ArboStar vs Service Autopilot (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ArboStar grades higher than Service Autopilot: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ArboStar grades higher on value for money and features. Service Autopilot grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Service Autopilot
Scheduling and invoicing software for lawn, cleaning and pest firms
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 Service Autopilot if
- Fits if you run a lawn care or cleaning business and are happy to pay for a year up front
- Works for firms that want job costing next to scheduling
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want to leave: the prices are for annual rates and downgrades happen at the end of the contract
- Pricey if you want texting, QuickBooks or the client portal, which are Elite features or add-ons
- Watch out: every plan carries a sign-up fee, and its amount isn't shown on the pricing page
- Watch out: each plan includes a set number of licences, 1 business and 1 mobile on Startup
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAArboStarFair | 1.8GPAService AutopilotWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | DStartup is $49 a month billed annually, but the QuickBooks link, texting and client portal sit on Elite or in add-ons, and Pro is $199, Pro Plus $499. Every plan has a sign-up fee of unstated size. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial are listed on the pages read, so nothing can be tried without paying. | DA free trial is offered, but its length and card terms aren't stated. There is 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. | CScheduling and dispatch, invoicing and payments, customer and lead management, job costing and reporting, automations and industry versions. Two-way texting, QuickBooks integration, the client portal and Smart Maps are Elite features or add-ons on lower plans. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. Setup comes with free migration and live training, which implies a fair amount to move. | CNo store rating on record. Industry set-up, automations and customer data need loading before it works. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with QuickBooks and Xero. No desktop app is listed. | BWeb, with QuickBooks Online, Gmail, Outlook and FleetSharp. No desktop app, and no phone apps are listed. |
| Best for | software for tree care companies | lawn care and cleaning businesses on annual contracts |
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 Service Autopilot. 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. Service Autopilot starts at $49 a month and scores 2.3.
ArboStar scores higher, and starts $100 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other field service apps on the chart, 4 score higher than ArboStar for less, and 5 score higher than Service Autopilot 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.
- Service Autopilot also covers workflow automation, time tracking and reports.
At a glance
| ArboStar | Service Autopilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | US$149 per month, billed annually (US$199 billed monthly) | $49 per month, billed annually, plus a sign-up fee |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial offered; its length is not stated on the pricing page |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ArboStar | BACKTELL LLC |
| Price read from | arbostar.com | serviceautopilot.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Service Autopilot
- Every plan carries a sign-up fee; its amount is not shown on the pricing page.
- Prices are for annual subscription rates and downgrades happen at the end of the contract period.
- Each plan includes a set number of licenses: 1 business and 1 mobile on Startup, up to 2 business and 8 mobile on Elite.
- Two-way texting, QuickBooks integration, client portal and Smart Maps are Elite features, or call-for-pricing add-ons on lower plans.
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.
Service Autopilot
- Scheduling and dispatch
- Schedules and dispatches jobs from every plan; Pro adds route optimization, multi-day jobs and a dispatch calendar.
- Invoicing and payments
- Instant invoices and integrated payments on all plans, with a mobile app for taking payments in the field.
- Customer and lead management
- Stores customer and property details and tracks prospects and leads.
- Job costing and reporting
- Job costing and analysis plus custom reports from the Pro plan up.
- Automations
- Pro Plus adds workflow automations that run on a schedule you set, with a marketplace for customizing them.
- Industry versions
- The site has separate pages for lawn care, landscaping, cleaning, snow removal, pest control, pool cleaning and general field service.
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.
Service Autopilot
Startup$49
per month, billed annually, plus a sign-up fee
Scheduling and dispatch, invoicing with integrated payments, expense tracking, and customer and lead management. 1 business user and 1 mobile license.
Pro$199
per month, billed annually, plus a sign-up fee
Adds multi-day jobs, route optimization, a dispatch calendar, job costing, asset and employee tracking and custom reporting. 1 business user and 2 mobile licenses.
Pro Plus$499
per month, billed annually, plus a sign-up fee
Adds automations, marketplace access and training content. 1 business user and 5 mobile licenses.
EliteCustom
Everything in Pro Plus plus two-way texting, QuickBooks integration, client portal and multi-location management; priced on request. 2 business users and 8 mobile licenses.
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.
Service Autopilot
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ArboStar or Service Autopilot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Service Autopilot is cheaper to start with: $49 a month, against $149 a month for ArboStar. ArboStar starts at US$149 per month, billed annually (US$199 billed monthly), and Service Autopilot starts at $49 per month, billed annually, plus a sign-up fee.
Which has a free plan, ArboStar or Service Autopilot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither ArboStar nor Service Autopilot has a free plan. Service Autopilot has a free trial.
Which platforms do ArboStar and Service Autopilot run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ArboStar lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.