QuickBooks was built for accountants. PocketBoss was built for contractors. Save $840+ per year while actually getting work done faster.
Credit card required. Cancel anytime. No accounting degree needed.
QuickBooks starts at $35/month but quickly jumps to $90+ for features contractors need. Add payroll, payments, and extra users, and you're looking at $200+ monthly for software that's overkill for most contractors.
QuickBooks speaks in accounting terms: debits, credits, chart of accounts, journal entries. You need a CPA mindset just to create an invoice. Contractors need job tracking, not general ledgers.
Try creating an estimate on your phone at a job site with QuickBooks. Limited features, constant syncing issues, and a clunky interface make field work nearly impossible.
Every useful feature costs extra. Want to add an employee? That's $6/month each. Need payroll? Another $45+. Accept payments? Processing fees plus monthly charges. The advertised price is a lie.
QuickBooks has 500+ features you'll never use, buried in menus within menus. Finding simple functions like "create invoice" requires clicking through multiple screens of accounting jargon.
Where's the scheduling? Job tracking? Material lists? Service history? QuickBooks treats your contracting business like a retail store. You need construction software, not bookkeeping software.
We asked contractors what they actually need, then built exactly that. No accounting degree required. No hidden fees. Just simple tools that work.
$19.99 per month. Period. Unlimited invoices, unlimited employees, unlimited clients. No surprise fees, no upsells, no "premium" features. Compare that to QuickBooks' $90+ monthly maze of add-ons.
No chart of accounts. No accounting setup. No training videos. Add your business info, start invoicing. QuickBooks takes hours to configure; PocketBoss takes minutes.
Create estimates on a roof. Invoice from your truck. Schedule jobs between appointments. Full functionality on any device, online or offline. QuickBooks mobile can't compete.
We speak your language: jobs, estimates, invoices, schedules. No accounting terms, no confusing menus, no financial jargon. Just straightforward tools named what they actually do.
Drag-and-drop calendar. Route optimization. Automatic reminders. Crew assignments. QuickBooks doesn't even try to handle scheduling; we make it central to your workflow.
Use any payment processor. Export your data anytime. Connect to your existing tools. No vendor lock-in like QuickBooks. Your business, your choices.
| Feature | PocketBoss | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $19.99/month | $35-200/month |
| Setup Time | 5 minutes | 2-4 hours |
| Learning Curve | Simple, no training | Steep, accounting knowledge needed |
| Mobile App | ✓ Full features | Limited functionality |
| Contractor Features | ✓ Built for contractors | Generic business tools |
| Customer Portal | ✓ Included | Not included |
| Support | Email & chat | Phone (extra cost) |
| Employee Access | ✓ Unlimited | Extra per user |
| Scheduling | ✓ Drag and drop | Third-party addon |
| Estimates | ✓ Convert to invoice | Basic only |
| Payment Processing | ✓ Any processor | Their processor only |
| Job Tracking | ✓ Built-in | Manual tracking |
| Time Tracking | ✓ Per project | Payroll focused |
| Inventory | ✓ Simple tracking | Complex system |
| Reports | ✓ Contractor focused | Accounting focused |
| Data Export | ✓ Anytime | Difficult process |
$19.99/month
Everything included. No hidden fees.
Annual cost: $239.88
QuickBooks Plus: $90/month
+ Payroll: $45/month minimum
+ Extra users: $6/user/month
+ Advanced features: $200/month
$90-400+/month
Annual cost: $1,080-4,800+
You save $840-4,560 per year with PocketBoss
Create professional invoices in seconds. Convert estimates with one click. Automatic payment reminders. No accounting knowledge needed.
Visual calendar for all jobs. Drag to reschedule. Automatic customer reminders. Crew assignments. QuickBooks doesn't even attempt this.
Complete service history. Contact details. Notes and preferences. Job locations. Everything organized by customer, not by transaction.
Accept cards, ACH, cash, checks. Use any processor you want. Online payment links. Mobile payments on-site. Track everything automatically.
Track materials, labor, expenses by job. See profit per project. Monitor job progress. QuickBooks requires complex workarounds for this.
Add unlimited employees at no extra cost. Set permissions. Track time. Assign jobs. QuickBooks charges per user and lacks field features.
