Solargraf Review: Features, Pricing & Pros vs Cons (2026)

TL;DR: Solargraf is an Enphase-owned solar design and proposal platform built for residential sales speed. At $2,799/year for the Starter plan, it generates proposals in under 3 minutes and integrates tightly with the Enphase ecosystem — but users report shading inaccuracies of 10–20% vs competitive tools, and permit packs that require revisions more than half the time. For residential teams closing deals on-site with iPads, Solargraf is a solid choice. For commercial EPCs needing bankable production numbers or complete electrical documentation, SurgePV — the leading solar design software — offers ±3% documented accuracy, automated SLD generation, and no per-project credit limits.

Author: Keyur Rakholiya Title: Contributing Writer, SurgePV | MD & CEO, Heaven Green Energy Limited Expertise: 1+ GW solar projects delivered, 20+ design software platforms tested, 10+ years EPC operations Published: 2026-03-08 Last Updated: 2026-03-08 Review Methodology: Official Solargraf documentation, G2/Capterra/Software Advice verified reviews, competitive testing, Enphase acquisition research

Who This Review Is For

This Solargraf review is for:

• Residential installers evaluating proposal software for mobile sales workflows
• Solar companies considering Solargraf for permit generation (permit set capabilities)
• California installers researching NEM 3.0 optimization tools
• Teams comparing Solargraf vs Aurora Solar for production accuracy
• Decision-makers trying to understand Solargraf’s pricing structure before signing an annual contract

Who should skip this review:

• Utility-scale developers (Solargraf is residential/light commercial)
• Teams needing built-in CRM (Solargraf has none natively)
• EPCs designing carport solar, trackers, or East-West racking (not supported)

What Is Solargraf?

Solargraf is a cloud-based solar design, simulation, and proposal platform targeting small-to-medium residential installers. It was founded in 2013 as Sofdesk Inc. by Lennie Moreno in Montreal, Quebec, and acquired by Enphase Energy on January 26, 2021. At acquisition, the platform had 700+ installer clients and 56 employees.

Company Background

The Enphase Ownership Context

Enphase acquired Sofdesk to strengthen its digital platform and add AI/ML capabilities. Solargraf remains product-agnostic — it is not restricted to Enphase hardware — but the deepest integrations are with Enphase Enlighten data. Post-acquisition, users report slower support response times compared to the pre-2021 era, a common pattern when a fast-moving startup is absorbed by a large corporation.

Core Value Proposition

Solargraf’s pitch: generate a 3D solar design and professional proposal in under 3 minutes, on any device including an iPad in front of a homeowner. The platform covers design through proposal through permit, positioning itself as a full residential sales workflow tool.

Target users:

1. Residential solar installers (primary market)
2. Enphase ecosystem dealers
3. Mobile-first sales teams
4. California installers managing NEM 3.0

Not the target: Commercial EPCs designing 500kW+ systems, teams needing carport structures, or companies requiring auditable production accuracy for project finance.

Solargraf Pricing & Plans

Solargraf uses a project-credit pricing model — not per-seat, not unlimited. Every plan has an annual credit allotment. Credits are consumed per project completed, with commercial projects costing 5 credits each.

Solargraf Pricing 2025 / 2026

Credit math for commercial projects: Each commercial project costs 5 credits. On the Starter plan (240 credits), that means a maximum of 48 commercial projects per year before overage charges hit. A mixed portfolio of 100 residential + 20 commercial projects uses 100 + 100 = 200 credits, leaving only 40 credits as buffer.

Extra users: $960–$1,440/year per added user (pro-rata).

Free trial: Available. New accounts receive 120 project credits.

Australia: Dedicated pricing with a 30% annual discount.

Monthly billing: Not available. Annual commitment required for all plans.

Total Cost of Ownership

Hidden Costs

Is Solargraf Free? Free Trial

Solargraf is not free. There is no ongoing free tier.

A free trial is available, and new accounts start with 120 project credits — enough to design around 120 residential projects or 24 commercial ones before the trial ends. No credit card is required to start the trial.

Free alternatives to Solargraf:

• OpenSolar: Full-featured free tier with built-in CRM and proposal tools. The main free alternative in residential solar.
• PVWatts (NREL): Free simulation-only tool. No proposals or permits.
• SurgePV demo: Book a free walkthrough to see full capabilities before committing.

For teams choosing between paid platforms, the credit-limit structure means Solargraf’s true cost scales with project volume in a way that per-user platforms like SurgePV do not.

