Blog · 2026-10-25
How much does pool service software cost? Skimmer, Pool Brain, PoolDial and PoolHelm priced out (2026)
Published 2026 prices for four pool service apps, worked out for a 40, 100 and 175 pool route. Per pool vs per tech vs flat pricing, seasonal swings, payment fees, and which ones answer the phone with AI.
Pool service software is priced four different ways. One app charges per pool. One charges per tech. One charges a flat fee. Some add AI phone answering for extra and some include it. Google suggests “pool service software pricing” and “how much is Skimmer a month” because owners keep asking. This guide puts the published prices side by side and works them out for three real route sizes.
All prices come from each vendor’s own pricing page as of October 25, 2026, unless we say otherwise. Check before you sign up.
The short version
- Skimmer charges per serviced location: $1 per month on Getting Started (up to 49 pools, $49 minimum) or $2 per month on Scaling Up (from $98). AI phone answering is a $99/month add-on.
- Pool Brain charges $65 per active field tech per month plus a base fee for office users. It does not charge per pool.
- PoolDial charges $2 per serviced pool per month with a $40 minimum. An AI phone receptionist is included.
- PoolHelm charges $149 per month flat for unlimited techs and pools. It has an AI morning briefing but no AI phone answering.
- Per pool pricing is cheapest for small routes. Flat pricing wins as the route grows. Per tech pricing wins when each tech runs a lot of pools.
Published prices
| App | How it charges | Published price | AI features | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skimmer | Per serviced location per month | Getting Started: $1/location, $49 minimum, 0 to 49 pools. Scaling Up: $2/location, from $98. Enterprise (1,000+ pools): quote | AI Phone add-on, $99/mo | First month of Scaling Up free (promo); 30-day refund guarantee |
| Pool Brain | Per active field tech per month | $65 per tech plus a base fee for unlimited office users (see note) | Not listed on pricing page | Yes (length not shown on pricing page) |
| PoolDial | Per serviced pool per month | $2/pool, $40 minimum, unlimited users | AI phone receptionist and AI business assistant included | 14 days |
| PoolHelm | Flat | $149/mo, unlimited techs and pools | AI 6 AM briefing (chemistry, storms, overdue invoices) | 30 days, no card during its founding window |
Note on Pool Brain: its pricing page shows “$65 per tech” in a calculator that starts at 5 techs. The base fee loads in the calculator and did not show in our check. Independent price trackers recorded it as $50 per month in August and October 2026 (Vendor Almanac). Confirm the total in the calculator before you count on it.
What three real routes would pay
We used the published prices above. For Pool Brain we used the reported $50 base. For Skimmer we used the plan that fits the route size.
Solo owner, 40 pools, 1 tech
| App | Monthly software cost | With AI phone answering |
|---|---|---|
| Skimmer (Getting Started) | $49 | $148 (add AI Phone, $99) |
| Pool Brain | about $115 | No AI phone listed |
| PoolDial | $80 | $80 (included) |
| PoolHelm | $149 | No AI phone listed |
Small company, 100 pools, 2 techs
| App | Monthly software cost | With AI phone answering |
|---|---|---|
| Skimmer (Scaling Up) | $200 | $299 |
| Pool Brain | about $180 | No AI phone listed |
| PoolDial | $200 | $200 (included) |
| PoolHelm | $149 | No AI phone listed |
Growing company, 175 pools, 4 techs
| App | Monthly software cost | With AI phone answering |
|---|---|---|
| Skimmer (Scaling Up) | $350 | $449 |
| Pool Brain | about $310 | No AI phone listed |
| PoolDial | $350 | $350 (included) |
| PoolHelm | $149 | No AI phone listed |
Two things jump out. Under about 75 pools, the per pool apps are the cheapest. Past that, PoolHelm’s flat $149 gets hard to beat on software alone. Pool Brain sits in the middle and gets cheaper per pool when each tech runs a big route.
Features are not equal across these apps, so the cheapest line is not always the best buy. Skimmer’s Scaling Up plan adds quotes, job management, route optimization and unlimited service texts that Getting Started does not have. Make a list of what you use every week and check each plan for it.
