Jobber alternatives for a one-person service business
By Jackson Main, founder of SolveX
Updated
I'm Jackson, the person who made SolveX. Everything about Jobber and Housecall Pro on this page comes from their own websites. If their website doesn't mention a feature, it gets an ✕, so ask them about it before you decide.
The plan in 30 seconds
What Jobber costs,and what you get for it.
SolveX is $50 more a month than Jobber Core, but gives you 16 things you won't find in Jobber Core.
| What you get | JobberCore$49 a month |  SolveX$99 a month |
|---|---|---|
| BookingHow customers book a job with you | ||
| Customers book online by themselves, any time | Yes | Yes |
| Customers add extras when they book, like an extra room or a pet hair charge | Check firstTheir page lists extras on quotes | Yes |
| See all your bookings on one calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Mark the areas you drive to on a mapOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| Bookings from outside your areas wait for you to say yesOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| Offer customers monthly plans, like a visit every 2 weeks or every monthOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| Texts to your customersTexts that go out for you, so you don't have to type them | ||
| Customers get a confirmation text when they book, and a reminder the day beforeOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| One tap texts the customer you're on the way, and opens directionsOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| Customers are asked for a review after every job | Check firstA paid add-on | Yes |
| Text past customers a link to book againOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| Calls and messagesYour business phone number and everyone who contacts you | ||
| Your own business phone numberOnly with SolveX | No, or not listedTexting is on Grow | Yes |
| Call customers from your business number, so they never see your personal numberOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| If you miss a call, the caller gets a text right away | Check firstReceptionist add-on, $29 a month | Yes |
| Calls, texts, website messages and quote requests all in one inboxOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| People waiting on a reply go to the top, and turn red if they wait too longOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| One tap writes a reply for you to check and sendOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| Getting paidThe ways customers can pay you | ||
| No extra fee on top of the card company's fee | Check first2.9% + 30¢ a card payment | YesSolveX takes no cut |
| Get paid on the spot: the customer scans a QR code on your phone, tip included | YesThey tap a card on your phone instead | YesNo card reader needed |
| Email a bill the customer pays online | Yes | Yes |
| Customers pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or Cash AppOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| Take cash or a check and keep a record of it | Check first | Yes |
| Customers pay from their bank account | Yes1% a payment | Yes |
| Customers split the price into smaller payments (Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna)Only with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| See every payment and tip you've received | Yes | YesAlso shows fees and the day money reaches your bank |
| Download your payments for your accountant at tax time | Yes | Yes |
| Your payments go straight into QuickBooks, the bookkeeping softwareOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | YesXero too. You add it to your card payments account |
| Customer historyWhat you can look up about each customer | ||
| See what each customer has spent | Yes | Yes |
| Save before and after photos of each job | Yes | Yes |
| Save a video of each job | Check first | Yes |
| Your teamFor when you have a helper or two | ||
| Invite your helpers to the app, and let them take payments | Yes$29 a month for each helper | YesAs many as you want |
| Website, setup and contractWhat you get when you sign up, and how you leave | ||
| Website built for you | Check firstYou make it yourself | Yes |
| Text a change to your website and it's done within a dayOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | Yes |
| Website hosting and security included | Yes | Yes |
| Someone sets it all up for you, freeOnly with SolveX | No, or not listed | YesI set it up with you on a phone call |
| Try it free first | Yes | Yes |
| Try it free for 14 days | Yes | Yes |
| Start the free trial without a credit card | Yes | Yes |
| Quit anytime, no contract | YesOn the month-to-month price | Yes |
YesNo, or not on Jobber's pagesCheck before you sign
I checked Jobber's website on November 4, 2026, starting with their prices page. The prices are for one user, paid month to month. Prices can change, so look at theirs before you decide.
What Jobber does better.
Jobber is ahead of SolveX on a few things, mostly ones that matter once you have a crew. Here they are, with what SolveX does today.
- Quotes
You send a written quote the customer signs to approve, and on Grow it can carry extras they tick.
SolveX today: Customers can ask for a quote, and you answer by text. There's no written quote to sign yet.
- Routes for a crew
On Connect and up, it plans the day's driving route for each worker and shows where they are.
SolveX today: Each job has directions, but nothing plans a route across a crew.
- Bookkeeping software
On Connect and up, it syncs with QuickBooks Online and Xero.
SolveX today: Each payment is labeled with the customer and what was sold, so QuickBooks or Xero, added to your card payments account, files it. Quotes and expenses don't go across.
- Job checklists
On Connect and up, each job can carry a checklist your workers tick off.
SolveX today: There are no checklists on jobs.
