Original Research
The Contractor Software Pricing Index
We independently researched real pricing for 19 quote-only trade software platforms across 11 industries - the ones that don't publish a rate card. Here's what we found, and the patterns that show up once you put them side by side.
Last updated 2026-08-30
19
quote-only platforms researched, none of which publish a standard rate card
9 of 19
have a documented pricing quirk - multi-year contracts, à la carte add-ons, or an advertised rate that understates real cost
100x+
spread between the cheapest entry point ($12/user/mo) and the most expensive (Procore's $100,000+/year)
What we found
Multi-year contracts cluster around hardware-bundled products
2 of 19 products in this index carry a reported multi-year minimum contract - Samsara (36 months) and ServiceTitan (12 months, often pushed to 2-3 years). Both bundle physical hardware (GPS trackers, dash cams, dispatch iPads) into the subscription, which is the likely driver: a longer contract is how a vendor recovers hardware cost without charging it upfront. Pure-software products in this index carry no such pattern in our research.
The advertised rate can understate real cost by 4x
AppFolio's clearest example: a $1.40/unit/month headline rate sounds affordable, but a $280-400/month minimum applies regardless of unit count. At exactly 50 units - AppFolio's own stated minimum portfolio size - the effective rate is $5.60-5.96/unit/month, roughly 4x the advertised number. The lesson generalizes: any per-unit or per-seat rate paired with a monthly minimum should be checked at your actual size before you compare it to a competitor's headline number.
"À la carte" add-ons are common enough to budget for by default
4 of 19 products in this index have a documented pattern of billing genuinely useful features - route optimization, AI tools, inspection modules, API access - separately from the base subscription. PestPac's termite inspection module, Filevine's Lead Docket and DemandsAI, BuildOps's all-users-billed model, and Real Green's modular add-ons all follow this shape. Assume the quoted base tier doesn't include everything you'll actually need, and ask for a full line-item breakdown before comparing two quotes.
Sometimes even the pricing model itself is disputed
mHelpDesk was the one case in our research where independent sources didn't just disagree on the number - they disagreed on the pricing model itself. Some sources describe flat, unlimited-user tiers; others describe strict per-seat pricing. That kind of disagreement is itself useful information: it means the pricing structure isn't well-established publicly, so asking "is this per-user or flat-rate?" as your first question on a sales call isn't a naive question - it's a necessary one.
Full pricing index
Every row links to that product's own dedicated pricing page, with full sourcing and a checked date. Ranges are compiled from multiple independent sources, not a single quote.
| Product | Industry | Reported range | Pricing model | Contract | Segment | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProcoreReview → | Construction | $15,000-$100,000+/yr | Annual Construction Volume (ACV) | Not specified | Enterprise | |
| RakenReview → | Construction | $12-93/user/mo | Per-user, tiered | Not specified | Mid-size | |
| BuildOpsReview → | Construction Subcontractor | $40-165+/user/mo | Per-user, all users billed | Not specified | Enterprise | à la carte |
| ServiceTitanReview → | HVAC & Electrical | $200-500/technician/mo | Per-technician | 12mo-3yr | Enterprise | multi-year contract |
| FieldEdgeReview → | HVAC & Electrical | $100-125/seat/mo | Per-seat (office vs. tech) | Not specified | Mid-size | |
| mHelpDeskReview → | HVAC | $169-533/mo | Disputed - sources disagree | Not specified | Mid-size | disputed model |
| AspireReview → | Landscaping | $300-800/mo | Single license, unlimited users | Not specified | Enterprise | |
| Real GreenReview → | Landscaping | $199-600+/mo | Modular add-ons | Not specified | Enterprise | à la carte |
| SamsaraReview → | Trucking | $27-60/vehicle/mo | Per-vehicle, hardware bundled | 36mo | Enterprise | multi-year contract |
| GeotabReview → | Trucking | $20-45/vehicle/mo | Per-vehicle, reseller-only | Not specified | Enterprise | |
| McLeod SoftwareReview → | Trucking | Custom quote | Enterprise TMS | Not specified | Enterprise | |
| AppFolioReview → | HOA & Property Maintenance | $1.40-3/unit/mo + $280-400/mo min | Per-unit with monthly floor | Not specified | Enterprise | advertised-rate gap |
| FilevineReview → | Legal Practice | $49-150+/user/mo | Per-user + AI add-ons | Not specified | Enterprise | à la carte |
| PestPacReview → | Pest Control | $200-1,000+/mo | Tiered + add-on modules | Not specified | Enterprise | à la carte |
| CornerstoneReview → | Veterinary | $420-549/mo | On-premise, seat-based | Not specified | Enterprise | |
| LEAPReview → | Legal Practice | ~$149/user/mo | Per-user, hybrid deployment | Some report long-term terms | Mid-size | |
| Covetrus PulseReview → | Veterinary | $99-169/mo | Custom quote | Not specified | Mid-size | |
| VantacaReview → | HOA Management | 8-12x budget platforms | Custom quote, annual contract | Annual, reported | Enterprise | |
| FieldRoutesReview → | Pest Control | $199-350/mo | Disputed - see FAQ | Not specified | Mid-size | disputed model |
How we built this index
Every product here does not publish standard pricing on its own website - confirmed individually for each one, not assumed. Every figure comes from multiple independent third-party sources (industry publications, review-aggregator sites, and user-reported real costs), cross-checked against each other for consistency. Where sources materially disagreed - on mHelpDesk's pricing model, or Cornerstone's exact monthly figure - we presented the disagreement itself rather than picking one number and hiding the uncertainty.
We did not use one product's figures to estimate another's, and we did not invent a number where research came up empty (two products we considered including were dropped from this index entirely because the available third-party data was too unreliable to publish responsibly). Full sourcing for every figure is on that product's own dedicated pricing page, linked from the table above.
Read our full research methodology →Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't quote-only software just publish its pricing?
Vendors we researched don't say publicly, but the pattern across our research is consistent: quote-only pricing tends to appear on products where cost varies enormously by company size, usage volume, or hardware bundling, and where sales teams use the quote process to qualify and negotiate rather than compete purely on a published rate card.
Is quote-only pricing always more expensive than published pricing?
Not necessarily, but it's harder to compare upfront by design - that's the real cost, not just the dollar figure. Several of the products in this index (Raken, FieldEdge) have per-seat rates lower than some published-pricing competitors once you get a real number. The problem is you can't know that without going through a sales conversation first.
How current is this data?
Every figure links to a dedicated pricing page with its own sourcing and a checked date. Quote-only pricing changes without much public notice, so treat every number here as directional, not a quote - always confirm current rates directly with the vendor before budgeting.
Where does this data come from?
Every figure is compiled from multiple independent third-party sources (industry publications, review-aggregator sites, user-reported costs) for each specific product, cross-checked for consistency, and cited on that product's own pricing page. We do not use each other's numbers or invent figures - see our methodology page for the full standard.