Their published prices, multiplied by thirty-six months. No editorialising needed — and further down, an honest list of what they do better.
We've used the cheapest realistic plan for each competitor, not the dearest. Picking their top tier would make the gap look bigger and the comparison worth less.
| Your business | Jobber | Housecall Pro | Sterling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just you | $1,044 – $5,364 | $2,124 – $2,844 | $299 once |
| Just you, plus marketing tools | $3,888 | $5,364 | $299 once |
| Office and five in the field | $8,784 – $14,364 | $5,364 – $11,844 | $599 once |
| Two locations, ten crews | $20,628 | $15,624 | $1,144 once |
Jobber runs four plans from $29 to $399 a month with extra users at $29 each, and its marketing tools are a $79/month add-on. Housecall Pro runs $59 to $329 a month with extra users around $35, and several tools priced separately at $40–50 each. Annual billing there is paid twelve months upfront. Even their cheapest plan costs more than three times Sterling over three years — and at the end of it, they stop and you still own nothing.
| Jobber | Housecall Pro | Sterling | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax and Schedule C reporting | — | — | Yes |
| You control which way data syncs | — | — | Yes |
| Lock a seat and kill the device | — | — | Yes |
| Paperwork in your trade's own language | — | — | Yes |
| Buy once, no subscription | — | — | Yes |
The tax one is the surprising gap. Neither of them does taxes at all — their customers buy QuickBooks on top and pay two bills.
If one of these is what you actually need, buy theirs. I'd rather tell you now.
| Jobber | Housecall Pro | Sterling | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer portal — approve quotes, pay, see history | Yes | Yes | No |
| Online booking / customers self-schedule | Yes | Yes | No |
| Team location on a live map | Yes | Yes | No |
| Route optimisation | Yes | Yes | No |
| Email and postcard marketing campaigns | Add-on | Yes | No |
| Large integrations marketplace | 100+ | Yes | Four solid ones |
One rule decides it: if a feature costs money every single time a customer uses it, a one-time price can't pay for it. Text messages cost per message, forever. Route optimisation costs per route, forever. Marketing campaigns are a second business with its own compliance. They can charge you monthly and cover it. I can't, and I'd rather not build something I'd have to start billing you for later.
The honest exception is GPS. The live map needs an app-store build with background location, which browsers deliberately block. What Sterling does instead is stamp the arrival: on site 8.42, left 10.15. That covers most of why small shops want it, and it doesn't follow anybody around.
Both companies are valued on recurring revenue. Matching a one-time price would damage the thing their business is priced on. It isn't a strategy they've rejected — it's one they can't reach.
What they can do is add a cheaper tier and lean on the features above. So the gap worth widening isn't the price. It's the trade layers, and a feedback button that reaches a person who answers.
See the prices Find your trade
Competitor prices are their own published list prices as at August 2026, taken from their pricing pages and third-party pricing guides. Plans change; if you spot one of these out of date, tell me and I'll correct it. Sterling's figures assume the current price list, and the two-location figure is the extended package plus a branch and four extra seats.