FieldPulse vs Jobber (2026): The “Control Freak” vs. The “Brand Builder”

Choosing between FieldPulse and Jobber is not just about comparing feature lists. It is about deciding the soul of your operations.

If you are reading this guide, you are likely in one of two positions:

1. You are new to software: You want to know which one will be easier to adopt.
2. You are frustrated with Jobber: You feel like you have hit a “ceiling” where the software is too rigid for your complex workflows.

Both platforms are market leaders. Both have thousands of 5-star reviews. But they are built for completely different types of business owners.

• Jobber is built for Simplicity. It is the “Apple” approach—it works beautifully out of the box, but you must do things their way. It is designed to make you look professional with zero effort.
• FieldPulse is built for Configurability. It is the “Android” approach—it gives you a toolbox to build the software around your specific processes. It is designed for owners who need granular control over data and workflows.

In this ultimate 2026 comparison, we go beyond the marketing fluff. We simulated real-world HVAC, Plumbing, and Cleaning scenarios to see which software breaks under pressure and which one thrives.

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Feature	FieldPulse	Jobber
Best For	📱 Power Mobile Users (Needs Custom Workflows)	🚀 Small-Med Biz (Wants Simplicity)
Starting Price	$$ (Mid-Range)	$ (Low Entry)
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Moderate Setup)	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Easiest to Use)
Customer Portal	✅ Standard	🏆 Client Hub (Industry Leader)
Customization	🔧 High (Custom Statuses & Fields)	🔒 Limited (Fixed Workflows)
Onboarding	Personalized Setup	Do-It-Yourself (Fast)
Contract	Month-to-Month	Month-to-Month
Final Verdict	Visit FieldPulse	Try Jobber Free

Executive Summary: The Core Philosophy Clash

To understand which tool fits you, you must understand the philosophy behind the code.

Jobber: The “Apple” of Field Service (Simplicity First)

Jobber’s primary goal is to remove friction. Every button is placed where a non-technical person would expect it.

• The Workflow: Quote → Job → Invoice. This flow is hard-coded. You cannot break it.
• The Benefit: You can hire a new office manager today, and they will be productive by lunch. It requires almost no training.
• The Downside: If your business has a unique step—like “Manager Review before Invoice” or “Waiting on Parts”—Jobber doesn’t have a native “status” for that. You have to use “Tags” or internal notes, which gets messy at scale.

FieldPulse: The “Android” of Field Service (Control First)

FieldPulse’s primary goal is to adapt to your business reality.

• The Workflow: Highly customizable. You can create “Sub-Statuses” and “Custom Fields” that are mandatory.
• The Benefit: You can force data quality. You can ensure a tech cannot close a job until they have entered the “Refrigerant Type” or “Model Number.”
• The Downside: Setup takes time. You have to “architect” the system before you use it.

The “Switching Point”: When Do You Outgrow Jobber?

We often see contractors switch from Jobber to FieldPulse when they reach 5-7 technicians.
Why? Because at that size, “Notes” aren’t enough. You need structured data. You need to track inventory bundles (“Kits”). You need departmental reporting in QuickBooks. That is where Jobber’s simplicity becomes a liability and FieldPulse’s complexity becomes an asset.

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The Verdict: Decision Matrix & User Personas

Don’t choose based on price. Choose based on your “Operational DNA.”

Detailed Decision Matrix (Workflow & Technical Needs)

Feature / Need	Jobber	FieldPulse
Primary Goal	Speed & Brand Image	Data Control & Workflow
Custom Fields	Limited	Unlimited & Mandatory
Inventory Logic	Flat List (Simple)	Bundles / Kitting
Sales Proposals	Standard Estimate	Good/Better/Best
Route Optimization	Excellent (One-Click)	Basic (Manual)
QuickBooks Sync	Online (Basic)	Online (Classes Supported)
Commercial Work	Basic	Advanced (Parent/Child)
Setup Time	1-2 Days	7-14 Days

Persona A: The “High-Volume” Residential Cleaner (Choose Jobber)

You run a cleaning or lawn care business. You do 50 jobs a day. Your jobs are standard (“Weekly Mow”).

• Why Jobber? You need Route Optimization to save fuel. You need a fast mobile app that lets crews clock in/out in 2 seconds. You need a Client Portal where customers can put a card on file for auto-billing. FieldPulse would be overkill and too slow for you.

Persona B: The “Technical” HVAC Contractor (Choose FieldPulse)

You run a repair business. You do 5 jobs a day, but they are complex. You replace compressors, install water heaters, and chase warranty parts.

• Why FieldPulse? You need Custom Fields to record “Serial Numbers.” You need Kitting so that when you sell a water heater, the system deducts the tank, the strap, and the pan from inventory automatically. Jobber’s flat lists will drive your warehouse manager crazy.

