ERPNext for solar vs SuryaHub.
ERPNext is a powerful open-source ERP you can shape into anything. SuryaHub is solar-native and ready in weeks. Here is an honest look at which fits a solar EPC, and why.
By the SuryaHub team · Updated 18 June 2026
The short answer.
ERPNext is a strong, open-source, deeply customizable ERP. You own your data, there is no per-user lock-in, and its breadth is large. But it is generic — none of it is built for solar.
SuryaHub is solar-native and ready out of the box: kW pricing, PM Surya Ghar, DISCOM, GST and 25-year AMC are already there. Pick ERPNext if you want an open ERP and a team to shape it for solar. Pick SuryaHub to get a solar-ready system in weeks — see the platform or pricing.
- Best for
- ERPNext: open ERP, DIY
SuryaHub: solar, ready - Solar-native
- Only SuryaHub
- Open-source
- Only ERPNext
- Time to value
- ERPNext: months
SuryaHub: 2–4 weeks
Can ERPNext run a solar EPC?
Yes and no. ERPNext gives you a real back office — accounting, GST, stock and CRM. What it does not give you is anything that knows what a solar job is. That gap is the whole story.
So ERPNext can run the EPC if you treat it as a starting point you fund and shape. SuryaHub treats the same problem differently: the solar layer is already built. See what is included →
ERPNext vs SuryaHub, line by line.
An honest, detailed comparison for running a solar EPC. "Full (DIY)" means ERPNext can do it, but you build it.
- Open-source, no licence lock-in Yes No
- Own your data ✓ Cloud or on-prem
- Customization Full (DIY) Solar-set
- kW pricing & solar BOM
- PM Surya Ghar / DISCOM / net-metering
- Solar AMC (auto visits + renewals)
- Field install with photo proof
- GST invoices & ledgers Yes Yes
- Go live Months of setup 2–4 weeks
- Needs a tech team Usually No
- Support Community/partner Included
Where ERPNext wins
Let’s be fair — it is a serious, capable platform.
- Truly open-source
ERPNext is GPLv3. The full product is open — no paid-only edition holding back modules, and no per-user licence to lock you in.
- You own your data
Self-host on your own server, or use Frappe Cloud. Either way the data and the code are yours to keep and move.
- Huge breadth
Accounting, CRM, sales, purchasing, inventory, manufacturing, projects and HR all sit on one data model.
- Bend it any way you like
With a developer, you can reshape almost any field, form or workflow. There is very little you cannot change.
Where SuryaHub wins
The solar work a generic ERP cannot do for you.
- Solar out of the box
kW pricing, solar BOM, the two-quote cycle, DISCOM and PM Surya Ghar steps are built in — not work you commission and maintain.
- India solar compliance
PM Surya Ghar, net-metering, DISCOM paperwork, DCR and GST are part of the platform, not a custom module you fund.
- The AMC moat
Auto-scheduled visits and 90/60/30-day renewal reminders protect 25-year service revenue. A generic ERP has no concept of it.
- Field work with proof
A 5-stage install flow and technical survey capture photo and GPS proof from an Android phone, even offline.
- Live in 2–4 weeks
No build phase. You onboard onto a solar-shaped system, not a blank ERP you must mould first.
- No tech team needed
Support is included and the workflows are set for solar. You do not need a developer on staff to run it.
How much work is it to make ERPNext work for solar?
More than most people expect. Out of the box, ERPNext gives you accounting, GST, stock and a general CRM. That is real value. But a solar EPC needs a layer on top that ERPNext has no idea about: kW-based pricing, a solar BOM, the two-quote cycle, a technical survey with photo proof, the PM Surya Ghar and DISCOM steps, net-metering, the 5-stage install flow, milestone payments and 25-year AMC. None of that ships. Each piece has to be designed, built and tested.
