vs
Autopilot vs Craftnote
Craftnote is a well-liked German app for jobsite photos, chat, and paperwork, built for the German Handwerk 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 Craftnote alternative built for North American crews
The numbers that decide it, side by side.
| Comparison point |  |  Craftnote |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo flat | €14.90/user/mo, billed annually |
| Team members included | 1, 5, or 10 by plan | Yes, priced per user |
| Free trial | 2 weeks, no card required | 30 days, no card required |
| Onboarding fee | $0 | Not published |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | 12 months, auto-renews, 3-month notice |
| AI receptionist | Full Throttle, $149/mo | No |
| Full business phone system | Full Throttle, $149/mo | No |
| Support | Human support chat, no ticket queue | Not published |
Last updated July 2026. Craftnote details are based on publicly available information; verify with Craftnote.
Who is Craftnote?
Craftnote is a German mobile-first app for construction and trade businesses, focused on jobsite documentation: project chat, photo documentation, digital forms, time tracking, and PDF paperwork. Around 35,000 businesses use it, and since January 2024 it has been part of HVD Group, a Swedish software consolidator rolling up trades software across Europe.
Pricing is per user and billed annually: the Baustelle plan starts at 14.90 euros per user per month for field documentation, the Büro plan at 29.90 euros adds office features like task management and integrations, and Büro Plus at 49.90 euros adds quotes and invoicing with German GoBD compliance. There is a 30-day free trial, and contracts run 12 months with a 3-month cancellation notice.
For a German crew that mainly needs clean jobsite records and German-compliant paperwork, Craftnote does its job well. It is not a full CRM: there is no built-in phone, no texting, no online booking, no marketing, and it is built for the German market, not North America.
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 Craftnote, Autopilot is simply a different category: not a documentation app but the whole front office, with the phone, the AI receptionist, the schedule, the invoices, and the marketing in one flat-priced plan.
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 | | Craftnote |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Project chat, not customer texting |
Scheduling & Jobs
| Comparison point | | Craftnote |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop scheduling & dispatch | Tasks and time tracking, not dispatch | |
| Online booking | ||
| Estimates & quotes | Büro Plus plan only | |
| Client & lead management | Customer data on Büro Plus | |
| iOS & Android crew app | 4.8 App Store / 4.9 Google Play |
Payments & Money
| Comparison point | | Craftnote |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing & payments | Büro Plus plan only | |
| Tap to Pay on iPhone | ||
| QuickBooks sync | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Price book | Material catalogs on Büro Plus | |
| Customer tipping |
Marketing & Growth
| Comparison point | | Craftnote |
|---|---|---|
| Review funnel | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| SMS blast campaigns | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Email blast campaigns | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Automated marketing sequences | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Google Ads tracking | Full Throttle ($149/mo) |
Where Craftnote goes deeper
| Comparison point | | Craftnote |
|---|---|---|
| Jobsite photo documentation & project chat | ||
| German GoBD-compliant invoicing | Büro Plus plan | |
| Vehicle GPS tracking module | €24.90/tracker/mo |
An honest comparison cuts both ways. If these are must-haves for your business today, Craftnote 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.
Craftnote
- Baustelle€14.90/user/mo
Jobsite documentation, billed annually
- Büro€29.90/user/mo
Adds office and task features
- Büro Plus€49.90/user/mo
Adds quotes and invoicing
All plans are per user and billed annually, with 12-month contracts that auto-renew unless cancelled 3 months ahead. A five-person crew on Büro Plus runs about €250 a month. Vehicle tracking is a separate module at €24.90 per tracker.
Last updated July 2026. Craftnote details are based on publicly available information; verify with Craftnote.
The bottom line
Two different tools for two different businesses. Here is the honest split.
Choose Craftnote if…
- You run a German or DACH trades business and need GoBD-compliant paperwork
- Jobsite photo documentation and project chat are your main problem
- Your crew works in German and your accountant expects German formats
- You already work with other HVD Group tools in Europe
Choose Autopilot if…
- You run a home service business in the US or Canada
- You want the phone answered, not just the paperwork filed: the AI receptionist is included
- You want scheduling, invoicing, payments, texting, and marketing in one app
- You want a flat $49 to $149 a month instead of per-user seats on an annual contract
Switching from Craftnote takes an afternoon
Four steps, and our team does the heavy one for you.
- 1
Export your customers
Pull your client list out of Craftnote 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 Craftnote 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 Craftnote: your questions
The things owners actually ask before they switch.
Try the Craftnote 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
Craftnote is a trademark of Craftnote. Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Craftnote. 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.