One person, 15 to 25 jobs a month, about 240 invoices a year. What free and paid scheduling and invoicing apps cost, and the invoice, job and card-fee limits that decide the real bill.
Enter the quotes yourself; unknown costs stay unknown.
Free plans have different caps: Contractor+ FREEDOM allows 5 estimates and invoices combined each month, while ServiceM8 Free allows one user and 30 new jobs a month. Past that, the bill that matters is card fees. On $60,000 a year by card, Jobber's 2.9% + 30c is about $1,812, five times its $348 subscription.
| Tool | Cheapest plan for 1 person | Per month, annual / monthly | The limit that matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contractor+ | FREEDOM | $0 / $0 | 5 estimates or invoices a month; 250 leads and clients |
| ServiceM8 | Free, then Starter | $0; Starter $29 monthly only | Free: 30 jobs a month, plus bonus jobs when you take card payments through it. Starter: 50 jobs a month |
| Jobber | Core | $29 / $39 (1-year) or $49 (no commitment) | 1 user; $29 for each extra |
| Markate | Owner Operator | $45.95 / $49.95 | Seat count not stated |
| Kickserv | Start | Annual price not printed / $60 | 5 users included |
| Housecall Pro | Basic | $59 / $79 | 1 user, no add-user option |
| Workiz | None published | "Request pricing" on every plan | No free tier |
| Joist (invoices only) | Basics | $8.34 / $10 | No scheduling |
Annual means prepaid for the year. Where a vendor publishes no annual price, only the monthly one is shown. Prices are list prices checked Oct 29, 2026, without promotions. Jobber figures match Worthd's Jobber pricing page.
In this example, 20 jobs a month generate 20 estimates and 20 invoices. Contractor+ FREEDOM counts estimates and invoices together, 5 a month, so this example exceeds that cap. ServiceM8 Free allows 30 jobs, which fits 20 and leaves 10 spare; its page says free users earn unlimited bonus jobs by accepting card payments through it (card rate not published, so ask before relying on it). If you exceed the included jobs without enough bonus credits, Starter is $29.
| Tool and plan | Software a year | How |
|---|---|---|
| ServiceM8 Starter | $348 | $29 x 12, monthly billing |
| Jobber Core | $348 | $29 x 12 |
| Markate Owner Operator | $551.40 | Annual payment printed on the page |
| Contractor+ PRO TEAM | $696 | $58 x 12 at the monthly price; annual not printed |
| Housecall Pro Basic | $708 | $59 x 12 ($948 billed monthly) |
| Kickserv Start | $720 | $60 x 12 at the monthly price; annual not printed |
Card fees where the vendor prints a rate. Jobber: 2.9% x $60,000 = $1,740, plus 30c x 240 = $72, total $1,812 a year. Housecall Pro at its advertised "as low as 2.59%": $1,554 a year (no fixed fee printed; your rate may be higher). By bank transfer both charge 1%: $600 a year. Contractor+, Markate, ServiceM8 and Kickserv do not print a card rate on their pricing pages, so ask the vendor before you sign.
At $60,000 by card, moving to bank transfer saves $1,212 a year on Jobber, more than three times its subscription. See how much bank transfer saves.
| Tool | Plan for 2 | Per month | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| ServiceM8 Starter | Starter | $29 | $348 |
| Jobber | Core + 1 extra user | $58 | $696 |
| Contractor+ | PRO TEAM (2 users included) | $58 | $696 |
| Kickserv | Start | $60 | $720 |
| Housecall Pro | Essentials (Basic is 1 user) | $149 | $1,788 |
Going from one person to two adds $29 a month at Jobber, $0 to $58 at Contractor+ and $90 a month at Housecall Pro, because its Basic plan has no add-user option and the next plan starts at 5 seats. ServiceM8 Starter's 50-job cap still applies.
Handymen with a crew of 3 or more: see Jobber pricing by team size and Housecall Pro hidden costs. Anyone who needs a published quote from Workiz (there is none), and shops paid mostly by cash or check, where card fees do not apply. Not checked here: Tradify, Angi lead fees, QuickBooks bookkeeping. For invoicing only, see free invoicing apps for a solo electrician.
For one person, Jobber Core and ServiceM8 Starter are the cheapest paid plans at $29 a month ($348 a year). Contractor+ and ServiceM8 have free plans, but they cap at 5 estimates or invoices a month and 30 jobs a month. Prices checked Oct 29, 2026.
Yes, with caps. Contractor+ FREEDOM allows up to 5 estimates or invoices a month and 250 leads and clients. ServiceM8 Free is 1 user and 30 jobs a month, plus bonus jobs when you accept card payments through it.
Up to 5 estimates or invoices per month, counted together, per its pricing page. A handyman doing about 20 jobs a month sends about 20 estimates and 20 invoices.
No. Basic includes 1 user at $59 a month billed annually and has no add-user option, so a second person means Essentials at $149, which is $90 a month more.
About $1,812 a year on Jobber (2.9% on $60,000 plus 30c on 240 payments) and about $1,554 on Housecall Pro at its advertised "as low as 2.59%". Both charge 1% by bank transfer, $600 a year. Contractor+, Markate, ServiceM8 and Kickserv do not print a card rate.
Related: free vs paid software for a small trades shop · software stack for a solo electrician · Jobber pricing · Housecall Pro hidden costs