Core Features & Capabilities

3D Solar Design

Solargraf’s design engine handles residential and light commercial rooftop systems.

What works well:

• AI-powered auto-detection of rooflines and obstructions
• LIDAR technology for roof pitch and height accuracy
• HD aerial imagery from Nearmap, Google, and Bing
• Smart Designer with Max-Fit Technology for automatic panel placement optimization
• Ground-mount and system expansion support

What has limitations:

• Complex roof geometries cause accuracy problems per user reports
• No carport solar design
• No solar tracker support (single-axis or dual-axis)
• No East-West racking optimization

For standard residential gable and hip roofs, the design quality is adequate. For anything structurally complex, users report needing to spend additional time manually adjusting.

Shading Analysis

This is where Solargraf receives the most consistent user criticism.

Official claim: NREL and NYSERDA-verified shading analysis with third-party bankability validation. AI shading analysis per pixel. TPO provider approved.

User reality: Verified users report 10–20% production estimate variance compared to Aurora Solar and HelioScope. The most direct quote from G2 reviews: “Shading software is absolute garbage and entirely inaccurate.” Multiple teams use Aurora or HelioScope alongside Solargraf specifically to cross-check production estimates before presenting to clients.

Critical limitation: No manual shading override. There is no way to adjust production estimates per-site based on local conditions or installer experience. You get the algorithm’s output, unedited.

For project finance or residential deals where the production estimate is quoted in the contract, a 10–20% variance is material. Homeowners who are sold on an annual production number that falls 15% short have grounds for complaint.

Solargraf Permit Set

Solargraf’s permit generation is one of its strongest differentiators against pure proposal tools.

What it includes:

• DIY permit package generation (AHJ-compliant)
• Automated permit creation in minutes
• Electrical design tool with Single Line Diagrams (SLD)
• Built-in validations for permit-ready SLDs
• Latest AHJ updates for CA, MO, AR, TX, OK
• Automated permit creation from design data

The permit quality problem: Verified users report that over 50% of Solargraf permit packs require revisions before AHJ acceptance. For a residential installer doing 20 permits per month, that means 10+ revision cycles — real time cost and potential delays.

What SurgePV’s permit output delivers differently: Automated SLD generation in 5–10 minutes with NEC Article 690 compliance and permit-ready output. The SLD is generated directly from the design without manual reconfiguration.

For teams whose permit rejection rate is currently low with a different tool, switching to Solargraf for permits requires verifying whether the 50%+ revision rate applies to your specific AHJ jurisdiction.

Sales Proposals

This is Solargraf’s flagship capability and genuine strength.

Proposal generation speed: Under 3 minutes from completed design to branded proposal. That is the fastest in the category.

Express Editor: Launched Q1 2024. Lets salespeople edit pricing, financing options, and system details on-the-spot without going back through the design workflow. Designed for in-home sales scenarios.

Good/Better/Best: Present multiple pricing tiers or system configurations in a single proposal for client comparison.

Financing options integrated: Loans, leases, PPAs, cash. API integrations with Service Finance and Mosaic. TPO providers including Enfin, Goodleap, Lightreach, and Posigen.

E-signatures: DocuSign integration for contract execution.

Customization: Company branding, product images and videos, custom templates.

Output: Shareable web links, PDF, direct email delivery.

For solar proposal software focused on residential close rates, Solargraf’s proposal toolset is competitive. The speed advantage is real and matters in in-home sales.

NEM 3.0 and California Support

Solargraf has dedicated California-market features:

• System optimization for NEM 3.0 net metering regulations
• CPUC 25-year hourly sell rates (8760-hour analysis)
• Low-income customer support (FERA/CARE/Medical baseline)
• Auto-fetched tariffs from CA utilities

California residential installers adapting to NEM 3.0’s export rate structure benefit from Solargraf’s pre-built rate tables and system optimization. This is a genuine differentiator for the California market specifically.

Battery Storage

Solargraf supports battery storage design across 25+ manufacturers including Enphase IQ Batteries and Tesla Powerwall.

Storage features:

• Enhanced battery design with scenario comparison
• Versatile backup options (appliances, pool pumps, AC units)
• Storage analytics: cost, savings, energy independence, backup time
• Custom consumption profile building

2024 updates: Battery sizing improvements with modularity. New financing integrations: LightReach, GoodLeap, EnFin, Everbright, IGS.

Upcoming Features (Announced)

User Reviews & Feedback

Solargraf’s average rating across G2, Capterra, and Software Advice sits at 3.2–3.7 out of 5 — below average for the category. The sentiment is not uniformly negative; it splits clearly by use case.

