How we evaluate software
Our comparisons are built from what vendors publish and what owners in the trade care about. Here is exactly what that means.
What we look at
- Route management for recurring weekly service
- Chemical readings and dosing logs techs can fill in at the pool
- Service reports and photos sent to customers automatically
- Recurring billing and autopay
- Real monthly cost at your pool count and number of techs
- Support for one-off repairs and equipment jobs alongside routes
How we score
Each tool gets a score from 0 to 5 on the criteria below. The overall score is the weighted average. Scores are our editorial judgement, based on each vendor's published features, plan limits and prices for a company like yours.
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Routes & field work | 25% | Route building and optimization, technician app, recurring stops |
| Water chemistry & reports | 20% | Chemical readings, dosing help, service reports customers receive |
| Price for small companies | 20% | What a 1–3 tech, under-150-pool company pays |
| Billing & payments | 15% | Recurring invoicing, online payments, autopay |
| Repairs & one-off jobs | 10% | Quotes, work orders, equipment jobs |
| Setup, trial & support | 10% | How easy it is to try, start and get help |
Where the numbers come from
Prices and plan limits come from each vendor's public pricing page. Every tool card links to that page and shows the date we last checked it. Vendors change prices and bundle features often, so treat our figures as a starting point and confirm before you buy.
What we don't claim
Unless a guide says otherwise, we have not run each tool in a live business for months. When a strength or weakness comes from the vendor's own feature list rather than from use, we describe it as a feature, not as an experience. We would rather tell you less than invent a test we didn't do.
How money fits in
Some links are affiliate links. A tool's affiliate program never decides whether it appears or where it ranks, and we list tools that pay us nothing when they are a good fit. See the affiliate disclosure.