Autopilot vs mHelpDesk
mHelpDesk is a solid but aging field service tool owned by Angi, with unpublished pricing and little visible product development in recent years. 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 mHelpDesk alternative that is still being built
The numbers that decide it, side by side.
| Comparison point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo flat | Not published; ~$169/mo reported |
| Team members included | 1, 5, or 10 by plan | Reported $99-169/user on larger teams |
| Free trial | 2 weeks, no card required | Yes, offered on site |
| Onboarding fee | $0 | Not published; $500-5,000 reported |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | Monthly, quarterly, or annual billing |
| AI receptionist | Full Throttle, $149/mo | No |
| Full business phone system | Full Throttle, $149/mo | Not included |
| Support | Human support chat, no ticket queue | Not published |
Last updated July 2026. mHelpDesk details are based on publicly available information; verify with mHelpDesk.
Who is mHelpDesk?
mHelpDesk is one of the older names in field service software, covering scheduling, dispatch, estimates, invoicing, and customer records for a wide range of trades. It is owned by Angi Inc. (the HomeAdvisor and Angi's List company), and it has historically been pitched alongside Angi's lead-generation products.
Pricing is not published. Third-party review sites report plans starting around $169 a month, per-user costs in the $99 to $169 range on larger teams, and implementation fees reported anywhere from $500 to $5,000, with quotes varying by team size and billing term. A free trial is offered on the site.
The honest picture in 2026 is that mHelpDesk works but has been quiet. Industry watchers have noted little visible feature development since around 2020, and the platform has no built-in phone, no AI, and no public API. Plenty of businesses still run on it happily, especially ones that came in through Angi leads. But if you are choosing software today, you are choosing its roadmap too.
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 mHelpDesk, the pitch is momentum: Autopilot ships the modern stack a service business expects in 2026, phone, AI receptionist, texting, and marketing included, at a published flat price.
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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Text notifications; two-way not advertised |
Scheduling & Jobs
| Comparison point | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 | iOS & Android apps |
Payments & Money
| Comparison point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing & payments | ||
| Tap to Pay on iPhone | Not advertised | |
| QuickBooks sync | Full Throttle ($149/mo) | |
| Price book | Not advertised | |
| Customer tipping | Not advertised |
Marketing & Growth
| Comparison point | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 mHelpDesk goes deeper
| Comparison point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bundled Angi / HomeAdvisor lead flow | ||
| Long track record ($2B+ in jobs run through it) | 400+ businesses since launch |
An honest comparison cuts both ways. If these are must-haves for your business today, mHelpDesk 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.
mHelpDesk
- ProQuote-based
- GrowthQuote-based
- SuccessQuote-based
- UnlimitedQuote-based
mHelpDesk does not publish pricing. Third-party review sites report plans starting around $169 a month, per-user costs between $99 and $169 on bigger teams, and implementation fees reported from $500 to $5,000. You have to call for a quote.
Last updated July 2026. mHelpDesk details are based on publicly available information; verify with mHelpDesk.
The bottom line
Two different tools for two different businesses. Here is the honest split.
Choose mHelpDesk if…
- You already get steady work from Angi leads and want software from the same company
- Your team knows mHelpDesk well and the workflows you use are stable
- You mainly need scheduling, invoicing, and QuickBooks sync and nothing more modern
Choose Autopilot if…
- You want software that is actively developed, with new features shipping, not in maintenance mode
- You want published pricing: $49, $99, or $149 a month flat instead of a sales quote
- You want a built-in phone with call recording and an AI receptionist that books jobs
- You want texting, review requests, and SMS and email campaigns inside the same app
- You want free onboarding instead of a reported four-figure implementation bill
Switching from mHelpDesk takes an afternoon
Four steps, and our team does the heavy one for you.
- 1
Export your customers
Pull your client list out of mHelpDesk 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 mHelpDesk 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.
mHelpDesk exports customer and job data as CSV files, and our onboarding team imports them for free.
- 400+
- businesses run on Autopilot
- 4.9
- Google Play rating
- 4.8
- App Store rating
- $49
- per month starting price
Autopilot vs mHelpDesk: your questions
The things owners actually ask before they switch.
Try the mHelpDesk 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
mHelpDesk is a trademark of Angi Inc. Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Angi 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.
