The Honest Contractor CRM Comparison: Jobber vs ServiceTitan vs Housecall Pro vs Custom
We've migrated 60+ contractors between CRMs. Here's what each one is actually good at — and what their salespeople won't tell you.
Every CRM comparison post on page one of Google was written by someone with an affiliate link. I've personally led 60+ migrations between these platforms since 2021 and have no affiliate relationships with any of them. This is what the data actually says.
Jobber — best for 2–15 person crews under $3M revenue
Jobber wins on time-to-value. Most teams are dispatching jobs in week one. The visual scheduler is the best in the category. Where it falls apart: above 15 techs, the reporting hits a wall and the franchise/multi-location features feel bolted on. Average cost per seat: $89/mo on the Grow plan after Jan 2026 pricing change.
ServiceTitan — best for 25+ techs, $5M+ revenue
ServiceTitan is what contractors graduate into when Jobber stops scaling. The price is genuinely shocking — typical implementations land at $400–800/tech/mo all-in. What you get: pricebook-driven sales scripts that lift average ticket 18–24%, dispatching that handles real complexity, and reporting that finally answers 'which tech is actually profitable.'
Housecall Pro — best for under-10 teams that need consumer-grade UX
Housecall Pro's mobile app is the easiest of the three for non-technical techs to actually use. Booking widget and consumer-facing 'on-my-way' texts are genuinely best-in-class. The trade-off is that it's the weakest of the three on back-office workflows once you cross 8–10 techs.
When custom wins
We've built custom CRMs for three of our clients. All three had the same profile: 15+ year-old business, 30+ techs, an existing accounting workflow that none of the SaaS options could match without breaking, and at least one founder who treats the CRM as a strategic moat. Below that profile, custom is almost always a mistake — you'll spend $80K to rebuild what Jobber does for $1K/yr.
The migration cost nobody mentions
Switching CRMs costs 80–200 hours of internal staff time regardless of platform. Budget two months of dual-running, expect a 10–15% lead-handling dip in the transition, and don't switch during your busy season. We've seen contractors lose six figures by migrating in May.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest CRM that actually works for contractors?
Jobber Core at $49/mo for solo operators. Below that price point you're using a glorified spreadsheet, and the lost-lead cost dwarfs the savings.
Does a contractor need a CRM or just good email?
If you take more than 10 leads a week, you need a CRM. Lost follow-ups are the single biggest revenue leak in trades businesses.