How to Choose Field Service Software: A 30-Minute Checklist
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Most owners pick software from a demo and regret it in a month. Use this checklist with real jobs during the free trial.
Short answer: Shortlist two tools, trial them on the same real week, and choose on total monthly cost at your true tier.
| Tool | Entry plan | Free trial | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jobber | Core: $29/mo billed annually; $49/mo with no commitment | 14 days on the Grow plan, no credit card | QuickBooks Online sync from Connect up (Xero sync listed too) |
| Housecall Pro | Basic: $59/mo (billed annually) | 14 days on MAX, no credit card | QuickBooks Online sync starts at Essentials |
| Workiz | Standard: price shown only in the vendor's interactive pricing page | 7 days, no credit card | QuickBooks Online sync on all plans |
| GorillaDesk | Basic: $49/mo or $539/yr | Free trial offered (affiliate terms describe 14 days) | QuickBooks Online sync on Pro and Growth |
| QuoteIQ | Essentials: $29.99/mo | 14 days | See vendor page |
Before the trial
Write down your user count, how customers pay (card online, in person, check, ACH), whether you need QuickBooks sync, and your recurring services. These four things decide the tier you'll actually pay for.
During the trial
Trials run on top tiers (Jobber on Grow, Housecall Pro on MAX), so note which features are missing from your target plan. Load 10 real customers, send 3 real quotes, and have a tech complete a job on the phone app. Workiz's trial is 7 days, so plan it for a normal week.
Total monthly cost
Plan + extra users + add-ons (answering, phones, marketing) + processing fees. Fees on card volume often exceed the subscription.
The tools in detail
Jobber
- Core: $29/mo billed annually; $49/mo with no commitment (1 user)
- Connect: from $99/mo billed annually; $139/mo no commitment (1 user (5-user tier from $149/mo annual))
- Grow: from $149/mo billed annually; $199/mo no commitment (1 user (5-user tier from $229/mo annual))
- Plus: from $399/mo billed annually; $499/mo no commitment (5 users)
Contract: Three billing options: monthly no-commitment (cancel anytime), monthly with a 1-year commitment, or annual prepaid (non-refundable).
Payments: Online card 2.9% + 30¢; Tap to Pay 2.7% + 30¢; ACH 1%; instant payout +1%
- Core includes online booking, quotes, invoices, online payments, a simple website and reporting.
- Automated reminders, automatic payments, checklists and QuickBooks Online sync start at Connect.
- Job costing, two-way SMS and custom automations start at Grow.
- Add-ons: Receptionist (AI call/text answering) $29/mo, Pipeline $49/mo, Marketing Suite $99/mo.
- Mobile app usable in Spanish by team members (not admins/owners).
Housecall Pro
- Basic: $59/mo (billed annually) (1 user)
- Essentials: $149/mo (as listed) (5 users)
- MAX: $299/mo (as listed) (8 users, +$35/mo per extra user)
Contract: No long-term contract required, per its pricing FAQ.
Payments: Card processing from 2.59%; bank payments 1%
- Basic covers online booking, scheduling and dispatch, estimates, invoicing, payments and consumer financing, price book, job costing and review management.
- Essentials adds routes, flat-rate pricing, checklists, photo reports, employee GPS tracking, commissions and QuickBooks Online sync.
- MAX adds the sales proposal tool, recurring service plans, route optimization, open API and a dedicated onboarding specialist.
- Zapier and the open API are on MAX.
- Spanish-language app and Spanish-speaking support.
Workiz
- Standard: price shown only in the vendor's interactive pricing page (growing teams)
- Pro: see vendor page (mid-size teams)
- Ultimate: see vendor page (multi-location and franchises)
Contract: Monthly or annual billing; annual is advertised as saving $400+.
Payments: Workiz Pay online payments, estimate deposits, consumer financing and tap to pay (rates on vendor page)
- A built-in phone system (Genius Phone), AI answering (Genius Answering) and marketing (Genius Marketing) are sold separately.
- Automations: 5 on Standard, 10 on Pro, 30 on Ultimate.
- Service plans, inventory, flat rate, checklists, multi-day jobs, open API and Zapier are Ultimate-only.
- Customer quotes on its site lean heavily toward junk removal, locksmith, garage door and HVAC companies.
GorillaDesk
- Basic: $49/mo or $539/yr (per schedule)
- Pro: $99/mo or $1,089/yr (per schedule)
- Growth: $149/mo or $1,639/yr (per schedule)
Contract: Month-to-month, no contracts or setup fees; accounts can be frozen for seasonal businesses.
Payments: Uses Stripe and Square for processing (their rates apply); SMS is $5/mo plus credit packs ($50 per 1,000 texts)
- Material and chemical-use tracking is on every plan, which is why it is popular with pest control and lawn treatment companies.
- Basic routing is limited to 25 stops; Pro adds Drive Matrix routing with real street drive times.
- Device tracking and barcoding (traps, bait stations) and multi-dwelling units are on Pro.
- Free data import help from its Customer Success team on paid accounts.
QuoteIQ
- Essentials: $29.99/mo (1 user)
- Beginner: $99.99/mo (2 users)
- Pro: $199.99/mo (4 users)
- Elite: $299.99/mo (10 users)
- Max: $699.99/mo (20 users)
Contract: Monthly plans; yearly billing offered at a discount (e.g. Essentials $299.99/yr).
Payments: See vendor page
- Beginner adds MapMeasure Pro (measure properties from satellite imagery) and QuoteIQ Cam.
- Pro adds email and text automation and in-app calling.
- Max adds an AI website builder and sales team tracking.
How we evaluated
We compared published plans, prices, included users, contract terms and payment fees from each vendor's own website on October 12, 2026. We did not run hands-on tests, and we don't publish star ratings or user reviews. Where a vendor doesn't publish a price, we say so. Full method.
FAQ
How long are the free trials?
Jobber 14 days, Housecall Pro 14 days, QuoteIQ 14 days, Workiz 7 days, all per their sites.