Skimmer vs Housecall Pro 2026: Pool-Specific or General FSM?
Choosing between Skimmer and Housecall Pro comes down to a fundamental question: do you need pool-specific software, or will a general home services platform work better for your business?
Skimmer is purpose-built for pool professionals, with chemical tracking and water testing built in. Housecall Pro serves 45,000+ home service businesses across all industries, offering strong marketing and payment features. This comparison will help you decide which fits your pool service operation.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Skimmer | Housecall Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Industry Focus | Pool-specific | General home services |
| Pricing Model | Per-pool ($1-2/pool) | Per-user ($59-149+/mo) |
| Chemical Tracking | ✓ LSI calculator, Orenda | ✗ Not available |
| Water Testing Integration | ✓ LaMotte Bluetooth | ✗ Not available |
| Route Optimization | ✓ One-click | Essentials+ only |
| Marketing Tools | Basic email | ✓ Postcards, review requests, ads |
| QuickBooks Integration | Available | Essentials+ only |
| Offline Mode | ✓ Full offline | Limited |
| Mobile App (iOS) | 4.8/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Mobile App (Android) | 4.6/5 (some issues) | 3.3/5 (poor) |
| Capterra Rating | 4.9/5 (218 reviews) | 4.7/5 (2,784 reviews) |
Pricing Comparison
The pricing models are completely different. Skimmer charges per pool with unlimited users, while Housecall Pro charges per user with tiered features.
Skimmer
- Getting Started: $1/pool/month ($49 min)
- Scaling Up: $2/pool/month ($98 min)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Unlimited users included. All pool-specific features at every tier.
Housecall Pro
- Basic: $79/mo (1 user) or $59/mo annual
- Essentials: $189/mo (5 users) or $149/mo annual
- MAX: Custom (100+ users)
Route optimization and QuickBooks require Essentials+. GPS is $20/vehicle add-on.
Pricing Insight
For small teams (1-5 users), Housecall Pro can be cheaper—$59-149/mo vs $200/mo for 100 pools on Skimmer. But as your team grows, Skimmer's unlimited users model becomes more cost-effective. And Housecall Pro's Basic tier lacks route optimization and QuickBooks sync.
Pool-Specific Features
This is where Skimmer clearly wins. Pool service requires specialized tools that general FSM software simply doesn't provide.
Chemical & Water Testing
Orenda-powered LSI calculator for water balance. LaMotte Bluetooth integration syncs test results directly. Chemical dosing recommendations, equipment tracking, and service history—all built for pool professionals.
No pool-specific features. No chemical tracking, no LSI calculations, no water testing integration. Pool techs would need to use workarounds with custom fields or separate apps.
Marketing & Growth Features
Where Housecall Pro shines is in marketing automation—something Skimmer doesn't prioritize.
Marketing Tools
Automated postcard marketing, review generation requests, email campaigns, and Local Services Ads integration. Built for businesses focused on growth and customer acquisition.
Basic broadcast emails and service emails. Focused on service execution rather than marketing. You'd need separate marketing tools for lead generation.
Mobile App Comparison
Both platforms have mobile apps, but with significant differences in quality—especially on Android.
- Full offline mode with auto-sync
- iOS app rated 4.8/5
- Pool-specific workflows built in
- Chemical tracking on mobile
- Android app has reported stability issues
- Some users report crashes on recent updates
- iOS app rated 4.5/5
- Clean interface for job management
- Payment processing on mobile
- Android app rated just 3.3/5
- Users report stability and sync issues
- Limited offline capability
- "The app keeps logging me out" — Common complaint
Android Warning
If your team uses Android devices, both platforms have issues—but Housecall Pro's 3.3/5 rating is significantly worse than Skimmer's 4.6/5. This is a major consideration for field teams.
What Users Say
About Skimmer
"I have 350 clients, it was pure frustration trying to keep track of everything on paper. Skimmer has obviously put a lot of thought into the app and worked with Tech's in the field."
About Housecall Pro
"HouseCallPro is a wonderful product for the blue collar service industry. Payments can be processed easily through the app, and everything is very user friendly after a little bit of practice."
"Support has declined significantly. Getting a human to help takes forever, and the chat bot is useless for real problems."
Who Should Choose Skimmer?
- Pool-focused businesses — Chemical tracking, LSI calculations, and water testing integration are essential
- Larger teams — Unlimited users means better value as you scale
- Offline needs — Service areas with poor cell coverage
- Service-focused — You want to optimize field execution, not marketing
Who Should Choose Housecall Pro?
- Multi-service businesses — Pool is one of several services you offer
- Growth-focused — Marketing automation and lead generation are priorities
- Small teams — 1-5 users can be cheaper than Skimmer's per-pool model
- iOS-only teams — Avoid the Android app issues
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Housecall Pro handle pool chemical tracking?
Not natively. Housecall Pro doesn't have any pool-specific features. You'd need to create custom fields for manual data entry, but there's no LSI calculator, dosing recommendations, or water testing equipment integration.
Which has better customer support?
Mixed reviews for both. Skimmer users praise their pool industry knowledge. Housecall Pro has faced criticism recently for support quality—Trustpilot shows a 3.2/5 rating with common complaints about response times and unhelpful chatbots.
Can I switch between the two?
Yes. Both allow data export. Basic customer and job data can be migrated. Pool-specific data like chemical readings from Skimmer would need manual handling if moving to Housecall Pro.
Which integrates better with QuickBooks?
Similar capabilities, but both have caveats. Housecall Pro requires the Essentials tier ($149/mo) for QuickBooks sync. Skimmer includes it but pushes users toward native billing instead.
Do either offer free trials?
Yes. Skimmer offers a 30-day risk-free trial. Housecall Pro offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
Choose Skimmer if pool service is your primary business. The chemical tracking, water testing integration, and pool-specific workflows save real time and reduce errors. General FSM software like Housecall Pro simply can't match these specialized features.
Choose Housecall Pro if you run a multi-service home services business where pool is just one offering, and you prioritize marketing automation over pool-specific functionality.
Want Pool-Specific Features + Modern AI?
PoolDial offers pool-focused software with an included AI receptionist that answers your phone 24/7. Same per-pool pricing as Skimmer, with AI phone answering worth $200-500/mo included at no extra cost.
See How PoolDial ComparesFor deeper analysis, read our complete Skimmer review or explore our Pool Service Software Comparison Guide.