We'll match and beat any lower price for the same job.
The shortlist
Eight of these nine tools publish their prices.
iON Pool Care is the only one that doesn't publish a price. Every card comes from that company's own pricing, feature and help pages, read October 21, 2026 at monthly billing.
Pool Runs
$45a month to start
Charged per property serviced, with 50 included and $1.75 for each one past that with a completed visit that month, up to 200 properties. It runs month to month with every user free.
Best for
Solo routes and growing crews that want route optimization, an offline tech app, quotes and documents with e-signature, two-way QuickBooks, GPS and a time clock on one plan.
Also on the plan
Income, expenses and P&L reports, a customer portal with autopay, team alerts you route by event, equipment label scanning, truck stock with a fuel log, and Fresh Movers leads.
Watch for
Above 200 properties there is no list price, so we price the plan with you. Two-way texting in the shared inbox needs both add-ons, at $80 a month.
AI
AI reads supply-house receipts into truck stock, an assistant answers questions from your own records, and the AI voice agent in Communications ($50) answers calls, finds the account and drafts a work order for your office to confirm.
$49a month to start; most features need Scaling Up at $98
Charged per serviced location, at $1 on Getting Started (0 to 49 pools, $49 minimum) or $2 on Scaling Up ($98 with 49 included), with unlimited users.
Best for
Shops on Scaling Up that want Orenda LSI dosing, the LaMotte integration and Sunbit financing for repairs.
Watch for
Most of the job sits on Scaling Up, at $98 a month plus $2 a pool past 49: route optimization, quotes, job management, the schedule, recurring work orders, required checklist items, LSI dosing, LaMotte and live phone support. Getting Started covers only 0 to 49 pools. QuickBooks sync runs one way, from Skimmer to QuickBooks.
AI
AI Phone answers inbound calls for $99 a month, and the included AI Insights answers questions about your business.
Priced by property count, from free up to 10 to $49.99 for 11 to 50, $99 for 51 to 100 and $0.95 a property after that, with every feature on every plan and 15% off annual.
Best for
Owners starting on a budget, and chemistry-minded owners who want LSI at every stop, LaMotte SpinTouch and ColorQ readings by Bluetooth, and Orenda help tickets.
Watch for
Its QuickBooks sync covers customers and invoices, its site doesn't mention offline use, and card payments run through Stripe at 2.9% plus 30¢.
Plans run by user count, from Core at $49 for 1 user to Connect at $139 for 1 up to $399 for 15 and Grow from $199, with extra users at $29 and a 14-day trial.
Best for
Companies running pool service beside other trades that want a general field-service app with a large app marketplace.
Watch for
We found no LSI or dosing, and a Jobber staff reply says the app doesn't work offline. Routing and QuickBooks start on Connect, and two-way texting starts on Grow.
AI
AI Receptionist at $29 a month answers calls and texts and can book jobs.
Read on each company's pricing, feature and help pages on October 21, 2026 at monthly billing, except Jobber's 5, 10 and 15-user prices, read October 17. “Not on their site” and “none found” mean only that we found no mention, and since prices change, check each site before you decide.
Cost at your size
Your crew size decides who costs least.
These are list prices on each core plan, billed monthly, with techs as the paid logins and add-ons and card fees left out. Pool Runs charges by the pool you service, so a new tech or an office login never adds to the bill.
