Prices checked October 21, 2026

Pool Brain vs Pool Runs for your crew size in 2026.

Pool Runs gives you free tech logins, signed quotes and an AI voice agent add-on, and we'll match and beat a lower Pool Brain price.

Cost at your size

Pool Brain pricing is $50 a month plus $65 for every tech.

That's $115 a month with 1 tech and $245 with 3, with office users, every feature and setup included. Pool Runs is $45 for 50 pools, then $1.75 a pool up to 200, with techs free. Above 200 we price the plan with you. Both are list prices billed monthly, before add-ons and card fees.
Monthly cost of Pool Brain and Pool Runs at five crew sizes
Monthly, list price60 pools · 1 tech60 a tech120 pools · 2 techs60 a tech200 pools · 3 techs67 a tech300 pools · 5 techs60 a tech500 pools · 8 techs63 a tech
Pool Brain$50 base + $65 per active tech$115$50 + 1 × $65$180$50 + 2 × $65$245$50 + 3 × $65$375$50 + 5 × $65$570$50 + 8 × $65
Pool Runs$45 + $1.75 per pool past 50$62.50$45 + 10 × $1.75$167.50$45 + 70 × $1.75$307.50$45 + 150 × $1.75Volume pricingPriced with you, and we match and beat any lower priceVolume pricingPriced with you, and we match and beat any lower price
Who pays lessPool Runs
by $52.50 a month
Pool Runs
by $12.50 a month
Pool Brain list
by $62.50, and we'll match and beat it
Match and beat
Send us Pool Brain's $375 and we'll beat it
Match and beat
Send us Pool Brain's $570 and we'll beat it

Pool Runs counts a pool in a month once it has a completed visit that month. Above 200 properties there's no list price. Over 200 properties, we price the plan with you, and the match-and-beat promise still applies. Both pricing pages show monthly prices only.

Which one costs less for your book?

Pools serviced a month
120pools
Active techs
2techs
Or pick a size
“Theirs” is the size Pool Brain uses in its own comparison charts, 3 techs at 80 pools each.
Monthly cost at 120 pools and 2 techsAbout 60 pools per tech
Pool Brain$180$50 + 2 × $65
Pool Runs$167.50$45 + 70 × $1.75

Pool Runs costs $12.50 less a month at this size. Add a part-time tech and the gap grows by $65.

With 2 techs, the list prices meet at about 127 poolsPool Runs costs lessPool Brain list price lowerVolume pricing

Pool Brain's own example

Pool Brain's comparison charts price 3 techs carrying 80 pools each at $245 a month. At 240 pools Pool Runs is volume pricing, and we'll match and beat that $245.

Pool Brain$245$50 + 3 × $65Pool RunsVolume pricingMatched and beaten

Pool Brain's bill grows $65 with every tech, so a fourth tech takes it to $310. Every Pool Runs user is free, so the fourth tech costs nothing.

Price promise

Found a lower price? We'll match and beat it.

Send 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. You keep every feature in our plan.A current Pool Brain invoice works as proof.Send us your Pool Brain invoice
Rule of thumb

Up to 200 pools, Pool Runs costs less while the book stays under about 53 pools plus 37 per tech. That's 90 pools with 1 tech, 127 with 2 and 164 with 3, and with 4 or more techs Pool Runs costs less all the way to 200. Above 200 pools Pool Runs is volume pricing. We'll match and beat any lower price for the same job.

Extras that change the bill

Calling and AI answering
Pool BrainNot on their sitePool RunsCommunications, $50/mo
Two-way texting
Pool BrainOne-way “On the Way” text, includedPool RunsCommunications + Engage, $80/mo
QuickBooks Online
Pool BrainIncluded, two-wayPool RunsIncluded, two-way
Card and ACH
Pool BrainStripe, or keep Nuvei or PayaPool RunsStripe, at Stripe’s fees
Each extra tech
Pool Brain$65 a monthPool Runs$0

Communications is a dedicated business number you answer on the web and in the app, with voicemail, the AI voice agent, 1,000 texts and 400 voice minutes a month. Engage adds the shared inbox, workflow automation and review requests. Pool Brain's card processing runs through its own Stripe setup or an existing Nuvei or Paya account, and it can add a surcharge to card payments. Prices read October 21, 2026.

