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Autopilot vs Yardbook
Yardbook is the best free starting point in lawn care, full stop, and 15,000+ businesses have used it for exactly that. Autopilot is the upgrade for the crew that has outgrown ads, a beta iOS app, and a silent phone, and wants booking, marketing, and an AI receptionist working for them.
The Yardbook alternative built for growing crews
The numbers that decide it, side by side.
| Comparison point |  |  Yardbook |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo flat | Free (ad-supported); paid from $34.99/mo |
| Team members included | 1, 5, or 10 by plan | None advertised |
| Free trial | 2 weeks, no card required | Free plan instead of a trial |
| Onboarding fee | $0 | $0, self-serve |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | Not published |
| 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 | Self-serve help center |
Last updated July 2026. Yardbook details are based on publicly available information; verify with Yardbook.
Who is Yardbook?
Yardbook is free, ad-supported lawn care software built by a bootstrapped, founder-led company, and it claims more than 15,000 businesses. The free Starter plan covers the real basics, customers, scheduling, invoicing, and simple routing, which is why it has become the default first software for solo and micro lawn operators.
Paid tiers are cheap: Business at $34.99 a month adds GPS tracking, customer engagement tools, and multi-step programs, and Enterprise at $49.99 removes the ads and adds QuickBooks Online sync, which third parties note is still in beta and Enterprise-only. Free accounts pay an extra 1 percent on payment processing that paid plans waive. The Android field app is solid with offline mode; the iOS app has historically been limited and invite-based, with the mobile browser filling the gaps. Integrations beyond that mostly run through Zapier.
If you are mowing solo on weekends, Yardbook free is honestly hard to argue with. The gaps show up as you grow: no phone system, no AI answering, thin marketing, and a platform one person's company maintains.
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.
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.
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 | | Yardbook |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | | Yardbook |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Android app; iOS limited |
Payments & Money
| Comparison point | | Yardbook |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing & payments | ||
| Tap to Pay on iPhone | Not advertised | |
| QuickBooks sync | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Enterprise plan only, in beta |
| Price book | Not advertised | |
| Customer tipping |
Marketing & Growth
| Comparison point | | Yardbook |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Multi-step programs on Business plan |
| Google Ads tracking | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | Not advertised |
Where Yardbook goes deeper
| Comparison point | | Yardbook |
|---|---|---|
| Free forever plan | ||
| Ad-free experience | Paid plans only | |
| Material calculators for mulch & fertilizer |
An honest comparison cuts both ways. If these are must-haves for your business today, Yardbook 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.
Yardbook
- StarterFree
Ad-supported; +1% on payment processing
- Business$34.99/mo
GPS tracking, engagement tools
- Enterprise$49.99/mo
Removes ads, adds QuickBooks sync
Free accounts see ads and pay an extra 1 percent on payment processing, which paid plans waive. QuickBooks sync is Enterprise-only and reported as beta.
Last updated July 2026. Yardbook details are based on publicly available information; verify with Yardbook.
The bottom line
Two different tools for two different businesses. Here is the honest split.
Choose Yardbook if…
- You are solo or part-time and need genuinely free software to get organized
- You can live with ads and a 1 percent payment surcharge in exchange for $0 a month
- Your crew runs Android and works offline in low-signal areas
- You are testing whether the business is real before spending on software
Choose Autopilot if…
- Missed calls are costing you jobs and nobody answers while you are mowing
- You want online booking, review requests, and SMS and email marketing that fill the schedule
- You want polished iOS and Android apps, rated 4.8 and 4.9
- You want human support and free onboarding instead of a help center
Switching from Yardbook takes an afternoon
Four steps, and our team does the heavy one for you.
- 1
Export your customers
Pull your client list out of Yardbook 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 Yardbook 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.
Yardbook lets you export your customer list as a CSV from its reports, and our team imports it for free during onboarding.
- 400+
- businesses run on Autopilot
- 4.9
- Google Play rating
- 4.8
- App Store rating
- $49
- per month starting price
Autopilot vs Yardbook: your questions
The things owners actually ask before they switch.
Try the Yardbook 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
Yardbook is a trademark of Yardbook. Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Yardbook. 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.