Pool Brain vs Skimmer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Pool Brain and Skimmer share a 2.2 GPA, neither has a free plan, and Skimmer starts cheaper, at $49 a month against $50 a month.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Pool Brain grades higher on features. Skimmer grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Pool Brain
Pool company software for routes, jobs, dosing and billing
Skimmer
Routing, scheduling and billing software for pool service companies
Which one is for you
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
Pick Skimmer if
- Fits if you run a pool route and want to bill per location, not per tech
- Works for owners starting under 50 pools
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're not in pool service, as it is built for that one trade
- Tight if you want quotes or route optimization, because both need Scaling Up at $98
- Pricey if you add the extras: AI Phone is $99 a month, Marketing Suite $150, Bookkeeping from $198
- Watch out: service texts cost $0.029 each on Getting Started, and the trial is only on Scaling Up
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPool BrainFair | 2.2GPASkimmerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | C$49 a month for 49 locations sits in the middle of the category's $35 to $99 spread, and the plan with quotes and route optimization is $98. |
| Free plan and trial | DA 30-day free trial is offered, but the page does not say that no card is needed. There is no free plan. | CThe first month of Scaling Up is free. The page doesn't say if a card is needed, and there is no free plan after it. |
| Features | 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. | CRoutes, readings, service reports, invoices and payments are covered, but it is for pool service only and quotes and optimization are on the dearer plan. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Pools, routes and chemical prices have to be loaded in before it works. | CNo store rating on record, and routes and customers to load in before it earns its keep. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with a QuickBooks Online link. No desktop app. | BWeb plus iPhone and Android apps, with 7 integrations such as QuickBooks Online, but no desktop app. |
| Best for | pool service routes and chemical tracking | pool service routes billed per location |
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: Pool Brain and Skimmer. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pool Brain starts at $50 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Skimmer starts at $49 a month and scores 2.3.
Pool Brain scores higher, and starts $1 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other field service apps on the chart, 3 score higher than Pool Brain for less, and 5 score higher than Skimmer 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
- Pool Brain also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Pool Brain | Skimmer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $50 per month, plus $65 per active technician | $49 per month for up to 49 serviced locations |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial | First month free on the Scaling Up plan |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Pool Brain | Skimmer, Inc |
| Price read from | poolbrain.com | getskimmer.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Skimmer
- Built for pool service; it is not a general field service tool.
- Add-ons cost extra: AI Phone $99/month, Marketing Suite $150/month, Bookkeeping from $198/month.
- Service texts are $0.029 per message on Getting Started and included on Scaling Up.
- A location you do not service in a month is not billed that month.
Key features
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.
Skimmer
- Route builder and optimization
- Routes are built and assigned by technician; route optimization is part of the Scaling Up plan and above.
- Service reports and readings
- Technicians log readings and dosages and customers receive service reports by email, with photos per visit and per location.
- Billing and payments
- Invoices, bulk invoices, AutoPay, online and offline payments and surcharging, with QuickBooks Online sync.
- Quotes and job management
- Quotes, estimates and one-time or recurring work orders are on the Scaling Up plan, with consumer financing through Sunbit.
- Pool-specific tools
- An LSI and dosing calculator powered by Orenda and a LaMotte integration are on Scaling Up; a Heritage integration is on every plan.
Plans
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.
Skimmer
Getting Started$49
per month for up to 49 serviced locations
$1 per month for each serviced location, with unlimited technicians, route builder, invoicing and customer portal.
Scaling Up$98
per month for up to 49 serviced locations
$2 per location per month. Adds quotes, job management, route optimization, unlimited service texts and live phone support.
Skimmer for EnterpriseCustom
For businesses over 1,000 pools a month; adds custom reports, integrations and a dedicated success manager.
Ways to pay less
Pool Brain
No public discounts listed.
Skimmer
- Other savings
First month of Scaling Up free
New customers who sign up for Scaling Up through the promotional link get the first month free; usage past 49 locations is billed afterward.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pool Brain or Skimmer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Skimmer is cheaper to start with: $49 a month, against $50 a month for Pool Brain. Pool Brain starts at $50 per month, plus $65 per active technician, and Skimmer starts at $49 per month for up to 49 serviced locations.
Which has a free plan, Pool Brain or Skimmer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Pool Brain nor Skimmer 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.