Feature by feature

Pool Runs adds calling, e-signature and new leads.

Pool Runs also scans supply-house receipts and equipment labels, and includes a time clock, GPS and P&L reports. Pool Brain goes further on dosing automation and pump data, and its one plan includes every feature. Its marks come from its own pages.
  • Included
  • Paid add-on
  • Not on their site (Pool Brain) · Not offered (Pool Runs)
Pool Brain and Pool Runs features compared
Read October 21, 2026Pool Brain$50 + $65 per active techPool Runs$45 + $1.75 per pool past 50
Run the route
Scheduling and recurring visitsIncluded: Drag and drop, one-time and bulk movesIncluded: Recurring visits and dispatch
Route optimizationIncluded: One click, on the web or in the appIncluded: Reorders a day’s stops for a shorter drive
Works with no signalIncluded: The tech app, syncing later1Included: Stops, readings, doses, checklists, photos2
Visit reports with photosIncluded: Proof-of-service emailsIncluded: Service reports by email, with photos and video3
Steps techs must completeIncluded: Guided steps that can’t be skippedIncluded: Required items, photos and readings4
Equipment maintenance jobsIncluded: Filter, salt-cell and custom schedules5Included: Recurring job plans and checklist tasks every so many visits6
Equipment label scanningNot found: Not on their siteIncluded: Scan the equipment label to fill in make, model and serial
Office alertsIncluded: Custom alerts on chemistry, flow, leaks, time and costIncluded: Team alerts you route by event, by email or push7
GPSNot found: Not on their siteIncluded: Included
Time clockNot found: Not on their siteIncluded: Included
Water chemistry
LSIIncluded: Built-in Orenda calculator, LSI history graphsIncluded: LSI calculator on the web and in the app
Dose amountsIncluded: Filled in from targets or LSI steps8Included: Suggested pH, alkalinity and calcium doses for the pool’s gallons
Readings by voiceNot found: Not on their siteIncluded: The tech says readings, doses and a note, and the app fills them in
Test-kit readersIncluded: LaMotte Spin Touch, readings sent in one tapNot offered: Not offered
Pump dataIncluded: Pentair IntelliFlo3, read daily9Not offered: Not offered
Customers and billing
Customer portalIncluded: Pay, auto-pay, quotes, job photosIncluded: Pay, autopay, visit history, quotes, documents, service requests
QuotesIncluded: Approve or decline online10Included: Customer signs online or in person
Documents and e-signatureNot found: Not on their siteIncluded: Agreements, estimates, change orders and waivers, signed by email or on the tech’s phone11
Invoicing and auto-payIncluded: Per visit or flat rate, declines retried dailyIncluded: Recurring invoices, card auto-pay
Card paymentsIncluded: Stripe with Apple Pay and Google Pay, or keep your processor12Included: Stripe with Apple Pay and Google Pay13
QuickBooks OnlineIncluded: Two-way for customers, invoices, payments, refunds, productsIncluded: Two-way sync covering customers, invoices, payments and items14
Office
InventoryIncluded: Truck stock that drops as techs dose15Included: Truck and warehouse stock, shopping list and fuel log16
Supplier orderingIncluded: Heritage Pool Supply ordering and bulk importNot offered: Not offered, though a shared shopping list tracks parts to buy
Tech pay and route profitIncluded: Pay per stop, job or commission; route profit reportIncluded: Tech payouts, and profit per pool and per route17
Income, expenses and P&L reportsNot found: Not on their siteIncluded: Included
Office and tech loginsOffice users free, each active tech $65Included: Unlimited, at no charge
Tasks and calendar feedNot found: Not on their site, though techs can file issue reportsIncluded: Office tasks and a calendar link you subscribe to
Phone, texting and growth
Business callingNot found: Not on their siteAdd-on: Communications, $50: your number on the web and in the app, voicemail18
AI phone answeringNot found: Not on their siteAdd-on: Communications, $50; drafts the work order19
Texting customersIncluded: One-way “On the Way” text20Add-on: Two-way, with both add-ons, $8021
Email to customersIncluded: Automatic reminders and mass emailsIncluded: Service emails and broadcast email
Workflow automationNot found: Not on their site, beyond automatic emailsAdd-on: Engage, $50: 24 triggers and 10 starter recipes22
New leadsNot found: Not on their siteIncluded: Fresh Movers, pool discovery and lead routes23
AI
Assistant on your own recordsNot found: Not on their siteIncluded: Answers questions from your customers, routes, invoices and quotes
AI receipt scanningNot found: Not on their siteIncluded: Reads supply-house receipts into truck stock, and can post to QuickBooks24
AI in dosingIncluded: Chlorine-tab dose, in beta25Not offered: Not offered
