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Skimmer vs Pool Founder
Skimmer charges per pool serviced, with a monthly minimum. Pool Founder charges a flat price set by how many technicians you have. 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 Founder). How we calculate and verify prices.
Monthly subscription cost by company size
| Company size | Skimmer pricing | Pool Founder pricing | Lower subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 pools, 1 tech, 0 office | $100 | $49 | Pool Founder |
| 100 pools, 1 tech, 1 office | $200 | $49 | Pool Founder |
| 200 pools, 3 techs, 1 office | $400 | $99 | Pool Founder |
| 400 pools, 4 techs, 1 office | $800 | $179 | Pool Founder |
| 600 pools, 5 techs, 2 office | $1,200 | $179 | Pool Founder |
| 1000 pools, 8 techs, 2 office | $2,000 | $249 | Pool Founder |
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 Founder calculates to $99 per month, $301 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 Founder: An extra technician can move the company into the next flat-price tier. Pool count does not set the tier.
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 Founder |
|---|---|---|
| No must-have selected | $400Scaling Up | $99Team |
| QuickBooks required | $400Scaling Up | $99Team |
| 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 Founder 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. | Flat price by technician count: Solo $49 (1 tech), Team $99 (≤3), Growth $179 (≤6), Pro $249 (≤10); Enterprise custom. No per-pool fees. |
| Add-ons | Service texts $0.029/message (Getting Started), AI Phone $99/mo, Marketing Suite $150/mo, Skimmer Bookkeeping from $198/mo. | All features on every plan per vendor. |
| Payment fees | Card processing rate not stated on pricing page. | Not stated. |
| Chemical tracking | ✓ Listed | ✓ Listed |
| Route optimization | ✓ Listed | Not confirmed |
| QuickBooks | ✓ Listed | ✓ Listed |
| Customer portal | ✓ Listed | Not confirmed |
| Best for (our take) | Pool-only companies of any size that want a pool-native app | Small pool teams wanting flat pricing |
| Source | Skimmer pricing ↗ (Some links may earn us a referral fee. It doesn't change our prices or rankings.) (2026-10-19) | Pool Founder 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.