The best field service software for small business in 2026
For a small home service business the realistic shortlist is Birdy, Jobber, Housecall Pro, GorillaDesk, Markate, Workiz and FieldPulse; ServiceTitan is usually more than a small company needs. Birdy is our pick for an owner-run company with a few trucks, especially one where several people in the office answer leads and speed to lead matters. Otherwise choose by how work comes in and what the plan you need really costs.
By the Birdy team · Facts checked
We make Birdy, one of the options below, so this is not an independent review. Birdy is listed first because it is our pick for owner-run home service companies, especially where several people in the office answer leads; the others follow by who each one suits, and no one paid for a place. Facts about the others come from their own websites, linked under Sources and checked November 12, 2026.
What to look for
How work comes in
Phone-heavy offices need a phone system; web and marketplace leads need fast follow-up and a clear owner.
The office
One person or four changes everything. Check who owns each conversation and lead.
Real cost
Add up the plan you need plus add-ons, extra users and payment fees, not the entry price.
Payments
If you take cards today, make sure they are live, not coming.
Switching
Check what the new tool can import from your exports, and what stays behind.
How much does each option cost?
Published prices on each vendor's own pricing page, checked November 12, 2026
Birdy (our pick)
- Built for
- Offices where several people answer leads
- Starts at
- Not published
- Priced by
- Set when your account is opened
- Free trial
- Accounts opened a few at a time
Jobber
- Built for
- Small home service teams
- Starts at
- $29 a month (Core, 1 user, billed annually)
- Priced by
- Plan and team size
- Free trial
- 14 days
Housecall Pro
- Built for
- Home service businesses
- Starts at
- $79 a month (Basic, 1 user)
- Priced by
- Plan, users included
- Free trial
- 14 days
GorillaDesk
- Built for
- Recurring route work
- Starts at
- $49 a month (one route)
- Priced by
- Route; unlimited users
- Free trial
- 14 days
Markate
- Built for
- Owner-operators
- Starts at
- $45.95 a month billed yearly
- Priced by
- Base plus $5 per employee
- Free trial
- 14 days
Workiz
- Built for
- Phone-led trades
- Starts at
- Not published
- Priced by
- Plan
- Free trial
- Not published
FieldPulse
- Built for
- Trades contractors
- Starts at
- Not published
- Priced by
- Seats
- Free trial
- Not published
ServiceTitan
- Built for
- Large trades companies
- Starts at
- Not published
- Priced by
- Per technician
- Free trial
- Not published
| Product | Built for | Starts at | Priced by | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birdy (our pick) | Offices where several people answer leads | Not published | Set when your account is opened | Accounts opened a few at a time |
| Jobber | Small home service teams | $29 a month (Core, 1 user, billed annually) | Plan and team size | 14 days |
| Housecall Pro | Home service businesses | $79 a month (Basic, 1 user) | Plan, users included | 14 days |
| GorillaDesk | Recurring route work | $49 a month (one route) | Route; unlimited users | 14 days |
| Markate | Owner-operators | $45.95 a month billed yearly | Base plus $5 per employee | 14 days |
| Workiz | Phone-led trades | Not published | Plan | Not published |
| FieldPulse | Trades contractors | Not published | Seats | Not published |
| ServiceTitan | Large trades companies | Not published | Per technician | Not published |
The options
1.Birdy (our pick)
Best for: Our pick for owner-run home service companies with a few trucks, especially where several people in the office answer leads and speed to lead matters
Leads with your own stages, quote appointments and email follow-ups; each lead shows how long it has waited, and Reports shows speed to lead and close rate by rep. Good, better and best quotes from a price list with minimums, signed online. A dispatch board by truck with road routes and drive times, service plans with rotations, online booking, a customer portal and a crew app on the phone's home screen. The importer reads Housecall Pro exports and any spreadsheet. Card payments are coming, so invoices are marked paid by hand today. Texting is being connected, so texts to customers are not live yet. There are no phone calls, no QuickBooks sync and no automatic route optimization yet, and the product is young.
Pricing: Not published. Pricing is set when your account is opened. Accounts are opened a few companies at a time
2.Jobber
WebsiteBest for: Small teams that want polished quotes, online payments and a client hub, starting on a low published price
Quotes with optional line items, invoices with online payments, online booking and a client hub, with route optimization from Connect. Its Pipeline is a $49 a month add-on to Core, Connect and Grow. Says it serves 400,000+ home service pros.
Pricing: Core $29, Connect $99, Grow $149 a month for one user billed annually ($49, $139, $199 month to month); higher tiers for 5, 10 and 15 users, or $29 a month per added user; 14-day free trial
3.Housecall Pro
WebsiteBest for: Owner-operators and growing shops that want a proven all-round tool with card payments, starting today
Scheduling, dispatch, estimates with options, invoicing and payments, online booking and reviews on three plans. Recurring service plans are on Max. Pipeline, Voice and CSR AI are extras. Card rates are listed as low as 2.59%.
Pricing: Basic $79, Essentials $189, Max $329 a month for 1, 5 and 8 users, shown after a short plan quiz (annual prices are not displayed); $35 a month per extra user on Max; 14-day free trial
4.GorillaDesk
WebsiteBest for: Recurring route work on a budget with a big office, since users are unlimited
Priced per route with unlimited users, routing on every plan (25 stops a route on Basic), chemical tracking, and online booking, a portal and QuickBooks Online on Pro. Map estimation tools are on Growth. Its home page leads with mosquito and pest control.