Plans and support
How it’s charged$50 a month + $65 per active tech$45 a month + $1.75 per serviced pool past 50, volume pricing over 200
Free trial30 days30 days of the core plan
Setup and moving your dataIncluded: Free setupIncluded: Our team moves your data, free
SupportWebsite chat and email26Phone and email
  1. 1Pool Brain says its app doesn’t need a username, password or cell signal, and syncs job data once it has signal.
  2. 2The Pool Runs app saves the tech’s stops for today and tomorrow, with readings, chemicals, checklists, notes, parts, photos and videos, and syncs when it reconnects. Creating quotes, work orders or customers needs a connection.
  3. 3Pool Runs techs can record service videos of up to 90 seconds on a stop, for the customer or for the office only.
  4. 4Pool Runs checklist items can be required or need a photo, and a reading can be required every visit or after a set number of visits. The app won’t complete the stop until they’re done.
  5. 5Pool Brain auto-creates filter and salt-cell cleans and, since October 4, 2026, any recurring job you link to a piece of equipment.
  6. 6Pool Runs recurring job plans track repeating jobs like a quarterly filter clean with a next due date, and the office schedules each one as a work order.
  7. 7You pick who gets an email or push alert for about 25 events, such as a skipped visit, an approved quote, a paid invoice, a signed document or a missed call. A fully custom alert is a workflow, which comes with Engage.
  8. 8Pool Brain fills in dose amounts from range targets or from LSI steps you set up in its built-in Orenda calculator (May 17, 2026), and can hold a pH floor.
  9. 9Pool Brain receives gallons moved, GPM, RPM, PSI and pump alarms each day from connected Pentair IntelliFlo3 pumps (August 6, 2026).
  10. 10Pool Brain customers approve, decline or ask about a quote in its portal. We found no e-signature on its site or in its help centre.
  11. 11Pool Runs builds documents from templates or your own PDFs, sends them by email or signs them on the tech’s phone, and keeps a signed PDF with an audit trail.
  12. 12Pool Brain added Stripe payments with Apple Pay and Google Pay on September 28, 2026. Companies on Nuvei or Paya can keep them. It also offers automatic card surcharging.
  13. 13Pool Runs takes card, ACH, Apple Pay and Google Pay through your own Stripe account, which charges its own fees, with no Pool Runs cut.
  14. 14Payments and refunds recorded in QuickBooks come back into Pool Runs, and in the US receipts and fuel can post to QuickBooks as expenses.
  15. 15Pool Brain takes chemicals off the tech’s truck stock as they’re used on stops (June 27, 2026) and keeps a shopping list per tech (September 12, 2026).
  16. 16Pool Runs tracks stock on each truck, van and warehouse, adds items from scanned supply-house receipts, and logs fuel per truck. Chemicals logged on a visit aren’t taken off truck stock automatically.
  17. 17Pool Runs reports include a revenue summary, A/R aging, revenue and margin (profit per pool and per route), tech payouts, chemical usage and route efficiency.
  18. 18Communications gives you a business number you answer in the browser or the iPhone and Android app, with ring groups, a phone menu, voicemail with transcription and free number porting.
  19. 19The Pool Runs AI voice agent answers, looks up the caller’s account, takes messages and drafts a work order for the office to confirm instead of booking the appointment itself.
  20. 20Pool Brain’s “On the Way” text comes from a shared pool of numbers. Replies get an automatic message or go to a phone number you choose.
  21. 21Two-way texting in the Pool Runs shared inbox needs Communications ($50) and Engage ($50), $80 together. Communications alone sends automatic on-my-way and service-completed texts.
  22. 22Pool Runs workflows start from triggers like a paid invoice, an accepted quote or a missed call, and send texts or emails, alert a teammate, request a review, or create a task or deal.
  23. 23Fresh Movers finds homes with a pool sold in the last 7 to 180 days, with the sale details and the owner’s name and mailing address, and lead routes turn them into a door-knocking route in the app. Pool discovery and homeowner lookup use monthly credits.
  24. 24Photograph a supply-house receipt and AI reads the items and prices. You check them, add them to truck stock, and can post the purchase to QuickBooks.
  25. 25Pool Brain’s AI chlorine-tab dose launched January 10, 2026, labelled beta. It needs a chlorine reading, the pool’s gallons and a floater or in-line chlorinator.
  26. 26Pool Brain’s help centre points to website chat and email for support, including for Stripe payments.

