.
The integration fires when a proposal is sent, viewed or signed and keeps the CRM updated in real time, syncing dozens of fields between your proposal tool and Pipereply. That is what lets Andy follow up the moment a quote is viewed but not signed, without anyone re-typing details across systems.
No, and it is not meant to be. OpenSolar and Pylon are design and proposal tools, and they do that well. Solar AI-Q is the layer that connects your lead sources, proposals, jobs and payments and works them as one pipeline. Integration first: your existing tools keep doing what they do best.
Book a free Strategy Call. We will compare OpenSolar and Pylon against your lead flow, then connect whichever you choose and wire the follow-up engine on top.
Book a Strategy CallNo pressure. No obligation. Just a straight conversation about your business.