- An app in the app stores
It has its own app in the App Store and Google Play.
SolveX today: SolveX goes on your home screen from your phone's browser and opens like an app, but it isn't in the app stores.
What aboutHousecall Pro?
Housecall Pro is the other big name, and like Jobber it's made for home service businesses from one person up to big crews. Paid month to month, Basic is $79 a month for 1 user, Essentials is $189 for 5 users, and MAX is $329 for 8. The lower price at the top of their page is Basic paid for a year up front.
Basic has online booking, quotes and review requests. Routes, job checklists and QuickBooks start on Essentials, the way they start on Connect with Jobber.
I checked Housecall Pro's website on November 4, 2026, on their prices page.
Pick Jobber if
- You have a crew of employees. On Connect and up, it tracks their hours, plans their driving routes and shows where each one is.
- You win work with written quotes. Customers sign to approve them, and on Grow they can tick the extras they want.
- You want more than payments in QuickBooks or Xero. Connect and up syncs with both. SolveX sends only your payments across.
SolveX doesn't do the first two, and does less of the third. If you need them, Jobber is the better fit.
Pick SolveX if
- You work on your own or with a helper. You get everything a one-person business needs for $99 a month. That's more than Jobber's $49 Core plan, but Core sends no reminder texts and has no business phone number. Jobber's reminders start at $139 a month, on Connect.
- You want it done for you. I build your website and can set up your booking page with you on a free phone call.
- You miss calls while you're working. The caller gets a text right away, and every call, text and website message lands in one inbox.
- You want to get paid on the spot. The customer scans a code on your phone and pays by card, tip included. No card reader needed.
- You want more Google reviews. Every customer is asked for one after the job, so you don't have to remember.
How to pickthe right one.
- Step 1
Add up what you'd really pay each month
Start with the plan that has what you'd use every week, not the cheapest one. On Jobber, reminder texts start on Connect at $139 a month, and review requests are a paid add-on on every plan. Then add what you'd pay for somewhere else, like a website or a review tool. Compare the totals, not just the plan prices.
Card fees add up too. If customers pay you $3,000 a month by card, every extra half a percent costs you $15 a month. Ask each company whether it adds its own fee on top of the card company's. SolveX doesn't add anything.
- Step 2
Count everyone who'll use it
Jobber's prices are for one user, and each extra user is $29 a month. Housecall Pro's Basic plan is one user too. If a helper needs to see the schedule or take a payment, add them to the total. With SolveX, you can invite as many helpers as you want.
- Step 3
Try each one by booking yourself
During each free trial, pretend to be a customer. On your phone, book a job, add an extra and pay. Then check: did you get a text saying you're booked? A reminder the day before? Did a review request show up afterwards? Last, call your own business number and don't answer, to see what a customer would get.
- Step 4
Ask these questions before you pay
Copy this message and send it to each company. Their answers will tell you what you'd really pay.
"Hi, I run a service business on my own and I'm comparing booking apps. How much would I pay each month for online booking, reminder texts and review requests? What do you charge on card payments? How much is each extra user? Will you set up my booking page for me? Can I cancel any month, or is it a yearly contract? Can I take my customer list with me if I leave?"
Questions detailers ask
- How much does Jobber cost for one person?
- Paid month to month, Jobber's plans for one user are $49 for Core, $139 for Connect and $199 for Grow. Customers can book online on all three, but reminder texts start on Connect. Each extra user is $29 a month. These were the prices on November 4, 2026.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to Jobber?
- Jobber's cheapest plan, Core, is $49 a month. It has online booking, but no reminder texts and no business phone number. SolveX is $99 a month with both, and I build your website. That's less than Connect, the $139 Jobber plan that adds reminder texts.
- What's the difference between Jobber and Housecall Pro?
- Both are made for home service businesses, from one person up to big crews. Paid month to month for one user, Jobber starts at $49 and Housecall Pro at $79. Housecall Pro's cheapest plan asks customers for reviews; on Jobber that's a paid add-on. Routes, job checklists and QuickBooks start on Jobber's $139 Connect plan and Housecall Pro's $189 Essentials plan.
- Does Jobber have a contract?
- Not if you pay month to month. Jobber's page says you can cancel a monthly plan with no commitment any time, and its lower monthly prices come with a one-year commitment. SolveX is month to month, and you can cancel in the app any time.
- Does SolveX build my website?
- Yes. I build it and connect it to your web address. When you want something changed, text me and I'll change it within a day. Jobber's plans include a website you make yourself.
Want it set up for you?
Try SolveX free for 14 days, no card needed. Or ask me anything first.