ProBase vs Skimmer

Which Is Right for You?

Two different tools for two different needs. Here's an honest look at both.

The Short Version

If you're short on time, start here.

Choose Skimmer if…
  • You want the most features possible
  • You need advanced water chemistry tools (LSI calculator, LaMotte integration)
  • You're running a larger operation with multiple techs
  • $50–$200/month fits your budget
Best for 1–5 Crews
Choose ProBase if…
  • You want to run a professional operation without paying for software
  • You're running a 1–5 crew operation with 50–200+ pools
  • You want tools that help you get more customers, not just manage them
  • You'd rather put $2,400/year back in your business

What You'll Pay

No surprises. Here's the real math.

ProBase Skimmer
Base price$0/month$49–$98/month
Per location fee$0$1–$2/location
100 pools$0/month$200/month
150 pools$0/month$300/month
Annual cost (100 pools)$0$2,400
You save every year
$2,400
Put it back in your business
ProBase is free. No trials, no credit card, no "free tier" with limits. Just free.
Skimmer uses tiered pricing: $1/pool for under 50 pools, $2/pool for 50+. For a typical route of 100 pools, that's $200/month — money you could put toward equipment, marketing, or just keeping more of what you earn.

The Real Cost of "Premium" Software

For a pool business running 100 pools.

Skimmer ProBase Difference
Year 1$2,400$0+$2,400
Year 2$2,400$0+$2,400
Year 3$2,400$0+$2,400
3-Year Total$7,200$0+$7,200

$7,200 over three years. The question isn't whether Skimmer is good software. It is. The question is whether the features you'd pay $7,000+ for are features you'll actually use.

How Much Is Skimmer Costing You?

Enter your pool count. See your Skimmer bill. Then see what $0 looks like.

How many pools do you service? 100pools
10 pools 250 500 pools
pools
Skimmer
$200
per month
ProBase
$0
per month
You save with ProBase Every year. Every pool you add.
$2,400 / year
Full cost breakdown
Period Skimmer ProBase
Per month $200/mo $0/mo
Per year $2,400/yr $0/yr
Over 5 years $12,000 $0
Per pool added +$24/yr per pool +$0
Start with ProBase — $0

No credit card. No trial period. Free from day one.

The Honest Truth About Features

Skimmer has more features. That's not the question.

Skimmer's extras
LSI Calculator

Orenda-powered water balance

LaMotte Sync

Bluetooth test auto-import

Advanced Analytics

Deeper reporting dashboards

Advanced Routing

More options for larger fleets

If you use these daily, Skimmer may be worth the cost.

What you actually need
Route Management

See your stops. Tap. Go.

Chemical Logging

Two taps. Readings saved.

Customer Info

Gate codes, equipment, notes.

Invoicing

Invoiced digitally. Paid on time.

ProBase does these. Simply. For free.

What ProBase Has That Skimmer Doesn't

Tools to help you grow — not just manage.

Feature ProBase Skimmer
Automated review requests✓✗
Google My Business tools✓✗
Tip collection✓✗
Assessment-to-quote pipeline✓✗
AI-drafted instant notes✓✗
Quotes on entry plan (free)✓Paywalled to Scaling Up

Quotes & Estimates (Free)

Build a quote at the property. Customer taps approve. It auto-becomes a scheduled job before you're back in the truck. Photos and AI-drafted line items carry from the assessment to the quote. Skimmer paywalls quoting on their $98/mo Scaling Up plan. ProBase includes the full quote-to-job workflow free. See how it works →

Automated Review Requests

After every service, customers get a prompt to leave a Google review. More reviews = higher rankings = more calls. (Coming soon)

Tip Collection

Built into online payments. Customers can add a tip when they pay. It adds up. The system was developed and refined across half a billion real service transactions before it came to ProBase. Pros earn tips on 52% of jobs, averaging 18% of the job total. Skimmer doesn't have this. See how it works →

Skimmer is great at helping you manage existing customers. ProBase helps you win new ones, with quote-to-close tools built in.

What Skimmer Does Better

We'll be honest about this.

