CRM and field service software for trades, compared

What a CRM does for a trade business

Every job in a trade business runs the same loop. A CRM keeps each step attached to one customer record.

1. Lead. A call, web form, Google listing message or text comes in. The CRM logs it with its source.
2. Estimate. You send a priced estimate, ideally with options, and the customer approves it online.
3. Job. The approved estimate becomes a scheduled job with a crew, an address, notes and photos.
4. Invoice. The finished job turns into an invoice the customer can pay by card or bank transfer.
5. Review and repeat. The system asks for a Google review and reminds the customer when the next service is due.

The step that lives outside the system is the one that leaks. The usual leaks are unreturned voicemails, estimates nobody followed up on, and invoices sent a week late.

CRM, field service software or all-in-one?

Three kinds of software get sold under the “CRM” label. They overlap, but each one is built around a different center.

Type	Built around	Examples	Fits best when
Sales CRM	Contacts, deals and email	Copper, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Streak, Zoho CRM	Your team sells bids from an office and works in email
Field service management (FSM)	Jobs, schedules and technicians	Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, Workiz, FieldEdge, LMN, Aspire	You dispatch crews or trucks every day
All-in-one for local business	Marketing plus customer management	Thryv	Getting found, reviews and follow-up matter as much as scheduling

My guide to CRM for contractors compares features, published prices and team sizes in detail. The field service software glossary defines the terms vendors use on their pricing pages.

Start with your trade

Each trade puts pressure on software in a different place.

• CRM for plumbers: emergency dispatch, flat-rate price books, and good, better, best options on water heaters and repipes.
• CRM for HVAC companies: maintenance agreements, equipment history, tune-up season and EPA refrigerant records.
• CRM for landscapers: recurring routes, seasonal contracts, crews and chemical application records.
• CRM for Google Workspace: office-based and B2B teams that sell from Gmail.

Comparing providers

My Thryv review covers its plans, published prices, contract terms and what public reviews say. The Thryv alternatives page compares it with Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan and others.

Published entry prices as of October 2026, from each provider’s own pricing page:

• Jobber Core: $29 per month billed annually, for 1 user.
• Housecall Pro Basic: $59 per month billed annually, for 1 user.
• Thryv Starter: $99 per month, for 1 user.
• Copper Basic: $23 per seat per month billed annually.
• ServiceTitan: no published prices. It prices per technician after a demo.

Entry plans leave out features most growing shops want. Compare the plan you would actually use, not the cheapest one on the page.

How I help

I’m an independent technology advisor. Thryv and Copper are the providers I work with. I don’t work with Jobber, Housecall Pro or ServiceTitan, and I recommend them when they fit your business better.

Here is how it works:

1. You tell me your trade, team size, what you use today and your must-haves.
2. I build a shortlist of two or three options, including ones I don’t earn from.
3. I send a short written summary with each option’s published price, contract terms and the gaps to test in a free trial.
4. You decide, and you buy from the provider.

When you’re ready, ask me for a free CRM shortlist for your trade.