Comparison
Gus vs. Yardbook
“All-in-one business software for landscaping”
See which tool is right for your lawn care business.
The Verdict
Yardbook is the best free option for solo lawn care operators who need basic scheduling and invoicing. But it doesn't show you whether you're actually making money on each job — you find out after the work is done, if at all. Gus puts cost visibility at the centre of your quoting workflow so you never accidentally work for minimum wage.
- Yardbook's free plan is genuinely generous — scheduling, invoicing, CRM, and satellite measurement at no cost
- Gus shows your real costs and margins before you quote — Yardbook buries profitability in separate reports you have to run manually
- Both are built for lawn care, but Gus is focused on profitable quoting while Yardbook is focused on basic operations
- Yardbook struggles to scale beyond 50-100 customers — users consistently report hitting a ceiling
- If knowing your margins before you hit send matters to you, Gus is the sharper tool
Feature Comparison
Gus vs. Yardbook
See how the features stack up
Quoting
Satellite property measurement
Gus
Yardbook
Quote creation
Gus
Yardbook
Estimates onlyOnline quote approval
Gus
Yardbook
Quote templates
Gus
Yardbook
Custom branding on quotes
Gus
Yardbook
Quote sent by email
Gus
Yardbook
Estimates via emailQuote acceptance notifications
Gus
Yardbook
Cost Visibility
Real-time cost calculation
Gus
Yardbook
Equipment cost tracking
Gus
Yardbook
Basic check-in/out onlyLabour rate by service type
Gus
Yardbook
Hourly rates onlyMargin visibility per quote
Gus
Yardbook
Post-job reports onlyCustomisable cost frequencies
Gus
Yardbook
Operations
Job scheduling
Gus
Coming soonYardbook
Route optimisation
Gus
Coming soonYardbook
GPS tracking
Gus
Yardbook
Every 4 hours (Business plan)Client portal
Gus
Shareable linksYardbook
Enterprise plan onlySite visits with photos & notes
Gus
Yardbook
CRM
Client & property management
Gus
Yardbook
Team management
Gus
Yardbook
BasicEquipment management
Gus
Yardbook
Basic trackingInvoicing
Invoice generation
Gus
Yardbook
Payment processing
Gus
Yardbook
Stripe (1% fee on free plan)Recurring billing
Gus
Yardbook
Manual recurring onlyReporting
Reporting & analytics dashboards
Gus
Yardbook
Basic (15 pre-made reports)Expense tracking
Gus
Yardbook
Mobile
Mobile app
Gus
Yardbook
Android only (iOS in beta)Offline access
Gus
Yardbook
Android onlyIntegrations
QuickBooks integration
Gus
Coming soonYardbook
Enterprise plan only ($49.99/mo)Xero integration
Gus
Coming soonYardbook
Being Fair
Where Yardbook Wins
Every tool has its strengths. Here's where they shine.
Genuinely Free to Start
Yardbook's free plan includes scheduling, invoicing, CRM, and satellite lot measurement with no feature lockout. You only pay a 1% card processing fee. It's the lowest barrier to entry in the market.
Built-In Scheduling and Routing
Job scheduling, recurring jobs, and route optimisation come included — even on the free plan. If you need to manage a daily run sheet today, Yardbook has it ready.
Invoicing Out of the Box
Generate and send invoices, process card payments via Stripe, and track expenses — all from day one. Gus is focused on quoting; Yardbook covers the full invoice-to-payment cycle.
Chemical Application Tracking
Track herbicide and fertiliser applications with multi-step chemical programs on the Business plan. Useful for operators doing lawn treatments alongside mowing.
Weather Forecasting
Built-in 5-day weather forecast helps you avoid mowing wet lawns or spraying before rain. It's a small feature that saves real time in the field.
Our Edge
Where Gus Wins
Built specifically for lawn care quoting and costing.
Know Your Costs Before You Quote
Gus calculates your actual costs — equipment, fuel, labour, overheads — before you send the quote. Yardbook's job costing is a separate report you run after the work is done. By then it's too late to fix a bad price.
Margin Visibility on Every Quote
See your profit margin on every quote before you send it. Yardbook makes you compare two separate reports to work out if a job was profitable — and only after you've already done the work.
Equipment Cost Per Hour
Gus tracks what each machine actually costs you per hour — fuel, depreciation, maintenance — and factors it into every quote. Yardbook has basic equipment check-in/out but doesn't calculate per-job machine costs.
Professional Digital Quotes
Gus sends branded digital quotes with your logo that clients can approve online with one click. Yardbook sends basic estimates by email with no online approval workflow or acceptance notifications.
Built to Scale
Yardbook users consistently report hitting a wall at 50-100 customers, with performance degradation and feature limits forcing a switch. Gus is built for lawn care businesses that plan to grow, not just get started.
Making the Switch
Switching from Yardbook is simple
You can run both tools side by side. Start quoting in Gus while keeping Yardbook for scheduling and invoicing — then migrate at your own pace.
Need help switching? Our team is happy to assist with data migration.
See what your quotes are really costing you
Try Gus free for 14 days. Discover the margins you've been missing with Yardbook.
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