Kit vs platform: when a scorecard is enough.
Field-service platforms run the day. Estimate apps get you paid. Spreadsheets work until you’re busy. CostPerJob is the job-costing kit. Owner-run work — not a crew platform. Categories only — no brand price table.
Categories, not brand stacks
Keep a schedule or an invoice app if you still need one. The kit is the scorecard beside them. Named-tool pages do not invent list prices — check current rates.
| What | Field-service | Estimate & get paid | Spreadsheets | CostPerJob |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Run the day — schedule, SMS, CRM | Win the bid and get the invoice paid | Track numbers you type in | Jobs and money — the scorecard |
| Job costing | Usually extra on a higher seat | Rarely the product | Formulas you maintain | Bid vs actual is the product |
| Price | Often a field-service seat ladder. Prices vary — check current rates. | Tool-priced or a cut of the invoice. Prices vary — check current rates. | Free until the sheet breaks | Free: 10 open, last 10 cards · Pro $29/mo |
| QuickBooks | Sometimes connects to the books | Sometimes connects to the books | You export what you typed | not shipped · CSV today |
| Receipt OCR | Sometimes sold | Sometimes sold | No | No — you type the ticket |
| Setup | Board, routes, messages, customer list | Customers, estimates, payments | A file and the discipline to update it | Five modules: pricebook → history |
| Best for | Shops that need a board | Getting the job and getting paid | Quiet weeks | Contractors who need the scorecard |
CostPerJob Free: 10 open jobs — estimate → log → scorecard. History is the last 10 closed cards. Pro is $29/mo for ranked history.
QuickBooks: not shipped · CSV today.
Receipt OCR is not a CostPerJob feature. You type the ticket.
Jobber, Knowify, Contractor Foreman, QuickBooks, and other product names are trademarks of their owners. CostPerJob is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
When you still need scheduling elsewhere
If two trucks need a board, or you text customers from the same app that holds the calendar, keep that field-service OS. CostPerJob does not replace it. The kit is the scorecard beside it.
Keep the scheduler for the day. CostPerJob sits beside it — the scorecard for jobs and money. Not a replacement. Not Margin Memory — we do not remember past jobs to write the next bid.
You don’t need a field-service platform to see which jobs paid.
Close one job to see the scorecard
Most tools help you get the job and get paid. CostPerJob helps you see if the job made money.