When Jobber makes sense
Jobber makes sense for multi-crew home-service businesses that need client-facing scheduling, GPS tracking, and two-way text messaging with homeowners. If your revenue comes primarily from repeat residential service calls (HVAC maintenance contracts, pest control, cleaning), Jobber's workflow is tuned for that.
Where Jobber falls short for Canadian contractors
Jobber was not designed around the Ontario Construction Act. Its invoice templates do not include the period of work, contract reference, or payment-recipient fields required to qualify as a proper invoice under section 6.1. Its tax handling is US-first. There is no T5018 tracker, no statutory holdback calculation, and no 28-day payment clock. For Ontario or BC contractors working under the Construction Act, these are not minor gaps.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Markup | Jobber |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario Construction Act proper-invoice fields | Advantage: Markup.All 7 fields included by default. Period of work and contract reference are required, not optional. | Not included. Default templates miss period of work and contract reference. |
| 28-day payment clock tracking | Advantage: Markup.Automatic. Alerts sent when customer approaches and passes the deadline. | Not available. |
| GST/HST/QST calculation | Advantage: Markup.Province-aware. Published rate for all 13 provinces and territories including QST on pre-GST base. | Tax support available but not province-specific for Canadian rules. |
| T5018 subcontractor tracking | Advantage: Markup.Built-in YTD tracker per subcontractor with $500 threshold alerts. | Not available. |
| Statutory holdback calculation | Advantage: Markup.Automatic per province with lien-period release timeline. | Not available. |
| CRA deadline alerts | Advantage: Markup.GST/HST remittance deadlines, T5018 deadline, based on your filing frequency. | Not available. |
| Pricing (CAD) | Advantage: Markup.Free, Solo $49/mo, Plus $89/mo. Save up to 18% annually. | Core from ~$49/mo CAD. Grows significantly with team size and add-ons. |
| Client scheduling and GPS dispatch | Not in scope for current release. | Strong: live GPS tracking, drag-and-drop scheduling, automated client reminders. |
| Customer support timezone | Canadian business hours (Eastern). | Based in Edmonton, AB. Canadian support. |
| Mobile app | Web-responsive. Native mobile app in roadmap. | Full iOS and Android apps. |
Choose Jobber if:
- You run a multi-crew home-service operation (plumbing maintenance contracts, HVAC tune-ups) where scheduling and dispatch are the core daily workflow.
- You need GPS tracking and two-way SMS with homeowners baked into the same tool.
- Your revenue is repeat service work, not project-based construction contracts.
Choose Markup if:
- You are an Ontario or BC contractor working under the Construction Act and you need invoices that legally qualify for the 28-day payment protection.
- You are an electrician, plumber, or HVAC contractor who needs CRA compliance built in, not bolted on.
- You want to stop leaving money on the table from unclaimed T5018 obligations or missed HST ITCs.
- You want Canadian pricing in CAD without US-market feature overhead.
Jobber alternative: frequently asked questions
Is Markup a good Jobber alternative for Canadian contractors?
Markup is a strong Jobber alternative when your work falls under the Ontario Construction Act. Jobber leads on scheduling and dispatch for residential service businesses; Markup leads on Canadian compliance: proper invoices, the 28-day payment clock, T5018 tracking, statutory holdback, and lien deadlines. Some contractors use Markup for invoicing and compliance and keep a separate scheduling tool if they need dispatch.
Does Jobber support the Ontario Construction Act?
No. Jobber's default invoice templates do not include the period-of-work and contract-reference fields required for a proper invoice under section 6.1, and it has no 28-day payment-clock tracking, T5018, or statutory holdback. It was built for North American home-service workflows.
Is Jobber Canadian?
Jobber is headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, and offers Canadian support. Its product was built for the broader home-service market, though, and does not handle Canadian construction compliance such as the Construction Act, T5018, or province-specific holdback.
How much does Markup cost compared to Jobber?
Markup is Free, Solo $49/mo, or Plus $89/mo in CAD. Jobber starts around $49/mo CAD and rises with crew size and add-ons.
Related
Comparison data reflects publicly available information and Markup’s direct testing as of May 2026. Feature sets change. Verify current capabilities on each vendor’s website before making a purchasing decision. Prices shown in CAD where available.