Thumbtack vs. Taskrabbit: Which Lead Generation Service Is Right for You?
Many contractors agree—finding clients can be the hardest part of growing a home service business. And, if your business is seasonal, it can be a challenge to make ends meet while you wait for work to pick back up.
Using a lead generation platform like Thumbtack or TaskRabbit can help. They offer lots of promising benefits, like bringing in clients, helping to increase profit, building your reputation, and generating great reviews.
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into Thumbtack and TaskRabbit to help you determine which lead generation platform will work best for you.
What’s the difference between Thumbtack and TaskRabbit?
Although both Thumbtack and TaskRabbit offer service providers a platform for lead generation, the types of services each caters to are quite different.
Thumbtack
Thumbtack focuses primarily on home service projects such as flooring installation, interior and exterior painting, and house cleaning.
While Thumbtack also facilitates services like wedding photography, catering, dog walking, and singing lessons, it generally targets consumers who are looking for long-term services.
This may include:
- a renovation project
- summer lawn care services
- flooring replacement around the home
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit, on the other hand, focuses more on one-off tasks and odd jobs. For example, mounting a TV, assembling furniture, planting flowers, or cleaning a specific room in a home.
While customers and clients can hire a specific “Tasker” multiple times, the platform’s main purpose is to help people with short-term, specific jobs. These tasks don’t necessarily require experts.
Case in point—TaskRabbit partners with IKEA to offer assembly services to anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable putting together the furniture themselves.
While you might hire someone to assemble multiple IKEA purchases at once, it isn’t necessarily a long-term project that requires a seasoned professional’s help.
How do Thumbtack and TaskRabbit work for contractors?
Here’s how each lead generation site works specifically for home service contractors:
Thumbtack
As a contractor on Thumbtack, you’ll need to create a profile so that clients can find you.
In your profile, you can include information like how long you have been in business, whether you’ve done a background check, business hours, accepted payment methods (such as cash or credit card), area of service, and more.
When a client first visits Thumbtack, they can enter details about a job they’d like done. Thumbtack then provides them with a list of service provider profiles that could be a match.
Clients can then review the contractors’ Thumbtack ratings and profiles to determine who they would like to work with and request a quote.
When the client and contractor agree on the price, and they decide to work together, it’s up to them to handle the project from there.
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit works in a similar way to Thumbtack. If you want to offer services through the platform, clients who search for your services can review your profile and choose to contact you to discuss a job.
Unlike Thumbtack, however, contractors on TaskRabbit enjoy the convenience of sending invoices and receiving payments right through the platform.
Rather than charging contractors for leads, clients pay a service fee in addition to the Tasker’s hourly rate.
What features and services does each site offer?
| Thumbtack | TaskRabbit | |
| Pricing | Pay per lead (includes communicating with prospects), based on your area and the cost of the job | $25.00 registration fee |
| Advertising | Offers advertising options to those who have Thumbtack Pro status | Offers advertising options to those who have TaskRabbit Elite status |
| Residential or commercial clients | Both, but mostly residential | Residential |
| Displays client reviews | Yes | Yes |
| Industries | Most service industries, like cleaning, painting, dog walking, beauty, plumbing, HVAC, etc | No specific industries |
| Clientele | Anyone | Clients who need quick tasks done like hanging a painting or assembling furniture |
| Jobs offered through website referrals or manual consumer search | Clients can search through a list of contractors and choose one based on their needs | Clients can search through a list of contractors and choose one based on their needs |
What are the pros and cons of Thumbtack?
Thumbtack can be great for the right contractors, but it often comes at a high price tag.
The cost per lead depends on a variety of factors, like your location and the type of service you offer. Causing many contractors to complain about the cost and quality of leads they receive.
Thumbtack may also charge contractors for communicating with clients, as these count as “leads.”
Others, though, have had positive experiences and used the platform to build a thriving service business.
Whether Thumbtack will work for you really depends on your budget, competition in your area, and what services you provide.
As a contractor on Thumbtack, you can stand out from the competition by responding quickly to quote requests, collecting positive reviews, and offering competitive pricing.
You’ll receive “Responds Quickly,” “In High Demand,” or “Great Value” badges that will increase your visibility amongst potential customers.
What are the pros and cons of TaskRabbit?
Unlike Thumbtack, TaskRabbit doesn’t charge per lead. Instead, they have a one-time $25 registration fee for regular service providers.
Clients pay the TaskRabbit service fee (15%) on top of the cost of the job, which doesn’t come out of the Tasker’s payment.
However, there are just as many conflicting reviews about the platform from contractors. For example, many contractors have had issues with getting set up on the platform.
However, others appreciate the versatility of the platform and the types of jobs and services it can offer.
Whether TaskRabbit will work for you depends on a lot of outside factors. While the platform does offer a lower cost for contractors, it also focuses on a different type of client from Thumbtack.
TaskRabbit is most beneficial for service providers who want to complete odd jobs or who specialize in short-term contracts. If you’re looking for long-term clients, it may not be the right fit for you.
But if you’re just looking to make ends meet during the slow season or to pick up some extra work here and there, it could be perfect!
Thumbtack vs. Taskrabbit vs. Handy
Handy is another Thumbtack competitor comparable to TaskRabbit.
Here’s a quick look at how it stacks up:
Thumbtack vs. Handy
Service providers on Thumbtack are responsible for quoting jobs and managing the job once the quote is approved. This offers users more flexibility to set their own pricing and to book their own appointments.
Handy, on the other hand, sets the rates for you and schedules the service straight through their app. When the job is complete, Handy also takes care of the payment process on your behalf.
TaskRabbit vs. Handy
While TaskRabbit offers a wide range of services from helping you move to organizing your closet, Handy focuses solely on home cleaning and handyman services.
With Handy’s impressive 60-second booking process, service providers are more frequently notified about new jobs in their area.
Which lead generation platform is the best?
Picking the best lead generation website can be a challenge. You need to find the right platform that works within your budget and supports the services you provide.
At the end of the day, the type of leads you are looking for will determine which site works best for your business. If you are looking to provide a quick, one-off service, TaskRabbit is your best bet. For longer contracts or repeat business—Thumbtack is the way to go.
But choosing between Thumbtack and TaskRabbit is just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of different platforms out there to choose from.
If you’re looking for more advertising options on your lead gen account, or offer a skilled trade like landscaping or HVAC, then Angi or HomeAdvisor may be the way to go.
Originally published March 2020. Last updated on December 2021.