CleanFuture vs OpenSolar
OpenSolar provides professional design and proposal workflows, including 2D, 3D and manual design options described in its documentation.
| Decision | OpenSolar | CleanFuture (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary user | Solar professionals designing and selling systems. | People discussing and organizing an energy plan. |
| Work product | Designs and customer proposals. | Saved system inputs, evidence and preliminary estimates. |
| Site detail | Documented design modes and location-dependent imagery. | Planning assumptions; not a construction-ready roof layout. |
| Commercial scope | Free core does not imply free API integrations. | Saved AI workflows require an active subscription. |
When OpenSolar is better
Installers creating designs and customer proposals. Stay with OpenSolar if you need to design and sell systems. None of the homeowner planning or shopping tools listed here replaces the complete professional workflow. If changing design platforms, evaluate other professional platforms separately.
Imagery and design modes vary by location. A software layout is not a substitute for site verification or professional responsibility.
When CleanFuture fits
A homeowner does not need to become a solar designer to ask good questions. CleanFuture can keep needs and assumptions understandable while a professional handles the design. OpenSolar also advertises AI features, so AI alone is not a meaningful reason to prefer CleanFuture.
Account required to save; saved AI estimates currently require an active subscription. Not installer bidding, professional roof design or a guaranteed savings calculation. A regional solar estimate excludes battery costs and detailed tariff modeling.
See how the CleanFuture estimate workflow worksA practical way to use the tools
- Homeowners: ask the installer for a layout that identifies roof planes, obstructions and the assumptions behind production.
- Installers: confirm imagery availability, usage inputs and the relevant tariff before presenting a proposal.
- Review what was measured on site and what remains inferred from imagery. Keep unresolved structural or electrical questions visible.
- Use the homeowner plan as a brief, not an import guarantee. There is no claimed automatic CleanFuture-to-OpenSolar synchronization.
Questions worth asking
Can CleanFuture replace OpenSolar for my installation business?
No. CleanFuture is not a professional design, proposal or installation-management platform. OpenSolar is the better fit among these two for that workflow.
Does free OpenSolar mean integrations are free?
No. Its official commercial announcement distinguishes the free platform from paid external data access. Verify the current API or connector terms for your intended integration.
Turn the reading into a plan
Bring your questions to Chat and keep the assumptions tied to your system.
Discuss my plan in ChatYour question and this article’s context will be prefilled for you to review and send. Account required to save a system; saved AI estimates currently require an active subscription. Preliminary guidance, not an installation quote.
Sources and review method
We make CleanFuture. These are our editorial recommendations based on first-party documentation and our own product’s scope, not hands-on performance tests. We recommend other products when they fit the job better. US-focused; local availability and terms need checking.
We selected five overlapping solar workflows: quote comparison, installer research, advisor-led buying, production modeling and professional design. PVWatts and OpenSolar are adjacent tools, not equivalent homeowner services. This is a focused shortlist, not an exhaustive market survey or an objective top-five company ranking.
Recommendations weigh the task, required inputs, output, access terms and limitations. We did not test purchases, installation quality, model accuracy or response times. Product descriptions come from the linked official documentation; workflow advice and rankings by fit are our editorial judgment. We do not use numeric ratings or vendor savings claims to choose winners.
For broader whole-home electrification, also consider QuitCarbon’s planning and coaching. Solar.com is another shopping service outside this five-tool selection. Exclusion is not a negative evaluation.
Sources: OpenSolar: professional platform; OpenSolar: first project design guide; OpenSolar: free platform and paid external access; CleanFuture: solar estimate workflow.
Capabilities and terms can change. Check the provider’s current documentation and your actual proposal before committing.