Payaca vs Easy PV
The system the whole job runs on vs one of the best free solar design tools
Easy PV, built by Midsummer, designs the array: 2D and 3D roof design, automated stringing, structural checks, the kit list and the quote, free. Payaca runs the job around it: CRM, proposals, scheduling, the field app, DNO applications via ENA Connect, MCS handover documentation, invoicing and payments, on one project record. They are not mutually exclusive: Easy PV designs connect straight into Payaca projects. Here's how they compare for UK businesses.
Payaca
One system built for UK clean tech installers, from lead to invoice.
- Full CRM, proposals, scheduling, invoicing, payments
- DNO applications filed via ENA Connect, MCS handover documentation
- Solar, heat pump, battery and EV charger jobs on one platform
- Easy PV designs connect into the project's Design tab
Easy PV
Free solar PV design and sales software from Midsummer, the renewables distributor.
- 2D and 3D roof design with four design modes
- Automated stringing, inverter selection and structural checks
- MCS-compliant reports and automated DNO forms
- One-stop ordering from a Midsummer trade account
Payaca vs Easy PV: the short answer
Last reviewed
Easy PV is one of the best free solar design tools around. Payaca is the system the rest of the job runs on. If you design in Easy PV, connect it to Payaca: the design pulls straight into the project, and the pipeline, schedule, DNO application, MCS handover pack and invoicing carry on around it.
Payaca is best for
Clean tech install businesses running solar, heat pump, battery and EV charger jobs end to end, who want design, compliance filings, scheduling and invoicing on one project record.
Easy PV is best for
Solar PV businesses that want a free, deep design and specification tool with Midsummer trade purchasing built in, and run the rest of their operations in other tools.
Pricing
Payaca publishes its pricing: Growth, the standard plan for established install businesses, is 拢1,199/month. Current plans and eligibility are on the pricing page. Easy PV is free to use for design and quoting, with a paid Pro tier for team and CRM features and a bespoke Enterprise option.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Payaca | Easy PV |
|---|---|---|
| Origin & market | UK-built, one system designed for UK clean tech installers | UK-built by Midsummer, one of the UK's longest-established renewables distributors |
| Industry focus | Solar, heat pumps, battery storage, EV chargers | Solar PV design, specification and sales |
| Design tools | Design in Payaca with Glow (limited release), or import from Easy PV and OpenSolar | 2D & 3D roof design, automated stringing and inverter selection, structural analysis |
| Compliance documentation | DNO applications filed via ENA Connect from the job record, MCS handover documentation on the project | MCS-compliant reports and self-consumption modelling, automated DNO forms |
| CRM & sales pipeline | Full CRM with lead management, pipeline tracking, and reporting | CRM integration on the Pro tier; project sharing and status rather than a pipeline |
| Quoting & proposals | Branded multi-option proposals with e-signatures and customer portal | Customer proposals with financial projections, e-signing and branding on the Pro tier |
| Scheduling & job management | Full scheduling, resource allocation, and job management | Pre-installation survey and post-install photographic record |
| Invoicing & payments | Built-in invoicing, payment collection, and accounting sync (Xero, QuickBooks) | Payment options on proposals; no built-in invoicing or accounting sync |
| Field operations | Mobile app with offline mode, custom forms, photo capture | Project documentation on phone and tablet |
| Purchasing | Product catalogue, material lists and purchase orders | Full kit list generated from the design, one-stop ordering from a Midsummer trade account |
Origin & market
UK-built, one system designed for UK clean tech installers
UK-built by Midsummer, one of the UK's longest-established renewables distributors
Industry focus
Solar, heat pumps, battery storage, EV chargers
Solar PV design, specification and sales
Design tools
Design in Payaca with Glow (limited release), or import from Easy PV and OpenSolar
2D & 3D roof design, automated stringing and inverter selection, structural analysis
Compliance documentation
DNO applications filed via ENA Connect from the job record, MCS handover documentation on the project
MCS-compliant reports and self-consumption modelling, automated DNO forms
CRM & sales pipeline
Full CRM with lead management, pipeline tracking, and reporting
CRM integration on the Pro tier; project sharing and status rather than a pipeline
Quoting & proposals
Branded multi-option proposals with e-signatures and customer portal
Customer proposals with financial projections, e-signing and branding on the Pro tier
Scheduling & job management
Full scheduling, resource allocation, and job management
Pre-installation survey and post-install photographic record
Invoicing & payments
Built-in invoicing, payment collection, and accounting sync (Xero, QuickBooks)
Payment options on proposals; no built-in invoicing or accounting sync
Field operations
Mobile app with offline mode, custom forms, photo capture
Project documentation on phone and tablet
Purchasing
Product catalogue, material lists and purchase orders
Full kit list generated from the design, one-stop ordering from a Midsummer trade account
Which is right for you?
Choose Payaca if:
- You run solar, heat pump, battery or EV charger jobs, not just solar PV
- You want the pipeline, schedule, field team, compliance and invoicing on one record
- DNO applications via ENA Connect, filed and tracked from the job, matter to you
- You design in Easy PV and want the design to flow into the job
Consider Easy PV if:
- Your main need is solar PV design, specification and quoting
- You buy from Midsummer and want trade pricing and ordering built into the design
- You already have separate tools for CRM, scheduling, invoicing and compliance filings
How the two fit together
Design in Easy PV, run the job in Payaca. Connect Easy PV in Payaca's settings and it appears on each project's Design tab, pulling the design data into the project, next to the proposals, the schedule, the DNO application, the MCS handover pack and the invoice.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the main difference between Payaca and Easy PV?
- Easy PV is a solar PV design and specification tool: it designs the array, sizes the strings, checks the structure, and generates the kit list and quote. Payaca is the system the whole job runs on: the CRM, the proposals, the schedule, the field app, the DNO application, the MCS handover pack and the invoice, on one project record, across solar, heat pumps, batteries and EV chargers.
- Can I use Easy PV and Payaca together?
- Yes. Payaca has a native Easy PV connection (UK accounts): once connected, Easy PV appears on the project's Design tab and the design data pulls straight into your Payaca project, so the design and the rest of the job live in one place. Glow, Payaca's own solar design, is also available in limited release.
- Which handles MCS and DNO compliance?
- Both cover it, at different points in the job. Easy PV generates MCS-compliant reports and self-consumption modelling, and produces DNO forms automatically. Payaca files DNO applications via ENA Connect from the job record and polls for approval in the background, and produces the MCS handover documentation alongside the commissioning and payment stages of the same project.
- How do the pricing models compare?
- Easy PV is free to use for design and quoting, with a paid Pro tier for team and CRM features and a bespoke Enterprise option. Payaca publishes its pricing on the pricing page, with a plan for established installer businesses.
- Which is better for running a growing installation business?
- If your bottleneck is design, Easy PV is hard to beat and costs nothing to try. If your bottleneck is everything after the design, the pipeline, the schedule, the field team, the compliance paperwork and getting paid, that is what Payaca runs. In practice the strongest setup for many UK solar installers is Easy PV for design, connected into Payaca for the job.
Ready to run your installation business on one system?
Book a demo and see how Payaca handles everything from lead to invoice, with Easy PV designs flowing straight in.