Comparison
Paint Executive vs Jobber
Built for Painters, Not Every Contractor
Jobber is a solid tool for general contractors. But when your business depends on accurate square-footage estimates, paint color coordination, and subcontractor price isolation, you need a platform built specifically for the painting trade.
Quick Verdict
6 exclusive featuresPaint Executive wins for painting contractors who need industry-specific workflows. Jobber is a better fit if you run a multi-trade business.
- Painting-specific estimation with room-by-room surface area calculations, coat multipliers, and offline support -- Jobber uses generic line-item quoting.
- Customer Portal with color selection -- let homeowners pick paint colors, approve proposals, and track job progress. Jobber has no customer-facing portal.
- Subcontractor portal with price isolation -- subs see their scope and payout without seeing your customer pricing. Jobber has no sub management.
Feature-by-Feature
Full Comparison
| Feature | Paint Executive | Jobber |
|---|---|---|
| Painting-Specific Estimation | IncludedNative, room-by-room | Not availableGeneric line items |
| Customer Portal | IncludedColors, status, payment | Not available |
| Sub Portal with Price Isolation | IncludedFull price isolation | Not available |
| Paint Color Catalog | IncludedSherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore | Not available |
| Offline Estimation | IncludedFull offline support | Not available |
| E-Signature + Stripe Deposits | Included | Included |
| Job Scheduling | Included | Included |
| QuickBooks Sync | IncludedAutomatic sync | IncludedAutomatic sync |
| Crew Check-ins | Included | Included |
| Mobile App | IncludedPWA (instant updates) | IncludedNative (iOS & Android) |
| Analytics Dashboard | IncludedRevenue, margins, crew KPIs | Partial supportBasic reporting |
| Production Tracking | IncludedCrew-level, per-room | Partial supportBasic job status |
| Change Orders | IncludedIn-app with e-sign | Not available |
| Pricing | $499/mo/month | $69 - $349/month |
The Difference
Why Painters Choose Paint Executive
Estimation Built for Paint, Not Plumbing
Jobber's quoting tool uses generic line items. You type in a description and a price. That works for a pressure washing job, but it falls apart when you need to estimate a 12-room interior with different prep requirements, ceiling heights, and coat specifications.
Paint Executive gives you a room-by-room estimation engine with surface-area calculations, coat multipliers, material-cost lookups, and labor-rate matrices. Build a detailed estimate on-site -- even without cell service -- and convert it to a branded proposal with one tap.
- Room-by-room surface area calculations
- Coat multipliers and prep-time adjustments
- Works offline -- estimate in basements and rural homes
A Portal Your Customers Actually Use
Jobber sends customers an email with a PDF quote. If they want to change colors, check the schedule, or make a payment, they call or text you. That creates friction and eats your time.
Paint Executive gives every customer a branded portal where they can browse paint colors from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams, approve proposals with e-signature, track their job's progress, and pay deposits -- all without calling you.
- Paint color browsing with brand catalog integration
- Real-time job status updates
- Online proposal approval with e-signature
Subcontractor Management That Protects Your Margins
When you sub out work through Jobber, there is no way to prevent subs from seeing your customer pricing. Most painting company owners resort to separate spreadsheets or text chains to manage sub assignments and payments.
Paint Executive's Sub Portal gives your subcontractors their own view where they see their scope, schedule, and payout -- and nothing else. Your customer pricing, overall job margins, and other sub assignments remain completely hidden.
- Price isolation -- subs never see your customer pricing
- Offer management with accept/decline workflows
- One-tap check-in tracking for accountability
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Paint Executive is purpose-built exclusively for painting contractors, while Jobber serves a wide range of home service industries. Paint Executive includes painting-specific estimation with room-by-room and surface-area calculators, a customer portal with paint color selection, subcontractor management with price isolation, and a paint color catalog. Jobber offers none of these painting-specific tools.
Yes. Our onboarding team provides a white-glove migration service at no extra cost. We import your customer database, job history, and outstanding estimates. Most teams are fully transitioned within 5 business days.
Paint Executive is $499/month all-in versus Jobber's $69-and-up entry plan. The difference: Paint Executive is one purpose-built platform that replaces 5-8 separate tools, including painting-specific estimation, a customer portal, and subcontractor management with price isolation that Jobber either doesn't offer or requires paid add-ons to replicate. For most painting contractors, one all-in platform costs less than stitching together cheaper generic tools.
Paint Executive provides a Progressive Web App (PWA) that works on any device with a modern browser. It installs to your home screen like a native app, supports offline estimation, crew check-ins, and photo uploads. Unlike native apps, the PWA updates instantly without waiting for app store approval.
Yes. Paint Executive offers a native, automatic sync to QuickBooks Online. Invoices, payments, and customer records push to QuickBooks automatically, eliminating double-entry. Both Paint Executive and Jobber offer QuickBooks integration.
Absolutely. Paint Executive offers a 14-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card is required to start. You can also book a personalized demo with our team to see how the platform fits your specific painting business.
Ready to Switch from Jobber?
Start your 14-day free trial today. Our team will migrate your data from Jobber at no cost -- most teams are fully switched within a week.