This blog not just helps you compare field service software like Jobber, and Housecall Pro but also provides resources to find the right software that fits your field team. But if you want to jump straight to the answer and are looking for an all-in-one software, Jobber is a better option than Housecall Pro.
And if you do not want to overwhelm your field team with an all-in-software use Utilize to build a simple app with only the features you need.
We know you are still here because you want to build the highest-performing field team in the industry and you are looking to solve each of the hiccups they face each day. I am sure you are still figuring out what they need but accept my congratulations on taking the first step!
Finding a solution that your field team will actually use on a day-to-day basis is not a straightforward task. In fact, this is a common problem with most businesses. According to a Mckinsey research, 7 out of 10 software bought by businesses have no actual impact on operations or the bottom line.
To help you choose the right software for your field service team, we analyzed more than 60+ solutions and prepared a blog about the top 10 field service software. Besides Jobber and Housecall Pro, you will find more alternatives in the blog here.
Before comparing the two software, we need to know what field service or FSM software is and why you need it. Let us have a look.
What is FSM and Why does your Field Team need it?
When your field team is already under the pressure of ensuring that they reach the last mile on time every time, it becomes your solemn duty to make their lives easier when you choose software for them.
Field Service Management software, also known as FSM software, needs to solve your automation requirements into a single software on the device of the field service agent.
You know it’s time to find a field service software solution when:
Your field team is finding it difficult to use spreadsheets.
Your team is sending updates on messaging apps like Whatsapp.
Your team is not updating your current software frequently.
Jobber vs Housecall Pro: How to compare software?
When it comes to picking the perfect FSM software, knowing your exact requirements will solve half of your problems. This is why we have come up with this framework to help you make the right choice between Jobber and Housecall Pro.
The framework provides a step-by-step guide along with links to comprehensive lists that compare Pricing, Features, Industries, Integrations, and everything else you need to make a perfect choice.
We start with understanding your business requirements and then delving into whether Jobber or Housecall Pro fulfills those requirements, and then zero in on the perfect choice.
Let’s get started! The framework is exhaustive with practically everything you would need to know to pick an FSM software for your business. Just follow along with these 3 simple steps:
FSM Software-Picking Framework
01. Know your solution
They say asking the right questions itself solves half of the problems. And you, are definitely asking the right one: which FSM software would be perfect for your business?
But before you explore the options, you need to know that buying an FSM software is not always the best option for your field team. FSM software solutions are off-the-shelf and provide limited customizations. In many cases, your business needs an app that is custom-built. And with the advent of no-code tools, even small businesses can build apps in a remarkably fast and affordable way.
Buying an FSM software is not always the best option for your field team. FSM software solutions are off-the-shelf and provide limited customizations. But with the advent of no-code tools, even small businesses can build apps in a remarkably fast and affordable way.
Today, there are three types of FSM solutions available in the market.
FSM software
This is the most popular type of solution. These are off-the-shelf software solutions made for field service teams, that will get you started quickly by subscribing on a monthly or yearly basis.
But since they are pre-created, you will have to adapt them for your business with little or no customization. Jobber and Housecall Pro are both examples of FSM software.
No-code tools
Quick tip: If you are a small business or a startup, try no-code tools before evaluating FSM software.
Ah! The growing prodigy. A rapidly growing favorite of people, no-code tools are basically like creating your own application. They usually come with a drag-and-drop interface to assemble features that fit your business. Since you don’t need to be a technical genius for this option, you can experiment with it easily, and implement an app with exactly the features you need.
No-code solutions like Utilize, Glide, Stacker provide a way to build apps from spreadsheet tools like Google Sheets and Airtable. Other solutions like Zapier, Integromat, Automate.io help connect your tools and create automated workflows without coding.
Developers & Agencies
If tech is crucial to your company, or you have more complex requirements; getting developers on board to get the software custom-built would be the best way to go ahead. Luckily, in today’s world, you have access to a global pool of freelancers and agencies via websites like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, etc.
But when you are looking for developers you must remember that it comes with a number of challenges. Some include a long duration to identify the right team, a lack of transparency around the costs, and less flexibility around improving the product as per learnings in the future.
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02. Know your requirements
The first step before you select software is to have clarity on your requirements. Depending on the size of your business, and how your team operates you will need different features and integrations. Also, it’s a misconception that good software has a lot of features, good software is one that has a small but relevant set of features.
What features do you need?
Jobber and Housecall Pro are built with incredible features. For instance, Jobber allows you to collect Digital Signatures, and both platforms have powerful in-build CRMs. While this may sound enticing, it’s not great to be spoilt with too many choices. We think we need all the features, but with our experience, we have seen that more than 70% of the features are hardly used. So, the first step is to evaluate what features your team actually needs.
We’ve made an exhaustive list of all the features currently on offer by FSM tools. In this step, you decide what features will suit your needs by marking them in their priority order. Head over to this blog which has a list of features that can be marked using the following priority levels.
P1: High Priority
P2: Low Priority
P3: Not Needed
Which integrations do you need?
The second step is to figure out whether Jobber and Housecall Pro integrate with your everyday tools. Don’t get carried away and instead focus on integrations with tools that you extensively use rather than being integrations-loaded. Example: Jobber allows you to integrate Stripe and Thumstack with your account, while Housecall Pro has additional Integrations with Podium and Profit Rhino, and everyday tools like Mailchimp, Quickbooks, and Zapier are integrated with both the software.
We’ve made an exhaustive list of all the integrations currently on offer by FSM tools. In this step, you decide what integrations will suit your needs by marking them in their priority order. Head over to this blog which has a list of integrations that can be marked using the following priority levels.
P1: High Priority
P2: Low Priority
P3: Not Needed
03. Know your software
By now you have decided what your requirements are and, what features and integrations you want in your field software. Follow the below steps to evaluate if Jobber or Housecall Pro is the right software for your team.
Does the software have the right features?
The first step is to evaluate your software is to make sure that it has all your P1 features. If it does, you can then check for P2 features. Ignore features marked as P3.
Make sure that you now have the list of features classified by their priority order as explained in the previous step.
You can now use the following features comparison tables to evaluate if the software has the features you are looking for. Especially P1 and P2 features.
The table can be overwhelming but it’s important to define your focus and identify the features based on must-have vs good have.
Does the software have the right integrations?
You also have to evaluate which software integrates with all the tools in your P1 integrations. After this, you can then check for P2 integrations. Ignore integrations marked as P3.
How to use?
Make sure that you have the list of integrations classified by their priority order.
You can now use the following integrations comparison tables to evaluate if Jobber or Housecall Pro has integrations with your tools. Especially P1 and P2 integrations.
Is the software specialized for your industry?
By this step, you know your requirements, and you’ve also evaluated which software has the features and integrations you need.
You have already done the majority of the work by filtering solutions that can deliver the software you need.
This step is to check if the solutions offered by Jobber or Housecall Pro are specialized for your industry.
Is the pricing affordable?
Alright, we are at the last step of deciding the perfect FSM solution for you. Let’s talk about money!
You now know your exact requirements - the features and integrations needed - and if Jobber or Housecall pro is providing them in your industry niche.
Now, let’s evaluate them on the basis of their pricing. In this step, you can compare their pricing based on the size of your team and decide which one fits your budget.
The monthly pricing for these tools for different team sizes is as follows,
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This way you can choose the right FSM software between Jobber and Housecall Pro. But such FSM software usually comes with many features, some of them are undesired and will hamper the team’s adoption.
Instead, we recommend using a no-code tool like Utilize to build your own app with just the features you need.
Here is a sample app built for a field service team with site inspection processes.
Get started with Utilize now!
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