That work needs a developer or a Frappe partner, and it does not end at launch. When a subsidy rule or a DISCOM form changes, someone has to update your custom code. The software itself is free and open-source, but the build and the upkeep are the real cost. SuryaHub gives you the solar layer ready instead — quotation, government workflows and AMC are built in.
Is ERPNext free, and what does it really cost?
The ERPNext code is genuinely free and open-source under GPLv3, and there is no per-user licence — that is a real strength. But "free software" is not "free system". The honest costs are:
- Hosting — self-host on your own server, or Frappe Cloud, which is priced on compute, not per user.
- The build — turning a generic ERP into a solar system, usually a multi-month project.
- Upkeep — maintaining your custom solar code as rules and your business change.
- People — a developer on staff or a paid partner to do all of the above.
So ERPNext suits an EPC that values open-source and has technical capacity. If you would rather not build, SuryaHub plans start at ₹4,500/month and you are live in 2 to 4 weeks, with an on-premise option available if you want it on your own server.
Move from a generic ERP in weeks, not months.
SuryaHub imports your existing projects and contacts during onboarding, whether they sit in ERPNext, a spreadsheet or another tool. You keep your old data — nothing is lost. Most EPCs are live in 2 to 4 weeks, on a system already shaped for solar.
- Go live2–4 weeks
- Migration (≤150 records)₹25,000
- Migration (>150 records)₹50,000
- Lite plan from₹4,500/mo
So, which should you pick?
Pick ERPNext if…
- You want open-source and to own your data outright
- You have a developer or partner to build the solar layer
- You are ready to invest the time to customize and maintain it
Pick SuryaHub if…
- ✓You want a solar-ready system in 2 to 4 weeks
- ✓You need PM Surya Ghar, DISCOM, GST and AMC working day one
- ✓You would rather not build and maintain software
ERPNext vs SuryaHub — your questions.
Can ERPNext run a solar EPC business?+
ERPNext can hold the back-office side of a solar EPC — accounting, GST, stock and basic CRM are all there. But it is a generic ERP with no solar parts: no kW pricing or solar BOM, no PM Surya Ghar, DISCOM or net-metering workflow, no solar AMC and no field install flow. You or a partner must build and maintain all of that. SuryaHub ships those parts ready.
Is ERPNext free for a solar company?+
The ERPNext software is free and open-source under GPLv3, with no per-user licence. But running it has real costs: hosting (self-host or Frappe Cloud, which is compute-priced, not per-user), and the build work to turn a generic ERP into a solar system. That customization and ongoing upkeep usually needs a developer or partner, which is the larger cost.
How much work is it to make ERPNext work for solar?+
A lot. ERPNext gives you accounting, stock and CRM, but the solar layer — kW quoting, solar BOM, PM Surya Ghar and DISCOM steps, net-metering, the install stages and AMC scheduling — has to be designed, built and tested. That is months of work and a technical team or paid partner, plus upkeep every time rules change. SuryaHub already has the solar layer.
ERPNext vs SuryaHub — which should a solar EPC pick?+
Pick ERPNext if you want an open-source ERP you own and you have the technical capacity — a developer or partner — to customize it for solar over time. Pick SuryaHub if you want a solar-ready system in 2 to 4 weeks without building it, with PM Surya Ghar, DISCOM, GST and AMC already in place.
Does SuryaHub offer on-premise hosting like ERPNext?+
Yes. SuryaHub runs in the cloud by default, but an on-premise option is available as an add-on (₹2,00,000 plus ₹40,000/year) for EPCs that want the software on their own server. ERPNext can also be self-hosted. The difference is what you get on day one: ERPNext is a blank ERP, SuryaHub is already solar-shaped.
Is SuryaHub a good ERPNext alternative for solar?+
For a solar EPC that wants to be running quickly, yes. SuryaHub is solar-native: leads, two-quote quotation, technical survey, sales order and logistics, 5-stage installation, milestone payments, GST and 25-year AMC are built in and India-compliant. ERPNext is broader and open-source, but generic — you build the solar parts. SuryaHub plans start at ₹4,500/month.