Read on each company's pricing, feature and help pages on October 21, 2026 at monthly billing. “Not on their site” means we found no mention of it, though it may still exist. Prices and plans change, so check each site before you decide.

Where each one wins

Pool Runs wins on calls, quotes and part-time help.

Pool Brain goes further on chemistry automation. Of these eight questions, three go to Pool Runs, one goes to Pool Brain and four are even.
Pool Runs wins

What does a part-time or seasonal tech cost?

At Pool Runs it costs nothing, because every login is free and the bill follows the pools you service. At Pool Brain each active tech is $65 a month, so a summer helper who splits existing routes adds $65 without adding a pool.

Even

What does a full route cost?

Pool Brain charges per tech, so a tech carrying 60 to 80 pools adds $65 a month, and its list price comes in lower once every route is full. Pool Runs bills by the pool up to 200 and prices bigger books with you. We'll match and beat any lower price for the same job.

Pool Brain wins

Which handles water chemistry better?

Pool Brain fills in the dose from targets or LSI steps you build in its Orenda calculator, holds a pH floor, takes readings from a LaMotte Spin Touch and is testing an AI dose for chlorine tabs. Pool Runs works out the LSI from the latest readings and suggests how much to add to adjust pH, alkalinity and calcium for each pool's gallons, and techs can say their readings aloud for the app to fill in.

Even

Can a tech skip a step or miss a problem?

Neither app lets a tech skip ahead. Pool Runs won't let a tech complete a stop until required checklist items, photos and readings are done, and it sends team alerts you route by event, such as a skipped visit or a missed call. With Engage you can build your own alerts as workflows. Pool Brain also guides techs through required steps, alerts on chemistry, flow and leaks, and reads daily data from Pentair IntelliFlo3 pumps.

Pool Runs wins

Who answers the phone after hours?

With Communications ($50 a month), your business number rings your team on the web and in the Pool Runs app, and voicemails are transcribed and sent to you. After hours, the AI voice agent answers, looks up the caller's account and drafts a work order for your office to confirm. Instead of booking the visit itself, it leaves your office to review the draft, pick the tech and confirm the time.

We found no phone answering on Pool Brain's site or in its help centre.

Even

Which one works with no signal?

Both keep working in a dead zone. Pool Brain says its app needs no cell signal and syncs once it has one. Pool Runs saves stops, readings, doses, checklists and photos on the phone and syncs later, and saving a quote needs a connection.

Even

Does QuickBooks sync both ways?

Both offer a two-way sync with QuickBooks Online. Pool Runs covers customers, invoices, payments and items, and because each also bills on its own, QuickBooks stays optional for day-to-day billing.

Pool Runs wins

Can a customer sign a quote and text you back?

Pool Runs quotes are signed online or in person and keep the signature and name, and service agreements, change orders and waivers are signed the same way, with a signed PDF and audit trail. Pool Brain customers approve or decline in its portal, and we found no e-signature. With Communications and Engage ($80 together), customers text back into the Pool Runs shared inbox. Pool Brain's “On the Way” text is one-way, and replies go to an auto-reply or a number you pick.

What Pool Brain users report

Pool Runs answers what Pool Brain users report.

Each issue below comes from a public review or from Pool Brain’s own pages. We read them on October 21, 2026, and each one links to its source.
Owners

Every active tech adds $65 a month.

