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Autopilot vs IFS
IFS is one of the most respected enterprise field service platforms in the world, sold on quotes and deployed over months into aerospace, energy, and utility operations. Autopilot plans start at $49 a month, and the $149 Full Throttle plan includes the full phone system, AI receptionist, QuickBooks, GPS, and marketing tools.
The IFS alternative built for small crews
The numbers that decide it, side by side.
| Comparison point |  |  IFS |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo flat | Quote-based; ~$65-200/user/mo reported |
| Team members included | 1, 5, or 10 by plan | Priced per user, quote-based |
| Free trial | 2 weeks, no card required | Not advertised; demo only |
| Onboarding fee | $0 | Quote-based; implementations reported from tens of thousands up |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | Multi-year enterprise contracts common |
| AI receptionist | Full Throttle, $149/mo | None |
| Full business phone system | Full Throttle, $149/mo | Not included |
| Support | Human support chat, no ticket queue | Enterprise support contracts |
Last updated July 2026. IFS details are based on publicly available information; verify with IFS.
Who is IFS?
IFS is a Swedish software company, founded in 1983 and now owned by private equity firm EQT and partners, that sells IFS Cloud: a combined ERP, enterprise asset management, and field service management suite. Its FSM and planning-and-scheduling optimization engine are consistently ranked at or near the top of enterprise field service by industry analysts, and the platform carries full public APIs.
There is no price list. IFS is quoted per deal; third parties have reported figures anywhere from about $65 to $200 per user per month depending on user type and modules, before implementation, data migration, and training. Deployments are partner-led projects measured in months and budgets measured well beyond the licenses.
Its customers are aerospace and defense contractors, energy companies, utilities, telecoms, and manufacturers running complex assets and large workforces. IFS earns its ranking there. A small home service company is simply not who the product, the sales process, or the price is for.
Who is Autopilot?
Autopilot is an all-in-one CRM built for home service businesses: junk removal, cleaning, landscaping, moving, and the rest of the trades that keep neighborhoods running. Plans start at $49 a month for scheduling, estimates, invoicing, payments, and online booking. Crew at $99 adds two-way texting and limited calling. Full Throttle at $149 adds the full phone system, AI receptionist, QuickBooks, GPS, and marketing tools. Plans include 1, 5, or 10 team members respectively.
It was built by a founder who ran his own junk removal company and got tired of paying for three tools that didn't talk to each other. Over 400 businesses run on it today, and it holds a 4.8 rating on the App Store and 4.9 on Google Play.
Against IFS, Autopilot is not chasing the enterprise contract; it gives the small crew the day-to-day tools, phone, and AI receptionist in one app they can set up themselves.
Feature by feature
Not just checkmarks. Where a feature costs extra or sits on a higher plan, the table says so.
Phone & AI
| Comparison point | | IFS |
|---|---|---|
| AI receptionist that answers and books calls | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Built-in business phone (VoIP) | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Call recording & transcripts | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| AI call summaries | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Two-way business texting | Crew and Full Throttle | Not advertised |
Scheduling & Jobs
| Comparison point | | IFS |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop scheduling & dispatch | ||
| Online booking | Not advertised | |
| Estimates & quotes | Via IFS Cloud modules | |
| Client & lead management | CRM module within IFS Cloud | |
| iOS & Android crew app | 4.8 App Store / 4.9 Google Play |
Payments & Money
| Comparison point | | IFS |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing & payments | Via IFS ERP modules | |
| Tap to Pay on iPhone | ||
| QuickBooks sync | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | No; IFS is its own ERP |
| Price book | Not advertised | |
| Customer tipping |
Marketing & Growth
| Comparison point | | IFS |
|---|---|---|
| Review funnel | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| SMS blast campaigns | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not included |
| Email blast campaigns | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not included |
| Automated marketing sequences | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not included |
| Google Ads tracking | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not included |
Where IFS goes deeper
| Comparison point | | IFS |
|---|---|---|
| Planning & scheduling optimization engine | ||
| Enterprise asset management (EAM) | ||
| Full ERP in the same suite |
An honest comparison cuts both ways. If these are must-haves for your business today, IFS earns the look.
What you actually pay
Autopilot
- Starter$49/mo
- Crew$99/mo
- Full Throttle$149/mo
Clear plans for 1, 5, or 10 team members. No onboarding fee or annual contract. Free 2-week trial.
IFS
- IFS CloudQuote-based
Per user, scoped by modules and user types
IFS does not publish pricing. Third parties report roughly $65 to $200 per user per month depending on user type and modules, and partner implementation is a separate project that usually dwarfs the license line.
Last updated July 2026. IFS details are based on publicly available information; verify with IFS.
The bottom line
Two different tools for two different businesses. Here is the honest split.
Choose IFS if…
- You are an enterprise in aerospace, energy, utilities, or manufacturing with complex assets
- You need FSM, asset management, and ERP in one suite with analyst-top-ranked depth
- You dispatch hundreds of techs and need serious schedule optimization
- You have the IT team and budget for a partner-led, multi-month deployment
Choose Autopilot if…
- You run a home service crew of 1 to 15, not an asset-heavy enterprise
- You want to be booking jobs during a free 2-week trial, not after a deployment project
- You want the phone, texting, and an AI receptionist included for a flat monthly price
- You want built-in marketing: reviews, SMS blasts, email campaigns
Switching from IFS takes an afternoon
Four steps, and our team does the heavy one for you.
- 1
Export your customers
Pull your client list out of IFS as a CSV. Every FSM platform supports this, and it takes about five minutes.
- 2
We import everything for you
Send us the file and our team loads your customers, jobs, and price book into Autopilot as part of free onboarding. No spreadsheet wrestling on your end.
- 3
Point your phone number at Autopilot
On Full Throttle, keep your existing business number. We port it or forward it, so calls start landing in Autopilot with recording, transcripts, and the AI receptionist behind them.
- 4
Run both for a week, then cut over
Your IFS account keeps working during your free trial. Most crews book their first Autopilot job on day one and cancel the old subscription within the month.
- 400+
- businesses run on Autopilot
- 4.9
- Google Play rating
- 4.8
- App Store rating
- $49
- per month starting price
Autopilot vs IFS: your questions
The things owners actually ask before they switch.
Try the IFS alternative built for your crew
Start a free 2-week trial and book your first job today. No credit card, no onboarding fee, no contract.
More comparisons
IFS is a trademark of IFS AB. Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by IFS AB. Competitor pricing and feature information is based on publicly available sources as of July 2026 and may have changed; features missing from a plan may be available on higher plans or for an additional fee. Confirm details with the vendor before buying.