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Deep Dive: Customization & Data Fields (The Dealbreaker)

This is the single most important technical difference. If you are a “Control Freak,” read this closely.

The Problem with Jobber’s “Notes”

In Jobber, if you need to record a specific detail—say, a “Gate Code” for a commercial property—you typically write it in the “Client Notes” section.

• The Risk: Notes are unstructured text. They get buried. A new tech might miss the note, arrive at the gate, and call the office frustrated. You cannot “search” your database for all customers with a specific Gate Code type.

The FieldPulse Solution: Mandatory Custom Fields

FieldPulse treats your business like a database. You can create specific fields for Customers, Jobs, or Equipment.

• Types: Text, Number, Dropdown, Date, Toggle.
• Visibility: You can “Pin” these fields to the top of the mobile app so they are the first thing a tech sees.
• Validation: You can make a field Required. The app will literally block the tech from clicking “Complete” until they fill it out.

Real-World Scenario: Capturing “Compressor Amperage”

Imagine you require techs to record the amperage of a compressor on every maintenance visit to track wear over time.

• Jobber: Tech writes “Amp draw 12.5” in the visit notes. Next year, you have to scroll through 12 months of notes to find it. You cannot graph it.
• FieldPulse: Tech enters “12.5” into the “Amperage” field. FieldPulse saves this as a data point. Next year, you can see the history of that specific field or run a report on “All units with Amperage > 15.”

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Inventory & Pricebook: “Line Items” vs. “Kitting”

For Plumbers, Electricians, and HVAC pros, inventory is not just a list; it is a recipe.

How Jobber Handles Parts (Flat Lists)

Jobber allows you to add “Products & Services” to an invoice.

• You create an item called “Toilet Install.”
• You can track the quantity of “Toilet Installs” sold.
• The Gap: Jobber does not natively know that “Toilet Install” consumes 1 Wax Ring and 2 Bolts. You have to manually deduct those if you want accurate stock counts, or just ignore small parts tracking (which leads to “inventory leakage”).

How FieldPulse Handles Bundles (True Kitting)

FieldPulse has a robust Bundles feature (often called Kitting).

• The Setup: You create a Bundle called “Standard Toilet Install.”
• The Recipe: Inside, you link:
  • (1) Kohler Toilet (Serialized Item)
  • (1) Wax Ring (Consumable)
  • (2) Johnny Bolts (Consumable)
  • (1) Supply Line (Consumable)
  • (2) Hours of Labor (Service)
• The Execution: The tech adds one item to the invoice: “Standard Toilet Install.” The customer sees a clean, single price.
• The Backend: FieldPulse automatically deducts all the linked parts from your inventory. It calculates the true profitability of the job by summing the cost of all components.

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Sales & Estimating: Psychology of the “Good/Better/Best”

How you present a quote determines your average ticket size.

Jobber’s “Optional Line Items” (The Shopping List)

Jobber allows you to add “Optional” items to a quote.

• Experience: The customer sees the main quote ($300) and then checkboxes below for “Add-ons” (e.g., “Add Surge Protector +$150”).
• Critique: This feels like a shopping list. It is functional, but it doesn’t psychologically frame the decision. It feels like “upselling.”

FieldPulse’s “Variant Proposals” (The Sales Presentation)

FieldPulse has a native tool to build Tiered Options.

• Experience: The tech hands the iPad to the homeowner. The screen displays three distinct columns:
  1. Bronze (Repair): Just fix the immediate issue. $300.
  2. Silver (Pro Repair): Fix + Clean + 1 Year Warranty. $600.
  3. Gold (Replace): New High-Efficiency System. $4,500 (or $99/mo).
• The Magic: This uses the “Decoy Effect.” Customers rarely pick the cheapest option when presented this way. They gravitate to the middle (Silver).
• ROI: Users switching to this format often report a 15-20% increase in revenue without running more leads.

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Financial Operations & QuickBooks Integration

For businesses doing over $1M in revenue, the accounting sync is not just about “sending invoices.” It’s about data integrity.

QuickBooks Online Sync: Stability vs. Depth

Both platforms sync with QuickBooks Online (QBO).

• Jobber: The sync is solid. It sends Invoices, Payments, and Customers. It is reliable but basic.
• FieldPulse: The sync is deeper. It attempts to map more granular data points, including inventory assets.

The “Class Tracking” Advantage in FieldPulse

This is a massive differentiator for sophisticated businesses.

• The Need: You want to see a P&L statement that separates your “Installation Department” from your “Service Department.”
• Jobber: Struggles with this mapping natively. Everything usually dumps into “General Income” unless you manually edit it in QuickBooks.
• FieldPulse: Allows you to map specific Job Types to specific QuickBooks Classes.
  • Result: An “Install” job automatically tags the revenue to the “Install Class” in QBO. Your accountant will love you.

