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Autopilot vs Fergus
Fergus is well-liked job management built by a plumber, with a sharp focus on margins and job profitability, strongest in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. Autopilot is built for North American home-service crews and adds what Fergus does not have: a built-in phone, an AI receptionist, and marketing, at a flat price.
The Fergus alternative built for North American crews
The numbers that decide it, side by side.
| Comparison point |  |  Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo flat | $53/mo (Basic) |
| Team members included | 1, 5, or 10 by plan | Timesheet seats from $26/mo; contractors $4/user/day |
| Free trial | 2 weeks, no card required | 14 days, no card required |
| Onboarding fee | $0 | None advertised |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | Monthly, no lock-in |
| AI receptionist | Full Throttle, $149/mo | None |
| Full business phone system | Full Throttle, $149/mo | Not offered |
| Support | Human support chat, no ticket queue | Not published |
Last updated July 2026. Fergus details are based on publicly available information; verify with Fergus.
Who is Fergus?
Fergus is a job management platform founded in New Zealand by Dan Pollard, a plumber who built the tool he wished he had. That heritage shows: the product is organized around keeping every job profitable, with quoting, scheduling, timesheets, invoicing, and margin reporting for trade businesses from solo up to around 20 users. The company claims 25,000+ businesses, has raised roughly $16M, serves NZ, Australia, the UK, and the US, and has an open API.
Pricing is published and fair: Basic at $53 a month and Professional at $75 a month, with an Enterprise tier for 10+ users, cheaper timesheet-only seats from $26 a month, and contractor access at $4 per user per day. There is a 14-day free trial with no card required, billing is monthly with no lock-in, and it syncs with Xero, QuickBooks, and MYOB.
The honest gap for a US home-service business is the front of house: Fergus does not include a phone system or AI receptionist, SMS alerts are a paid add-on at $15 per 100 texts, and reviews, campaigns, and ad tracking are not part of the product. Its home market is also the NZ, AU, and UK trades world, with the US a newer push.
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 Fergus, the pitch is the front of house: Autopilot answers your phone with an AI receptionist, texts the customer, chases the review, and runs your marketing, all included in one flat North American 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 | | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | SMS alerts add-on ($15 per 100 texts) |
Scheduling & Jobs
| Comparison point | | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing & payments | ||
| Tap to Pay on iPhone | Not advertised; card payments at 2.95% + $0.30 | |
| QuickBooks sync | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Price book | ||
| Customer tipping | Not advertised |
Marketing & Growth
| Comparison point | | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Fergus goes deeper
| Comparison point | | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| Job margin & profitability reporting | ||
| Xero & MYOB sync | QuickBooks sync | |
| Open API |
An honest comparison cuts both ways. If these are must-haves for your business today, Fergus 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.
Fergus
- Basic$53/mo
- Professional$75/mo
- Enterprise 10+Custom
For teams of 10 or more
Fergus publishes its pricing. Timesheet-only seats start at $26 a month each and contractor access is $4 per user per day, so cost grows with the team. SMS alerts are $15 per 100 texts and card payments cost 2.95% + $0.30 per transaction.
Last updated July 2026. Fergus details are based on publicly available information; verify with Fergus.
The bottom line
Two different tools for two different businesses. Here is the honest split.
Choose Fergus if…
- You are a plumbing or trades business in New Zealand, Australia, or the UK
- Job margins and profitability reporting are your top priority
- You run your books on Xero or MYOB
- You want an open API to connect your own tools
Choose Autopilot if…
- You run a US or Canadian home-service business
- You want a business phone with an AI receptionist answering and booking calls, included
- You want texting included instead of paying per message
- You want reviews, SMS and email campaigns, and Google Ads tracking built in
- You want one flat bill that does not grow with timesheet seats and contractor day passes
Switching from Fergus takes an afternoon
Four steps, and our team does the heavy one for you.
- 1
Export your customers
Pull your client list out of Fergus 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 Fergus 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 Fergus: your questions
The things owners actually ask before they switch.
Try the Fergus 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
Fergus is a trademark of Fergus. Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Fergus. 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.