A fairly new entrant in the field service software niche, Markate is well on its way to becoming one of best cost-effective options for small service businesses. Markate’s main functionalities are Customer Management, Scheduling, Invoicing & Expense Tracking, Online Bookingt, Reporting and Stats Collection on a Mobile App (i-Phone/ Android)Payment processing Quickbooks Integration
Features
Route optimization is a feature that stands out in Jobber, allowing businesses to schedule which tasks their field team members need to carry out and identify the most fuel-efficient way of reaching them. With over 20 built-in reports…all across all departments of business from financial summaries to personnel productivity.
With online booking, customers can book services straight from a custom scheduling page and jobber saves time on administrative work.
Like Jobber, Markate has a gate app through which customers can schedule its services online. Markate offers a limited range of reporting tools, but they are not as robust as Jobber’s capabilities for tracking business performance.
Also, Markate integrates with QuickBooks as well to automate accounting processes same like Jobber. Markate has marketing tools integrated in the platform making basic email marketing possible to contact customers from within it.
There is definitely a large amount of parity on the core features both platforms provide, but Jobber consistently offers more powerful feature and fuller toolset. Markate, however is concentrated on basic features in an simplest version.
Interface and Usability
One of the largest gains (or detriments) a software platform can take is through its user interface and overall ease of use which impacts adoption more than pretty much anything else.
One of the most best-known things about Jobber is that it has a really clean, intuitive interface. It has been designed in a sleek way and simple navigation that anyone can find the features they required easily. The desktop experience is also clean and logical, placing a premium on the user’s journey between screens to complete tasks.
Most new users can be up with Jobber fairly quickly and without much training. Users will also find a great onboarding experience with well-designed documentation and tutorials to get started using Jobber.
Markate is also an easy-to-use size design interface. The software user interface is fairly uncomplicated and easy to follow for the most part. The other highlight is in its sparing focus on the most important features, which also keeps it from becoming cluttered like more feature-dense solutions.
A few users note that it may take awhile to get used to where things are in Markate, indicating at least a slight learning curve with the interface when compared directly against Jobber. Still, the learning curve for running Pipenv start to finish is relatively low and super friendly (enough so that even your grandmother could handle it).
Pricing
For many businesses, pricing is a critical factor when determining which software solution to select. Pricing Structures for Jobber and Markate
Jobber offers a few pricing options:
- Core: $49/month for 1 user
- Connect: $129 / month for 7 users or less
- Grow: $249/mo (up to 30 users)
All plans have unlimited customers and invoicing. To further these capabilities, higher tiers include additions such as online booking, expense tracking and corresponding Quick Books sync.
Jobber : Jobber also has geared to enterprise custom plans for the larger organizations who have their specific requirements. On the other hand, Markate does not price it on their website in detail. Per third-party sources, they are priced from ~$39/month/user. Volume discounts are probably available for more users, but you’ll have to reach out with their sales team.
For both options, I suggest reaching out to their sales team for exact pricing quotes based on what you actually need (instead of averages that may or may not be right for your business). That means the final price could be influenced by things like how many users you have, what features you need and if there are any contract lengths involved.
Target Users
We will explain the audience for each type of platform and this can lead you in deciding which one to choose according to your business.
Jobber seres an array of other home service businesses such as cleaning, landscaping and lawn care, plumbing electrical HVAC handyman services pest control Jobber is an all-in-one solution and it has a number of features which businesses would be able to use but this may not necessarily make jobber the right fit for every business.
Markate, on the other hand targets similar service industries but is more focused towards smaller business and solopreneurs market. A Niche in Service Businesses & Start ups: Its great solution for startup services businesses and solo contractors, small teams looking a simple, affordable software.
Mobile Capabilities
For the field service industry where staff and technicians need to access schedules, customer information along with job details on-the-move, mobile capabilities are no longer a luxury but needed for business as usual.
Pro: Robust Jobber a mobile app for iOS and Android. Key features include:
- View and update schedules
- Access customer information
- Capture photos and notes
- Track time and expenses
- Create and send invoices
- Gather sign-ups & cash
Jobber The offline mode of Jobber’s mobile app is a prominently highlighted feature. It means your field teams can work in areas lacking good (or any) internet connection and all data will sync back when a connection is available again.
A mobile app for field use is provided as well by Markate and it can be installed on your iOS or Android device. It allows users to:
- View schedules
- Access customer details
- Create invoices
- Track expenses
- Process payments
It works fine, but some users mention that the Markate app is not quite a fully-featured as others like Jobber. Where it lets you get at the basics, this approach does not provide users with quite as full a slate of field capabilities that Jobber’s mobile app gives them access to.
Integration Capabilities
Another must-have element is the ease to integrate with other business tools, an important feature that can further escalate the operation and value of any field service management software.
Jobber integrates with a wide range of popular business tools such as QuickBooks Online, Stripe, Square, Mailchimp and Zapier. The integrations enable automated data flow to and from Jobber, helping streamline business operations by removing manual data entry. What this means for Jobber, is notable with the integration to Zapier that provides flexibility of connecting your own custom fields or appointments from hundreds of other apps and services.
By contrast, the integration choices of Markate are more restricted than Jobber. However, many service businesses need QuickBooks Online integration. Still, the third-party integrations ecosystem is not as wide-ranging like Jobber. Small businesses with basic requirements might find Markate and its more limited integration capabilities to be perfect fit for them, but larger firms dependant on an array of different software solutions would run up against the limits imposed by Specialce.
Customer Support
Jobber: High Quality Customer Support It provides 24/7 email and chat support, telephone support during business hours as well an online knowledge base where users will find video tutorials on how to use the software successfully.
Similarly, customer support is available via email and phone for Markate but only during business hours. They also provide an online help center with articles and guides for users. Jobber is generally very responsive but doesn’t have quite the same resources as Thryv Stream.
Unique Selling Points
Jobber & Markate both have some different features that differentiate the two from other Field Service management software in market.
Key differentiators for Jobber
Route Optimization: Plan and create necessary routes for field teams to visit their set locations efficiently, cutting down on organizational costs in time and fuel.
Customer portals: Allow customers to see quotes, approve work and pay invoices online for a better customer experience.
Comprehensive Reporting: More than 20 standard reports available for reviewing performance across multiple areas of the business.
Free educational resources for scaling a service business, beyond the software itself.
Whereas, few unique features of Markate are :
Basic Email Marketing Components: Built-In marketing tools to communicate with clients directly from the platform.
Simple User Interface: Made easy to use for people who are not good at tech, with basic functionalities
Affordable Price: Usually cheaper for small businesses or individuals so many startups and solopreneurs would be able to afford that service
Conclusion
Jobber and Markate are both software services oriented towards the set of tools that managing field service businesses need, specific to different needs.
If your business requires a more full-scale solution, especially one which includes route optimization and other advanced features not available in the free tier of capabilities that MHelpdesk offers for Alaskan businesses, you may find Jobber to be better suited. Best for businesses that are ready to pay up for a more comprehensive platform.
Where Arrivy is better suited for larger businesses that need a more sophisticated set of features, Markate would be ideal to small businesses or solopreneurs who appreciate the simplicity and low cost focusing primarily on scheduling & invoicing.
In the end, it depends on your business needs – but now you know a little more about what is out there and can make an educated choice based on budget or plans for growth. Both platforms offer free trials, so you can test each out to see which will better align with your workflows and needs.
Be aware that, as with any new tool or software intended for widespread use and effecting company behavior, rollouts should be controlled and change management carefully managed. If you decide to use any platform, expect some training and setting up workflows for the fullest potential of your field service management.