Per pool pricing swings with the season
Skimmer and PoolDial bill for each pool you actually serviced that month. Skimmer’s FAQ says a location you don’t service in a month is not billed, and visiting a pool ten times still counts once.
That is good in a slow month and a surprise in a busy one. A Northeast owner on r/PoolPros described it plainly: openings, cleanings and service calls could push one month to $300, drop the next to $100, then jump to $600. If you open and close a lot of pools, your software bill will move with the season. A flat or per tech price stays the same every month.
Don’t forget payment fees
Software price is only part of the cost if you collect cards through the app.
- PoolDial lists US card processing at 3.2% + $0.30 and ACH at 1.1%, separate from the subscription.
- PoolHelm connects to your own Stripe account. Stripe’s fees apply; PoolHelm says it never holds your funds.
- Skimmer and Pool Brain both offer built-in payments. An r/PoolPros owner who switched from Pool Brain to Skimmer said one reason was that Pool Brain’s merchant service charged a monthly fee on top of per transaction fees. Ask each vendor for its current rate sheet.
Say you bill 100 pools $185 a month each by card. Every tenth of a percent in card fees costs you about $18.50 a month. Compare fees the same way you compare the subscription.
Do you need AI phone answering?
Pool customers call when the water turns green or the pump stops. If you are on a route all day, those calls go to voicemail, and many callers won’t leave one.
You have three ways to cover it:
- Built into your pool software. PoolDial includes an AI receptionist in every account. It collects the caller’s details and the job, then sends you a summary. PoolDial says it collects information rather than diagnosing equipment.
- An add-on. Skimmer sells AI Phone for $99 a month.
- A separate AI receptionist. Any AI receptionist that takes forwarded calls will work with any pool software. You give up the tight link to your customer records, but you can pick the one that sounds best. AI Peak Biz, our company, also sets up AI phone answering for service businesses.
If you mostly need callers to know you got the call, a missed call text back may be enough. For a full price comparison of live and AI answering, see what an answering service costs.
How to pick
- Under 50 pools and watching every dollar: Skimmer Getting Started or PoolDial. PoolDial costs more at 40 pools but includes the AI phone.
- 50 to 150 pools, 1 to 3 techs: price all four. PoolHelm’s flat fee starts to pull ahead around 75 pools if you don’t need AI phone answering.
- Big routes per tech: Pool Brain’s per tech price can work out cheaper per pool. Run its calculator with your real tech count.
- Seasonal openings and closings: a flat price keeps your bill steady.
- Switching mid-season: ask about import help. PoolHelm says its team builds your customer import file by hand (a $149 one-time setup, waived for founding owners). PoolDial says it will review your export and help map your data. Skimmer runs onboarding sessions, per owners on r/PoolPros.
FAQ
How much is Skimmer a month? $1 per serviced location on Getting Started (up to 49 pools, $49 minimum) or $2 per serviced location on Scaling Up (from $98). AI Phone is $99 a month extra. Over 1,000 pools, Skimmer quotes Enterprise pricing.
Is Pool Brain cheaper than Skimmer? It depends on pools per tech. Pool Brain charges per tech ($65 each plus a base fee) and Skimmer charges per pool. In our 100 pool, 2 tech example, Pool Brain came to about $180 and Skimmer Scaling Up to $200. With fewer pools per tech, Skimmer comes out ahead.
Which pool service software has AI phone answering? PoolDial includes an AI receptionist in every account. Skimmer sells AI Phone as a $99 a month add-on. PoolHelm and Pool Brain don’t list one; you can pair them with a standalone AI receptionist.
Does Skimmer charge for pools I didn’t service? Skimmer’s FAQ says no: if you don’t service a location in a given month, you are not billed for it. One r/PoolPros user reported being charged for inactive accounts. If you see that, ask Skimmer support to check your locations.
Is there free pool service software? None of the four apps here is free, but all offer a trial. A few lightweight route apps advertise free starter plans. Check what happens to your data and billing when you outgrow them.
See every tool we list for pool and spa companies.