Painter's Log vs Housecall Pro
Both products track job profitability. Compare their labor-rate setup, time allocation, material inputs and the daily workflow your painting crew needs.
Free forever — 1% on payments while you're free, 0% on Pro.
Housecall Pro documents a connected job-costing workflow for home-service businesses:
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.
| Housecall Pro | Painter's Log | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Field service businesses across many home-service industries | Painting contractors only |
| Pricing model | Tiered subscriptions; check current pricing, billing term and included users 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 | 14-day trial | 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) | Tracks labor, materials, commissions and other job costs; compares planned and actual costs and displays job profit | The core of the product — estimate vs. actual, per job, as the hours and receipts come in |
| Labor burden setup | Employee base pay plus employer-paid costs as dollar amounts or percentage markups form a fully loaded rate | Effective wage rates plus a configurable company labor burden percentage |
| Online payments | Supports payment collection; confirm payment and accounting integration terms separately | 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.
Both products support job costing and loaded labor costs. Test an overtime week across multiple job sites, including travel time and materials. Check the rates, allocations and required settings against your own records, and confirm the plan you need. 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 products support job costing, including labor costs beyond base wages. Housecall Pro serves multiple home-service trades. Painter's Log focuses on painting contractors, with estimates, job-segment labor allocation, configured burden and weekly overtime, receipts and invoicing. Compare the setup and daily workflow with your own crew's records.
Yes — and you don't have to switch all at once. Start on the free plan (no credit card), upload estimate PDFs from Housecall Pro 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%. Housecall Pro offers tiered subscriptions; check its linked pricing page for current prices, included users and feature availability.
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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