Honest comparison · updated August 2026

DripJobs vs Contractor Autopilot

DripJobs is $97–$147/mo, plus $25/mo texting and $39/mo AI as add-ons — and it is one piece of your business. Contractor Autopilot is $149–$499/mo flat for the whole company, unlimited users: one source of truth, 60+ features from the missed call to the paid invoice. No integrations to build, nothing to keep in sync.

What DripJobs does well

DripJobs was built by a painter, and it shows. The pipeline and the automated drip messages are genuinely good — cold leads get followed up whether or not you remember to do it.

Best for: Painting shops with enough lead volume to need automated follow-up drips.

Where it leaves you exposed

  • Nobody answers the phone. Drips work on leads you already have; a missed call never becomes a lead at all.
  • No website, no custom domain, no Google Business Profile work — you still pay someone else to get found.
  • Texting and AI are separate line items on top of the base price.

One app for the whole business — finally

DripJobs is one piece. Your phone, website, reviews and books live somewhere else, and you or Zapier keep them in sync.

1
source of truth, unlimited users

The call, the lead, the quote, the job, the invoice, the review and the website all live on the same customer record. Your whole crew and your office get their own login — we never charge per seat.

60+
features, five stages

Get found, capture leads, quote & close, run jobs, get paid — the whole business, not one slice of it.

0
integrations to build

No Zapier, no CSV exports, no paying a consultant to wire your tools together every time something changes.

The time it gives you back

The call gets written on a notepad, typed into DripJobs, re-typed into the invoice, and the review request never gets sent. With one system the call becomes the lead, the quote, the job, the invoice and the review request without anyone re-typing it.

What it really costs to run DripJobs

Until now, nobody ran a contracting business on one app. Here is the rest of the bill you are still paying.

DripJobs (base)$97–$147/mo
Texting add-on$25/mo
AI add-on$39/mo
Answering service so calls get picked up$300+/mo
Website + hosting + someone to edit it$50–$300/mo
Review + social tool$50–$150/mo
Typical all-in$560–$960/mo across 4–6 vendors
Contractor Autopilot — all of it, one bill$149–$499/mo

Stack costs are typical published US market rates for each category, August 2026. Your numbers will vary — run our free business review and we will price your actual stack.

What it costs at 1, 5 and 10 people

Their price grows with your crew. Ours does not — every plan is unlimited users, so the tenth hire costs you nothing in software.

Crew sizeDripJobs+ what it doesn't includeTheir all-inContractor Autopilot
Just you$211/mo$850/mo$1,061/mo$499/mo
5 people$211/mo$850/mo$1,061/mo$499/mo
10 people$211/mo$850/mo$1,061/mo$499/mo

At five people that is $1,061 a month — more than Autopilot Pro — and it still does not answer your phone, build your website, or ask your customers for reviews.

Same money buys the whole business instead of one slice of it: 60+ features across all five stages, unlimited users, one bill.

DripJobs column uses their published list price, read August 2026. "What it doesn't include" is the same basket every time: answering service ~$300, website and hosting ~$150, reviews and social ~$100, local SEO help ~$300. Our column is Autopilot Pro at $499/mo — everything, unlimited users. Starter is $149 and Autopilot is $399.

Side by side

FeatureContractor AutopilotDripJobs
Answers your calls 24/7 (real AI receptionist)Included on Autopilot ProNo
Builds and hosts your website + custom domainYesNo
Posts to social and asks for reviews automaticallyYesNo
Pipeline + automated follow-up messagesYesYes
Two-way texting from a local numberIncluded$25/mo add-on
AI estimating that learns your pricesYes$39/mo AI add-on
Quotes, invoices, card paymentsYesYes
Job costing and real profit per jobAutopilot ProAdd-on tier
One flat price for the whole companyYesBase + add-ons
Price$149–$499/mo, whole company$97–$147/mo, plus $25/mo texting and $39/mo AI as add-ons

DripJobs pricing and features from their published information, read August 2026. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.

The honest verdict

DripJobs is a follow-up machine bolted onto a CRM. If your problem is leads going cold, it fixes that. If your problem is that you are on a ladder when the phone rings, and nobody can find you on Google in the first place, it does not touch either one.

Questions contractors ask

Is Contractor Autopilot a DripJobs alternative for painters?

Yes — same pipeline, quoting, invoicing and automated follow-up, plus the things DripJobs leaves to other vendors: a 24/7 AI receptionist that answers your calls, your website, and your review and social posting.

What does it cost compared to DripJobs?

DripJobs is $97–$147/mo before the texting and AI add-ons. Contractor Autopilot starts at $149/mo, and Autopilot Pro at $499/mo includes the AI receptionist — which on its own usually replaces a $300+/mo answering service.

Built for your trade

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