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Service Autopilot vs Shortcut, for multi-crew lawn care operatorsEverything your office runs on Service Autopilot, built this decade.

At a price that cannot creep. We migrate you overnight for free, then walk you through what came across.

  • $180 per crew, everything included.
  • Unlimited users, every office seat free.
  • No sign-up fee and no yearly increase.
  • Migrated overnight, then two weeks side by side.
Book a demo

A 20-minute call to see if Shortcut fits how you run. Running 1–2 crews? Start a free trial

See it side by side

Every claim about Service Autopilot here was checked on . Sources below.

Service Autopilot vs Shortcut at a glance

  • Office users

    Shortcut
    Unlimited
    Service Autopilot
    One below Elite

    Every Service Autopilot tier below Elite includes one office user.1

  • Yearly increase

    Shortcut
    None
    Service Autopilot
    7%

    Written into their terms, section 2.3.2

  • Map, texting, portal

    Shortcut
    Included
    Service Autopilot
    Add-ons

    Smart Maps, two-way texting, the portal, and QuickBooks are Elite features or add-ons.1, 8

What you keep

The things Service Autopilot users stay for are here, and they come with undo.

A dispatch board for every crew with an unscheduled queue, lasso on the map, bulk actions that preview and undo, route optimization across the fleet, automations that run on day one, bulk invoicing and autopay, chemical records, job costing, a client portal, two-way texting, and QuickBooks Online or Desktop.

The board

Bulk moves that preview and undo.

Select a day's stops, preview the change set, apply it, and undo it if it's wrong.

The map

Lasso a neighborhood, move it, tell everyone.

Lasso the neighborhood, push it to Thursday, and every customer gets a text about the new day. The map and the texting are included.

Automations

Nine automations on day one.

Nine run the day you turn them on, including overdue recovery, estimate follow-up, visit reminders, and win-back. The builder is included for anything else.

Side by side

Service Autopilot vs Shortcut, feature by feature.

Service Autopilot cells come from its pricing page, terms of service, user guides, and app-store listings, as of October 2, 2026.

FeatureShortcutService Autopilot
Price and terms
Price$180 per crew a month, or $144 billed yearly$49, $199, $499 a month and an Elite quote, billed yearly, with a sign-up fee1
Office usersUnlimitedOne on every tier below Elite1
Yearly increaseNone7 percent, written into the contract2
ContractMonthly or yearly, your choiceYearly, auto-renews, early exit costs the remaining months2
MigrationOvernight, free, two weeks side by sideReported $1,497 onboarding, weeks to months
SupportText the founder. Same day, from the team that built itPhone and tickets weekdays 8 to 5 Central; reviewers report weeks to resolve10, 5
Dispatch and routing
Dispatch boardYes. Map and lasso included. Every move previews and undoesYes. The map needs the Smart Maps add-on7, 8
Route optimizationWhole-fleet balancing, includedGoogle routing capped at 23 stops per crew, TrackRoad credits, or AI routing7
AIAI dispatch: fix today, balance crews, risk scoresAI routing, one of its routing options7
Customers
Two-way textingIncludedElite tier or add-on1
AutomationsNine run on day one; builder includedFrom the $499 tier; setup often outsourced1
Client portalIncludedAdd-on on Pro and Pro Plus1
Crew app
Crew appWorks offline, syncs when back in service, English or Spanish per person2.3 and 2.9 stars on the App Store; SA Team last updated September 20243, 4
Money
PaymentsStripe: cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, bank transferClearent only, by contract2
QuickBooksQuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop, includedElite or paid add-on1
Estimates and measurement
Property measurementAuto-measured from the aerial, built inSmart Maps add-on; you draw the lines8
Installs and snow
InstallsProjects: cost build-up, deposits, change orders from the field, progress billingMulti-day jobs with budgeted hours7
SnowA snow filter on the same board as your routes, on-call offers by textA separate Snow Dispatch Board, run by weather event12

Competitor cells reflect Service Autopilot's public pricing page, terms of service, user guides, and app-store listings as of October 2026. If one is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it the same day.

From their reviews

What stops when you switch.

Price creep

Rate increases that sneak in.

Their terms allow a 7 percent increase every year on the prior year's fees. One reviewer: "rate increases sneak in."2, 5

Support

Weeks to resolve a ticket.

