Software vendors love to demo features built for fifty-truck fleets. Most trade businesses in America are one to five people, and their software problem is different: keep the schedule straight, quote fast, invoice same-day, and know whether the month made money — all for less than the cost of a tank of diesel. Here is the honest small-shop stack in 2026, from free to about $250 a month.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Fits | Published pricing (monthly billing) |
|---|---|---|
| Jobber Core | Solo operator, whole loop in one app | $49/mo, 1 user ($29/mo billed annually) |
| Housecall Pro Basic | Solo operator, stronger dispatch board | $79/mo, 1 user ($59/mo billed annually) |
| Service Fusion Starter | Crews of ~6+, flat rate | $245/mo, unlimited users ($208/mo billed annually) |
| JobTread | Small project-based builders | $199/mo + $20/user (first user included) |
| FieldCamp Pro | AI-first field ops | $249/mo, 3 users ($199/mo billed annually) |
| Workiz | Phone-centric service shops | Quote-only (request pricing) |
| QuickBooks Time Premium | Hours into payroll | $20/mo base + $8/user |
All prices read from vendor pricing pages on July 10, 2026 — see Sources below. Rates change; confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
The under-$100 tier: one platform, most of the job
Two platforms dominate this bracket for good reason. Jobber Core at $49 a month (one user, billed monthly; $29 a month billed annually) covers online booking, scheduling, quotes, invoicing, and client management — the whole loop for a solo operator. Housecall Pro Basic at $79 a month billed monthly ($59 billed annually) covers the same ground with a stronger dispatch board and review management included. Either one replaces the whiteboard, the carbon-copy invoice book, and three apps that do not talk to each other. Pick by feel: both offer free trials, and the honest difference at this tier is workflow preference, not capability.
When the crew grows: the per-seat trap
Per-user pricing that feels cheap at one seat compounds as you hire. That is where Service Fusion earns its place: Starter is $245 a month billed monthly ($208 billed annually) with unlimited users. At six or more people that flat rate regularly beats the per-seat platforms, and QuickBooks integration is included. Workiz (quote-based pricing, with an integrated phone system as its signature feature) and FieldCamp (AI-first scheduling and dispatch, Pro from $249 a month for three users) are worth a look at the same stage. Project-based small builders should instead price JobTread at $199 a month plus $20 per user, which folds estimating, budgets, and job costing into one system. If you have been eyeing the big enterprise suites, read our ServiceTitan alternatives for small shops before taking that demo call.
The money side
Whatever runs your field work, the books still need a home. Most small shops land on QuickBooks Online — our QBO setup guide for trade contractors covers the contractor-specific setup — and hours can flow in via QuickBooks Time ($20 a month base plus $8 per user on the Premium plan) if you run payroll there. The full comparison lives in our contractor accounting software guide. Not ready for software at all? Our free contractor invoice template keeps your paperwork professional in the meantime.
The $0 tier: templates before subscriptions
If you are doing a job or two a week, you do not have a software problem yet — you have a paperwork problem. Our free contractor invoice template and estimate template get documents out the door today, and the job-costing template tells you which jobs actually made money. Graduate to a platform when double-bookings or slow invoicing start costing you real work.
Bottom line
Solo: Jobber Core or Housecall Pro Basic, under $100 a month, done. Growing past five people: flat-rate Service Fusion usually wins the math. Building projects rather than running service calls: JobTread. Not sure you need software at all yet: start with the free templates and let the pain tell you when to upgrade.
Frequently asked questions
What software does a one-person contracting business actually need?
One field platform (Jobber Core or Housecall Pro Basic) and a home for the books (QuickBooks Online, or free templates until volume justifies it). Resist buying separate scheduling, invoicing, and CRM tools — at this size the all-in-one covers all three for one bill.
What is the cheapest way to run a small contracting business?
Free, honestly: our invoice and estimate templates cost nothing, and Wave handles free bookkeeping (covered in the accounting guide). The first paid tool worth its money for most shops is a $49-$79 field platform — it pays for itself the first time a booked job does not fall through a crack.
When should a small shop move off spreadsheets?
When double-booking, slow invoicing, or lost quotes cost you a real job — that loss usually exceeds a year of software. Until then, spreadsheets and templates are a legitimate system, not a failure.
Is ServiceTitan overkill for a small contractor?
For one to five people, almost always — it is quote-priced enterprise software built for larger operations. Our ServiceTitan alternatives guide walks through what to run instead and when graduating actually makes sense.
Sources: Jobber pricing; Housecall Pro pricing; Service Fusion pricing; JobTread pricing; FieldCamp pricing; Workiz pricing page (tier prices not published); QuickBooks Time pricing. All accessed July 10, 2026.
Augmented Trades participates in affiliate programs and may earn a commission from links in this article, at no additional cost to you. We recommend by fit, not by commission. See our affiliate disclosure.
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Michael is the founder of Augmented Trades, an independent site that tests and reviews AI tools for trade contractors. Tools are recommended on fit for your shop — affiliate partnerships never decide coverage.