Pool Brain’s pricing page charges $50 for the company plus $65 for each active tech, so a part-time helper costs the same as a full route.

Pool Brain pricingread October 21, 2026

Pool Runs: Every Pool Runs login is free, and the bill follows the pools you service.

Techs

Required photos and steps slow each stop.

A tech review on Google Play says forced photo prompts add time at every pool, and an owner on Capterra says techs complain for the first week or so.

Google Play review, February 14, 2025Capterra review, September 4, 2025

Pool Runs: In Pool Runs you choose which checklist steps are required and which need a photo, pool by pool.

Techs

Some Android reviews mention slow photo saves.

A few tech reviews on Google Play describe screens that need several taps and photos that take a moment to save.

Google Play reviewsread October 21, 2026

Pool Runs: The Pool Runs app saves each stop, reading, dose and photo on the phone first, then syncs.

Customers

Customer replies don’t come back into Pool Brain.

Pool Brain’s “On the Way” text is one-way. Replies get an automatic message or go to a phone number you choose.

Pool Brain help centreread October 21, 2026

Pool Runs: With Communications and Engage ($80 a month), customers text back into your shared inbox.

Owners

There’s no e-signature for contracts.

An owner on Capterra lists the lack of DocuSign-style signing for contracts as a con, and we found no e-signature in Pool Brain’s help centre.

Capterra review, September 2, 2025

Pool Runs: Customers sign Pool Runs quotes, service agreements and waivers online or on the tech’s phone, with a signed PDF and audit trail.

Owners

Setup takes time.

Reviewers on Capterra say it takes time to set up right, and one owner called it more than a small pool company needs.

Capterra reviews, October 12, 2023 and September 4, 2025

Pool Runs: Our team moves your customers, pools, service history and checklists for free.

From Pool Runs customers

“We used to drive all over town, sometimes doubling back three or four times a day. With Pool Runs route optimization, we shaved almost an hour off every route. My guys are home earlier and we're saving a fortune on gas.”
Jordan Walsh, owner of Lakeside Pool ServicesJordan WalshOwner, Lakeside Pool Services
“I let my techs optimize their own routes from the app now. They save 20–30 minutes a day and I don't have to micromanage the stop order anymore. It just works.”
Wendy Rutherford, office admin at Rutherford PoolsWendy RutherfordOffice Admin, Rutherford Pools

Switching from Pool Brain brings your service history with you.

Our team does the move for free. You send the export, check the result and keep Pool Brain running until you're ready.

  1. 1

    Send us your Pool Brain export.

    We bring across your customers, properties, each body of water and its equipment, and set up recurring schedules with you.

    You send it · we map it
  2. 2

    Your service history comes too.

    Past visits, readings, chemical doses, checklist answers and service photos land on each pool. History comes in as finished work, so it can’t be reopened or billed again.

    Our team
  3. 3

    So do your checklists.

    Default and per-pool checklists, required steps, before and after photos, and tasks like a backwash every few visits, with each pool’s count carried over. Anything unclear comes in switched off for you to review.

    Our team
  4. 4

    Check it, then switch.

    You review everything before go-live. Old invoices and payments aren’t re-created, so nothing is billed twice, and QuickBooks keeps the record.

    You decide when
Questions

Questions about Pool Brain

How much does Pool Brain cost in 2026?

Pool Brain is $50 a month for the company, with unlimited office users, plus $65 for each active technician. Every feature and setup are included, and there's no per-pool fee. That's $115 a month with 1 tech, $245 with 3, $375 with 5 and $570 with 8, billed monthly, with a 30-day free trial.

Is Pool Brain cheaper than Pool Runs?

It depends on how many pools each tech carries. Up to 200 pools, Pool Runs costs less while your book stays under about 53 pools plus 37 per tech, which is 90 pools with 1 tech or 164 with 3, and with 4 or more techs Pool Runs costs less all the way to 200. Above 200 pools Pool Runs is volume pricing. Wherever Pool Brain's price is lower, including the $245 its own charts give for 3 techs and 240 pools, we'll match and beat it.

Does Pool Brain charge per pool or per tech?

