QuoteIQ vs ServiceM8: pay per user or pay per job?
ServiceM8 lets your whole team log in and charges by how many jobs you run. QuoteIQ charges a flat plan with users included and doesn't care how many jobs you do. Which model is cheaper depends entirely on your shop.
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QuoteIQ is the better fit for small shops that send a lot of quotes and want AI estimating, satellite measuring and an AI receptionist, especially solo owners and busy crews whose job count would push ServiceM8 into its upper tiers. ServiceM8 is cheaper for bigger teams with modest monthly job counts, and its free 30-job plan is great for very small or part-time operators.
The pricing models, side by side
ServiceM8's ladder is simple: Free ($0, 30 jobs a month), Starter ($29, 50 jobs), Growing ($79, 150), Premium ($149, 500) and Premium Plus ($349, 1,500+). Every plan includes unlimited users. That's a genuinely generous structure for teams, and it's ServiceM8's biggest advantage over QuoteIQ.
QuoteIQ's ladder is about features and seats: Essentials $29.99 (1 user), Beginner $99.99 (2), Pro $199.99 (4), Elite $299.99 (10) and Max $699.99 (20), with extra users at $25/mo. Job volume isn't capped on the plan cards; see QuoteIQ's pricing page for the current list. The variable cost on QuoteIQ is usage: AI estimates, AI call minutes and texts draw on monthly IQ Credits.
| QuoteIQ | ServiceM8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Essentials $29.99/mo; flat tiers to Max $699.99 | Free (30 jobs/mo); Starter $29/mo (50 jobs) |
| Users included | 1 on Essentials (2 / 4 / 10 / 20 on higher tiers); extra users $25/mo | Unlimited on every plan; priced by job volume |
| Trial & card | 14 days, card required, 250 IQ Credits | 14 days; card terms not stated |
| AI estimating | AI Estimator on every plan (about 5–15 IQ Credits per estimate) | Not listed on ServiceM8's pricing page |
| Measurement | MapMeasure Pro + roof & pitch, Beginner ($99.99) and up | Not listed on the pricing page we checked |
| AI receptionist | Virtual Call Team on every plan; 125 IQ Credits per minute | Not listed on the pricing page we checked |
| QuickBooks | QuickBooks Online, Pro ($199.99) and up; no Desktop | Not detailed on the pricing page we checked |
| Inventory | Elite ($299.99) and up | Not listed on the pricing page we checked |
| Best for | Quote-heavy solo owners and small crews | Larger teams with modest job counts; very part-time operators |
ServiceM8 tiers from ServiceM8's US pricing page, checked Oct 2026: Growing $79 (150 jobs), Premium $149 (500), Premium Plus $349 (1,500+).
Three shops, three answers
The solo pressure washer doing 60 jobs a month
ServiceM8 would need Growing at $79, since Starter stops at 50 jobs. QuoteIQ Essentials is $29.99 with the AI Estimator and AI receptionist, or Beginner at $99.99 if you want satellite measuring and a second login. QuoteIQ is the value pick unless you skip measuring entirely.
The six-person plumbing crew doing 120 jobs
ServiceM8 Growing covers all six people for $79. On QuoteIQ, six users means Pro ($199.99) plus two seats ($50), so $249.99, or Elite at $299.99 if you want booking and routing. ServiceM8 is cheaper here by a wide margin. QuoteIQ only makes sense if its AI quoting and phone tools save real hours.
The busy three-person lawn crew doing 400 visits
ServiceM8 Premium is $149 at that volume. QuoteIQ Pro is $199.99 for four users, with job costing and QuickBooks Online; routing waits until Elite. It's close. Measuring and AI estimating tip it to QuoteIQ if you bid lots of new properties; ServiceM8 wins if the work is mostly repeat visits.
Where QuoteIQ wins
QuoteIQ is designed around winning the job. The AI Estimator drafts line items from a description or photos and asks five follow-up questions to fill gaps. MapMeasure Pro measures from satellite imagery straight into the quote. Options and Package estimates let customers pick a tier, and from Elite, InstaQuote lets customers price simple work on your site. The Virtual Call Team answers the phone 24/7 on every plan, billed at 125 IQ Credits per minute, with a separate per-call fee listed in the help center.
The other win is predictability as you grow your job count. Doubling your jobs on QuoteIQ doesn't change your plan; on ServiceM8 it can move you up a tier.
Where ServiceM8 wins
- Unlimited users. Every plan, every tier. Add a helper for the summer without paying for a seat.
- A real free plan for up to 30 jobs a month.
- Cheap mid-tiers for teams. $79 for 150 jobs with any number of users is hard for QuoteIQ to match.
- Trial terms. 14 days; QuoteIQ's trial needs a card.
Four questions that settle it
- How many people need to log in? More than four, and ServiceM8's unlimited users start to pull ahead fast.
- How many jobs do you run a month, and is that rising? High or fast-growing volume favours QuoteIQ's flat pricing.
- How much of your week is quoting? If you quote most jobs from scratch, QuoteIQ's AI and measuring tools earn their keep.
- Do you need QuickBooks, booking or routing? On QuoteIQ those sit on Pro and Elite, so price the tier you'd really use, not Essentials.
Moving from ServiceM8
Export clients, services and recent quotes and invoices to CSV, then use QuoteIQ's AI Smart Import to map them. Payment history won't come across, and imported contacts are opted in to automated emails by default. Count your logins before picking a tier, because user limits are the cost you'll feel most coming from an unlimited-user tool. QuoteIQ's ServiceM8 page gives the vendor's view, and our pricing guide and full review fill in the rest.
Start your 14-day free trial →Affiliate link · same price for you. Card required.ServiceM8 vs QuoteIQ: FAQ
How does ServiceM8 pricing work?
ServiceM8 prices by job volume, not by user. Its free plan covers 30 jobs a month, Starter is $29/mo for 50 jobs, Growing $79 for 150, Premium $149 for 500 and Premium Plus $349 for 1,500 or more. Users are unlimited on every plan. QuoteIQ instead charges a flat plan with a set number of users.
Is ServiceM8 cheaper than QuoteIQ for a team?
Usually, yes, for teams with modest job counts. Six people doing 120 jobs a month fit ServiceM8 Growing at $79, while QuoteIQ would be Pro plus two extra seats ($249.99) or Elite ($299.99). QuoteIQ gets more competitive as job volume rises, because its price doesn't change with the number of jobs.
Does ServiceM8 have a free plan?
Yes, ServiceM8 has a $0 plan capped at 30 jobs a month, plus a 14-day trial. QuoteIQ has no free plan; its cheapest tier is Essentials at $29.99/mo, and its 14-day trial requires a card. If you only do a handful of jobs a month, ServiceM8's free tier is hard to beat.
Which has better quoting tools, QuoteIQ or ServiceM8?
For AI-assisted quoting, QuoteIQ. Its AI Estimator drafts line items on every plan, MapMeasure Pro measures properties from satellite imagery from Beginner up, and Options and Package estimates let customers choose a tier. ServiceM8's pricing page doesn't list AI estimating or satellite measuring, so we can't credit it with either.
Do quotes count toward ServiceM8's job limit?
ServiceM8's pricing page sets limits by jobs per month, and we couldn't confirm from it exactly how quotes that never become work are counted. Ask ServiceM8 before you commit if you send many more quotes than you win. On QuoteIQ, quote and job volume doesn't affect the plan price at all.
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