Methodology
How we score
Our own score out of 10 for how well a tool fits your trade. Fixed rules, facts checked by hand on each vendor's site (54 of 57 tools, 2026-10-20), recalculated on every rebuild.
Sponsors and affiliate partners can pay to be featured, but they can't pay to change a score or badge. Sponsorship and affiliate links aren't inputs to the formula at all.
Six factors, 10 points
How many of the trade's core jobs it really does, checked by hand on the vendor's own site. All of them = full marks; add-ons get 40% credit. Airbnb, linen and pool each have a must-have job; missing it halves this.
Built for this trade, or the vendor has a page for it = full. Home-service software in general = 70%. A tool for any kind of business = 40%.
First paid plan compared with the other tools in the same trade, from the vendor's own pricing page. Cheapest gets full marks. A free plan is scored under Free plan, not here, so it isn't counted twice.
Free plan = full marks. Free trial = half. None found = zero.
A free plan, or a published starting price of $50/mo or less.
Platforms vs add-ons
Runs scheduling, billing and client records in one place. Can win any badge.
Several jobs built around one trade's workflow, like Airbnb turnovers or janitorial inspections. Can win any badge.
Does one job (answering calls, quoting, photo proof) next to your main software. Gets 40% credit for the core jobs it covers, so it ranks below full platforms, and it's never Top pick. It competes for its own badge, like Best for missed calls.
House cleaning example. Each dot is one core job; filled = confirmed on the vendor's site.
When data is missing
- Price not confirmed? Price, free plan and beginner each get 40%, a little below the middle, so a missing price never helps. No badges, never Top pick.
- Fewer than 10 app ratings? Ratings are left out and the score is worked out from the other factors.
- Vendor site down? No score: it shows Site down, not scored until we can check it again.
- Feature not found on the vendor's site? It doesn't count. We don't guess.
Badges
Track record: Top pick needs at least 50 public app-store ratings; a leader without them gets Rising pick instead.
One tool per badge per trade, at most 2 per tool, and the Top pick or Rising pick gets no other badge. Given out in this order.
- Top pickHighest score in the trade among tools with a track record (50+ public app-store ratings). Platforms and specialist tools only, with a confirmed price. If the trade has a must-have job, the tool has to do it.
- Rising pickThe trade leader that doesn't have 50 public app ratings yet. Same score and rank, just no track record to show.
- Best for Airbnb turnoversAirbnb/STR only: highest score among non-add-ons that do both turnover calendar sync and checklists or photo proof.
- Best for missed callsHighest-scoring add-on whose main job is answering calls or texting back.
- Best for quotingHighest-scoring quoting or measuring add-on.
- Best for photo proofHighest-scoring checklist or photo-proof add-on.
- Best for staff schedulingHighest-scoring staff scheduling and time-clock add-on.
- Best for online bookingHighest-scoring booking-page add-on.
- Best for calendar syncHighest-scoring calendar-sync add-on.
- Best free optionHighest score among platforms and specialist tools with a free plan.
- Best budget pickHighest score among paid tools at or below the trade's median starting price.
- Best for beginnersHighest score among tools with a free plan or a start of $50/mo or less.
- Best for crews & teamsHighest score among tools with verified crew or time tracking.
Core jobs for each trade
Bold = the must-have job for that trade.
- House cleaningscheduling · quotes · invoicing · client messages · checklists · crew & time · client records
- Airbnb/STR turnoversturnover sync · scheduling · checklists · invoicing · crew & time · client messages
- Commercial & janitorial cleaningscheduling · quotes · invoicing · checklists · crew & time · client records · client messages
- Move-in/move-out cleaningscheduling · quotes · invoicing · client messages · checklists · client records
- Post-construction cleaningscheduling · quotes · invoicing · checklists · crew & time · client records
- Pressure & soft washingscheduling · quotes · invoicing · client messages · client records · crew & time
- Carpet cleaningscheduling · quotes · invoicing · client messages · client records · crew & time
- Window cleaningscheduling · quotes · invoicing · client messages · client records · routes
- Gutter cleaningscheduling · quotes · invoicing · client messages · client records · crew & time
- Pool cleaning & serviceroutes · scheduling · invoicing · client messages · checklists · client records · quotes
- Air duct & dryer vent cleaningscheduling · quotes · invoicing · client messages · client records · crew & time
- Chimney sweepingscheduling · quotes · invoicing · client messages · client records · crew & time
- Junk removalscheduling · quotes · invoicing · client messages · client records · crew & time
- Laundry & linen (STR)linen · turnover sync · routes · invoicing · scheduling · client records
What the score isn't
- It isn't a review. We haven't tested most tools hands-on.
- It isn't the public star ratings. Those are third-party, shown separately and labeled.
- It only knows what vendors publish. Spot an error? Tell us.
Open data: scores and factor breakdowns in tools.json; the job audit with a source link for every tag in job_tags_verified.json.
Not sure which tool fits?
Answer 3 quick questions and we’ll suggest 2 or 3 real tools, with prices from each vendor’s own page.