Phone and tickets run weekdays, 8 to 5 Central. Reviewers report weeks to resolve, and a report that stayed broken for months.10, 5

Releases

Rollouts that split the product.

Customers have been split between V2 and V3. One reviewer says they "keep screwing up rollouts."5

The app

Uploads that never reach the office.

Reviewers report crashes, re-logins, and uploads that never reach the office. SA Team was last updated in September 2024.3, 4

What Service Autopilot can't do

Built this decade.

Every new lead, measured from the aerial.

Auto-measure runs on every new lead, built in.

In Service Autopilot: Smart Maps is an add-on, and you draw the lines.8

AI dispatch that fixes a rained-out Monday.

Fix today, balance crews, and risk scores, with an undo on every change.

A 4 percent increase in one pass.

Raise prices across the book, see every customer's email before it goes, and send a retraction if you need it.

In Service Autopilot: Export, spreadsheet, re-import.

Job costing that never fakes a zero.

Every number says whether it's measured or estimated, and none is faked as a zero.

Projects with change orders from the field.

Cost build-up, deposits, change orders from the field, and progress billing, on the same board as your routes.

In Service Autopilot: Multi-day jobs with budgeted hours.7

Service Autopilot terms of service

Their contract, in their words.

Section 2.3

A 7 percent increase each year on the prior year's fees. Larger increases need 45 days' notice and give you ten days to cancel.

[2] Service Autopilot terms of service

Special terms

Payment services run through Clearent only.

[2] Service Autopilot terms of service

Section 3.12

They can withdraw a product you use.

[2] Service Autopilot terms of service

Section 2.2

The term auto-renews unless you give written notice 30 days before it ends.

[2] Service Autopilot terms of service

Section 13.4

Leaving early costs the remaining months.

[2] Service Autopilot terms of service

We quote these so you can plan your exit date, not to scare you.

Switching from Service Autopilot

We do the switch. Give us access, and we do the rest.

Our team rebuilds your customers, recurring schedules, services, pricing, crews, estimates, invoices, payment history, employees, automations, and property boundaries overnight, then walks you through the result. No fee.

  1. Day 020-minute call. We see if Shortcut fits. If it does, you give us access to your current software.
  2. That nightMigrated overnight. You sleep.
  3. Up to 2 weeksShadow. Both systems run side by side. You review and approve.
  4. Cutover MondayYour crews open Shortcut. We're on the phone for the first 8 hours.
Saved cards and autopay: how they move
Book a demoNo fee. No consultant. No six-month implementation.
Service Autopilot → ShortcutA 6-crew book, overnight
Customers1,240
Recurring schedules3,811
Services & pricing48
Crews6
Estimates96
Invoices & payment history5 yrs
Employees & pay rates19
Automations11
Property boundaries1,186
Importing · nothing to do on your end Import complete · review call Tue 9:00 AM

What it costs

One number you can plan around.

Every office user is free. Nothing is an add-on. The number is the same next year.

Running 1 or 2 crews? Start a 14-day free trial, no card.

$180per crew
per month

Save 20%Pay yearly: $144 per crew per month. That's $432 back per crew, every year.

CrewsShortcut, monthlyShortcut, yearly rateService Autopilot, list
4$720$576Pro Plus $499 plus extra mobile licenses and add-ons
10$1,800$1,440Elite quote: 2 office users and 8 mobile licenses included, extras unpublished
30$5,400$4,320Elite quote plus 22 or more extra mobile licenses, texting, portal, QuickBooks, Smart Maps

Service Autopilot list prices come from their pricing page on Oct 2, 2026. Extra license prices are not published, so get a quote.1

Chance Heath, founder of Shortcut

When you have an issue

A real person, same day.

Every Shortcut customer gets a direct line to our team, including me. The same people who moved your data answer you, same day, every day. If you've spent a week waiting on a ticket, you already know why that matters.

Book 20 minutes on my calendar ↗

Chance Heath, founder

Early access

An AI office worker that never quits in July.

Shortcut's AI agents take over the office work that buries you in season: chasing invoices, rain-day reshuffles, estimate follow-ups, the phone. Each one drafts the work, you approve it, and it earns more autonomy one task at a time.

