vs
Autopilot vs NextMinute
NextMinute is a well-liked job management tool for New Zealand and Australian residential builders, with flat team-band pricing and strong timesheets and job costing. 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 NextMinute alternative built for home service crews in North America
The numbers that decide it, side by side.
| Comparison point |  |  NextMinute |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo flat | NZ$199/mo + GST (3-9 users) |
| Team members included | 1, 5, or 10 by plan | Flat bands by team size |
| Free trial | 2 weeks, no card required | Not published |
| Onboarding fee | $0 | Not published |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | Month to month, cancel anytime |
| AI receptionist | Full Throttle, $149/mo | Not offered |
| Full business phone system | Full Throttle, $149/mo | Not offered |
| Support | Human support chat, no ticket queue | NZ-based support team |
Last updated July 2026. NextMinute details are based on publicly available information; verify with NextMinute.
Who is NextMinute?
NextMinute is a privately held New Zealand company making job management software for residential builders and construction trades in NZ and Australia, and it claims more than 5,000 tradies on the platform. It covers quoting, scheduling, timesheets, job costing, and invoicing, with two-way sync to Xero, MYOB, and QuickBooks Online, including payroll timesheet flows.
Pricing is flat by team size rather than per seat: the Tradie Growth plan is NZ$199 a month plus GST for crews of 3 to 9 users, Tradie Pro is NZ$349 a month for 10 to 14, and TradieMax covers 15 and up. Every plan gets full feature access, billing is month to month with no lock-in, and support comes from a small named NZ crew.
For a Kiwi or Aussie builder running new builds and renovations, NextMinute is a strong, honest tool. It is project and back-costing software at heart, not a home services CRM: there is no phone system, no AI receptionist, and no built-in marketing engine, and its market is the other side of the Pacific.
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 NextMinute, the pitch is fit: it is built for NZ builders managing projects, while Autopilot is built for North American service crews winning and booking the next call, with the phone and AI receptionist included.
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 | | NextMinute |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | | NextMinute |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop scheduling & dispatch | ||
| Online booking | Not advertised | |
| Estimates & quotes | ||
| Client & lead management | ||
| iOS & Android crew app | 4.8 App Store / 4.9 Google Play | iOS & Android |
Payments & Money
| Comparison point | | NextMinute |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing & payments | ||
| Tap to Pay on iPhone | Not advertised | |
| QuickBooks sync | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Price book | Not published | |
| Customer tipping |
Marketing & Growth
| Comparison point | | NextMinute |
|---|---|---|
| Review funnel | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not advertised |
| SMS blast campaigns | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not advertised |
| Email blast campaigns | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not advertised |
| Automated marketing sequences | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not advertised |
| Google Ads tracking | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not advertised |
Where NextMinute goes deeper
| Comparison point | | NextMinute |
|---|---|---|
| Timesheets & payroll sync | ||
| Job costing & back-costing | ||
| MYOB & Xero sync |
An honest comparison cuts both ways. If these are must-haves for your business today, NextMinute 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.
NextMinute
- Tradie GrowthNZ$199/mo
3-9 users, plus GST
- Tradie ProNZ$349/mo
10-14 users, plus GST
- TradieMaxContact NextMinute
15+ users
NextMinute prices in New Zealand dollars, flat per team band with full feature access on every plan and no lock-in contracts. NZ$199 is roughly US$120 at recent exchange rates.
Last updated July 2026. NextMinute details are based on publicly available information; verify with NextMinute.
The bottom line
Two different tools for two different businesses. Here is the honest split.
Choose NextMinute if…
- You are a residential builder in New Zealand or Australia running new builds and renovations
- Timesheets, job costing, and back-costing against quotes are your core workflow
- You run payroll through Xero or MYOB and want timesheets flowing straight in
- You want local NZ support from a small team that knows the building trade
Choose Autopilot if…
- You run a US or Canadian home service business, not an NZ building company
- Your work is service calls and repeat customers, not month-long projects
- You want the phone answered, recorded, and booked by an AI receptionist included in the plan
- You want marketing built in: review requests, SMS and email blasts, and Google Ads tracking
Switching from NextMinute takes an afternoon
Four steps, and our team does the heavy one for you.
- 1
Export your customers
Pull your client list out of NextMinute 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 NextMinute 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 NextMinute: your questions
The things owners actually ask before they switch.
Try the NextMinute 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
NextMinute is a trademark of NextMinute. Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by NextMinute. 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.