Payaca vs Salesforce
Enterprise customization vs purpose-built solar software
Salesforce can do almost anything - with enough time, money, and developers. Payaca does what solar installers need, out of the box.
Payaca
Purpose-built platform with solar features included. Works out of the box for installation businesses.
- Permit tracking and design tools included
- Operational in days, not months
- Predictable pricing
- Support from solar industry experts
Salesforce
Highly customizable enterprise CRM. Can be configured for any industry with sufficient investment.
- Unlimited customization potential
- Large ecosystem and marketplace
- Requires significant development investment
- No solar features out of the box
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Payaca | Salesforce |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | Ready to use in days with solar features built in | Months of customization and development required |
| Industry Focus | Purpose-built for solar, batteries, EV chargers | Generic platform - needs custom development |
| Permit Tracking | Built-in permit tracking and AHJ compliance | Would need custom development |
| Design Tool Integration | OpenSolar and Aurora connections included | Would need custom AppExchange or development |
| Field Team Mobile App | Offline-capable app designed for installers | Field Service requires additional licensing |
| Customization | Configurable with OpenAPI for integrations | Highly customizable with developer resources |
| Enterprise Scale | Handles enterprise deployments | Built for enterprise scale |
| Total Cost | Predictable pricing including all solar features | High licensing + implementation + ongoing development |
| Support | Team that understands solar industry | General CRM support - may not know your industry |
Setup Time
Ready to use in days with solar features built in
Months of customization and development required
Industry Focus
Purpose-built for solar, batteries, EV chargers
Generic platform - needs custom development
Permit Tracking
Built-in permit tracking and AHJ compliance
Would need custom development
Design Tool Integration
OpenSolar and Aurora connections included
Would need custom AppExchange or development
Field Team Mobile App
Offline-capable app designed for installers
Field Service requires additional licensing
Customization
Configurable with OpenAPI for integrations
Highly customizable with developer resources
Enterprise Scale
Handles enterprise deployments
Built for enterprise scale
Total Cost
Predictable pricing including all solar features
High licensing + implementation + ongoing development
Support
Team that understands solar industry
General CRM support - may not know your industry
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Salesforce overkill for a solar installation company?
- Often, yes. Salesforce is powerful but requires significant investment in customization to work for solar businesses. You'd need custom objects for jobs, permit tracking, field operations, and design tool integrations. Most installers find purpose-built software delivers what they need at a fraction of the cost and complexity.
- How much does a Salesforce implementation for solar cost?
- A basic Salesforce implementation for a solar installation business typically costs tens of thousands of dollars in licensing, consulting, and development. Custom objects for permit tracking and design integrations add more. Plus ongoing admin and development costs. Payaca includes these features out of the box.
- Can Salesforce handle permit tracking?
- Not natively. You'd need to build custom objects and workflows for permit tracking and AHJ compliance. This is possible but expensive. Payaca includes permit tracking already built and maintained.
- What if we're already using Salesforce?
- Consider whether the ongoing cost and complexity is delivering value. Many solar businesses switch to Payaca from Salesforce when they realize the customization and maintenance costs exceed the benefits. Payaca can integrate with Salesforce if you need to keep it for specific functions.
- How long does it take to set up Payaca vs Salesforce?
- Payaca can be operational in days - the solar features are ready to use. A Salesforce implementation for a solar business typically takes months of scoping, development, testing, and training. Time to value is significantly faster with purpose-built software.