Best software for a 5-person painting crew, by year-one cost
Ranked by what 5 users actually cost in the first year on each tool's published plans, using the same rules as our crew-size calculator. No reviews or feature scores: just price, the plan a crew of 5 lands on, and the facts that change the number.
Part of the Painting hub: every painting tool, crew costs from 1 to 10 users, and all painting guides.
For 5 users, QuoteIQ is the cheapest painting app we track at $1,500 in year one, then Housecall Pro at $1,788; the 4 published options run up to $2,508 (GorillaDesk). A general field-service app, Joist, costs less: $170 on its Pro annual plan.
Ranked by year-one cost for 5 users
| Tool | Rank | Year one, 5 users | Per month | Year one, 7 users | Plan for 5 users | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuoteIQ | 1 | $1,500 | $125 | $2,100 | Essentials annual + 4 extra user(s) @ $25/mo. Includes 1; each extra user is $25/mo. | 2026-10-16 |
| Housecall Pro | 2 (tie) | $1,788 | $149 | $3,588 | Essentials annual. Includes 5 users. | 2026-10-15 |
| Jobber | 2 (tie) | $1,788 | $149 | $2,748 | Connect (5 user band), annual. Includes 5 users. | 2026-10-15 |
| GorillaDesk | 4 | $2,508 | $209 | $3,228 | Basic, 5 schedule(s). Unlimited admins/managers/sales/crew free; priced per technician schedule/route. If all 5 of you run one route together, that is one schedule: $588 a year. | 2026-10-26 |
Year one = 12 months on the plan the calculator picks for 5 users (Painting). The 7-user column shows what happens when you hire. Check another crew size.
Quote-only
ServiceTitan, Workiz publish no prices, so we can't rank them. Ask for a written quote for 5 users.
General apps the calculator also shows
Our calculator also lists general field-service apps when you pick Painting. These cost less than the middle of the ranking above for 5 users, but they don't market themselves to painting businesses, so check they handle recurring visits and routes before you switch:
- Joist: $170 (Pro annual (per account))
- Kickserv: $576 (Start (5 users), annual -20%)
- ServiceM8: $948 (Growing (~100 jobs/mo estimate))
How to choose for a crew of 5
- Some prices climb fast when you hire. QuoteIQ goes from $1,500 to $2,100 at 7 users; Housecall Pro goes from $1,788 to $3,588 at 7 users; Jobber goes from $1,788 to $2,748 at 7 users; GorillaDesk goes from $2,508 to $3,228 at 7 users.
- Confirm the user count. Check that 5 logins are included before you buy; published plans count users differently (see the Plan column).
More for a painting business: the Painting hub has every tool, crew costs from 1 to 10 users, and every painting guide and comparison.
QuoteIQ links to the vendor through an affiliate link. That never changes the order, which is by year-one cost only.
Compare: GorillaDesk vs Jobber · Jobber vs Housecall Pro · Jobber vs QuoteIQ