Compare · Skimmer
A Skimmer alternative with one flat price
Looking for a Skimmer alternative? Skimmer is pool service software priced per pool. Business Manager 4Home Pros runs recurring routes, pools included, for $34.99 a month for the whole business. Skimmer goes deeper on pools. Here is who should pick which.
The short answer
Who should pick which
Pick Skimmer if you need…
- Readings straight from a LaMotte Spin Touch (Scaling Up and up)[2]
- An LSI and dosing calculator powered by Orenda[1]
- Card and ACH payments, AutoPay, and consumer financing through Sunbit[3]
- A customer portal and QuickBooks Online sync[3]
- Route optimization, or an AI Phone add-on ($99 a month)[1]
- A pool app with a long track record: 4.6 from 3.7K ratings[4]
Pick 4Home Pros if…
- You don't want your bill to grow with every pool you add
- You want LSI and doses on the free plan
- You want Done to bill the visit by itself, per visit or once a month
- Your techs should never see prices, balances or payments
- You also run lawn, cleaning or bin routes
- You want to log visits and record payments by chat in Claude or ChatGPT
Cost
Skimmer pool software pricing, worked out
Skimmer bills per serviced pool (it says "serviced location") each month[1].
- Getting Started: $1 per pool a month, $49 minimum, for 0–49 pools. It has Route Builder, invoicing and a customer portal, but no scheduling, quotes, route optimization or LSI calculator[1].
- Scaling Up: $2 per pool a month, $98 minimum, for 50–1,000 pools. It adds scheduling, quotes, route optimization and the LSI and dosing calculator powered by Orenda[1].
- Enterprise: custom pricing, for more than 1,000 pools[1].
- Add-ons: AI Phone $99 a month, Marketing Suite $150 a month. Service texts cost $0.029 each on Getting Started[1].
- Good to know: every plan includes unlimited technicians. New customers get the first month of Scaling Up free, and there is a 30-day money-back guarantee. No yearly price is shown[1].
| Route size | Skimmer, cheapest plan | Skimmer with LSI calculator | 4Home Pros | Difference (monthly billing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 pools | Getting Started $49/mo | Scaling Up $98/mo | Pro $34.99/mo · $22.92/mo yearly | $168 a year |
| 49 pools | Getting Started $49/mo | Scaling Up $98/mo | Pro $34.99/mo · $22.92/mo yearly | $168 a year |
| 80 pools | Scaling Up $160/mo | Scaling Up $160/mo | Pro $34.99/mo · $22.92/mo yearly | $1,500 a year |
| 150 pools | Scaling Up $300/mo | Scaling Up $300/mo | Pro $34.99/mo · $22.92/mo yearly | $3,180 a year |
| 300 pools | Scaling Up $600/mo | Scaling Up $600/mo | Pro $34.99/mo · $22.92/mo yearly | $6,780 a year |
"Difference" uses Skimmer's cheapest plan for that size[1]. Below 50 pools, getting Skimmer's LSI calculator means Scaling Up, which widens the gap. Try any pool count in the cost calculator.
Where we win
Why pool pros switch
- The price stays flat. Pool 31 and pool 301 cost the same: nothing extra. Pro is $34.99 a month, or $274.99 a year (pricing).
- LSI and doses on Free. Water balance is on the visit checklist on every plan. Try the math in our pool LSI calculator.
- Done bills the visit. The charge lands on the customer's balance at once. Send invoices one at a time or in a batch.
- Crew mode with no money in it. Techs see stops, notes and checklists, never prices or balances.
- More than pools. The same app runs lawn, cleaning and bin routes.
- AI by chat. Our AI connector logs visits, records payments and drafts payment reminders. It's free for up to 15 customers.
What we don't do: card processing, AutoPay, QuickBooks sync, online booking, AI phone answering, LaMotte or Orenda integrations, or chemical inventory. We order stops by GPS position, not drive time.
Side by side
Skimmer vs 4Home Pros, feature by feature
| Skimmer | 4Home Pros | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per serviced pool: $1 ($49 minimum) or $2 ($98 minimum) a month[1] | Flat: Free, or Pro $34.99/mo |
| Price at 80 pools | $160/mo on Scaling Up[1] | $34.99/mo |
| Yearly plan | Not published[1] | $274.99/yr ($22.92/mo) |
| Free plan or trial | First month of Scaling Up free for new customers; 30-day money-back[1] | Free plan, no card, no time limit; earn 14 days of Pro |
| Technicians | Unlimited on every plan[1] | Unlimited on Pro; you + 1 on Free |
| LSI and dosing | Scaling Up and up, powered by Orenda[1] | Every plan, on the visit checklist |
| LaMotte Spin Touch | Scaling Up and up[2] | No |
| Putting stops in order | Route Builder; route optimization on Scaling Up[1] | GPS order (nearest next, or one direction), drag to adjust |
| Card payments and AutoPay | Card, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay; AutoPay[3] | No card processing. Your own Venmo, Zelle, Cash App or Apple Pay on the invoice |
| Customer financing | Sunbit[3] | No |
| Customer portal | Yes[3] | Service history links you text; branded pay page on Pro |
| QuickBooks Online | Yes[3] | No |
| AI phone answering | $99/mo add-on[1] | No |
| Crew never see money | — | Built in for every crew member |
| App Store rating | 4.6 from 3.7K ratings[4] | 5.0 from 8 ratings (a young listing) |
A dash means we didn't check that feature for Skimmer.
Switching
Moving from Skimmer
- Start free on the web, iPhone or Android. No card.
- Bring your customers. Import a CSV file (pick the columns, check the preview), or on Pro, hand a photo or PDF of your list to AI customer import.
- Add each pool's gallons, schedule and price: weekly on Tuesdays, $45 a visit, and so on.
- Turn on Pool Water Balance. It adds the water tests to your visit checklist.
- Run one week side by side, then decide.
FAQ
Questions
How much does Skimmer cost?
Getting Started is $1 per serviced pool a month ($49 minimum, up to 49 pools). Scaling Up is $2 per pool ($98 minimum). Enterprise is custom. We checked Skimmer's pricing page on October 20, 2026.
Is 4Home Pros cheaper than Skimmer?
Yes, at every route size we checked. At 80 pools, Skimmer Scaling Up is $160 a month and 4Home Pros Pro is $34.99. Under 50 pools, Skimmer Getting Started is $49, but it has no LSI calculator.
Does 4Home Pros have an LSI calculator like Skimmer?
Yes, on every plan. It runs our own engine: the standard LSI formula with a CYA correction. It is not an Orenda integration. Skimmer's calculator is powered by Orenda and comes with Scaling Up. Try ours in the free pool LSI calculator.
Does 4Home Pros connect to a LaMotte Spin Touch?
No. Your tech taps the readings into the checklist. If Bluetooth readings from a Spin Touch matter to you, Skimmer is the better fit.
Can my customers pay by card or AutoPay?
No. There is no built-in card processing or autopay. Your invoice shows your own Venmo, Zelle, Cash App or Apple Pay, and we take no cut. Skimmer has card payments and AutoPay.
Run one week of your pool route on it, free.
Free for your first 50 job sites. No card. Same account on iPhone, Android and the web.