How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Bark charges $2.35 per credit, with leads costing 5 to 20 credits, and credits bought after November 2025 expire after 3 months.
- Shared leads dominate this market: most platforms sell the same lead to several pros, so speed of response decides who wins the job.
- Thumbtack lets pros set an exact lead price and weekly budget, while Angi offers the largest homeowner audience.
- The number that matters is marketplace spend divided by booked jobs, not the price of a single lead.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Thumbtack | Budget-controlled leads | $10 per contact | Yes |
 Angi | Largest homeowner audience | $15 per lead | No |
 CraftJack | Fewer shared competitors | $10 per lead | No |
 Porch | Broad home-service coverage | $15 per lead | No |
 Networx | Deposit-backed lead flow | $15 per lead | No |
 Houzz Pro | Design-led directory plus ads | $249 per month | No |
 Google Local Services Ads | Verified direct calls | See website | No |
 Modernize | High-ticket exclusive leads | See website | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best bark alternatives
#1Thumbtack
Best for: Budget-controlled leads3.4/5 on
G2 (58 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit thumbtack.com
Starting price$10 per contact
Free planYes
Thumbtack is the closest Bark rival for most service pros. There is no charge to join and no membership fee. Pros set targeting preferences, an exact lead price per service, and a weekly budget, and pay $10 to $100 per contact depending on service and market. Customers contact pros directly inside the marketplace, which suits pros who want control over spend.
The charge triggers when a customer reaches out, not after the pro browses and opts in, and a non-responsive customer is not by itself a published refund reason. That makes response speed and follow-up discipline critical. For pros who want budget control without a credit system, Thumbtack is the first alternative to test.
What we like- No membership or joining fee
- Exact lead price and weekly budget controls
- Customers contact you directly
Watch out for- Charged when a customer reaches out, not after you opt in
- Non-responsive customers are not a published refund reason
- Lead prices vary by market
Starting price$15 per lead
Free planNo
Angi, formerly HomeAdvisor, offers the largest homeowner audience of any contractor marketplace, with leads across nearly every home service category. Per-lead fees run $15 to $100 or more depending on trade and market, with a 10% to 30% referral fee on some models and membership options from $300 per year for extra visibility. Volume arrives immediately with no ramp period, which suits new trades and territories.
Leads are shared with 3 to 5 pros, so conversion depends on response speed, and fees can grow expensive at volume. For pros who need the biggest audience fast, Angi delivers more leads than any rival here.
What we like- Largest homeowner audience of any contractor marketplace
- Immediate volume
- Paid visibility options
Watch out for- Leads shared with 3 to 5 pros
- Per-lead fees $15 to $100 plus
- Membership upsells add cost
Starting price$10 per lead
Free planNo
CraftJack sells leads at $10 to $50 each, shared with 2 to 4 pros rather than 5, which improves the odds of winning each lead. Its contractor-focused categories cover remodeling, roofing, plumbing, and similar trades, and the platform suits pros who want a middle ground between Angi volume and exclusive leads.
The audience is smaller than Angi or Thumbtack, and lead quality varies by market. For contractors who want fewer competitors per lead at a moderate price, CraftJack is a strong pick.
What we like- Leads shared with only 2 to 4 pros
- $10 to $50 per lead
- Contractor-focused categories
Watch out for- Smaller audience than Angi or Thumbtack
- Lead quality varies by market
- No free plan
Starting price$15 per lead
Free planNo
Porch blends subscription and per-lead models across a broad range of home services, from moving to remodeling. Per-lead fees run $15 to $85 depending on location, competition, and job scope, and homeowner project data helps pros qualify jobs before spending. The platform suits pros who want variety in one marketplace.
Pricing varies widely by market, and leads are shared, so cost per booked job needs tracking. For pros covering many service types, Porch offers breadth that narrower platforms lack.
What we like- Broad category coverage
- Subscription plus per-lead options
- Homeowner project data
Watch out for- Per-lead fees $15 to $85 vary widely
- Shared leads
- Pricing varies by location and competition
Starting price$15 per lead
Free planNo
Networx is a long-running contractor marketplace with per-lead fees of $15 to $60 plus a $150 to $300 deposit. The deposit model suits pros who want a steady lead flow with an upfront commitment, and trade coverage spans most home services. For established contractors who already budget for lead spend, the deposit is a minor friction.
Newer pros may prefer no-deposit platforms like Thumbtack, and leads are shared. For contractors who value a stable, long-running marketplace, Networx is a dependable option.
What we like- Long-running contractor marketplace
- Per-lead pricing with deposit model
- Broad trade coverage
Watch out for- $150 to $300 deposit required
- Per-lead fees $15 to $60
- Shared leads
#6Houzz Pro
Best for: Design-led directory plus ads4.2/5 on
G2 (76 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit houzz.com
Starting price$249 per month
Free planNo
Houzz Pro works differently from lead marketplaces. Pros pay a flat software subscription from $249 per month after a 30-day trial, with custom plans from $499, and get a directory profile plus optional paid placement rather than per-lead charges. The design-led homeowner audience suits remodelers, designers, and high-end contractors, and the profile itself belongs to the pro.
