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ServiceM8 alternatives when your job count sets the bill.

ServiceM8 prices by how many jobs you do each month, not by how many people use it. That's great for some shops and awkward for others. Here's who it suits, and what to look at if it doesn't suit you.

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Who uses ServiceM8, and how its pricing works

ServiceM8 is a job management app for trade and service businesses: electricians, plumbers, HVAC, locksmiths, pool and lawn care. It started iPhone-first and now runs on Android too. It handles scheduling with tech locations and status, on-site quotes and invoices, Tap to Pay on iPhone, QuickBooks Online and Xero sync, and a set of AI tools including a phone receptionist.

Its pricing page lists plans by jobs per month: a Free plan for 1 user and 30 jobs, Starter at $29 a month for 50 jobs, Growing at $79 for 150, Premium at $149 for 500 and Premium Plus at $349 for 1,500 and up. Paid plans include unlimited users.

Think about what that means for your trade. A three-person electrical shop doing 40 bigger jobs a month sits comfortably on Starter with everyone included. A solo locksmith or a pool tech doing 200 short visits a month is past Growing by job count alone, even working by themselves. If you're the second kind, compare the options below. For the two-way comparison, see Redline vs ServiceM8.

ServiceM8 alternatives

Redline

Plans are priced by seats and AI usage, not by job count: Free, then Solo at $29 a month for invoicing, Team at $129 for 3 seats. iPhone app plus any phone browser. No GPS, no Tap to Pay, no QuickBooks or Xero sync, no Android app.

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Tradify

Priced per person rather than per job, listed at $47 to $61 per user a month, with timesheets and Xero and QuickBooks integrations.

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Jobber

Per-plan pricing with extra users at $29 each; its pricing page lists Core at $29 a month billed annually, $49 with no commitment.

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Housecall Pro

Priced by plan and user count; its pricing page lists Basic at $59 a month billed annually for one user, with GPS, a price book and AI call answering.

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GorillaDesk

For pool and lawn routes: priced per route rather than per job, month-to-month, with route optimization on its Pro plan.

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Side by side

Dollar figures only where the vendor's own pricing page confirmed them.

Built forPricing as publishedFree plan or trialFits a ServiceM8 user who
RedlineContractors and home-service businesses, solo up to about 10 peopleFree; Solo $29 a month; Team $129 with 3 seats; Team+ $299 with 10 seatsFree plan, no card. Solo has a 7-day trial on the webDoes lots of small jobs alone or with 2 or 3 people
TradifySmall trade businesses: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, building tradesTradify's pricing page lists $47, $51 or $61 per user per month, month-to-monthNo free plan. 14-day trial, no cardIs solo or small but very high volume, and needs timesheets
JobberHome and commercial service businesses, solo to multi-crewJobber's pricing page lists Core at $29 a month billed annually ($49 with no commitment), Connect $99 and Grow $149 for 1 user billed annuallyNo free plan. 14-day trial, no cardWants a flat plan price whatever the job count
Housecall ProSolo pros and growing home-service teamsHousecall Pro's pricing page lists Basic at $59 a month billed annually for 1 user ($79 monthly), Essentials $149 with 5 users, MAX $299 with 8 usersNo free plan. 14-day trial on MAX, no cardWants a price book and GPS
GorillaDeskRoute-based service: pest control, lawn care, pool servicePriced per route, month-to-month with no setup fee. See GorillaDesk's pricingNo free plan. 14-day trial, no cardRuns pool or lawn routes and thinks in routes, not jobs
ServiceM8Trade and service businesses: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, locksmithServiceM8's pricing page lists a Free plan (1 user, 30 jobs a month), then Starter at $29 a month for 50 jobs, up to Premium Plus at $349. Unlimited users on paid plansFree planFor reference

ServiceM8 to Redline: the trade-offs

You'd give up

  • Tech locations on a map (Redline techs tap their status)
  • Tap to Pay on iPhone (Redline uses card pay links)
  • QuickBooks Online and Xero sync
  • An AI phone receptionist
  • An Android app

You'd get

  • A price that doesn't move with your job count
  • A chat that books, quotes and invoices from one line
  • Repeating visits up to 52 per series, with saved presets
  • Overdue alerts at day 3, 7 and 14 (Solo and up)
  • A free Pro Page in the Redline directory

Questions contractors ask

Does Redline charge by the job?

No. Redline plans are priced by seats and AI usage. Free is one person with a lifetime AI allowance; Solo, Team and Team+ refill AI credits monthly. Heavy chat use draws down credits faster, so the limit is how much you use the AI, not how many jobs you book.

I'm a pool tech with a weekly route. Will Redline handle it?

It schedules the route as repeating weekly visits and groups stops by town, but it doesn't optimize drive order on a map or bill each visit automatically. See pool service scheduling.

Does Redline work on Android like ServiceM8?

Redline runs in any phone browser, Android included. The native app is iPhone only, and push alerts like the morning brief need it.

Sources

Busy month? Same price.

Start on Free, book every job you've got, and see whether the chat keeps up.

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