ArboStar vs Jobber (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Jobber: it is second in our ranking of field service apps, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Jobber grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Jobber
Quotes, scheduling and payments for home service businesses
Which one is for you
Pick ArboStar if
- Fits if you run a tree care company and want a crew app that works offline
- Makes sense if you want estimates, a map of crews and a tree inventory together
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are not in tree care, as it is built for that trade
- Pricey if you pay monthly: $199 against $149 on yearly billing
- Watch out: extra licences are US$95 an office and US$20 a crew login a month
- Watch out: prices apply to new subscriptions only, and unlimited SMS is free for 3 months
- Not for you if you want a free try, since none is listed
Pick Jobber if
- Fits if you run lawn care, cleaning or another business built on repeat visits
- Works for teams that want clients to book, approve quotes and pay online
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you might want money back on a yearly plan, since annual plans are paid up front and not refunded
- Watch out: a 1-year commitment billed monthly runs the full 12 months even if you cancel
- Tight if you need crew scheduling, which only comes with Plus at $399 a month
- Pricey if you want the AI Receptionist, Marketing Suite or Pipeline: $29, $99 and $49 a month extra below Plus
- Watch out: price steps up at 5, 10 and 15 users, extra users are $29 each, and card payments cost 2.9% + 30¢
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAArboStarFair | 2.8GPAJobberGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CUS$149 a month billed annually for 1 office licence and 1 crew login, $199 billed monthly. That is in the dearer quarter, which starts at $99, for one truck. | CCore is for 1 user, so three of you start on Connect: $149 a month billed yearly for up to 5 users, the middle of this category. These prices come from an archived copy of Jobber's pricing page from 16 October 2026, as its live page turned our reader away. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial are listed on the pages read, so nothing can be tried without paying. | CA 14-day trial with Grow's features and no card needed. There's no free plan. |
| Features | BCRM and estimates with e-signature, scheduling, GPS live map, offline crew app, tree inventory, invoicing, QuickBooks sync and profit reports. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job for tree work. | BOnline booking, quotes clients approve online, scheduling, invoices with card, bank and Tap to Pay, a client hub, time tracking and QuickBooks or Xero sync. The whole job, though crew scheduling only comes with Plus at $399. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. Setup comes with free migration and live training, which implies a fair amount to move. | A4.8 from 21,285 App Store ratings, the top band for this category. The crew app runs the day's schedule, timers and payments, and team members can use it in Spanish. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with QuickBooks and Xero. No desktop app is listed. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zapier, Gusto and Mailchimp. No desktop app, so it tops out at a B. |
| Best for | software for tree care companies | home service businesses growing into a team |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ArboStar and Jobber. How we grade
Price against what you get
ArboStar starts at $149 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Jobber starts at $29 a month and scores 3.3.
Jobber scores higher and starts $120 a month lower. Of the other field service apps on the chart, 4 score higher than ArboStar for less, and none scores higher than Jobber for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- ArboStar also covers sales pipeline, inventory and dashboards.
- Jobber also covers time tracking, business texting and appointment booking.
At a glance
| ArboStar | Jobber | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | US$149 per month, billed annually (US$199 billed monthly) | $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial with the Grow plan's features, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ArboStar | Jobber |
| Price read from | arbostar.com | web.archive.org (not the vendor's own page) |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ArboStar
- The listed price is the annual rate; paying monthly costs about a third more, and extra licenses cost US$95 per office and US$20 per crew login a month on annual billing.
- The pricing page says its prices apply to new subscriptions only; existing clients renew on their current agreement.
- Unlimited SMS is free only for the first 3 months for new customers.
- Built for tree care; other trades are not the target of the product.
Jobber
- Price steps up at 1, 5, 10 and 15 users, and extra users cost $29 a month each.
- Annual plans are paid up front and are non-refundable; a 1-year commitment billed monthly runs for 12 months even if cancelled.
- Online card payments cost 2.9% + 30¢, Tap to Pay 2.7% + 30¢ and bank payments 1%; instant payouts add 1%.
- Marketing Suite ($99/mo), AI Receptionist ($29/mo) and Pipeline ($49/mo) are add-ons below the Plus plan.
Key features
ArboStar
- CRM and estimates
- A CRM with estimates that carry e-signature, plus follow-ups and sales reporting for tree companies.
- Scheduling and live job map
- Scheduling, task management and a GPS live map of crews, leads and equipment.
- Offline crew app
- iOS and Android app for crews, with an offline mode so work can be logged without a connection.
- Tree inventory and mapping
- A tree inventory and map view, which the vendor also pitches for municipal and utility work such as inspections.
- Invoicing, payments and accounting sync
- Invoices and payments are included, with QuickBooks sync listed on every plan and Xero on the integrations page.
- Business intelligence
- Reports on profit per job, crew utilization and cash flow, plus marketing and sales reporting.
Jobber
- Quotes and upsells
- Send quotes that customers approve online, with automatic follow-ups from Connect, and from Grow add photos, reviews and optional line items to upsell.
- Online booking and scheduling
- Customers book from your website, jobs go on a shared schedule, and from Connect clients get automatic reminders. Plus adds crew scheduling.
- Invoicing and payments
- Invoices with batch billing and progress invoicing, card and bank payments, tips, Tap to Pay on a phone, and automatic charges for recurring work.
- Client hub and texting
- Clients approve quotes, pay invoices and request work through a client hub, and Grow adds two-way text messaging with customers.
- Time tracking and job costing
- Connect tracks time and expenses; Grow tracks time automatically and shows each job's profit. Books sync with QuickBooks Online or Xero.
- Crew mobile app
- iOS and Android apps run the day's schedule, timers, checklists, invoicing and payments, and team members can use the app in Spanish.
Plans
ArboStar
StarterUS$149
per month, billed annually (US$199 billed monthly)
For one truck: 1 office license and 1 crew login, with free data migration, setup and live training.
GrowingUS$249
per month, billed annually (US$332 billed monthly)
2 full licenses and 3 crew logins, plus a free marketing and lead-gen audit.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom license counts with volume discounts, multi-branch visibility and a dedicated onboarding manager.
Jobber
Core$29
per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
$39 on a 1-year commitment billed monthly. Online booking, quotes, invoices with online payments, a website and built-in reports.
Connect$99
per month for 1 user, billed annually ($139 billed monthly)
$149 for up to 5 users, $229 for 10, $299 for 15, billed annually. Adds client reminders, automatic payments, checklists and QuickBooks sync.
Grow$149
per month for 1 user, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
$229 for up to 5 users, $299 for 10, $399 for 15, billed annually. Adds quote visuals and upsells, auto time tracking, job costing and two-way SMS.
Plus$399
per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($499 billed monthly)
$449 for 10 users, $529 for 15, billed annually. Adds crew scheduling, custom reports, Pipeline, Marketing Suite, AI Receptionist and premium support.
Ways to pay less
ArboStar
- Annual discount
25% off with annual billing
The pricing page says annual billing saves 25% against monthly billing; the figures shown are the yearly rates.
Jobber
- Annual discount
Lower monthly prices with annual billing
Paying yearly lowers Core from $49 to $29 a month and Connect from $139 to $99 for one user; a 1-year commitment billed monthly costs $39 and $119.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ArboStar or Jobber?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Jobber is cheaper to start with: $29 a month, against $149 a month for ArboStar. ArboStar starts at US$149 per month, billed annually (US$199 billed monthly), and Jobber starts at $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, ArboStar or Jobber?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither ArboStar nor Jobber has a free plan. Jobber has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.