Most CRM software is built for sales teams and corporate offices — not for a plumber trying to keep track of 40 clients while managing 8 active jobs. Here's an honest comparison of the 7 best options built for (or commonly used by) independent contractors, with real pricing and trade-offs for each.
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Before comparing tools, let's be clear about what a CRM for a contractor needs to do:
- Store client contact info, address, and job history in one place - Link clients to jobs and quotes — so everything is connected - Track which quotes are pending and which jobs are active - Work well on a phone (you're not sitting at a desk) - Generate professional quotes and invoices (most CRMs don't do this) - Not require a 40-page setup guide or a dedicated IT person
With that in mind, here are the 7 options.
TaskArc is purpose-built for independent contractors in the trades. It's not a general CRM adapted for contractors — it was designed from the ground up for plumbers, electricians, painters, roofers, and similar trades.
What it covers: Client CRM, job tracking, quotes (with itemised line items + AI quote generation), invoices, expense tracking, revenue analytics, and team management — all in one app.
Pricing: 14-day free trial, no credit card required. Pro: $19/month. Team: $49/month.
Best for: Independent contractors and small trade businesses who want one app that replaces a spreadsheet, quote builder, and invoicing tool all at once.
Standout feature: The AI Quote Generator (Pro plan) — describe a job in plain English and it builds a fully itemised quote in seconds.
Jobber is well-established in the field service space. It covers scheduling, quoting, invoicing, and client management with a polished interface.
Pricing: Starts at $49/month for the Core plan. The full-featured Grow plan is $149/month. No free tier.
Best for: Businesses with 3–10 employees that need scheduling and dispatch features.
Trade-offs: Expensive for a solo operator. Starts at 5x the price of TaskArc Pro. Has more features than a single contractor needs, which adds complexity.
HousecallPro is popular among HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses that do high-volume service calls. The dispatch board and GPS tracking are standout features.
Pricing: Starts at $49/month. Team plans run $109–$200+/month.
Best for: Businesses running a dispatch operation with multiple technicians.
Trade-offs: Built for service-call volume. If you run longer projects (renovations, fit-outs, builds), it's not the right fit. Expensive for one person.
ServiceTitan is the most powerful platform in the field service space. Used by larger HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies with 10+ staff.
Pricing: Not public. Typically $398–$500+/month after setup fees.
Best for: Established businesses with 10+ employees and dedicated admin staff.
Trade-offs: Not appropriate for independent operators or small teams. Setup complexity is significant and often requires dedicated onboarding.
Tradify is a good simple option for trade businesses that want straightforward job management and invoicing without a lot of complexity.
Pricing: Around $35/month per user.
Best for: Small teams that want simplicity over feature depth.
Trade-offs: No AI features. Per-user pricing adds up quickly. Fewer features than Jobber at a similar price point.
Many contractors track clients in a spreadsheet and use QuickBooks only for accounting and invoicing. This works — until it doesn't.
Pricing: QuickBooks Simple Start from $17.50/month. Spreadsheet is free.
Best for: Contractors just starting out who aren't ready to commit to a system.
Trade-offs: No connection between clients, jobs, quotes, and invoices. Double-entering everything. Hard to see the full picture of your business at a glance. Breaks down once you have more than 10 active clients.
Some technically-minded contractors build their own CRM in Notion or Airtable. This can work, but takes significant time to set up and maintain.
Pricing: Free to $24/month.
Best for: Contractors who enjoy setting up systems and don't need invoicing or quote generation.
Trade-offs: No quoting or invoicing features. No mobile app designed for field use. High setup time. Breaks when you need it to scale.
Simple rule:
- Solo operator or 1–3 person team: TaskArc (14-day free trial, full feature set) - 3–10 person team with lots of service calls: Jobber or HousecallPro - 10+ staff, dispatch-heavy operation: ServiceTitan
The biggest mistake contractors make is paying for a tool that's built for a 20-person operation when they have 2 employees. Start with something that fits now and upgrade when you've outgrown it.
The best CRM is the one you'll actually use consistently. For most independent contractors, that means something fast, mobile-friendly, and built specifically for the trades — not a tool designed for a sales department.
Quote, invoice, track jobs and expenses — all in one place. Try free for 14 days.