Pool Brain charges per tech, with a $50 base, $65 for each active technician and no per-location fee. Pool Runs works the other way round, with $45 covering your first 50 pools, $1.75 for each serviced pool past 50 up to 200, volume pricing above that, and no charge for techs.

Is the Pool Brain app good?

It works with no signal and walks techs through steps they can't skip. Some tech reviews on Google Play say the required photos and steps add time at each stop. The Pool Runs app also works with no signal, and you choose which checklist steps are required, pool by pool.

What do Pool Brain reviews say?

The complaints we found mention the $65 charge for each active tech, setup time, required photo steps that slow techs down, no e-signature for contracts and, in one review, payments and QuickBooks. Each one links to its source in the section above.

Does Pool Brain have AI?

Its AI-labelled feature is a chlorine-tab dose, in beta since January 10, 2026, and it uses AI to suggest column matches when you import customers. We found no AI phone answering, lead finding or assistant for your own records. Pool Runs includes an AI assistant that answers from your own records and AI receipt scanning that reads supply-house receipts into truck stock, and its app can scan an equipment label to fill in make, model and serial. With Communications ($50 a month), the AI voice agent answers calls and drafts work orders for your office to confirm.

Does Pool Brain still use Nuvei for payments?

Since September 28, 2026, Pool Brain has processed payments through Stripe with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Companies already on Nuvei or Paya can keep them. Pool Runs also uses Stripe, with card, ACH, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Can I move from Pool Brain and keep my history?

Yes, our team brings across your customers, properties, bodies of water and equipment, your past visits, readings, doses, checklist answers and service photos, and your checklists. History comes in as finished work that can't be billed again. You review it before go-live, and the move is free.

Prices checked October 21, 2026 · Read on each company's own pricing and help pages

Sources

Each read October 21, 2026 unless noted
  1. 1Pool Brain pricing. poolbrain.com/pricing read October 21, 2026
  2. 2Pool Brain home page, trial and app. poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  3. 3Pool Brain features. poolbrain.com/features read October 21, 2026
  4. 4Pool Brain’s Skimmer comparison chart, 3 techs at 80 pools each, chart dated July 18, 2026. poolcompanysoftware.poolbrain.com/skimmer-vs-poolbrain read October 21, 2026
  5. 5Update, October 4, 2026: recurring equipment jobs, pre-stop notes. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  6. 6Update, September 28, 2026: Stripe payments, Apple Pay and Google Pay, surcharging. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  7. 7Update, September 12, 2026: tech shopping lists. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  8. 8Update, August 28, 2026: Heritage bulk import. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  9. 9Update, August 6, 2026: Pentair IntelliFlo3 pumps. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  10. 10Update, June 27, 2026: truck inventory auto-deduct. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  11. 11Update, May 17, 2026: LSI auto-dosing and pH floor. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  12. 12Update, January 10, 2026: AI chlorine-tab dose, beta. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  13. 13Update, November 15, 2025: customer portal payments and quotes. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  14. 14Update, November 29, 2024: LaMotte Spin Touch. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  15. 15Update, May 13, 2024: “On the Way” text. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  16. 16Pool Brain updates and announcements. help.poolbrain.com read October 21, 2026
  17. 17Pool Brain reviews on Capterra. capterra.com/p/194225/Pool-Brain read October 21, 2026
  18. 18Pool Brain app on Google Play. play.google.com read October 21, 2026
  19. 19Pool Runs pricing and price promise. poolruns.com/pricing read October 21, 2026

Price promise

Send us your Pool Brain invoice and we'll beat it.

Send 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. You keep every feature in our plan.

Try it free for 30 days, month to month, with a free move from Pool Brain

Sample monthly invoice fromPool Brain
Base planUnlimited office users, every feature$50.00
Active technicians3 × $65 a month3$195.00
Total this month$245.00
Pool RunsYou keep every feature in our plan, and if your Pool Runs list price is already lower, you pay that instead.Our promiseMatch and beat
When the list price already wins
Up to 200 pools, under about 53 pools plus 37 per tech
When the promise pays off
Pool Brain’s own example of 3 techs and 240 pools at $245
What comes with you
History, checklists and photos, moved free