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Autopilot vs pds
pds is one of Germany's veteran Handwerk ERPs, 50 years deep in SHK, Elektro, and construction trades, with accounting and wholesaler integrations built for the German market. 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 pds alternative built for small service crews
The numbers that decide it, side by side.
| Comparison point |  |  pds |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo flat | Quote-based; SaaS per office workstation |
| Team members included | 1, 5, or 10 by plan | Priced per office workstation |
| Free trial | 2 weeks, no card required | Not advertised; demo only |
| Onboarding fee | $0 | Not published |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | Not published |
| AI receptionist | Full Throttle, $149/mo | Not advertised |
| Full business phone system | Full Throttle, $149/mo | Not advertised |
| Support | Human support chat, no ticket queue | German-language support |
Last updated July 2026. pds details are based on publicly available information; verify with pds.
Who is pds?
pds GmbH has been building trades software in Rotenburg an der Wuemme, Germany since 1974, which makes it one of the oldest names in the Handwerk software market. The company employs more than 185 people and focuses on construction-adjacent trades: SHK (plumbing, heating, climate), electrical, photovoltaic, and related crafts.
The product is a full ERP: calculation and quoting, ordering and digital procurement through German wholesaler interfaces (DATANORM, IDS, UGL, Open Masterdata), inventory, service orders, resource planning, invoicing with German e-invoice formats like ZUGFeRD, time tracking, and mobile apps connecting office and jobsite. It runs on your own server or from the pds Cloud, and sells as SaaS priced per office workstation. Pricing is quote-based, not published.
For a mid-sized German SHK or Elektro business that wants deep German compliance and procurement wired into one system, pds is a credible, established choice. It is not built for North America, and there is no self-serve trial, no phone system, and no marketing suite.
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 pds, Autopilot is the opposite bet: not a deep German ERP but a fast, flat-priced front office for a North American crew, with the phone answered by AI from week one.
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 | | pds |
|---|---|---|
| AI receptionist that answers and books calls | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not advertised |
| Built-in business phone (VoIP) | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not advertised |
| Call recording & transcripts | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not advertised |
| AI call summaries | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not advertised |
| Two-way business texting | Crew and Full Throttle | Not advertised |
Scheduling & Jobs
| Comparison point | | pds |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Payments & Money
| Comparison point | | pds |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing & payments | ||
| Tap to Pay on iPhone | ||
| QuickBooks sync | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Price book | Yes, with German wholesaler catalogs | |
| Customer tipping |
Marketing & Growth
| Comparison point | | pds |
|---|---|---|
| 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 pds goes deeper
| Comparison point | | pds |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated accounting & payroll modules | ||
| German wholesaler procurement (DATANORM, IDS, UGL) | ||
| On-premise or German cloud hosting |
An honest comparison cuts both ways. If these are must-haves for your business today, pds 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.
pds
- pds Software (SaaS)Quote-based
Monthly rental per office workstation
- On-premiseQuote-based
Runs on your own server
pds does not publish prices. The software rents monthly per office workstation in a SaaS model, with some modules, like personnel management, licensed by employee count. Expect a sales conversation and a scoped quote.
Last updated July 2026. pds details are based on publicly available information; verify with pds.
The bottom line
Two different tools for two different businesses. Here is the honest split.
Choose pds if…
- You run a German SHK, Elektro, or photovoltaic business of real size
- You need German procurement interfaces and e-invoicing formats built in
- You want accounting, inventory, and payroll inside the same system
- You prefer an established German vendor with on-premise as an option
Choose Autopilot if…
- You run a home service crew in the US or Canada
- You want published pricing and a free trial instead of a sales cycle
- You want the phone, texting, and an AI receptionist included
- You want reviews, SMS and email campaigns, and ad tracking built in
- You want to be booking jobs this week, not after an ERP implementation
Switching from pds takes an afternoon
Four steps, and our team does the heavy one for you.
- 1
Export your customers
Pull your client list out of pds 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 pds 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 pds: your questions
The things owners actually ask before they switch.
Try the pds 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
pds is a trademark of pds GmbH. Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by pds GmbH. 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.