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Skimmer vs Pool Brain
Skimmer charges per pool serviced, with a monthly minimum. Pool Brain charges a base fee plus a fee per field technician. Because only one of them charges by the pool, which is cheaper depends on how many pools each tech carries.
Sources checked 2026-10-19 (Skimmer) and 2026-10-19 (Pool Brain). How we calculate and verify prices.
Monthly subscription cost by company size
| Company size | Skimmer pricing | Pool Brain pricing | Lower subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 pools, 1 tech, 0 office | $100 | $115 estimate | Confirm estimate |
| 100 pools, 1 tech, 1 office | $200 | $115 estimate | Confirm estimate |
| 200 pools, 3 techs, 1 office | $400 | $245 | Pool Brain |
| 400 pools, 4 techs, 1 office | $800 | $310 | Pool Brain |
| 600 pools, 5 techs, 2 office | $1,200 | $375 | Pool Brain |
| 1000 pools, 8 techs, 2 office | $2,000 | $570 | Pool Brain |
Monthly billing, subscription only, no add-ons. Estimates cannot establish a winner. Select a company size to adjust it in the calculator, or run your exact numbers →.
A worked example for a small team
At 200 pools, 3 field technicians and 1 office user, billed monthly: Pool Brain calculates to $245 per month, $155 less per month than the other option. This is a subscription comparison using our recorded prices, not a statement that it is the better product.
Compare this company size in the calculator →
What can change the answer?
- Skimmer: Pool count drives the bill; a plan threshold or monthly minimum can change the rate.
- Pool Brain: Each additional field technician adds to the subscription; office users are included in the published model.
Start with the features you need
The same company size can need a different plan when a feature is required. A feature listed somewhere on a vendor pricing page is not a guarantee that every plan includes it.
| Requirement at this company size | Skimmer | Pool Brain |
|---|---|---|
| No must-have selected | $400Scaling Up | $245Standard |
| QuickBooks required | $400Scaling Up | Not confirmed on pricing page |
| Route optimization required | $400Scaling Up | Not confirmed on pricing page |
Required plan changes are included when our data explicitly models them. “Not confirmed” means the vendor pricing page did not establish it, not that the feature is absent. Confirm plan-level availability before buying.
Side by side
| Feature | Skimmer pricing details | Pool Brain pricing details |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | $1/serviced location/mo with $49 minimum (built for 0–49 pools), or $2/location with $98 minimum (50–1,000 pools). Unlimited techs and office users. Over 1,000 pools/mo: custom Enterprise pricing. | $50/mo base for unlimited office users plus $65/mo per active field technician. Both figures are the defaults in the pricing calculator script on poolbrain.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-16); the page draws the visible number with JavaScript. |
| Add-ons | Service texts $0.029/message (Getting Started), AI Phone $99/mo, Marketing Suite $150/mo, Skimmer Bookkeeping from $198/mo. | Vendor says all features and free setup included. |
| Payment fees | Card processing rate not stated on pricing page. | Not stated. |
| Chemical tracking | ✓ Listed | ✓ Listed |
| Route optimization | ✓ Listed | Not confirmed |
| QuickBooks | ✓ Listed | Not confirmed |
| Customer portal | ✓ Listed | Not confirmed |
| Best for (our take) | Pool-only companies of any size that want a pool-native app | Larger multi-tech pool companies wanting strict tech workflows |
| Source | Skimmer pricing ↗ (Some links may earn us a referral fee. It doesn't change our prices or rankings.) (2026-10-19) | Pool Brain pricing ↗ (Some links may earn us a referral fee. It doesn't change our prices or rankings.) (2026-10-19) |
Fit suggestions summarize the pricing model and published information; they are not hands-on product reviews. Payment processing, setup, texting and unmodeled extras are outside the cost table. Read the methodology.