Feature Skimmer ProBase
LSI/Orenda calculator✓Coming soon
LaMotte Bluetooth sync✓✗
Route optimization✓✓
Multi-crew management✓✓
Detailed analytics dashboard✓Basic
If water chemistry calculations are core to how you work, or you're managing 6+ crews, Skimmer's additional features might be worth paying for. But if you're running a 1–5 crew operation? You probably don't need — or use — most of that.

Switching From Skimmer

If you're already on Skimmer, here's what to expect.

What's easy

  • Export your customer list from Skimmer
  • Upload it to ProBase during signup
  • Free onboarding support included
  • Most pros are running routes within a day
  • Invoice from your phone — no desktop required

What takes adjustment

  • Different interface — simpler, but different
  • Some features aren't here yet (LSI calculator, LaMotte sync)
  • Building new muscle memory for daily workflow
Our honest advice: If you're using Skimmer's advanced chemistry tools every day, switching might not make sense. If you're paying $150–$200/month and mostly just logging routes and chemicals, you might be overpaying for features you don't use.

What Pool Pros Say About Skimmer

Pain points we hear from switchers. We're not here to trash Skimmer — but these come up.

What pool pros say How ProBase handles it
"They doubled the price overnight"Skimmer raised per-pool fees from $1 to $2 in 2024 Free forever. No per-pool fees. No surprise price hikes.
"I can't invoice from my phone"Desktop required for billing All-in-one app. Invoice, schedule, and manage customers from your phone.
"It doesn't come with the ability to send quotes on the cheapest plan"Skimmer Capterra review. Quotes feature requires Scaling Up tier ($98/mo). Quotes and estimates included on every plan, free. Build, send, and close from your phone.
"The app freezes and I have to restart it"Performance issues, slow logins Clean, simple app. Fewer features to break.
"They keep adding stuff I don't need"Feature bloat complicates the interface Built for 1–5 crews. Right-sized features, no clutter.
"Auto-billing is confusing to set up"Different settings for different customers Simple Stripe integration. Set it once.
"My customers don't get the emails"Delivery failures SMS-first. Texts get through.
"Support takes weeks to resolve issues"Frustrated with response times Free onboarding support. Real help when you need it.
Sources: App Store reviews, Capterra, Software Advice, pool pro forums (2024–2025). Plenty of Skimmer users are happy. If it works for you, great. But if any of these sound familiar, ProBase might be worth a look.

Frequently Asked Questions

The questions we get most often.

ProBase is free because we partner with marketplaces. You can pick up jobs through ProBase if you want — we take a cut on those. You're never required to. Every tool stays free either way.
Yes. Export your customer list from Skimmer, upload it during signup, and we'll help you get everything set up.
It's on our roadmap. We're building water balance tools based on what pool pros tell us they actually need.
Two differences. First, price: Skimmer's $49/month Getting Started tier excludes the Quotes feature entirely. Sending estimates requires upgrading to Scaling Up at $98/month, plus $2 per pool. ProBase includes quotes free on every plan. Second, workflow: ProBase has an assessment-to-quote pipeline that no other pool software connects. Walk the property, write notes, hit AI Assist. Line items get drafted, photos auto-attach to the quote, the customer approves with one tap, and it auto-becomes a scheduled job. Learn more about ProBase Quotes →
ProBase works well for 1–5 crew operations. For larger teams (6+) with complex crew scheduling needs, Skimmer has more depth.
Yes. Automated review requests help you build Google reviews after every service. More reviews = higher local rankings = more calls. Plus tools to optimize your Google My Business profile. Skimmer doesn't offer these. (Coming soon)
No. Your data is yours. Export anytime. We don't lock you in.
ProBase was founded by Steve Corcoran, who built and scaled LawnStarter to over 500,000 home service customers nationwide. That infrastructure (routing, payments, tip collection) was battle-tested at a scale of over half a billion transactions before it came to ProBase. This is a long-term investment, not a side project.

The right tool depends on your business.

If you want every feature imaginable and don't mind paying for it, Skimmer is solid software. If you want to stay organized, log your work, and keep $2,400/year in your pocket, give ProBase a try.

Start Free Today
No credit card No trial period Just free