Painter's Log vs Estimate Rocket
Both products compare actual job costs with the estimate. Estimate Rocket serves many trades and leads with proposals and follow-up. Compare how each sets labor cost, records crew time and materials, and what each plan includes.
Free forever — 1% on payments while you're free, 0% on Pro.
Estimate Rocket documents a proposal-to-payment workflow for trade contractors:
Painter's Log connects estimates, crew time and materials so painting contractors can review what each job actually costs.
Recorded job time and materials contribute to actual costs alongside the estimate, so you can review the job while work is in progress.
Job-site geofences can help associate time with jobs when location tracking is enabled. Shift segments split a worker's time between jobs; review those assignments and keep wage rates current for usable job costs.
Run a small operation on the free plan indefinitely: 2 users (owner + 1), 5 jobs, 20 documents and 25 receipts a month, every feature included. We make money when you do — 1% on payments while you're free, 0% on Pro.
Each user runs Painter's Log in English or Spanish — crew screens, the office, and the estimate and invoice editor. What you write on an estimate reaches the customer as written; the document's own labels are in English.
Painter's Log runs the operational back office — estimates, scheduling, the jobs, invoicing, job costing. QuickBooks stays for accounting. Confirm the accounting workflow and any required exports separately.
| Estimate Rocket | Painter's Log | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Service and trade contractors across 50+ trades, including painters | Painting contractors only |
| Pricing model | Three tiers with the full platform on each, priced by included users, with fees for additional full and field users; check current prices using the source below | Free forever (usage-limited), or one Pro plan: $179/mo including 4 users (owner + 3), + $29/mo per additional active worker |
| Free tier | 30-day trial with a card at signup, and a 90-day money-back guarantee | Free forever — 2 users (owner + 1), 5 jobs/mo, 20 documents/mo, 25 receipts/mo, 1% on payments collected through the app (0% on Pro). No credit card. |
| Job costing (estimate → actual) | Compares actual labor, materials and subcontractor costs with the estimate, on every plan | The core of the product — estimate vs. actual, per job, as the hours and receipts come in |
| Labor burden setup | One company-wide average labor cost per hour, set in company settings | Effective wage rates plus a configurable company labor burden percentage |
| Online payments | Card, ACH and financing from the invoice, through Stripe | Yes — deposits, schedules, and online payment; 1% fee on free, 0% on Pro (Stripe's standard processing rates apply either way) |
Sources checked . Features and plans can change.
Send one painting proposal through both tools, then record crew hours across two jobs in one day and a paint purchase, and compare the margins. Check how each tool sets the hourly labor cost. This comparison is published by Painter's Log, not an independent review.
See how job costing works in Painter's LogEnter what you quoted, your hours, and your spend — and see your real cost and true margin. Free, no signup.
Try the free “Did I make money?” calculatorYes. Both compare actual job costs with the estimate. Estimate Rocket serves many trades and leads with proposals and follow-up; its documented labor cost setting is one company-wide average cost per hour. Painter's Log is built for painting contractors and costs each worker's hours at their own wage plus a configured burden, with weekly overtime and job-segment allocation. Test both against one of your own jobs.
Yes — and you don't have to switch all at once. Start on the free plan (no credit card), upload estimate PDFs from Estimate Rocket to convert them into job records, and run a job or two side by side before you commit.
Keep it. Painter's Log runs the operational back office around your painting jobs — estimating, scheduling, running the work, invoicing, and job costing. QuickBooks stays for accounting. Confirm the accounting workflow and any required exports separately.
Painter's Log is free forever for small operations — 2 users (owner + 1), 5 jobs, 20 documents and 25 receipts a month, with a 1% fee on payments you collect through it. Pro is $179/month including 4 users (owner + 3), plus $29/month per additional active worker, and the payment fee drops to 0%. Estimate Rocket offers three tiers priced by included users, with fees for additional users; check its linked pricing page for current prices.
Run your whole business on it. We only make money when you do: 1% on payments you collect through Painter's Log while you're free, 0% on Pro.
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