Monthly list price at five crew sizes, with the math under each figure
Company
How it charges
60 pools1 tech
120 pools2 techs
200 pools3 techs
300 pools5 techs
500 pools8 techs
Pool RunsPer property serviced
$45 with 50, then $1.75 a property up to 2001
$62.50$45 + 10 × $1.75
$167.50$45 + 70 × $1.75
$307.50$45 + 150 × $1.75
Volume pricingPriced with you1
Volume pricingPriced with you1
Per location, Scaling Up
$98 with 49, then $2 a location
$120$98 + 11 × $2
$240$98 + 71 × $2
$400$98 + 151 × $2
$600$98 + 251 × $2
$1,000$98 + 451 × $2
Base + per tech
$50 base + $65 a tech
$115$50 + 1 × $65
$180$50 + 2 × $65
$245$50 + 3 × $65
$375$50 + 5 × $65
$570$50 + 8 × $65
PaythepoolmanBase + per tech
$50 base + $15 a tech
$65$50 + 1 × $15
$80$50 + 2 × $15Lowest
$95$50 + 3 × $15Lowest
$125$50 + 5 × $15Lowest
$170$50 + 8 × $15Lowest
Per user
$125 for 1 user + $25 a user2
$1251 user
$150$125 + 1 × $25
$175$125 + 2 × $25
$225$125 + 4 × $25
$300$125 + 7 × $25
Bands, then per property
Free to 10, $49.99 to 50, $99 to 100, then $0.953
$9951 to 100 band
$114120 × $0.95
$190200 × $0.95
$285300 × $0.95
$475500 × $0.95
Plans by users, Connect
$139 for 1, $199 for 5; extra users $294
$139Connect, 1 user
$168$139 + 1 × $29
$197$139 + 2 × $29
$199Connect, 5 users
$286$199 + 3 × $29
Plans by users
Essentials $189 for 5, Max $329 for 84
$189Essentials, 5 users
$189Essentials, 5 users
$189Essentials, 5 users
$189Essentials, 5 users
$329Max, 8 users
Others with published prices
Per visited location
$1 a location, $30 minimum
$6060 × $1Lowest
$120120 × $1
$200200 × $1
$300300 × $1
$500500 × $1
Base with 1 tech + per tech
$149 with 1 tech, then $59 a tech
$1491 tech included
$208$149 + 1 × $59
$267$149 + 2 × $59
$385$149 + 4 × $59
$562$149 + 7 × $59
1A Pool Runs property counts in a month once it has a completed visit. Over 200 properties, we price the plan with you, and the match-and-beat promise still applies.
2Pool Office Manager counts every login, so an owner or office user adds $25, and QuickBooks Online adds another $25 a month.
3We read PSS's 101-plus plan as $0.95 for every property; PSS asks you to contact it for detail.
4We price Jobber on Connect and Housecall Pro on Essentials, the lowest plans with QuickBooks at each, because Jobber's Core ($49) and Housecall Pro's Basic ($79) leave it out, and Housecall Pro keeps route optimization on Max.
Skimmer's Getting Started plan ($1 a location, $49 minimum) stops at 49 pools and leaves out route optimization, so every size here is on Scaling Up.
Ranked at 120 pools · 2 techs
At 120 pools and 2 techs, Pool Runs is $167.50 a month.
That is less than Skimmer at $240 and Pool Brain at $180. Paythepoolman has the lowest list price, $80. We'll match and beat any lower price for the same job.
Paythepoolman$80Lowest
$114
$120
$150
Pool Runs$167.50
$168
$180
$189
$208
$240
What to look for
Thirteen things to check before you sign.
Each row says why it matters, what to ask in the demo and what each company's own site says, with details in the numbered notes under the table.
Included
Paid add-on
Higher plan only
Not on their site, or limited
Depends, see the text
Thirteen things to check in pool service software, and what each company's site says
What to check
Pool Runs
Paythepoolman
iON Pool Care
1How the price growsBecause the bill you sign up at isn't the one you pay in two years, price the next 50 pools and the next hire before you choose.Ask in the demoWhat is my bill at double my pools, and with one more tech?
$1.75 a pool from 51 to 200; users free
$2 a location; users free
$65 a tech; office free
$15 a tech
$25 a user, office too
$0.95 a property past 100
$29 a user
Plan steps; $35 a user on Max
Not published
2App reliability and offline useSince equipment pads behind block walls and rural stops drop signal, a stop that can't save offline means readings get retyped or skipped.Ask in the demoWith the phone in airplane mode, can a tech finish a stop with readings, doses, checklist and photos, and does it sync by itself?
3SupportWhen the app misbehaves at 7 a.m., what matters is who answers, so look for a phone number and hours on their own site.Ask in the demoIf a tech's app won't sync on a Saturday morning, who do I call, and is that on my plan?
Not on their site, or limited: Phone hours not on their site
Included: Phone, weekdays 8 to 4 ET
Included: US phone support
Depends: Contact form
Depends: Phone number listed
Included: Live phone and chat
Included: Phone on its login page
4Billing and QuickBooks directionOne-way sync means a payment taken in QuickBooks never comes back, so someone reconciles by hand. Two-way sync keeps both sides current.Ask in the demoIf a customer pays in QuickBooks, does the payment show in your app without anyone retyping it?
