Calday vs ServiceM8
Head-to-head comparison of pricing, features, integrations, and use-case fit.
Calday
Online booking page, calendar and Stripe deposits for solo service operators
- Starting price
- Free tier available
- Best team size
- 1-2
- Free trial
- 7 days
ServiceM8
iPhone-first job management app for small service businesses, priced by jobs per month
- Starting price
- Free tier available
- Best team size
- 1-15
- Free trial
- 14 days
What actually separates them
Only the points where our data on Calday and ServiceM8 differs. A feature or integration missing from one tool's list means our entry does not record it, not that the tool lacks it. Everything they share is further down.
- → Trades served: Calday serves Painting, Waste & Junk Removal, Pressure Washing & Window Cleaning; ServiceM8 serves Plumbing, Landscaping & Lawn Care, Pest Control, Pool Service, Fire Protection & Life Safety. The other tool's entry does not list them.
- → Integrations listed for one tool only: Calday: stripe, google calendar, outlook calendar, icloud calendar; ServiceM8: xero, quickbooks online, myob, zapier.
- → Fit for shared trades: ServiceM8 scores higher for HVAC (7/10 vs 3/10), Cleaning Services (7/10 vs 5/10), Locksmith (7/10 vs 4/10).
- → Features listed for one tool only: Calday: booking page, calendar sync, appointment reminders; ServiceM8: scheduling, invoicing, quotes.
Quick verdict
Calday: Solo operators who want a public booking page and upfront deposits, not a job-management system.
ServiceM8: Small trade and home service businesses (electricians, plumbers, HVAC, cleaners, locksmiths, pool and pest control) whose managers use iPhones or iPads and who want pricing by job volume rather than per user.
Vertical fit favors ServiceM8 in 5 of 7 shared trades.
ServiceM8 lists more integrations in our data (8 vs 6).
Decision matrix: which one is right for you?
Pick Calday if…
- → Your situation matches Calday's target profile: Solo operators who want a public booking page and upfront deposits, not a job-management system
Pick ServiceM8 if…
- → Your situation matches ServiceM8's target profile: Small trade and home service businesses (electricians, plumbers, HVAC, cleaners, locksmiths, pool and pest control) whose managers use iPhones or iPads and who want pricing by job volume rather than per user
- → QuickBooks matters: ServiceM8 lists a QuickBooks integration (QuickBooks Online); our entry for Calday lists none
- → You work in HVAC, Cleaning Services or Locksmith: ServiceM8 has the higher vertical-fit score there (HVAC: 7/10 vs 3/10)
- → You serve several trades: ServiceM8 serves 12 trades in our data, against 10 for Calday
- → Integrations matter: ServiceM8 lists 8 integrations in our data, against 6 for Calday
- → You want a longer track record: ServiceM8 was founded in 2009, Calday in 2023
Pricing side-by-side
| Tier | Calday | ServiceM8 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free: free | Free: free |
| Tier 2 | Pro: $10/mo | Starter: $29/mo |
| Tier 3 | - | Growing: $79/mo |
| Tier 4 | - | Premium: $149/mo |
Calday has a free tier (Free); its top published tier, Pro, is $10 a month. ServiceM8 has a free tier (Free); its top published tier, Premium Plus, is $349 a month.
Pros & cons
Calday
- + 7-day free trial
- + Stripe integration listed
- + Serves 10 trades in our data
- − Calday's plan comparison table lists no quoting, estimating, invoicing, job or work-order management, dispatch, route planning, job photos or technician seats
- − It is an appointment-booking product, so anything past the booking has to live in another tool
- − No QuickBooks integration in our data (ServiceM8 lists one)
ServiceM8
- + 14-day free trial
- + Higher vertical-fit score for HVAC, Cleaning Services or Locksmith
- + QuickBooks integration listed (QuickBooks Online)
- + Serves 12 trades in our data
- + Founded in 2009
- − Built iPhone and iPad first
- − The Android app lacks some iOS features
- − Price climbs with monthly job volume
Feature comparison
Features as listed in our entries. The lists use different words for similar features, so check a feature you need on both vendors' sites.
Listed for Calday only
- + booking page
- + calendar sync
- + appointment reminders
- + stripe payments
- + contact management
Listed for both
None
Listed for ServiceM8 only
- + scheduling
- + invoicing
- + quotes
- + online booking
- + form automation
- + card payments
- + asset management
- + time tracking
- + ios app
Integrations
Listed for Calday only
- + stripe
- + google calendar
- + outlook calendar
- + icloud calendar
- + zoom
- + google meet
Listed for both
None in common in our data
Listed for ServiceM8 only
- + xero
- + quickbooks online
- + myob
- + zapier
- + mailchimp
- + deputy
- + workato
- + n8n
Which fits better in each trade
| Trade | Calday fit | ServiceM8 fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 3 / 10 | 7 / 10 | ServiceM8 |
| Electrical | 7 / 10 | 7 / 10 | Tie |
| Cleaning Services | 5 / 10 | 7 / 10 | ServiceM8 |
| Locksmith | 4 / 10 | 7 / 10 | ServiceM8 |
| Garage Door | 4 / 10 | 5 / 10 | ServiceM8 |
| Appliance Repair | 5 / 10 | 7 / 10 | ServiceM8 |
| Handyman Services | 5 / 10 | 5 / 10 | Tie |
Vertical-fit scores (1-10) rate how well each tool is built for the trade, checked against the trades the vendor's own pages say it serves. See methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Calday or ServiceM8?
It depends on your trade, team size and budget. Calday is best for solo operators who want a public booking page and upfront deposits, not a job-management system. ServiceM8 is best for small trade and home service businesses (electricians, plumbers, HVAC, cleaners, locksmiths, pool and pest control) whose managers use iPhones or iPads and who want pricing by job volume rather than per user. See the decision matrix above, and the trade-by-trade fit table if you work in one trade.
Is Calday cheaper than ServiceM8?
Both have a free tier. Total cost depends on the paid plan you need, if any; see the pricing table above.
Can Calday and ServiceM8 integrate with QuickBooks?
Our entry for Calday lists no QuickBooks integration. ServiceM8 lists QuickBooks Online. Check which way each sync runs, and on which plans, in each tool's full review before you buy.
Do Calday or ServiceM8 offer a free trial?
Calday: a 7-day free trial. ServiceM8: a 14-day free trial.
Can I move from Calday to ServiceM8 (or the other way)?
Our data does not record migration support for either tool. Ask both vendors which records they import and export (customers, jobs, invoices, recurring agreements, price books), in which file format, and whether they help with the import.
Calday vs ServiceM8: which has better customer support?
Our data does not record support channels or response times for either tool. Ask each vendor which support comes with the plan you would buy. Each full review links to G2 and Capterra, where you can read current user reviews.
Which suits a solo contractor, and which a growing team?
Our data puts Calday's best team size at 1-2 and ServiceM8's at 1-15. Calday's entry price is a free tier; ServiceM8's is a free tier. Price both at the team size you expect to have, not only today's.
Need a deeper look?
See our full reviews with each tool's pricing tiers, integrations and weaknesses.
Should your product be in this comparison?
We check Calday and ServiceM8 against their own websites and list the cons next to the pros. If you build a competing product that is not listed here, you can submit it for editorial review. An evaluation can end with or without a listing.
Listings are free. We do not accept payment for inclusion, for placement, for a score, or to remove a documented con. Read this page first and decide whether you want that.