Jobber vs Pool Brain (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 2.2.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 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
Pool Brain
Pool company software for routes, jobs, dosing and billing
Which one is for you
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¢
Pick Pool Brain if
- Fits if you run a pool service route and want chemicals and cost tracked per stop
- Works for firms with many office users, since office logins are unlimited
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you grow, because each active technician adds $65 a month to the $50 base
- Not for you if you work in other trades, since the pages describe pool service only
- Watch out: QuickBooks sync is optional because billing runs inside Pool Brain
- Watch out: the pricing calculator covers 5 to 50 technicians, and more means contacting sales
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAJobberGood | 2.2GPAPool BrainFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | C$50 a month plus $65 per active technician means 5 technicians pay $375, about $75 a head, above the category's middle at $49 and near its dearer quarter. Office users are unlimited. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day trial with Grow's features and no card needed. There's no free plan. | DA 30-day free trial is offered, but the page does not say that no card is needed. There is no free plan. |
| Features | 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. | BRouting and scheduling, quotes, jobs and billing, chemical dosing and cost, guided workflows and alerts, and reports with technician pay. The listing shows no gap in the pool service job. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. Pools, routes and chemical prices have to be loaded in before it works. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zapier, Gusto and Mailchimp. No desktop app, so it tops out at a B. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with a QuickBooks Online link. No desktop app. |
| Best for | home service businesses growing into a team | pool service routes and chemical tracking |
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: Jobber and Pool Brain. How we grade
Price against what you get
Jobber starts at $29 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Pool Brain starts at $50 a month and scores 2.7.
Jobber scores higher and starts $21 a month lower. Of the other field service apps on the chart, none scores higher than Jobber for less, and 3 score higher than Pool Brain 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
- Jobber also covers time tracking, business texting and appointment booking.
- Pool Brain also covers workflow automation and reports.
At a glance
| Jobber | Pool Brain | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly) | $50 per month, plus $65 per active technician |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial with the Grow plan's features, no credit card required | 30-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Jobber | Pool Brain |
| Price read from | web.archive.org (not the vendor's own page) | poolbrain.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Pool Brain
- Cost grows with headcount: $65 per active technician each month on top of the $50 base.
- Aimed at pool service; the pages do not describe other trades.
- QuickBooks sync is offered but billing runs inside Pool Brain, so it is optional.
- The pricing page shows a calculator for 5 to 50 technicians and a contact-sales option beyond that.
Key features
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.
Pool Brain
- Routing and scheduling
- Drag-and-drop routes, one-click optimization, one-time moves and an unscheduled list; jobs and route stops can be viewed together or apart.
- Quotes, jobs and billing
- Approved quotes become jobs, closed jobs create invoices, and monthly invoices are billed by card or ACH automatically.
- Chemical dosing and cost
- Dosing is calculated from the readings a technician enters, and chemical use and cost are tracked by customer, property and technician.
- Guided workflows and alerts
- Task flows keep steps from being skipped, and custom alerts flag chemical, flow, leak, time and cost problems.
- Reports and technician pay
- Route profit, technician scorecards and pay calculations by rate, property and service level.
Plans
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.
Pool Brain
Monthly plan$50
per month, plus $65 per active technician
One plan with every feature and free setup; $50 covers unlimited office users. Five technicians come to $375 a month.
Ways to pay less
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.
Pool Brain
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Jobber or Pool Brain?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Jobber is cheaper to start with: $29 a month, against $50 a month for Pool Brain. Jobber starts at $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly), and Pool Brain starts at $50 per month, plus $65 per active technician.
Which has a free plan, Jobber or Pool Brain?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Jobber nor Pool Brain has a free plan. Both have 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.