Now in early access, for a fraction of what an office hire costs.

Request early access
RoleDraftsYouAutonomy earned
AR clerkOverdue follow-ups, payment plansThe reminderYou sendPer customer tier
Rain-day dispatcherProposes the re-sequenceThe moveYou confirmUnder 20 jobs
Estimate follow-upUnanswered proposalsThe nudgeYou sendUnder $500
PhoneAnswers, books, takes messagesThe transcriptYou call backScheduling only

The autonomy column is illustrative. Thresholds are set per account, per action type.

Service Autopilot alternative questions, answered.

What a Service Autopilot customer asks on the first call, in plain words.

How much does Service Autopilot cost?

Startup $49, Pro $199, Pro Plus $499, Elite by quote, billed yearly with a sign-up fee. Every tier below Elite includes one office user. Texting, Smart Maps, client portal, and QuickBooks are Elite features or add-ons.

Does Service Autopilot raise prices every year?

Their product terms allow a 7 percent increase each year on the prior year's fees. Larger increases need 45 days' notice and give you ten days to cancel.

Can I pick my own card processor on Service Autopilot?

Their terms require Clearent for payment services. Shortcut runs on Stripe with cards, wallets, and bank transfer.

How do I switch from Service Autopilot to Shortcut?

A 20-minute call. We migrate overnight. Both systems run side by side for up to two weeks. Your crews switch on a Monday with us on the phone for the first eight hours. No fee.

Will my customers' saved cards move?

Shortcut re-enrolls autopay with a pay link and a saved-card prompt on the first invoice, and tells you who has not re-enrolled. No processor hands over saved card data.

Does Shortcut have automations?

Nine run the day you turn them on, including overdue recovery, estimate follow-up, visit reminders, and win-back. The builder is included for anything else.

Does Shortcut have a dispatch board and waiting list?

One board for every crew, an unscheduled queue, an attention queue that says why a visit needs you, and undo on every move.

Does Shortcut do snow?

Yes. Snow removal is priced from measured drives and walks, and snow runs on the same dispatch board as your routes, with on-call offers by text.

How do I cancel Service Autopilot?

Their terms auto-renew for the same term unless you give written notice 30 days before expiration, and early exit costs the remaining months. Read your agreement and plan the switch around your renewal date.

What does Shortcut cost compared to Service Autopilot?

One price: $180 per crew a month, or $144 billed yearly, with every office user, the map, texting, the client portal, and QuickBooks included. No add-ons, no sign-up fee, no yearly increase, and the migration is free. Run your own number in the table above.

See it on a business like yours.

Book 20 minutes with the team that built Shortcut. Bring your questions and your messiest week, and we'll tell you straight whether Shortcut fits. Bring your Service Autopilot renewal date too, and we'll plan the switch around it.

  1. 1Tell us about your business. Name, crews, what you run today. Thirty seconds.
  2. 2Pick a time. Chance's calendar opens right here, with your details already filled in.
  3. 3See it work. Twenty minutes, live, with the team that built it. We'll show you the board and tell you straight if it fits.

Rather skip the form? Open the calendar. Running 1 or 2 crews? Start a 14-day free trial, no card.

Crews

No fee, no commitment. Running one crew? This takes you to a free trial instead.

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Sources

  1. 1Service Autopilot pricing checked
  2. 2Service Autopilot terms of service checked
  3. 3Service Autopilot on the App Store checked
  4. 4SA Team on the App Store checked
  5. 5Capterra: Service Autopilot reviews checked
  6. 6Capterra: Service Autopilot pricing checked
  7. 7New Dispatch Board user guide, 2024 checked
  8. 8Smart Maps checked
  9. 9Service Autopilot software checked
  10. 10Connecteam review checked
  11. 11Xplor Pay announcement checked
  12. 12Snow Dispatch Board overview, Service Autopilot support checked

Book a demo

  1. 1Tell us about your business. Name, crews, what you run today. Thirty seconds.
  2. 2Pick a time. Chance's calendar opens right here, with your details already filled in.
  3. 3See it work. Twenty minutes, live, with the team that built it. We'll show you the board and tell you straight if it fits.
Crews

No fee, no commitment. Running one crew? This takes you to a free trial instead.

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