If you've started shopping for solar without a big pile of cash, two names probably keep surfacing: GoSolr and Alumo. Both let you get a fully installed solar and battery system with no deposit, both give you a predictable monthly figure, and both promise an end to the load-shedding scramble. On the surface they can look like the same product with different logos.
They're not. The core difference is about ownership. GoSolr is built around a subscription rental, where the system stays theirs. Alumo leads with rent-to-own, where the system eventually becomes yours. That one distinction changes your long-term cost, your flexibility, and what you actually own at the end. This is an honest comparison from an independent site. We currently arrange quotes through Alumo, but the goal here is to help you choose the model that genuinely fits, not to pretend one wins for everyone.
Key takeaways
GoSolr is subscription-first: you rent a system the company owns and maintains, with no path to ownership.
Alumo offers subscription too, but its signature is rent-to-own, the same monthly-payment feel, except you own the system at the end.
Rent-to-own usually wins on lifetime cost if you stay put; a subscription usually wins on flexibility and zero equipment risk.
Judge both on system sizing, what the fee includes and cancellation terms, not just the monthly headline.
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The fundamental difference
GoSolr runs a rental model. The company installs a solar and battery system at your home for no upfront cost, keeps ownership of the equipment, handles maintenance and monitoring, and charges you a monthly fee to use it. Cancel after the minimum term and the system is theirs to reclaim. You never build equity in the hardware; you're paying for the service and the outcome, indefinitely, the way you pay for fibre.
Alumo can do that too. Its no-deposit subscription starts from around R1,299/month with a 24-month minimum. But Alumo's centre of gravity is rent-to-own. You pay a fixed monthly amount over a term (3-year or 7-year structures, from around R1,911/month and R1,339/month respectively) and at the end of that term the system belongs to you. The monthly experience feels almost identical to a subscription. The destination is completely different: an owned asset that keeps saving you money long after the payments stop.
Over two or three years, a rental and a rent-to-own can cost roughly the same month to month. The divergence happens afterwards. With rent-to-own, once the term ends you stop paying and keep a system that carries on cutting your Eskom bill for years. That tail of free savings is where the real value sits. With a pure subscription the fee never ends, because you never own anything. Neither is wrong. They suit different priorities.
Where GoSolr shines
Let's be fair to the subscription model, because it genuinely fits many people.
If you rent your home, or you're not sure you'll still be in this house in five years, a subscription lets you enjoy solar without sinking capital into a property you might leave. If you want the lowest entry point and a hands-off experience, with no thinking about battery health, firmware or the odd fault, a rental hands all of that risk to the provider. And if your only goal is to be off load-shedding this year with no capital outlay, a no-deposit subscription gets you there fast.
GoSolr has built a recognisable, well-marketed brand around exactly this promise, with plan tiers and metro coverage that make signing up straightforward. For the flexibility-first household, that's a strong offer.
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Alumo's advantage is optionality. Because it offers subscription, rent-to-own and outright purchase under one roof, the same site assessment can quote you across all three, so you compare like-for-like instead of guessing.
If you own your home and plan to stay, rent-to-own is usually the smarter money. You avoid the big upfront cheque, you get the same monthly predictability as a rental, and you end up owning an asset. Alumo's most popular residential package, the Silver "The Eishkom Ex," pairs a Sunsynk 3.6kW inverter with a 3.8kWh battery and four panels from around R2,035/month: solid load-shedding cover for a typical home, on a path to ownership.
For households that run more at once, a pool pump, tumble dryer, several air-cons, the Gold "The Power Bae" steps up to a Sunsynk 5kW inverter, a 5.32kWh battery and six panels from about R2,423/month, still on a rent-to-own footing.
The other quiet advantage is the platform. Alumo builds around well-supported brands like Sunsynk, which matters when a system needs firmware attention or warranty service years down the line. Get a free Alumo quote → if you want to see the subscription and rent-to-own numbers side by side for your own roof.
The honest trade-offs
No model is free of downsides, so here they are plainly.
GoSolr's trade-off
You never own the hardware, so the fee continues for as long as you use the system. Over a long stay in one home, that typically costs more in total than rent-to-own or buying, because you never reach the point where payments stop and the savings run pure. You're buying flexibility, and flexibility has a price.
Alumo's trade-off
Rent-to-own is a longer commitment aimed at ownership, so it suits people who are staying put rather than those who might move soon. If your life is genuinely in flux, the subscription is the better fit, which, conveniently, Alumo also offers. So the trade-off is often just choosing the right one of its own products.
How to choose between them
It comes down to two questions. First: do you want to own the system eventually, or just use it? If own, lean rent-to-own. If use, lean subscription. Second: how settled are you? Staying in this home for years points to rent-to-own; possibly moving, or renting, points to subscription.
The cleanest way to decide is with real figures. Run your usage through a payback estimate, then get one proper assessment that quotes you across the models so the numbers, not the marketing, make the call.
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Indicative only, assuming ~70% bill offset and tariff increases of ~12% a year. Your real figures come from a quote sized to your home.
It depends entirely on the system size and the model. A pure subscription often has a lower entry point than rent-to-own, but you never own the equipment, so over many years it can cost more in total. We avoid quoting competitor prices that may be out of date; the fair comparison is like-for-like quotes for equivalently sized systems.
Do I own the system with GoSolr?
No. GoSolr operates a rental model, so the company keeps ownership of the equipment and you pay to use it. Alumo's rent-to-own, by contrast, transfers ownership to you at the end of the term. This is the central difference between the two.
Which is better for a home I plan to stay in for years?
Usually rent-to-own or an outright purchase, because the payments eventually end and you keep an asset that carries on saving you money. A subscription is an ongoing fee for as long as you use it, which tends to cost more over a long stay.
Can I start on a subscription and buy later?
Alumo offers subscription, rent-to-own and outright purchase, so you can start low-commitment and pursue ownership later through a separate arrangement. Moving between models isn't automatic, so discuss your intentions upfront during the assessment.
How is SolarGuide involved?
SolarGuide is an independent comparison site. We cover providers like GoSolr editorially and currently arrange quotes through our install partner, Alumo, who supplies, installs, finances and warrants the systems. Pricing is indicative and subject to a site assessment and credit approval. Get a free Alumo quote →
SolarGuide is an independent referral partner. We help you compare options and arrange a free quote — Alumo supplies, installs, finances and warrants the systems. Pricing is indicative, sourced from Alumo’s published catalogue, and subject to a site assessment and credit approval.
