Thumbtack alternative — no lead fees
Zippy Pro vs Thumbtack
Thumbtack is a lead marketplace: customers describe a project, Thumbtack shows them pros, and pros pay for the leads they receive.
Zippy Pro is the app for home-service pros: customers book and pay on zippydoes.com, Zippy prices the job and gathers the details, and you claim the job with one tap and get paid when you finish — for $2/mo, deducted from the first job you complete each month — nothing in a month you don’t work.
What each one costs
Thumbtack
Free to join, pay per lead
| Membership | $0 | “no subscription cost, no annual fees, no membership fees” |
| Leads | You set the budget | lead prices are not published; “you control your pricing and budget for leads, which determines how many leads you get” |
- • Earnings on Thumbtack’s own calculator are “subject to applicable Platform Fees”
- • Thumbtack says customers choose pros directly and that competition per lead is limited
- • A lead is a contact, not a booked job — the quote, the schedule and the payment are still yours to handle
Zippy Pro
$2/mo
deducted from the first job you complete each month — nothing in a month you don’t work
- ✓$0 to join, no setup fee
- ✓No lead fees, no bidding
- ✓The payout you see is what you get — Zippy’s fee is added for the customer
- ✓Paid automatically when you finish; same-day with Instant Cash Out*
What stays on your plate
With Thumbtack you still have to:
- ✕Pay for leads whether or not they turn into work
- ✕Reply fast and quote every lead yourself
- ✕Schedule, collect payment and chase the no-shows
- ✕Compete with the other pros the customer also contacted
With Zippy Pro, Zippy:
- ✓Prices every job instantly — no quoting
- ✓Books the customer and collects payment up front
- ✓Gathers gate codes, access notes and job details
- ✓Pays you automatically when you finish
- ✓Answers your questions — and your customers’ — 24/7 with the genie
You do: the work.
Which one is right for you?
Thumbtack is probably the right call if…
- •You work in a category or a city Zippy doesn’t serve yet
- •You want to bid across many kinds of projects, not just the home services Zippy offers today
Zippy Pro is the right call if…
- •You are done paying for leads that go nowhere — on Zippy, customers book and pay before you ever see the job
- •You want one tap to claim, not a race to reply
- •You want your own customers to stay yours — jobs booked through your personal link are reserved for you first
Using both
You don’t have to choose on day one. Keep Thumbtack if it’s working, give your customers your personal Zippy link, and let Zippy price, book and collect for the jobs that come through it. Those jobs are reserved for you first, and new Zippy customers in your area show up on your map too. Zippy charges nothing in a month you don’t complete a job.
Questions pros ask about Thumbtack and Zippy Pro
What does Thumbtack cost compared with Zippy Pro?
Thumbtack is free to join; you pay for leads at prices Thumbtack does not publish, within a budget you set, plus platform fees. Zippy Pro has no lead fees at all — the only cost is $2 a month, taken from your first completed job each month.
Is a Zippy job the same as a Thumbtack lead?
No. A lead is a customer who might hire you. A Zippy job is a customer who already booked and paid, with the price, property and access details attached. You claim it with one tap and get paid automatically when you finish.
Do I bid against other pros on Zippy?
No. Prices are set up front and the payout is shown before you claim. Jobs are first come, first served, and jobs booked through your own link are reserved for you first.
Can I use Thumbtack and Zippy Pro together?
Yes. Keep your Thumbtack profile if it is working for you, and point the customers you win there to zippydoes.com for their next booking so Zippy handles the quote, schedule and payment from then on.
Where does Zippy operate?
Zippy is live in Frisco, Texas and the surrounding area. The app downloads anywhere, but jobs only appear where Zippy operates. If you’re farther out, tell us your ZIP code — Zippy opens new markets where Pros are already waiting.
Get the app. Apply in minutes.
Free to join. The application happens right inside the Zippy Pro app.
