Skimmer
4.6
Starting Price: $49/month
Per Location Pricing
Key Features
- Route Optimization (plan upgrade)
- ACH & CC Autopay
- QuickBooks Sync
- Offline Field Mode
- Digital Door Hangers
- LSI Calculator (plan upgrade)
Includes
- Trial
- Demo
Skimmer vs. UpBuoy Cost & Feature Comparison
This review evaluates Skimmer and UpBuoy across core database metrics, including route optimization logic, chemistry/LSI tracking parameters, billing models, and field application stability.
UpBuoy
4.3
Starting Price: $99/month
Per Location Pricing
Key Features
- Route Optimization
- ACH & CC Autopay
- QuickBooks Sync
- Offline Field Mode
- Digital Door Hangers
- LSI Calculator
Includes
- Trial
- Demo
Price Breakdown
Both Skimmer and UpBuoy bill per location.
Skimmer Pricing
Skimmer has 2 plans.
Starting Price
$49/month
+$1 per location
Additional Tiers/Plans
- Scaling Up: $98/month · +$2 per location
UpBuoy Pricing
UpBuoy has 1 plan.
Starting Price
$99/month
+$3 per location
Feature Comparison
To evaluate how these platforms perform during daily field operations, we audited both systems against a standardized matrix of core industry requirements. The following breakdown isolates the primary must-have features required to manage a scalable pool route, mapping out how each platform structures its database logic for scheduling, billing infrastructure, field accountability, and water chemistry logging.
- Included
- Add-on
- Not included
- Upgrade needed
| Feature | Skimmer | UpBuoy |
|---|---|---|
| Route Management & Scheduling | 2 of 6 | 5 of 6 |
| Drag-and-Drop Scheduling | Upgrade needed | Included |
| Efficient Route Optimization | Upgrade needed | Included |
| Live GPS Tracking | Not included | Included |
| Technician Activity Reporting | Included | Included |
| Re-routing Flexibility | Included | Included |
| Fleet Management (speeding, etc) | Not included | Not included |
| Billing & Payments | 7 of 9 | 7 of 9 |
| Flexible Billing Options (by week, month, stop) | Included | Included |
| Bulk Invoicing | Included | Included |
| Mobile Payments (Apple Pay & Google Pay) | Included | Included |
| ACH & Credit Card Payments | Included | Included |
| Accounting Sync with QuickBooks | Included | Included |
| Manage Quotes & Estimates | Upgrade needed | Included |
| Consumer Financing | Upgrade needed | Not included |
| Late Fee Reminders | Included | Included |
| Surcharge Options | Included | Not included |
| Business Intelligence & Admin | 5 of 9 | 7 of 9 |
| Route Profit Tracking | Upgrade needed | Included |
| Manage Multiple Bodies of Water | Included | Not included |
| Create, Manage, & Store Contracts | Not included | Included |
| Inventory Tracking | Included | Included |
| Labor Cost Tracking | Included | Included |
| Equipment Tracking | Included | Included |
| Technician Scorecards | Not included | Included |
| Barcode Scanning | Not included | Not included |
| Service History Reporting | Included | Included |
| Customer Experience | 4 of 7 | 6 of 7 |
| Digital Door-Hangers | Included | Included |
| Customer Portal | Included | Included |
| SMS Notifications | Add-on | Included |
| Mass Broadcast Communications | Upgrade needed | Included |
| Detailed Reporting for Each Stop | Included | Included |
| Branded Reporting | Upgrade needed | Included |
| Allow Customer Feedback | Included | Not included |
| Field Operations | 6 of 7 | 7 of 7 |
| Technician Checklists | Included | Included |
| Stored Customer Information (gate numbers, dog reminders, etc) | Included | Included |
| Customer Equipment Information (equipment SKUs, etc) | Included | Included |
| Work Order Management | Included | Included |
| Photo / Notes Logging | Included | Included |
| Standardized Job Templates | Included | Included |
| Specialty Task Scheduling (clean salt cell, filter clean) | Upgrade needed | Included |
| Water Chemistry & Chemicals | 3 of 6 | 5 of 6 |
| LSI Calculator (Saturation Index) | Upgrade needed | Included |
| Chemical Dosing Recommendations | Upgrade needed | Included |
| Chemical Dosing Costs | Included | Included |
| Historical Chemistry Logs | Included | Included |
| Custom Chemical & Chemistry Ranges | Not included | Not included |
| Customer Chemical Dosage Reporting | Included | Included |
| AI & Automation | 0 of 7 | 1 of 7 |
| AI Phone Assistant | Upgrade needed | Not included |
| AI Chatbot | Not included | Not included |
| Predictive Route Management | Not included | Included |
| Automated Collections & Billings | Not included | Not included |
| Automated Chemistry & Chemical Recommendations | Not included | Not included |
| Automated Anomaly Detection (identify water problems before they occur) | Not included | Not included |
| Automated Lead Engagements | Not included | Not included |
Something out of date? Verify this information
Integrations & Support
| Integrations | Skimmer | UpBuoy |
|---|---|---|
 Heritage | Included | Not included |
 LaMotte | Included | Not included |
 Orenda | Included | Not included |
 QuickBooks | Included | Included |
 Stripe | Included | Included |
 Sunbit | Included | Not included |
 Zapier | Included | Not included |
| Support & Training | Skimmer | UpBuoy |
|---|---|---|
| Available Devices & Apps | ||
| iOS App | Included | Included |
| Android App | Included | Included |
| Web Browser | Included | Included |
| Offline Mode | Included | Included |
| Customer Support | ||
| Live Chat | Not included | Not included |
| Phone Support | Included | Not included |
| 24/7 Support | Included | Not included |
| Included | Included | |
| Dedicated Account Manager | Included | Not included |
| Knowledge Base | Not included | Included |
| Platform Training | ||
| Demo | Included | Included |
| In Person | Not included | Not included |
| Live Online Training | Included | Not included |
| Webinars | Included | Not included |
| Tutorials | Included | Included |
| Videos | Included | Not included |
Which Platform is Better for Your Business
Who Uses Skimmer?
Best for: Field Tech Experience
- Teams of any size, from owner-operators to crews of 10+ techs.
- Routes from small to large, scaling past 500 pools.
- Owners who care most about billing & payments and customer experience, where Skimmer stands out.
Who Uses UpBuoy?
Best for: Just Starting Out
- Teams of any size, from owner-operators to crews of 10+ techs.
- Routes of up to 100 pools.
- Owners who care most about route management and field operations, where UpBuoy stands out.