5Water chemistryReadings alone don't balance water, so an LSI and a dose in your own chemicals, scaled to the gallons, keep a new tech from guessing.Ask in the demoWith pH 7.2, TA 70, CH 220, CYA 40 at 82 °F on 18,000 gallons, what LSI and what doses does it give?
Not on their site, or limited: Readings only, on Connect
Not on their site, or limited: Not on their site
Not on their site, or limited: Readings logged; LSI not on their site
6Route optimization on the base planReordering a day's stops for a shorter drive matters most when the book changes every week, and some companies keep it on a higher plan.Ask in the demoIs one-click route optimization on the plan you just quoted me, or a higher one?
Included: Core plan
Higher plan only: Scaling Up, $98
Included: Included
Included: One click
Included: Included
Included: Included
Higher plan only: Connect, $139
Higher plan only: Max, $329
Included: Listed on its login page
7Tech accountabilityWhen a customer asks whether the tech came, required checklist items, readings and photos answer it, so check what the app makes a tech finish.Ask in the demoCan I require a checklist item, a reading or a photo before a stop closes, and is GPS on my plan?
Included: Required items, readings and photos; GPS10
Higher plan only: Required items on Scaling Up
Included: Guided steps can't be skipped
Included: GPS trail
Included: GPS and activity
Included: GPS check-ins
Higher plan only: GPS waypoints, some plans
Higher plan only: GPS from Essentials
Depends: Checklists and photo emails; GPS not on their site11
8A time clock for the crewOnce techs are paid by the hour, clocking in on the phone replaces the weekly round of texts and paper timesheets.Ask in the demoCan techs clock in and out on the app, and is that on the plan you quoted me?
9Documents and e-signatureA repair estimate or service agreement signed on the customer's phone settles the price and lets the work start the same day.Ask in the demoCan a customer sign a quote or a service agreement from an email, and can a tech get a signature at the pool?
Included: Quotes, agreements and waivers, e-signed14
Higher plan only: Quote approval on Scaling Up
Depends: Quote approval; no e-signature
Not on their site, or limited: Bids; e-signature not on their site
Included: Quotes with e-signature
Depends: Quote approvals; e-signature not on their site
Included: Quotes with signature
Included: Quotes with signature
Not on their site, or limited: Not on their site
10Truck stock and supply receiptsChemicals and parts are most of what a route spends, and knowing what each truck carries saves a second trip to the supply house.Ask in the demoCan I track stock on each truck, and can I add a supply-house receipt without typing every line?
Included: Truck stock, AI receipt scanning, fuel log15
11Income, expenses and profitA route can stay busy and still lose money, so look for what came in, what went out and what each pool earns without waiting on the bookkeeper.Ask in the demoCan I see last month's income, expenses and profit, and profit by pool or by route?
Included: Income, expenses and P&L; profit per pool17
12Calls and an AI that answersCustomers call when something breaks, usually while every tech is in a backyard, so check who picks up and what reaches the office.Ask in the demoWhen nobody can pick up, what happens to the call, and does a message or a work order land in the office?
13SwitchingCustomers, properties, bodies of water, equipment and recurring schedules all have to move, so ask who moves them and whether the old system can keep running.Ask in the demoWho moves my customers, pools and schedules, what does it cost, and can I keep my old system until I'm happy?
1Pool Runs saves today's and tomorrow's stops offline, with readings, chemicals, checklists, notes, photos and videos, and syncs when the tech reconnects. Creating quotes, invoices and new work orders needs a connection.
2Jobber's pages don't mention offline use, and a Jobber staff reply in its community says the app doesn't work offline apart from internal notes.
3iON techs now sign in to the Fluidra Pro app, whose Google Play listing mentions offline schedules, service logs and work orders.
4Our contact page lists (844) 603-0045 as available 24/7, plus [email protected].
5Skimmer's Getting Started plan lists “customer support lite”, with live phone support on Scaling Up.
6Pool Runs has a two-way sync with QuickBooks Online that covers customers, invoices, payments and items, so a payment taken in QuickBooks shows in Pool Runs.
7Skimmer's help center says its QuickBooks Online sync runs one way, from Skimmer to QuickBooks.
8PSS links its invoices to QuickBooks Online invoices and says payments can be taken in either system.
9For the readings in the question, Pool Runs shows an LSI of −0.55 (corrosive) and suggests 5 lb of baking soda and 1.5 lb of soda ash, which brings it to −0.14.
