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Autopilot vs Arborgold
Arborgold is a veteran all-in-one for tree, lawn, and landscape companies that want plant health tracking and multi-visit service programs. Autopilot is for the crew that wants a lower flat price, no 12-month contract, and a phone that answers and books jobs by itself.
The Arborgold alternative built for small crews
The numbers that decide it, side by side.
| Comparison point |  |  Arborgold |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo flat | $129/mo Starter |
| Team members included | 1, 5, or 10 by plan | Office and mobile seats priced separately |
| Free trial | 2 weeks, no card required | Not advertised on pricing page |
| Onboarding fee | $0 | Training included; data migration extra |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | 12-month minimum, 60-day cancel notice |
| 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 | Business-hours support, customer success manager |
Last updated July 2026. Arborgold details are based on publicly available information; verify with Arborgold.
Who is Arborgold?
Arborgold has been building software for tree, lawn, and landscape companies since 1993, making it one of the oldest names in the green industry. It is made by Tree Management Systems, Inc. and has been owned by Teamfront, a private equity software group, since 2023. The company says thousands of businesses run on it.
It covers the full job cycle: estimates, scheduling, invoicing, GPS crew tracking, iOS and Android apps, QuickBooks integration, and texting through a Twilio integration. Its real specialty is tree care depth, plant inventories, chemical tracking, and multi-visit service programs. Published pricing starts at $129 a month for Starter, $299 for Professional, and $499 for Enterprise, with office and mobile seats priced separately, a 12-month minimum commitment, and 60 days notice to cancel.
For an established tree care company that wants green-industry depth without enterprise pricing, Arborgold is a fair middle path. For a small crew, the contract terms and per-seat pricing are the trade-off, and there is no phone system or AI answering anywhere in it.
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 Arborgold, the pitch is a lower flat price with no 12-month commitment, and an AI receptionist that books tree work while your crew is on the ropes.
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 | | Arborgold |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Via Twilio integration |
Scheduling & Jobs
| Comparison point | | Arborgold |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop scheduling & dispatch | ||
| Online booking | Customer portal | |
| Estimates & quotes | ||
| Client & lead management | ||
| iOS & Android crew app | 4.8 App Store / 4.9 Google Play | iOS & Android apps |
Payments & Money
| Comparison point | | Arborgold |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing & payments | ||
| Tap to Pay on iPhone | Not advertised | |
| QuickBooks sync | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Price book | Not advertised | |
| Customer tipping |
Marketing & Growth
| Comparison point | | Arborgold |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Arborgold goes deeper
| Comparison point | | Arborgold |
|---|---|---|
| Plant health & chemical tracking | ||
| Multi-visit service programs | ||
| GPS crew tracking |
An honest comparison cuts both ways. If these are must-haves for your business today, Arborgold 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.
Arborgold
- Starter$129/mo
Seats priced separately
- Professional$299/mo
Most popular tier
- Enterprise$499/mo
Arborgold requires a 12-month minimum commitment with 60 days notice to cancel, and office and mobile user seats are priced separately on top of the plan.
Last updated July 2026. Arborgold details are based on publicly available information; verify with Arborgold.
The bottom line
Two different tools for two different businesses. Here is the honest split.
Choose Arborgold if…
- You run an established tree care company that needs plant health and chemical tracking
- You sell multi-visit programs and renewals across tree, lawn, and landscape work
- You want GPS crew tracking tied to your schedule
- You are comfortable committing to a 12-month contract
Choose Autopilot if…
- You want $49 flat, month to month, cancel anytime
- You want the phone answered and jobs booked by an AI receptionist, included
- You want texting built in rather than wired up through Twilio
- You want reviews, SMS blasts, and marketing sequences in the same app
Switching from Arborgold takes an afternoon
Four steps, and our team does the heavy one for you.
- 1
Export your customers
Pull your client list out of Arborgold 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 Arborgold 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 Arborgold: your questions
The things owners actually ask before they switch.
Try the Arborgold 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
Arborgold is a trademark of Tree Management Systems, Inc. Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Tree Management Systems, Inc. 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.