Top Praised Features

Top Criticisms

Direct User Quotes

“Shading software is absolute garbage and entirely inaccurate.” — G2 Reviewer

“Its simplicity saved us hours per project.” — G2 Reviewer

“Easy to make and send proposals to homeowners.” — G2 Reviewer

“Helped me close deals faster with clean proposals.” — G2 Reviewer

The pattern: sales teams love it; engineers and EPCs distrust the numbers.

Pros & Cons

Pros

1. Fastest Proposal Generation in Residential Solar

Three minutes from design to branded proposal is a real competitive advantage in residential in-home sales. The Express Editor (launched 2024) extends that speed to on-the-spot revisions during client meetings. No other platform in the category matches this workflow for pure sales velocity.

2. Enphase Ecosystem Integration

For Enphase dealers, production estimates are validated against Enlighten real-world data — a tighter feedback loop than tools that rely purely on modeled outputs. The Enphase IQ Battery integration is more detailed than what third-party platforms offer.

3. NEM 3.0 California Optimization

CPUC 8760 hourly sell rates pre-loaded, auto-fetched utility tariffs, and low-income program support (FERA/CARE) make Solargraf genuinely useful for California installers navigating NEM 3.0 complexity. This is specific enough to be a real differentiator in the California market.

4. Mobile-First Design

Runs on PC, tablet, and iPad. The interface is optimized for touch-screen operation in a homeowner’s living room, not just desktop use in an office. For companies running a van-based or remote sales model, this matters.

5. 25+ Battery Manufacturers

Storage support across 25+ manufacturers, including custom backup scenario modeling and consumption profile building. Financing integrations with LightReach, GoodLeap, Everbright, and others are pre-built.

6. DIY Permit Automation

Automated AHJ-compliant permit packages without a separate permitting service subscription. For small residential shops that handle their own permitting, the built-in permit tool removes a workflow step.

Cons

1. Shading Accuracy — The Biggest Problem

Users consistently report 10–20% production estimate variance vs Aurora Solar and HelioScope. Many teams run Solargraf for proposals and a separate tool for production verification before signing contracts. There is no manual override to correct site-specific conditions. For a tool positioning itself as the source of truth on production estimates, this is a structural problem.

2. Permit Revision Rate Above 50%

Over half of permit packs reportedly require revisions. In a business where permit timeline directly affects installation schedule and cash collection, a 50%+ revision rate is an operational tax on every permit pulled.

3. Project-Credit Pricing Penalizes Growth and Commercial Work

Commercial projects cost 5 credits each. A team scaling from 30 to 60 commercial projects per quarter will hit plan limits and face overage charges with no warning built into the workflow. Annual-only billing means no flexibility to right-size the plan mid-year. This pricing model favors stable, predictable residential volume — not growing teams or commercial-leaning portfolios.

4. No Commercial Structures

No carport solar design. No solar trackers. No East-West racking. Solargraf targets the residential market and does not support the commercial structure types that represent growth opportunities for installers moving upmarket.

5. No Built-in CRM

No native lead management, no pipeline tracking. Solargraf offers Zapier integration (8,000+ apps) and CRM sync with Salesforce and Zoho, but nothing built-in. Teams without an existing CRM need a separate subscription.

6. Support Quality Decline Post-Acquisition

Long-term Solargraf users consistently note that support response times lengthened after the Enphase acquisition in 2021. Phone support, email, and LiveChat remain available (Mon–Fri, 9 AM–5 PM CST), but the quick-response experience that early users praised has eroded.

7. Annual-Only Billing

No monthly plan. Teams evaluating Solargraf commit to an annual contract upfront. Combined with project-credit limits, this creates pricing risk for companies still learning their design volume.

Solargraf vs Aurora Solar

Aurora Solar is the most common comparison for teams evaluating Solargraf. Both target residential and light commercial markets, but with different priorities.

When Solargraf beats Aurora: In-home residential sales, mobile workflows, Enphase dealer ecosystem, California NEM 3.0 residential volume.

When Aurora beats Solargraf: Production accuracy for financed deals, complex roof geometries, overall brand trust for bankable projects.

A third option: For commercial EPCs who find both platforms limiting, SurgePV provides complete electrical engineering, documented ±3% accuracy, and commercial structure support that neither Aurora nor Solargraf offers natively.

