Thumbtack vs TaskRabbit: The Best Lead Generation Tool for Contractors
By Kay FleuryUpdated on March 7, 2022
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If you run a home services business or are an independent contractor, then you will agree that it is not easy finding clients to fill up your schedule. The nature of the work is such that you won’t get repeat business until something breaks or needs fixing again. If that happens too soon, then you likely did a bad job and probably won’t get a call back!
Luckily, there are a number of modern lead generation platforms for hiring home contractors that can help you. In this article, we will be comparing Thumbtack vs. TaskRabbit, both of which are prominent players in the home services industry.
What is covered in this article
- Thumbtack overview: the best for long term assignments
- TaskRabbit overview: the best for quick jobs around the house
- Thumbtack vs TaskRabbit comparison table: how these sites stack up
- Thumbtack vs TaskRabbit: quantity & variety of services offered
- Is Thumbtack or TaskRabbit’s review system better?
- Who has better fees for contractors: Thumbtack or TaskRabbit?
- Which service provides the most leads for contractors?
Let us take a look at each of these services in detail so that you can find the best platform to generate leads to grow your business.
Thumbtack overview: the best for long term assignments
Thumbtack is one of the leading tech companies in the home services industry, because of the wide variety of services they offer customers to choose from. Whether you are looking for short term or long assignments, Thumbtack helps you connect with top rated professionals in your city.
Thumbtack’s focus has been on keeping their customers on their platform long enough to have top of mind recall and discover more services that they can buy from. As they strive to be the one-stop shop for any kind of service one would require, they are working towards having a presence even in the smallest towns across the US.
Who is Thumbtack best for?
If you are a pro teaching or selling a service, you should be listed on Thumbtack. With over 2000 categories of services and over 100,000 professionals already listed, Thumbtack will definitely have your service listed on their platform.
Thumbtack Pros
- It is free to create your profile.
- Pay only for the leads that you want to pursue.
- If a lead doesn’t respond within 48 hours, Thumbtack refunds you the lead cost.
- The app is very intuitive and easy to use.
- Pros can take advantage of targeted advertising that the platform offers.
- Thumbtack has service pros in even the smallest towns across the US.
Thumbtack Cons
- Since anyone can join, service professionals are competing with a large pool of their contemporaries.
- Due to the large competition, there is no guarantee that you will get the job from the lead that you are pursuing.
- While pricing your services, you will have to stay within the range of what your competition is charging to get picked. This might sometimes mean short-selling yourself.
- Quality of contractors may not remain the same throughout. One bad experience can ruin the reputation of others using the service.
TaskRabbit overview: the best for quick jobs around the house
With more than 140,000 registered home service professionals, TaskRabbit helps users accomplish their home projects and get help around the house with ease. You will be able to find more independent contractors on TaskRabbit than businesses.
TaskRabbit is perfect for someone who is looking for seasonal work or to fill the gap in their schedule with some odd jobs that wouldn’t take more than a few hours to complete. Unlike Thumbtack where service professionals have to bid for a job, TaskRabbit gives their pros the freedom to choose the job that they want to take up.
Who is TaskRabbit best for?
As the name suggests, TaskRabbit is for anyone who needs help with a ‘task’, however big or small. Contractors and handymen (and women) who have experience with fixing things around the house, know how to operate tools, or have a vehicle to help with delivery and moving can create a ‘Tasker’ profile on the TaskRabbit app.
TaskRabbit Pros
- Contractors have the freedom to choose the jobs they want to work.
- Flexible hours.
- TaskRabbit is partnered with IKEA, so customers can get help with delivery and assembly.
- TaskRabbit has its services in 8 countries in North America and Europe.
- As you get more work on TaskRabbit with great ratings, you can move up to Elite Tasker status.
- The service fee that TaskRabbit charges doesn’t come out of the professional’s fee.
TaskRabbit Cons
- You might not be able to find licensed professionals on TaskRabbit if that is important to you.
- Service professionals have to remind the customer to leave reviews and ratings, otherwise they will not be ranked higher and get more work.
- Repeat buying for service professionals is highly unlikely.
Thumbtack vs TaskRabbit comparison table: how these sites stack up
The following table draws up a feature comparison of Thumbtack vs TaskRabbit to give you a better understanding of which platform works best for the kind of service that you offer.
Feature | Thumbtack | TaskRabbit |
|---|---|---|
Estimated Average Costs for Common Jobs | $40-70/hour | $25-60/hour |
Pricing | Only pay for leads that you pursue and other pro features like targeted advertising | $25 upfront registration free +15% TaskRabbit service fee that is charged to the customer |
Review System | Users leave reviews and ratings on job completion | Users leave reviews and ratings on job completion |
Coverage | USA | USA, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Italy |
# of Services | More than 2000 services | 20+ services |
Customer Service | Very responsive | Very responsive |
Privacy | Users can connect with pros only through the app or website | Users can connect with pros only through the app or website |
Thumbtack vs TaskRabbit: quantity & variety of services offered
Winner: Thumbtack
When you think of TaskRabbit, you think of hiring professionals for odd jobs that you may need help with around the house. But with Thumbtack, you can find pretty much any kind of service, whether it is fixing your bathroom or hiring a DJ or a magician for your child’s birthday party. Due to the variety of services that Thumbtack offers compared to TaskRabbit, the former is the clear winner in this category.
Is Thumbtack or TaskRabbit’s review system better?
Winner: Thumbtack
Both Thumbtack and TaskRabbit professionals ask their customers to write a review and rate them at the end of the job. Thumbtack places a lot more emphasis on reviews as they have business profiles whose livelihood depends on it, compared to TaskRabbit ‘Taskers’ who are probably only looking for part-time work.
Who has better fees for contractors: Thumbtack or TaskRabbit?
Winner: Thumbtack
As Thumbtack has more licensed professionals compared to TaskRabbit, the fees charged by them are also higher. Thumbtack will give you a list of real companies whereas on TaskRabbit, you will find average people who also know how to do the job. For example, if you are looking for a plumber to get your shower fixed, you can choose between a plumbing company (that you can find on Thumbtack) or a plumber (on TaskRabbit) who also has the same skills and might have a lower per hour fee.
Which service provides the most leads for contractors?
Winner: TaskRabbit
On Thumbtack you can set a monthly budget for leads and get exact and partial matches for the job that they specifically want. In comparison to TaskRabbit, pros are shown all jobs based on their location skills, allowing them to reach out to more leads. For example, a landscaping company on Thumbtack can get matches only for the work in their field, whereas an individual who can take up landscaping assignments can also add other skills such as gardening and yard work to their profile, letting them reach out to more leads.
This comparison of Thumbtack and TaskRabbit tells us that both marketplaces cater to different kinds of audiences and needs. As a professional, choosing the right platform can be a challenge as one or the other may or may not work for you. We hope this detailed analysis of Thumbtack vs TaskRabbit helped you get closer to making a decision. If you want to compare Thumbtack against other services, check out our article comparing Thumbtack vs Yelp or Thumbtack, Angi, and HomeAdvisor.