Revenue by period. Outstanding invoices. Job profitability. Tax summaries. Reports that make sense without an accounting degree.
Export everything for your accountant. Many contractors keep QuickBooks just for taxes but run operations through PocketBoss.
Export your customer list from QuickBooks. Don't worry about historical transactions - keep QuickBooks for old records if needed.
Add your clients to PocketBoss (or start fresh). Set up takes 5 minutes. No complex configuration or accounting setup required.
Begin creating invoices, scheduling jobs, and running your business immediately. Save $70+ per month from day one.
Cancel QuickBooks entirely and move everything to PocketBoss. Best for contractors who don't need complex accounting features. Save the most money.
Keep QuickBooks for year-end taxes (downgrade to cheapest plan), use PocketBoss for daily operations. Popular with established businesses.
Start using PocketBoss for new jobs while finishing existing work in QuickBooks. Transition completely once comfortable.
Begin new fiscal year with PocketBoss. Keep QuickBooks data for reference but don't migrate anything. Cleanest approach.
Service agreements, maintenance schedules, equipment tracking. Everything HVAC businesses need without QuickBooks complexity.
Emergency dispatch, flat rate pricing, material tracking. Built for plumbing businesses, not generic accounting.
Job costing, permit tracking, panel schedules. Electrical contractor features QuickBooks can't provide.
Subcontractor management, progress billing, change orders. GC tools that QuickBooks lacks entirely.
Material calculations, warranty tracking, insurance claims. Roofing-specific features you won't find in QuickBooks.
Multiple service types, flexible pricing, quick estimates. Perfect for versatile contractors QuickBooks overcomplicates.
Seasonal scheduling, recurring services, crew management. Landscaping tools beyond QuickBooks' capabilities.
Square footage calculations, material estimates, color tracking. Painting contractor features missing from QuickBooks.
Volume calculations, mix designs, pour schedules. Concrete-specific tools QuickBooks doesn't understand.
Yes, for most contractors. PocketBoss includes invoicing, estimates, scheduling, payments, customer management, and basic reporting. Unless you need complex inventory management or sophisticated accounting features, PocketBoss handles everything at a fraction of the cost.
Many contractors use PocketBoss for daily operations and export data to their accountant quarterly or annually. You can also keep QuickBooks at the lowest tier just for tax time. Your accountant can work with exported reports and summaries from PocketBoss.
PocketBoss is significantly easier than QuickBooks. No accounting knowledge required. Most contractors are creating invoices within 5 minutes. If you can use a smartphone, you can use PocketBoss. No training needed.
No. Keep your QuickBooks account for historical reference if needed (you can downgrade to save money). Export what you need to PocketBoss. Many contractors run both for a month during transition, then keep QuickBooks data archived.
Start using PocketBoss for new work while your QuickBooks subscription runs out. Even paying for both temporarily, you'll save money long-term. Some contractors get partial refunds from QuickBooks when switching.
You can export data from PocketBoss in formats QuickBooks can import. This lets you use PocketBoss for operations while maintaining QuickBooks for accounting if absolutely necessary. Most contractors find they don't need both.
PocketBoss tracks time and hours for payroll calculation. For actual payroll processing, use any payroll service you prefer. This gives you freedom to choose the best payroll solution instead of being locked into QuickBooks' expensive option.
Yes, but simpler. Add your logo, business info, terms, and payment details. PocketBoss invoices look professional without the complexity of QuickBooks' template system. Most contractors prefer our streamlined approach.
No contract ever. Cancel anytime with one click. No cancellation fees, no phone calls, no retention department. Month-to-month billing at $19.99. We keep customers by providing value, not contracts.
Our support team helps with migration questions. But honestly, PocketBoss is so simple that most contractors set up without any help. It's nothing like QuickBooks' complex onboarding process.
Join thousands of contractors who switched from QuickBooks to PocketBoss. Save $840+ per year while actually enjoying your software.
$19.99/month. No accounting degree required. Cancel anytime.
Written by Blake McAmis, Founder of PocketBoss
Former contractor who got fed up with QuickBooks' complexity and cost. Built PocketBoss to be the simple, affordable alternative contractors actually want.
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