Housecall Pro vs ServiceTitan for Small Shops (2026)

If you run a small HVAC, plumbing or electrical shop, you've probably heard ServiceTitan called the "big league" option and Housecall Pro called the easier, cheaper one. That's roughly right, but the more useful difference for a small shop is simpler: Housecall Pro tells you what it costs, and ServiceTitan doesn't.

This guide sticks to what each company states on its own website and help center, checked on October 20, 2026. Where ServiceTitan doesn't publish something, we say so rather than repeating numbers from forums or social media. Those figures vary a lot from quote to quote, and we can't verify them.

Housecall Pro vs ServiceTitan at a glance

What ServiceTitan's pricing page actually says

ServiceTitan's pricing page describes "per-technician pricing" that is "designed to fit your business and goals, at any size," and lists three packages:

• Starter: dispatching, scheduling, call booking, invoicing and a pricebook. Mobile estimates, payroll management, advanced reporting, commission tracking and customizable memberships are shown greyed out.
• Essentials: adds mobile estimates and payroll management. Advanced reporting, commission tracking and memberships are still greyed out.
• The Works: everything above, plus configurable payroll, advanced reporting, commission tracking and customizable memberships.

Each package has a "Request Pricing" button, and there's no dollar figure anywhere on the page. ServiceTitan also sells "Pro" add-ons, such as Marketing Pro, Contact Center Pro, Pricebook Pro, Scheduling Pro, Dispatch Pro, Field Pro and an AI Virtual Agent. Their prices aren't published either. The demo form asks how many technicians you have and whether you have at least one full-time office employee, which tells you a lot about who the product is designed for.

The honest summary: ServiceTitan pricing is quote-based and not published. Any specific per-tech number you see online is someone else's quote, not an official price.

The three-technician minimum (and who counts)

ServiceTitan's help center explains how it counts people for billing. A managed technician is anyone delivering revenue-generating work, such as service techs, lead installers, installers working alone, comfort advisers, or subcontractors doing service work. Managed technicians "may not include helpers, apprentices, or parts runners."

The same article says: "If you signed up for the minimum access level of three (3) managed technicians, you will be billed for the three (3) managed technicians even if you have added fewer than three technicians." Your technician count is set in your Customer Success Agreement.

For a one- or two-tech shop, that matters. You could be paying for three technicians before you've hired a third. Ask the sales rep to put the minimum, the per-technician price and the agreement length in writing.

What Housecall Pro costs at 1, 4 and 10 people

Housecall Pro publishes everything you need to work out the bill yourself:

• Solo tech: Basic at $59/mo billed annually ($79 monthly). It includes online booking, scheduling and dispatch, estimates and invoicing, payments and consumer financing, a price book, job costing and review management.
• Owner plus three techs (4 users): Essentials at $149/mo billed annually ($189 monthly) for up to 5 users. It adds routes, flat-rate pricing, checklist automations, photo reports, employee GPS tracking, commissions and QuickBooks Online sync.
• Selling maintenance memberships, or up to 8 users: MAX at $299/mo billed annually ($329 monthly). It adds Recurring Service Plans, a sales proposal tool, one-click route optimization, open API access, a dedicated onboarding specialist and escalated phone support.
• 10 users on MAX: $299 + 2 extra users at $35/mo each = about $369/mo billed annually.

Every plan includes live phone and chat support, the iOS and Android app (in English and Spanish) and card processing from 2.59%, with bank payments at 1%. Housecall Pro says it doesn't require long-term contracts. Its trial gives you 14 days on MAX with no credit card. Add-ons such as CSR AI, Pipeline, Payroll, Voice and Websites are sold separately, and their prices aren't listed on the pricing page.

When ServiceTitan is worth getting a quote

ServiceTitan is a much bigger system, and some shops really do outgrow simpler tools. It's worth a demo if most of these are true:

• You have at least one full-time office person booking calls and dispatching, rather than the owner doing it from the truck.
• You're adding technicians every year and want call booking, dispatch and reporting built for a busy office.
• You want commission tracking, memberships and advanced reporting in one system and expect to need The Works.
• You're comfortable with a sales process, an agreement and an onboarding project instead of a self-serve trial.

If that's not you yet, you'll likely get more value from Housecall Pro or Jobber now, and you can revisit ServiceTitan later.

Questions to ask before you sign anything

1. What is the price per managed technician, and which package does that quote include?
2. Is there a minimum number of technicians on my agreement? (ServiceTitan's help center mentions three.)
3. How long is the agreement, and what does it cost to cancel early?
4. Are there onboarding or implementation fees?
5. Which features in the demo are Pro add-ons with their own price?
6. What are the card and ACH processing rates?
7. Do helpers and apprentices count toward the bill?

Ask Housecall Pro the same processing question too. "As low as 2.59%" is a starting rate, not necessarily your rate.

Which should you choose?

Comparing Housecall Pro against other published-price apps instead? See Jobber vs Housecall Pro vs Workiz for HVAC. Pest control operators running routes should also look at our GorillaDesk review, and cleaning crews should read Jobber vs Housecall Pro for cleaners.