TradeShield vs Jobber
TradeShield vs Jobber
Jobber is built for growing teams with dispatch and scheduling needs. TradeShield is built for solo contractors and small crews who just need fast, professional quotes and protected change orders — free.
Quick verdict
Choose TradeShield if
You're a solo contractor or small crew (1-5 people) who wants fast quoting and change-order protection without a monthly fee.
Choose Jobber if
You're running a larger team that needs scheduling, dispatch, and route optimization.
TradeShield vs Jobber: feature comparison
| Feature | TradeShield | Jobber |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $39/mo list price, 1 user (promotional pricing varies — confirm current rate on Jobber's site) |
| Most popular tier | N/A | Connect, $139/mo list price, includes 5 users |
| Quote builder | Yes | Yes |
| Digital customer sign-off | Yes | Yes, via Client Hub |
| Change order approval flow | Yes — built-in dual sign-off required before work starts | Limited — not the core focus of the platform |
| Built for solo contractors | Yes | Geared toward growing teams, scales up to scheduling/dispatch |
| Job scheduling and dispatch | Not yet available | Yes |
| Per-user fees | None | $29/user/month beyond plan's included user count |
| Payment processing fee | N/A | 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction |
| Free trial / free tier | Free during beta, ongoing | 14-day free trial only, no permanent free tier |
Pricing shown reflects list prices published on Jobber's official pricing page as of mid-2026. Jobber frequently runs promotional discounts — confirm current pricing directly on getjobber.com/pricing before making a decision.
Why contractors switch
Solo contractors often find full-featured platforms like Jobber more complex than they need when they're just trying to win jobs and protect their margins. The scheduling boards, dispatch tools, and route optimization are genuinely useful for a crew — but they add setup and overhead for a one-person shop whose real bottleneck is getting a clean quote out the door and locking in the extras.
Cost adds up the same way. Per-user fees and add-on costs — like a $99/mo AI Receptionist or a $79/mo Marketing Suite — can push a "starting at $39" plan well past $300/month once a small team and a few add-ons are factored in. TradeShield strips this down to exactly what a solo or small contractor needs first: quoting and change-order protection, for free.
Frequently asked questions
Is TradeShield really free?
+
Yes. TradeShield is free to use during our ongoing beta — there's no credit card required and no sign up needed to build your first quote. Quoting and change-order protection, the two things solo contractors need most, are the free core of the product.
What's the difference between TradeShield and Jobber?
+
Jobber is a full field-service management platform built for growing teams — it bundles scheduling, dispatch, route optimization, invoicing, and a client hub. TradeShield is focused: it does fast professional quoting and protected change orders, and nothing you don't need. If you're a solo contractor or small crew, TradeShield covers your core workflow without the platform fee.
Can I switch from Jobber to TradeShield?
+
Yes. There's nothing to migrate to start quoting — open TradeShield and build a quote in minutes. Many contractors run TradeShield for quoting and change orders while keeping any other tools they already rely on, then decide from there.
Does TradeShield have scheduling like Jobber?
+
Not yet. TradeShield is deliberately focused on quoting and change-order protection right now. If job scheduling, dispatch, and route optimization are central to how you run your day, Jobber is the more complete fit. If you mostly need to win the job and protect your margin, TradeShield does that for free.
Which is better for a one-person electrical or plumbing business?
+
For a true one-person shop, TradeShield is usually the better starting point — you get professional quoting and dual-signature change orders without paying a monthly fee or carrying features you won't touch. Jobber becomes worth its cost once you add crew members and genuinely need scheduling and dispatch.
Try TradeShield free — no credit card, no sign up required
Build a professional quote in minutes and protect every change order — free during beta.