Solargraf vs SurgePV

Feature Comparison

Workflow Time: 100 kW Commercial Rooftop

For residential volume, Solargraf’s speed advantage is real. A team doing 200 residential projects per year saves meaningful time.

For commercial projects, the shading accuracy problem, 5-credit commercial consumption, and permit revision rate eliminate the speed advantage in total workflow time.

Annual Cost Comparison

Solargraf Alternatives

Aurora Solar (/reviews/aurora-solar): Better shading accuracy and stronger brand for bankable residential projects. More complex to learn. Per-seat pricing rather than per-project. Best for teams where production accuracy is non-negotiable.

OpenSolar: The main free alternative. Full proposals, built-in CRM, permit tools — no subscription required. Lacks Solargraf’s speed and mobile optimization, but the price-to-capability ratio for startups is hard to beat.

HelioScope: Pure simulation depth. Best shading accuracy in the category. No proposal generation. Used by engineers and EPCs for production modeling rather than sales workflows. Often paired with Solargraf or Aurora.

Arka360 (/reviews/arka360): Built-in CRM plus design and proposals. Strong India-market presence. Less mobile-optimized than Solargraf. Better fit for teams that need CRM functionality integrated with design.

SurgePV (/): Complete electrical engineering, carport and tracker design, ±3% documented accuracy, automated SLD. No project credit limits. Better for commercial EPCs; not optimized for pure residential in-home iPad sales.

PVsyst (/reviews/pvsyst): Simulation-only. No proposals, no permits, no client-facing output. The gold standard for accurate yield analysis on commercial and large-scale projects. Engineers use it to validate what Solargraf reports.

Who Should Use Solargraf?

Solargraf Is a Good Fit When:

1. You are a residential-only installer focused on in-home sales The 3-minute proposal, Express Editor, and iPad-optimized workflow are built for this. If your salesperson is in a homeowner’s living room and needs to close the same day, Solargraf’s speed advantage is genuine.

2. You are an Enphase dealer The deep Enlighten integration and Enphase IQ Battery modeling are real advantages you will not get at the same depth from a non-Enphase tool. If Enphase hardware is your standard spec, Solargraf’s ecosystem fit matters.

3. You are in California managing NEM 3.0 residential volume Pre-loaded CPUC 8760 rates, auto-fetched utility tariffs, and low-income program support (FERA/CARE) make NEM 3.0 compliance faster in Solargraf than in generic tools.

4. Your team is small and your project volume is predictable The Starter plan at $2,799/year covers 240 residential projects for 2 users. If your annual volume sits comfortably under that without much commercial work, the credit model is not a problem.

Solargraf Is Not a Good Fit When:

1. Production accuracy matters for your contracts If clients are quoted an annual kWh number that appears in a signed proposal, a 10–20% shading variance is a liability. Use a tool with documented accuracy or run a parallel verification.

2. You design commercial projects regularly Five credits per commercial project, permit revision rates above 50%, and no commercial structures (carports, trackers, East-West) make Solargraf expensive and operationally slow for commercial work.

3. You are growing fast Credit limits and annual-only billing create cost unpredictability as project volume increases. Per-user pricing from tools like SurgePV scales more linearly.

4. You need permit reliability A 50%+ revision rate means Solargraf is not reliable for teams with tight permitting windows. Verify whether this rate applies to your specific AHJs before committing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Solargraf cost?

Solargraf’s 2026 pricing:

• Starter: $2,799/year (240 project credits, 2 users)
• Small Business: $4,799/year (480 credits, 4 users)
• Teams: $6,399/year (720 credits, 6 users)
• Enterprise: $12,999/year (1,500 credits, unlimited users)

Annual billing only. Commercial projects consume 5 credits each. Extra credits: $9–$11 each. Extra users: $960–$1,440/year. New accounts get 120 free credits to start.

What is the Solargraf permit set?

Solargraf’s permit set is an automated AHJ-compliant permit package including Single Line Diagrams with built-in electrical validations. It covers recent AHJ code updates for CA, MO, AR, TX, and OK. The limitation: over 50% of permit packs require revisions before AHJ acceptance, per verified user reports. For installers in high-volume permitting markets, test your local AHJ acceptance rate before relying on it.

How does Solargraf compare to Aurora Solar?

Solargraf wins on proposal speed (3 minutes vs Aurora’s slower workflow), mobile/iPad optimization, and Enphase ecosystem depth. Aurora wins on shading accuracy, complex roof 3D modeling, and overall engineering trust for bankable projects. For teams where production accuracy is non-negotiable, Aurora is the better choice. For mobile residential sales teams prioritizing closing speed, Solargraf is faster.