10Pool Runs won't let a tech close a stop until required checklist items, photo items and required readings are done, and it includes GPS.
11iON's current pages are short, so these iON marks come from Fluidra's iON page as archived in December 2023, which now redirects to the Fluidra Pro home page.
12Paythepoolman's features page puts clock-ins under Payroll ($12 an employee), with hours approved before payroll runs.
13Jobber lists time and expense tracking on Connect and automatic time tracking on Grow.
14Pool Runs builds service agreements, estimates, change orders and waivers from templates or your own PDF, sends them by email or signs them on the tech's phone, and keeps a signed PDF with an audit trail.
15Photograph a supply-house receipt and AI reads the items and prices into that truck's stock, and it can post the purchase to QuickBooks. A shopping list and a fuel log sit beside it.
16Pool Brain's June 29, 2025 release added trucks and inventory tracked by truck and location.
17Beside income, expenses and P&L, Pool Runs reports A/R aging, profit per pool and per route, tech payouts, chemical usage and route efficiency.
18Skimmer includes financial and payment reports on every plan, and its Bookkeeping service starts at $198 a month.
19Communications ($50) adds a business number, calls from the browser and the phone app, ring groups, a phone menu, voicemail with transcription and number porting. The AI voice agent answers, looks up the caller and drafts a work order for the office to confirm, and it doesn't book appointments.
20Skimmer's own Q&A pages describe a data migration team that exports, cleans and imports your data, and we found no price for it.
21Paythepoolman has an AI-assisted importer for a Skimmer export or spreadsheet, and its team imports for you for a small fee.
Read on each company's pricing, feature and help pages on October 21, 2026 at monthly billing. “Not on their site” means only that we found no mention, and since prices and plans change, check each site before you decide.
Free pool service software
Almost every tool here lets you try it free.
PSS stays free up to 10 properties, and iON Pool Care is the only tool here with no trial on its current site. Card processing still costs money on a free plan, so read the fee line before your first invoice.
Free plan
$0up to 10 properties
The free plan has every feature and no contract, and a property is any body of water you track, so a house with a pool and a spa counts as two. From 11 properties it's $49.99 a month, with card payments through Stripe at 2.9% plus 30¢.
The 30-day free trial covers the core plan. Add-ons aren't part of the trial, and the plan runs month to month after that.
Free to 10 properties
Every feature is on the free plan, and annual plans are 15% off.
First month free on Scaling Up
This limited-time offer for new customers bills use past 49 locations after the month, and Skimmer also offers a separate 30-day refund guarantee.
30-day free trial
Setup is free.
Paythepoolman
30-day free trial
New pool companies can call to ask about a discount on the base plan.
30-day free trial
A card is taken at signup, and nothing is charged until day 30.
30-day free trial
No card needed.
14-day free trial
No card needed.
14-day free trial
No card needed.
iON Pool Care
Not on its current site
Fluidra's 2023 iON page offered a free try and a demo. iON's current login page shows neither, and it publishes no price.
Read on each company's pricing pages on October 21, 2026, and since trial terms change often, confirm them when you sign up.
Every head-to-head
Already down to two?
Questions
Questions pool companies ask before they switch.
What's the best pool service software for a solo tech?
It depends on the size of the route. Pool Runs is $45 up to 50 pools, $62.50 at 60 and $167.50 at 120, and it fits a solo owner who wants quotes with e-signature, two-way QuickBooks and LSI dose suggestions in one app. On list price, Paythepoolman ($65 with one tech, at any pool count) and PoolTrac ($1 a visited location) start lower for a solo route, and PSS is $99 from 51 to 100 properties. We'll match and beat any lower price for the same job.
Is there free pool service software?
Pool Service Software (PSS) is free up to 10 properties with every feature, though card processing still has fees. Every other tool here except iON has a trial, with 30 days at Pool Runs, Pool Brain, Paythepoolman, Pool Office Manager and PoolTrac, 14 days at Jobber and Housecall Pro, and a free first month on Skimmer's Scaling Up as a limited-time offer.
Skimmer or Pool Brain: which is better?
They charge in opposite ways. Skimmer's Scaling Up is $98 with 49 locations, then $2 each, and Pool Brain is $50 plus $65 a tech. With full routes Pool Brain usually costs less, and 200 pools with 3 techs is $245 at Pool Brain against $400 at Skimmer. Skimmer offers Orenda dosing with LaMotte and Sunbit financing. Pool Brain syncs QuickBooks both ways, and Skimmer's sync runs one way. Our Pool Brain vs Skimmer page goes row by row.
