Honest software comparisons for home service businesses

Running a trade business means juggling jobs, crews, invoices and follow-ups. The right software takes that weight off your day. SoftForTrades tests the tools built for plumbers, HVAC companies, electricians, cleaners, landscapers and contractors, then explains in plain language what each one does well, where it falls short and what it really costs.

Software guides by trade

Every trade runs its jobs a little differently, so our guides are organised by the work you actually do. Pick your trade to see the software categories that matter most for it and the comparisons on the way.

Plumbing

Dispatch, job scheduling, flat rate pricing and invoicing tools for plumbing companies of every size, from solo plumbers to growing crews.

Plumbing software guides

HVAC

Service agreements, seasonal scheduling, dispatch boards and maintenance reminders built for heating and cooling businesses.

HVAC software guides

Electricians

Quoting, scheduling and invoicing software that helps electrical contractors keep jobs, permits and payments in one place.

Electrician software guides

Cleaning

Recurring booking, team scheduling, checklists and payment tools for residential and commercial cleaning companies.

Cleaning software guides

Landscaping

Route planning, recurring service scheduling, crew tracking and billing software for lawn care and landscaping businesses.

Landscaping software guides

Contractors

Estimating, project tracking, client communication and payment tools for general contractors and remodeling companies.

Contractor software guides

How we test

Software companies all claim to be the best. We would rather show our working than ask you to trust a score, so every guide on this site follows the same open method.

  • We sign up for the free trial of each tool and walk through the real workflow a trade business uses, from booking a job to sending the invoice.
  • Screenshots in our guides come from our own trial accounts, never from vendor marketing pages.
  • Every price we quote is checked on the vendor pricing page, and each guide shows the date that price was verified.
  • Our testing is trial-based, and we say so openly in every review. Where a feature sits behind a paid plan we could not test, we say that too instead of guessing.
  • Vendors cannot pay for a better position here. Some links on this site earn us a commission, and that never changes a pick. Our affiliate disclosure explains the model in full.

Latest guides

Our first comparisons and pricing breakdowns are in testing now and will appear here as they are published.

Coming soon

Jobber vs Housecall Pro for cleaning businesses

A side by side look at the two best known field service platforms, judged on the things cleaning companies care about: recurring bookings, team scheduling, client reminders and what each plan costs as a team grows.

Coming soon

Jobber pricing explained

Every Jobber plan broken down in plain language, what is included at each tier, which features cost extra, and the date the prices were last verified on the vendor site.

Coming soon

Housecall Pro pricing explained

A clear walk through Housecall Pro plans and add-on costs, who each tier suits, and the date the prices were last verified on the vendor site.