Commercial Workflows: Parent/Child Account Structures

If you work with Property Managers, you know the pain: “Do the work at 123 Main St, but bill XYZ Management at 500 Broadway.”

• FieldPulse: Handles this Parent/Child relationship natively. You can view the history of the “Child” location while billing the “Parent.” You can send a consolidated statement to the Parent for 50 different jobs.
• Jobber: Can link addresses, but the billing workflow for consolidated statements is clunky compared to FieldPulse.

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Mobile App Experience: A Day in the Life

We tested the apps on an iPhone 15 and a Samsung Tablet.

UI/UX Analysis: “Thumb Zone” vs. Data Density

• Jobber: Designed for speed. The “Clock In” button is massive. The navigation is bottom-heavy (easy for thumbs). It is very hard to “get lost” in the app. It is minimalist.
• FieldPulse: Designed for data. The screen is denser. You see more information (sub-statuses, custom fields) on one screen. It requires more precision tapping.

The “Clicks-to-Invoice” Efficiency Test

We timed a veteran tech creating a simple invoice.

1. Jobber: Open Job -> Complete -> Generate Invoice -> Email. (4 Clicks).
2. FieldPulse: Open Job -> Fill Required Custom Field (Mandatory) -> Update Sub-Status -> Generate Invoice -> Review Bundle Items -> Email. (7+ Clicks).

• Takeaway: Jobber is faster for the tech. FieldPulse forces the tech to be more thorough. Which is more important to you: Speed or Data Quality?

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Communication & Customer Experience

Jobber Client Hub (The Gold Standard for Self-Service)

Jobber creates a persistent “mini-website” for every customer.

• Features: Customers can log in (passwordless link) to see past quotes, upcoming visits, pay invoices, and request new work.
• Stickiness: This portal drastically reduces office calls (“Can you resend that invoice?”). It empowers the customer. FieldPulse has a portal, but it feels more like a “payment gateway” than a full self-service hub.

FieldPulse Engage (The Omnichannel Team Inbox)

FieldPulse focuses on centralizing communication.

• Unified Inbox: It pulls emails, SMS, and even Facebook Messenger into one dashboard.
• Internal Chat: It has a “Slack-like” team chat built-in. Dispatch can tag a tech on a specific Job Ticket: “@Mike, did you leave the ladder?” The chat is saved with the job context. In Jobber, internal communication is mostly limited to static notes.

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Pricing Analysis & Total Cost of Ownership

The pricing models are radically different. One penalizes small teams, the other penalizes large teams.

Jobber’s Flat Fee vs. FieldPulse’s Per-User Model

• Jobber: Charges per “Plan Tier.”
  • Core: ~$69/mo (1 User).
  • Connect: ~$169/mo (Up to 5 Users).
  • Grow: ~$349/mo (Up to 15 Users).
• FieldPulse: Charges per “Head.”
  • Standard: ~$65 base + $20 per extra user.

The “Break-Even” Calculation (When FieldPulse Becomes Cheaper)

Let’s do the math for a 7-person team (1 Owner, 1 Dispatch, 5 Techs).

• Jobber: You must be on the “Grow” plan because you exceeded the 5-user limit of “Connect.”
  • Cost: $349 / month.
• FieldPulse: Base $65 + (6 extra users * $20).
  • Cost: $65 + $120 = $185 / month.
• Result: FieldPulse saves you $164/mo ($1,968/year) for a 7-person team.
• The Tipping Point: FieldPulse remains cheaper until you reach about 15 users, where the costs equalize.

See full pricing data: Field Service Software Pricing Index

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Implementation & Migration Guide

Switching from Jobber to FieldPulse (or vice versa) is a project. Treat it like one.

Warning: What Doesn’t Transfer?

When you migrate, you can usually transfer:

• Customer List (Name, Address, Phone, Email)
• Price List (Services, Parts)

You usually CANNOT transfer:

• Credit Cards on File: PCI compliance rules prevent exporting raw card tokens. You will have to ask customers to re-enter their cards.
• Job History Notes: Past job notes often get dumped into a generic “History” field rather than staying as active job records.
• Recurring Schedules: You will likely need to recreate your recurring calendar rules manually.

14-Day “Go Live” Checklist

1. Day 1-3: Clean your data. Delete duplicate customers in your old system.
2. Day 4-5: Set up FieldPulse Custom Fields and Bundles. (Do this before importing jobs).
3. Day 6: Import Customer CSV.
4. Day 7: Connect QuickBooks. Sync tax rates.
5. Day 8: Create your “Variant Proposal” templates.
6. Day 9-11: Train techs. Have them create a dummy job, add a bundle, and take payment.
7. Day 14: Go Live. Shut down the old system’s dispatch board.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)