Arb Astra vs GorillaDesk for tree services

Where GorillaDesk is ahead today

GorillaDesk lists route planning from its Basic plan and route optimization from Pro, a QuickBooks Online sync and a customer portal on Pro, card processing through Stripe or Square, and a mobile app (its pricing page and tree service page, read 6 November 2026). Its pricing page also says there are no setup fees and no contracts, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card. Arb Astra has no route optimization, no QuickBooks sync (it exports CSV) and no native app-store download. If routing crews through many stops, or an accounting sync, is central to how you work, that is a real advantage for GorillaDesk.

What tree work needs that general field service software does not

A tree company sells to a customer at a property about particular trees, often over years. Arb Astra keeps per-tree records (species, DBH, height, condition, GPS position), risk assessments and plant health care treatment logs, and maintenance plans that bring recurring work back round. GorillaDesk's tree service page lists estimating for removal, pruning and stump grinding but does not mention per-tree records or risk assessments (read 6 November 2026), so ask them how they handle those.

Estimating in Arb Astra is spoken: the estimator describes the job out loud and the customer, address, services and line items fill in, presented on the company's own branded paper for signature, even without signal. Leads from Facebook lead ads, forwarded emails and your website land in one pipeline with their source, and reports show cost per lead and per job by source.

How the pricing works

GorillaDesk bills per route rather than per user: Basic is US$49 a month, Pro US$99 and Growth US$149 for the first route, with more routes costing extra, and unlimited users on every plan (its pricing page, read 6 November 2026). A tree company with several crews should work out how many routes it would pay for before comparing. Arb Astra is C$249 to C$999 a month by team size, with every feature on every plan and the first month free.

Switching from GorillaDesk

Export your customers, jobs and invoices as CSV and Arb Astra's importer maps the columns onto its own fields, linking jobs and invoices back to the right customer.

Which to choose

Choose GorillaDesk if route planning, a QuickBooks Online sync or a low entry price per route are what you need today. Try Arb Astra if tree records, spoken estimates and tracing marketing to paid jobs matter to how you run the business, starting with a free month of every feature.