Kit vs platform: when a thin scorecard is enough.
Field-service platforms run the day. Estimate apps get you paid. Spreadsheets work until you’re busy. CostPerJob is the thin shop OS for margin. Categories only — no competitor names.
Categories, not brand stacks
Keep a schedule or an invoice app if you still need one. The kit is the scorecard beside them.
| 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 |
| Solo price | Often a $149+ field-service ladder | Tool-priced or a cut of the invoice | Free until the sheet breaks | Free: 3 open jobs · Pro $29/mo |
| Setup | Board, routes, messages, customer list | Customers, estimates, payments | A file and the discipline to update it | Five modules: pricebook → history |
| AI estimator | Sometimes bundled | Sometimes offered | No | Not in v1 |
| Best for | Crews that need a board | Getting the job and getting paid | Quiet weeks | Solo / 1–2 truck margin |
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.
Field-service OS runs the day (schedule/SMS/CRM). Shop OS runs jobs and money (scorecard).
Busy shops don’t need another field-service platform. They need a shop OS that shows which jobs made money.
See which jobs made money.
Most tools help you get the job and get paid. CostPerJob helps you see if the job made money.