Is per-pool or per-tech pricing better?
Per-pool pricing (Pool Runs, Skimmer, PoolTrac, PSS) follows your book, so a part-time helper or an office login costs nothing extra. With per-tech pricing (Pool Brain, Paythepoolman, ProValet), the bill follows headcount, so each tech you add before their route fills raises it. Against Pool Brain, Pool Runs costs less up to about 127 pools with 2 techs or 164 with 3, and with 4 or more techs it costs less at every size up to 200 properties. Above 200, we price the plan with you.
Should a pool company use Jobber or Housecall Pro?
If pool service is one trade among several, they're built for that. For a pool-only route, check three things: we found no LSI or dosing at either (Jobber logs readings with checklists on Connect), a Jobber staff reply says its app doesn't work offline, and Housecall Pro puts route optimization on Max at $329. Jobber Connect starts at $139 for one user, and Housecall Pro Essentials is $189 for five.
Which pool service software includes an AI phone?
Pool Runs' AI voice agent, in the $50 Communications add-on, answers, looks up the caller's account and drafts a work order for your office to confirm, though it doesn't book appointments. The same add-on gives you a business number, calls from the browser and the phone app, ring groups, a phone menu and voicemail with transcription. Skimmer's AI Phone is $99 a month, Jobber's AI Receptionist is $29 and can book jobs, and Housecall Pro prices CSR AI on request. We found no AI phone at Pool Brain, Paythepoolman, Pool Office Manager, PSS or iON.
Which pool service software has GPS and a time clock?
Pool Runs includes GPS and a time clock. Pool Office Manager lists GPS and clock-ins, Paythepoolman has a GPS trail and puts clock-ins under its payroll add-on at $12 an employee, PSS shows each tech's check-in location, Housecall Pro has GPS from Essentials, and Jobber tracks time from Connect. We found neither on Skimmer's or Pool Brain's own pages.
How much does pool service software cost a month?
List prices run from $80 (Paythepoolman) to $240 (Skimmer) at 120 pools with 2 techs, where Pool Runs is $167.50 and Pool Brain $180. At 300 pools with 5 techs they run from $125 to $600, and Pool Runs quotes volume pricing because it has no list price above 200 properties. We'll match and beat any lower price for the same job. The cost table shows all ten companies that publish prices at five sizes.
What happened to iON Pool Care?
All three of its logins still work (the office login, the tech login now titled Fluidra Pro Mobile, and the customer portal), and support is (844) 200-8750. Fluidra Pro's tools page lists ProEdge Build and iAquaLink but not iON, and iON's old Fluidra page redirects to the Fluidra Pro home page. Fluidra's newer pool service software, trackr iO, is $65 per tech a month with 12 months free for new customers from September 24, 2026, though its terms say existing iON customers aren't eligible. We checked all of this on October 21, 2026, and our iON Pool Care comparison has the details.
How do you check these facts?
Every price comes from the company's own pricing page, read on October 21, 2026 at monthly billing, and every feature from its own feature and help pages. Where we found no mention we say so, which doesn't mean it can't exist. We make Pool Runs, so we list every source below and price every company at the same sizes.
Sources
Prices checked October 21, 2026 · Read on each company's own pricing and help pages
Your pool count and crew are enough, or last month's invoice from the software you use now. On the demo we price your route at all ten companies and show what each plan leaves out at your size, and if someone lists lower for the same job, we'll match and beat it.
Your route
Pools serviced a month
120
Techs in the field
2
List price a month, billed monthlyPool Runs is 5 of 10
Pool Runs$45 + 70 × $1.75$167.50
$50 + 2 × $65$180
Scaling Up$240
Lowest pricePaythepoolman$80
We'll match and beat any lower price for the same job.
Match and beatSend us a published price or an invoice from another pool service software company for the same job, and Pool Runs will match it and beat it.
1Your bill at ten companiesWith the math under each one, at your pool count and crew.
2What each plan leaves outRouting, QuickBooks direction, offline use and the AI phone, at your size.
3Match and beat, appliedIf a tool that does the same job lists lower, we'll match it and beat it.
Pool Runs