It is not a per-lead marketplace, so lead volume depends on profile strength and ad spend. For design-led pros who want an owned profile plus optional ads, Houzz Pro complements rather than replaces per-lead platforms.
What we like- Directory profile is yours
- Design-led homeowner audience
- Optional paid placement
Watch out for- $249 per month after a 30-day trial, custom from $499
- Not a per-lead marketplace
- Ads add cost
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Google Local Services Ads put a Google Verified badge on your business at the top of search results, and pros pay only when a qualified customer makes contact during active hours. Per-lead prices vary by trade, market, and profile quality, with no national published table. The direct-call model suits pros who want high-intent customers without sharing leads.
Costs float with competition and profile quality, and setup plus verification takes time. For pros with strong reviews and a verified profile, Local Services Ads often deliver the best cost per booked job in this group.
What we like- Google Verified badge builds trust
- Direct calls from search
- Charged only on qualified contact
Watch out for- Per-lead price varies by trade and competition
- Profile quality affects cost
- Setup and verification take time
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Modernize sells some leads exclusively rather than to multiple contractors at once, which removes the race to respond that defines shared-lead platforms. Its focus on high-ticket trades like roofing, solar, and windows suits pros selling larger jobs, where one booked lead covers many lead costs. Pricing is quoted per market with no public rates.
Exclusive leads carry a premium, and comparison requires a sales call rather than a pricing page. For high-ticket contractors who want exclusive leads and can absorb premium pricing, Modernize is the pick.
What we like- Some leads sold exclusively, not shared
- High-ticket trade focus
- Dynamic pricing by market
Watch out for- No public rates
- Exclusive leads carry a premium
- Quoted per market, so comparison takes a sales call
How we chose
We compared per-lead prices, shared versus exclusive models, credit systems, refund rules, and audience size for each platform, then checked them against recent contractor lead comparisons with prices verified in August 2026. Tools made the list only if service pros can buy leads or verified calls today with a published or widely reported pricing model. Where published figures conflicted across sources, we used the most recent verified figure and flagged the range.
Track cost per booked job, not cost per lead
No platform publishes a universal cost per booked job, and that is the only number that decides whether a marketplace pays. A $40 lead that books a $4,000 HVAC replacement is a different business from a $40 lead for a $120 one-time clean. Track marketplace spend divided by booked jobs for each platform separately, then gross profit after that acquisition cost, for at least a month before judging a channel.
Also watch the payment trigger. Bark shows the request and credit cost before you respond, and charges credits only when you choose to contact. Thumbtack charges when the customer reaches out. That difference changes how much control you have over spend, and it changes which platform suits pros who review leads carefully versus pros who respond to everything fast. Also separate lead quality from lead price when you compare platforms. A cheap lead from a vague request costs more in wasted follow-up than a pricier lead with a detailed brief, a real budget, and a reachable phone number. Score each lead on contactability and job fit, and cut platforms whose leads consistently fail to answer, no matter how low the headline price looks. Review your cost per booked job weekly and carefully during the first month on any new platform.
Frequently asked questions
How does Bark itself charge for leads?
Bark uses credits: professionals view matched leads for free, see the credit cost before responding, and pay only when they choose to contact. The standard credit price is $2.35, with packs lowering the effective rate, and a typical lead costs 5 to 20 credits. Credits bought on or after November 1, 2025 expire after 3 months. Bark takes no commission on completed work, and an Elite Pro subscription offers 5 free lead responses per month plus a 20% credit discount.
Which Bark alternative is cheapest per lead?
CraftJack at $10 to $50 per lead and Thumbtack at $10 to $100 per contact offer the lowest entry prices, while Bark leads run roughly $11 to $44 at the standard credit price. The cheapest headline lead is not always the cheapest booked job, so track conversion by platform before scaling spend.
Are shared leads worth buying?
Shared leads work when you respond fast and follow up well, since most platforms sell the same lead to several pros. Exclusive leads from Modernize cost more but remove the race. Test both models in your market and compare cost per booked job, since the winner varies by trade and competition.
Should I buy leads or invest in my own pipeline?
Marketplace leads deliver immediate volume with no ramp period, while owned SEO and rankings cost $10 to $50 per lead once they compound but take months to build. New pros should use marketplaces for immediate work while building an owned pipeline, then shift spend as rankings grow.
How do I avoid paying for bad leads?
Set exact lead prices and weekly budgets on Thumbtack, review Bark credit costs before responding, and track every lead to a booked or lost outcome. Dispute policies vary, and non-response alone is not a published refund reason on Thumbtack, so fast follow-up matters more than disputes.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://www.thumbtack.com
- https://www.angi.com
- https://www.craftjack.com
- https://www.porch.com
- https://www.networx.com
- https://www.houzz.com
- https://ads.google.com
- https://www.modernize.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.