Best quoting and job app for painters in Australia
Updated 10 October 2026
Short answer
Painters win or lose on the quote. Jobbit lets you build a detailed quote on site, send it by text, and have the customer accept it and pay the deposit online, then invoice the balance from the job when you're finished. It's free to start and flat-priced after that. Tradify and ServiceM8 are the established alternatives for bigger painting teams.
What painters need from an app
- Detailed quotes: rooms, surfaces, coats, prep and exclusions, from saved items.
- Photos of the walls before you start, against the job, to settle any 'that crack was always there' argument.
- A deposit paid when the customer accepts, so you're not funding the paint.
- Scheduling your crew across jobs.
- Invoicing the balance on completion, with the deposit already taken off.
The shortlist
| App | Best for | Price (AUD unless stated) | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jobbit | Solo painters and small crews | Free plan; paid plans $29.99, $79.99 and $149.99 AUD a month | iPhone, Android and web |
| Tradify | Painting teams happy with per-user pricing | $48 (Lite), $52 (Pro) or $62 (Plus) per user a month, ex GST | iPhone, iPad, Android and desktop |
| ServiceM8 | Established businesses doing lots of jobs | Free (1 user, 30 jobs a month); paid $29, $79, $149 or $349 a month inc GST, by jobs per month | iPhone, iPad, Mac/PC and web; full Android app since September 2026 |
| Fergus | Businesses that want detailed job costing | From $53 (Essentials) or $77 (Professional) per user a month, plus GST | Web app, plus the Fergus Go app on iPhone and Android |
The picks
Jobbit: best for solo painters and small crews
Quote from saved items on site, add photos, and send it by text. The customer accepts online and pays the deposit by card. The accepted quote becomes a job you can schedule, and when you invoice from the quote, the deposit they've paid comes off the balance.
What it doesn't do: no materials stock or purchase orders, and no detailed job costing.
Pick it if: you quote most jobs yourself and want the deposit in before you buy the paint.
Tradify: established, priced per user
Tradify covers quoting to invoicing and is popular across trades. Per-user pricing is simple for a fixed team but grows as you add painters. See Jobbit vs Tradify.
Pick it if: you want a long-standing platform and your crew size is stable.
ServiceM8: established, priced by job volume
A mature platform with strong scheduling. Its pricing is based on jobs per month rather than users. See Jobbit vs ServiceM8.
Pick it if: you run a bigger operation with office staff.
Quote faster, win more
Most homeowners get two or three painting quotes. The one that arrives the same day, looks professional and can be accepted with a tap has a head start. See how to write a quote as a tradie for a checklist.
FAQ
What should a painting quote include?
The rooms or areas, surfaces, number of coats, preparation (filling, sanding, priming), who supplies the paint and what brand, what's excluded, the price with GST, validity, and the deposit. Painting disputes are almost always about prep and exclusions, so spell those out.
How much deposit should a painter take?
Enough to cover materials is common for residential work, but if the job counts as residential building work your state caps the deposit (between 5% and 20% depending on the state and the contract price). Check your state's rules before setting a deposit.
Can customers accept a painting quote online?
Yes. With Jobbit the customer opens the quote from a text or email, accepts it, and can pay the deposit by card on the same page.
What's the best app for a solo painter?
Something that makes detailed quotes quick on site and gets the deposit paid when the quote's accepted. Jobbit does both, with a free plan to start.
Sources
Prices and features were checked 9 October 2026 on each company's own website. Prices change, so confirm on the vendor's site before you buy.
Give Jobbit a go — the free plan costs nothing
Quote it, book it, invoice it, get paid — all from your phone. No card required to start.