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Arb Astra vs Housecall Pro for tree services
Housecall Pro is widely used home-service software with published plans, a free trial and native phone apps. Arb Astra is built only for tree work. The question is whether tree-specific records, spoken estimates and lead-source reporting matter enough to you to choose a narrower, newer product.
| Arb Astra | Housecall Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Tree service companies only | Home service businesses in general |
| Published pricing | C$249 to C$999 a month by team size (C$2,390 to C$9,990 a year); first month free, every feature | Basic $59/mo (1 user), Essentials $149/mo (5 users), Max $299/mo (8 users, extra users $35/mo) on annual billing; $79, $189 and $329 monthly; USD, excluding tax |
| Free trial | One month, every feature | 14 days, no credit card, full Max access |
| Mobile | Installable web app on phone and tablet; no app-store download | Free native iOS and Android apps |
| Tree records | Per-tree inventory, risk assessments, PHC logs, maintenance plans | Not stated on its pricing page |
| Estimates | Spoken quote fills the line items; photo markup; terms and e-signature; offline | See Housecall Pro's site |
Sources: Housecall Pro pricing page (checked 2026-11-03).
Where Housecall Pro is ahead today
Housecall Pro offers a free app for iOS and Android, and a 14-day trial with no credit card that gives full access to its Max plan (its pricing page, read 3 November 2026). Arb Astra installs from the browser and has no app-store download. If native store apps are a must-have today, Housecall Pro has them.
What tree work needs that general 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. Housecall Pro is general home-service software, so check with them how they handle those records.
Estimating is spoken: the estimator describes the job out loud and the 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.
Switching from Housecall Pro
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 Housecall Pro if you want established general software with store apps 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.
Questions
Is Housecall Pro good for tree service companies?
It is general home-service software that many trades use. Its pricing page does not describe tree-specific records such as per-tree inventory, risk assessments or PHC treatment logs (read 3 November 2026), so ask them about those before you decide.
How do the trials compare?
Housecall Pro offers 14 days with no credit card and full access to its Max plan. Arb Astra gives the first month free with every feature.