Best Arka360 Alternative for Solar EPCs in 2026

If you are evaluating solar design software and Arka360 is on your list, this blog gives you the direct comparison. Not a balanced "both have merits" summary. A straight answer based on what each platform actually delivers.

What Arka360 Offers

Arka360 is a solar proposal tool with a 3D design interface. It uses satellite imagery as the design base, supports shade analysis, and generates branded PDF proposals with ROI calculations. For teams looking for a basic design-and-proposal tool, it covers those two functions.

That is where Arka360's coverage ends. Everything beyond the proposal requires a different tool, a different team, or a manual process.

Where Arka360 Falls Short

Desktop-only workflow

Arka360's design workflow is desktop-first. A salesperson cannot complete a design on a phone and deliver a proposal before leaving the customer's site. Reslink works on any device. The full satellite 3D design, shadow simulation, and proposal generation run on a phone, a tablet, or a desktop with identical capability. Mobile-first does not mean desktop-compromised. It means the workflow goes where the salesperson goes.

No automated BOE

After a design is complete in Arka360, the procurement team prepares the Bills of Electrical manually in Excel. Cable lengths are estimated, not calculated from the actual panel layout and string configuration. For a 500 kW installation, a 15% cable length error translates to Rs 3 to 5 lakh in unnecessary procurement or a return-and-reorder delay that pushes commissioning back by days.

Reslink generates the full BOE (Bills of Electrical) automatically from the 3D model. Every cable length comes from the actual string run geometry. When the design changes, the BOE regenerates automatically. There is no separate spreadsheet to maintain.

No Bills of Structure

Arka360 does not auto-generate structural component quantities. Rafters, purlins, clamps, fasteners, and earthing conductor quantities must be calculated separately after design. Every design revision means another manual update to the procurement sheet.

Reslink generates Bills of Structure from the 3D model alongside the BOE. Both update automatically when the design changes.

No bank-ready SLD output

Arka360 does not natively produce Single Line Diagrams, layout drawings, or string drawings in a format submittable to banks or financial institutions. EPCs managing any project with debt financing must engage an external engineering consultant to produce these documents. That step typically adds 2 to 4 weeks and Rs 15,000 to Rs 50,000 per commercial project.

Reslink generates bank-ready SLD, layout drawing, and string drawing from the 3D model natively. No external consultant. No additional timeline. The documents are ready before the salesperson leaves the site.

No real-time ALMM compliance check

Arka360 does not flag ALMM non-compliant equipment at the design stage. If a salesperson specifies a panel or inverter that is not on the current ALMM approved list, they will not find out until DISCOM inspection. A failed inspection means reinspection fees, idle crew days, expedited re-procurement, and a delayed commissioning certificate.

Reslink checks every equipment selection against the ALMM list in real time at the design stage. The flag appears before the design is finalised, before procurement happens, and before anyone is on-site.

No PM Surya Ghar subsidy calculation

Arka360 requires manual configuration for PM Surya Ghar subsidy calculation. Salespeople must look up the applicable subsidy slab for each system size and enter it manually into the proposal.

Reslink calculates PM Surya Ghar subsidy automatically from system size. The correct slab appears in the CAPEX proposal without any manual input.

CAPEX proposals only

Arka360 generates CAPEX proposals only. For C&I customers who prefer the OPEX or PPA model, where a third party owns the system and the customer pays per unit below the DISCOM rate, Arka360 cannot generate this proposal from the same design.

Reslink generates both CAPEX and OPEX proposals from the same 3D design. The salesperson can show a C&I customer both financial models on-site and let them choose.

No WhatsApp delivery

Arka360 has no in-app WhatsApp proposal delivery. In India, a proposal sent by email has an open rate of 20 to 30%. The same proposal sent via WhatsApp has an open rate above 90%. Reslink delivers proposals directly from the app via WhatsApp before the salesperson leaves the site.

What the Gap Means in Practice

An EPC running 30 projects per month on Arka360 is also running:

• A separate Excel sheet for every BOE — updated manually after every design change
• A separate structural calculation for every mounting system BOM
• An external engineering consultant engagement for every project that needs bank financing
• A manual ALMM verification process before every procurement order
• A separate subsidy lookup for every residential proposal
• An email delivery workflow with a fraction of the open rate of WhatsApp

Each of these is not just a cost — it is a delay. And in the Indian solar market, delay between a customer conversation and a proposal in the customer's hands is where deals are lost.

Why EPCs Switch From Arka360 to Reslink

The triggers are consistent:

• Failed DISCOM inspection due to ALMM non-compliant equipment not caught at design stage
• BOE errors from manual Excel causing procurement delays and cost overruns
• Losing C&I deals because there is no OPEX proposal capability
• Project financing delayed by weeks waiting for an external consultant's SLD
• Sales team unable to close on-site because the workflow requires going back to office

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Is Reslink more expensive than Arka360?

Reslink offers competitive pricing and replaces multiple tools in the market.The right comparison is not subscription cost in isolation but total cost including the Excel BOE overhead, external SLD consultant fees, and the revenue cost of losing deals to faster competitors. Most EPCs who switched to Reslink typically see a 30% increase in lead conversion within the first month itself.

Q2. Does Reslink work on desktop or only on mobile?

Reslink works seamlessly on any device — phone, tablet, or desktop. Mobile-first means the full workflow is available in the field without a laptop. It does not mean the desktop experience is compromised. Office-based design teams use Reslink on desktop with the same full capability as field teams use on a phone.

Q3. Can Reslink generate OPEX proposals for C&l customers?

Yes. Reslink generates both CAPEX and OPEX proposals from the same 3D design. The salesperson can show a C&I customer both financial models on-site and let them choose based on their preference. Arka360 generates CAPEX proposals only.

Q4. Does Reslink work for commercial and utility-scale projects, not just residential?

Yes. Reslink handles projects from 3 kW residential to 1 GW utility-scale ground-mount within the same platform. BOE, Bills of Structure, and bank-ready documents all scale with the project. The same workflow applies at every scale without tool-switching.

Q5. How long does it take to onboard a team on Reslink?

1 to 2 days to first customer-ready proposal. The interface is built for salespeople, not engineers. Non-technical field teams are productive within two days. Arka360 typically requires 3 to 7 days of onboarding.

Q6. Does Reslink check ALMM compliance automatically?

Yes. Reslink checks every panel and inverter selection against the MNRE ALMM approved list in real time at the equipment selection stage. If a product is not on the current list, the platform flags it before the design is finalised. This prevents the cost and delay of a failed DISCOM inspection.

Q7. Does Reslink work outside India?

Yes. Reslink adapts to local irradiance data, grid codes, compliance standards, and financial parameters for any project geography. India has the deepest localisation. Active expansion covers the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia.

Sources

• MNRE — Approved Models and Manufacturers List (ALMM) List II, current edition. mnre.gov.in
• PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana — Subsidy notification and EPC guidelines. pmsuryaghar.gov.in
• Arka360 — Product documentation, accessed May 2026. Competitor URL — not hyperlinked per content policy.