Compare Clearmargin vs. Own Your Tools

Freelancers and small teams face not a billing issue, but rather a juggling act involving multiple tools. They might utilize one application for proposals, another for tracking their hours, a spreadsheet for managing expenses, yet another tool for invoicing, and possibly QuickBooks after receiving a suggestion to do so. Consequently, important tasks can easily be overlooked; invoices may be dispatched late, hours could go unrecorded, and expenses might not be accounted for, resulting in unexpected losses. The mental strain of managing all these elements can be quite draining. Clearmargin consolidates everything needed for smooth financial management into a single platform, including proposals, time tracking, expense logging, invoicing, and payment processing. Users can create professional proposals that outline the scope, timeline, and pricing with ease. Time can be monitored using a convenient quick-entry strip or a running timer. Expenses can be recorded and allocated to specific projects, and shared costs like software subscriptions can be automatically divided among various clients. When billing time arrives, invoices can be generated from project data with just one click, and payments, whether via credit card or ACH, can be accepted directly through invoices via Stripe Connect, all while enjoying standard processing rates. This holistic approach not only simplifies the administrative burden but also enhances overall efficiency, allowing freelancers and small teams to focus on their core work without the constant worry of financial details slipping away.

Own Your Tools is built for the owner-operator running a trade shop of 1 to 10 people: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, roofing, painting and general contracting. If you're on Jobber or Housecall Pro and the bill climbs every time you hire, or you're still running jobs off paper and a spreadsheet, this is for you. Most software in this space bills you every month, forever. We do it the other way. Pay once and own it, or pay it off over 12 months. Ten seats on one license, no per-user fees. After the first year, an annual platform fee covers hosting, security and updates, capped at $99 a year for the life of your license. It runs the money path start to finish: lead, proposal, job, invoice, paid. Scheduling, a job map that optimizes up to 10 stops, a lead pipeline, proposals, invoicing, a customer portal, inventory with bundles, job-site forms with signatures, expenses, GPS mileage, reports including a Schedule C tax summary, team management and team chat. Your customers pay invoices by card through the portal, straight into your own Stripe account. We don't take a cut. Works offline once a device has signed in and synced. Bring your customers over from Jobber, Housecall Pro, QuickBooks or a spreadsheet, and export everything any time in one click. Support is by email, answered within 4 business days, with no time limit. 60-day money-back guarantee. If we ever shut down, your app keeps working on your devices, your data exports with photos, and the source code is released. It's in our Terms. Built in North Idaho by two founders who have done the work. Try it free for 30 days, no card.