Pylon Observer vs OpenSolar

OpenSolar is known as the “free” option for solar design, but many solar professionals say Pylon is more user-friendly and cost-effective. With $0 Monthly Fees and a more robust feature-set, Pylon is the best OpenSolar alternative.

One of the main drawbacks of using OpenSolar is the way imagery options are set up. OpenSolar includes imagery from a range of providers, but to get super high-resolution imagery like what's available in Pylon, you have to integrate with Nearmap which charges a monthly fee and locks you into a contract. Pylon includes super high-resolution aerial imagery in the app with 5-15cm per pixel resolution for $0 Monthly Fees.

OpenSolar has a comprehensive self-serve help centre with articles (as does Pylon), and their team tells us they have recently started offering support globally through tickets. However, if you require premium support, OpenSolar partners with a third-party called Sunwiz who charge $280 per month for 8 support tickets and $35 for each additional support ticket thereafter. To get set up on OpenSolar using Sunwiz, you’ll be paying up to $2,500.

With Pylon, you get world-class support for free, no set-up fees, and only pay a low $4 per-project fee.

Perhaps more importantly, Pylon is far easier to use than OpenSolar. The app is well-designed and intuitive which is important when your team needs to deliver compelling proposals quickly, and with a high level of accuracy. Try it for yourself in seconds.