Pricing: Per route, unlimited users: Basic $49, Pro $99, Growth $149 a month for one route; extra routes $50 to $100 a month; 14-day free trial
5.Markate
WebsiteBest for: Owner-operators who want a low base price and pay only for the extras they use
Estimates with options and packages, signatures and deposits, booking, invoicing, drip campaigns by email, text and postcard, and a customer portal. Many extras are paid per use or per month.
Pricing: $49.95 a month, or $45.95 a month billed yearly, plus $5 a month per employee; paid extras such as a business number ($10 a month) and AI receptionist ($1 a call); 14-day free trial
6.Workiz
WebsiteBest for: Companies whose leads arrive by phone or from lead marketplaces
Leads from outside sources tracked in one place with lost and won reports, referral fees worked out automatically, and paid Genius add-ons for AI answering, a phone system and marketing.
Pricing: Not published (request pricing)
7.FieldPulse
WebsiteBest for: Trades contractors (HVAC, electrical, plumbing) who run projects and track inventory
Projects, inventory, equipment, maintenance agreements, job costing and a booking portal, with phones, payments and financing as add-ons.
Pricing: Not published (quote by seats)
8.ServiceTitan
WebsiteBest for: Large HVAC, plumbing and electrical companies with call takers and many technicians
Dispatch, call booking, a pricebook, memberships, payroll and deep reporting, sold in packages priced per technician on request. Usually more than a small exterior company needs.
Pricing: Not published (request pricing, per technician)
Where Birdy fits
A good fit when
- Several people in your office answer customers and you want each thread owned by one person.
- New work starts as a lead and you want to see speed to lead and close rate by rep.
- You sell good, better and best quotes and service plans with rotations.
- You run a few trucks and want a dispatch board by truck with road routes and drive times.
Look elsewhere when
- You need to take card payments on invoices today: card payments are coming, and invoices are marked paid by hand until then.
- You want phone calls, call recording or AI answering inside the software: Birdy does not make or take calls.
- You need automatic route optimization or QuickBooks sync now.
- You want a native App Store app or a long track record: the crew app is a home-screen web app and the product is young.
What is the cheapest field service software for a small business?
Of the published prices on November 12, 2026, Jobber Core starts lowest at $29 a month billed annually for one user, then Markate at $45.95 a month billed yearly plus $5 per employee, GorillaDesk at $49 a month for one route, and Housecall Pro Basic at $79. The plan a team of five or more needs costs more: see field service software pricing for a worked example.
Should a small business use ServiceTitan?
Usually not. ServiceTitan is built for large trades companies and prices per technician on request. It is the right call for a big HVAC or plumbing company with call takers and memberships. See ServiceTitan pricing and ServiceTitan alternatives.
Sources
Checked November 12, 2026. Other companies' figures are theirs, as published.
Questions
What is the best field service software for a small business?
We make Birdy, and it is our pick for an owner-run company, especially one where several people in the office answer leads and speed to lead matters. Jobber and Housecall Pro are proven all-round tools with card payments today. GorillaDesk suits recurring routes with a big office, and Workiz suits phone-heavy offices.
What is the cheapest field service software?
Of the published prices checked on November 12, 2026, Jobber Core starts lowest at $29 a month billed annually for one user, then Markate at $45.95 a month billed yearly plus $5 per employee, and GorillaDesk at $49 a month for one route.
Do I need field service software at all?
Once more than one person books jobs or answers customers, usually yes. Paper and texts work for one person; with two or three, leads and visits start to slip.
How long does it take to switch field service software?
Customers and a price list usually move in a day or two from spreadsheet exports. Open jobs, recurring plans and history take longer. See switching field service software.
Related
- FeatureLead pipelineEvery lead on one board, from the first call to the signed quote, with each lead's age in plain view.Read
- FeatureScheduling and dispatchA day board with one row per truck, road routes on a map, rain-day moves and capacity at a glance.Read
- GuideSpeed to leadWhat speed to lead is, what the lead response time research shows, a good target, how to measure it in business hours, and how a busy office keeps it low.Read
- GuideSwitching field service softwareStep by step, how to move a home service company to new field service software: what to export, how to clean data, when to cut over and what to tell staff.Read
- ComparisonJobber vs BirdyJobber compared with Birdy: published prices by plan and team size, quotes, routes, the client hub, texting, speed to lead and switching. Dated.Read
- ComparisonHousecall Pro vs BirdyHousecall Pro compared with Birdy for home service companies: published prices, the office inbox, speed to lead, plans, payments and switching. Dated.Read
- ComparisonGorillaDesk vs BirdyGorillaDesk compared with Birdy: per-route pricing with unlimited office users, route optimization, chemical tracking and switching. Public facts, dated.Read
- ComparisonWorkiz vs BirdyWorkiz compared with Birdy: the phone system, lead sources, lead follow-up, service plans, pricing and switching. Public facts, checked November 2026.Read
- ComparisonFieldPulse vs BirdyFieldPulse compared with Birdy: who each is for, projects, inventory, maintenance agreements, add-ons, pricing and switching. Public facts, dated.Read
Switching is easier than it looks
Export your customers and price list, and we bring them over with you: duplicates checked, every change shown before anything is saved.