What are the concerns with Solargraf after the Enphase acquisition?

The main post-2021 concerns reported by long-term users: support response times lengthened, shading accuracy issues have not been resolved despite official third-party validation claims, and the project-credit pricing model was not changed. The platform remains product-agnostic (not Enphase-only), but teams outside the Enphase ecosystem lose the deepest integration benefits. The platform is still developed, with meaningful updates through 2024 (Express Editor, Smart Designer, new financing integrations).

Is Solargraf’s shading analysis accurate enough?

Official validation says yes (NREL, NYSERDA, third-party bankability). User experience says no for a meaningful portion of sites — with 10–20% production estimate variance reported vs Aurora and HelioScope. There is no manual override to correct per-site estimates. For residential deals where the quoted production number appears in the contract, verify against a second tool before signing.

Does Solargraf have a free trial?

Yes. New accounts start with 120 project credits at no charge. There is no ongoing free tier — paid plans begin at $2,799/year. For a free ongoing alternative, OpenSolar is the main option.

Can Solargraf design carport solar or tracker systems?

No. Solargraf does not support carport solar, single-axis or dual-axis solar trackers, or East-West racking configurations. It handles standard residential and light commercial rooftop designs plus ground-mount systems. For commercial structure design, SurgePV is currently the only platform with native carport and tracker support.

Final Verdict

Solargraf Executive Summary

Strengths:

• Fastest residential proposal generation (3 minutes)
• Enphase ecosystem integration (Enlighten validation)
• NEM 3.0 California-specific features (CPUC 8760 rates)
• Mobile-first design for in-home sales
• Express Editor for on-the-spot proposal changes
• 25+ battery manufacturers with storage scenario modeling

Limitations:

• Shading accuracy: 10–20% variance reported by users
• Permit pack revision rate: over 50%
• Project-credit model penalizes commercial work and growth
• Annual-only billing with no monthly option
• No commercial structures (carports, trackers, East-West)
• No built-in CRM
• Support quality declined post-Enphase acquisition (2021)

The Decision Framework

Choose Solargraf when:

• Residential-only portfolio + Enphase dealer + California NEM 3.0 + iPad-based in-home sales + stable annual project volume under 240

Choose SurgePV when:

• Commercial EPCs + production accuracy requirements + commercial structures needed + growing project volume + permit reliability matters

Choose Aurora Solar when:

• Residential focus + bankable production accuracy required + complex roof geometries + willingness to pay for engineering depth

Choose OpenSolar when:

• Budget is the primary constraint + need built-in CRM + residential residential focus

Value Analysis

Solargraf delivers real value for a specific type of installer: residential-focused, mobile, Enphase-aligned, California-heavy. The 3-minute proposal speed is not marketing copy — it is a genuine workflow advantage in in-home sales.

Outside that profile, the math shifts. The shading inaccuracy forces teams to run a second simulation tool (adding cost and time). The permit revision rate adds operational overhead. The credit model penalizes scale. These are not theoretical concerns; they are patterns reported across multiple user review platforms.

Take the Next Step

• Book a SurgePV demo — see how unlimited projects, ±3% accuracy, and automated SLD compare to Solargraf’s workflow
• SurgePV pricing — compare per-user flat pricing vs Solargraf’s credit model
• Solar proposal software — see how SurgePV handles proposals alongside design and electrical
• Shadow analysis — how SurgePV’s shading analysis works

Related Resources

Platform Comparisons:

• Aurora Solar Review — detailed Aurora vs Solargraf vs SurgePV breakdown
• Arka360 Review — all-in-one platform with built-in CRM
• PVsyst Review — the simulation tool engineers use to verify Solargraf outputs

Feature Deep Dives:

• Solar Design Software — full platform comparison guide
• Solar Proposal Software — proposal tool comparison
• Shadow Analysis Software — shading accuracy comparison
• Generation and Financial Tool — ROI modeling for solar projects

This Solargraf review was written by Keyur Rakholiya, Contributing Writer at SurgePV and MD & CEO of Heaven Green Energy Limited, with 1+ GW of solar project experience and hands-on testing of 20+ design software platforms. Solargraf information is sourced from official Solargraf/Enphase documentation and verified user reviews from G2, Capterra, and Software Advice. Pricing data verified January 2026. We disclose our company affiliation with SurgePV transparently and maintain editorial standards on factual claims.

Review last updated: March 8, 2026 | Next review: June 2026