AI agents for your trade business. 14-day free trial.

AI agents vs enterprise software

ServiceTitan is built for large operations with dedicated office staff. Sterling is built for trade businesses that want AI to be their office staff.

RECOMMENDED

Sterling Crew

AI-first trade platform

$149/mo flat
6 AI agents that run your back office
Set up in 30 minutes, not 6 months
$0 implementation fee
Month-to-month, cancel anytime
100+ trades supported
Built for 1–20 person teams
ST

ServiceTitan

Enterprise field service management

$245+/tech/mo
No AI agents — manual workflows only
3–12 month implementation timeline
$5,000–$50,000+ implementation fee
Annual contract required
~20 trades supported
Built for 20–500+ person operations

What you actually pay: 5-person team

First-year total cost including implementation, setup, and monthly fees.

Sterling Crew Growth
$3,588 /year

All AI agents included. No per-tech fees.

Monthly fee$299/mo
Implementation$0
Setup time30 minutes
Additional tech cost$0
Year 1 total$3,588
ServiceTitan Starter
$19,700–$33,000 /year

Per-technician pricing. Implementation extra.

Monthly fee (5 techs)$1,225–$1,500/mo
Implementation$5,000–$15,000
Setup time3–6 months
Each additional tech$245–$300/mo
Year 1 total$19,700–$33,000

Bottom line: A 5-person team saves $16,000–$29,000 in year one by choosing Sterling — and gets 6 AI agents that ServiceTitan doesn't offer at any price.

The fundamental difference

ServiceTitan gives you software to manage. Sterling gives you AI agents that do the work.

ServiceTitan approach

You get powerful dashboards and tools. But you still need people to use them.

1You answer calls or hire a receptionist
2You type quotes manually in the system
3You drag-and-drop the dispatch board
4You create and send invoices
5You remember to ask for reviews
6You plan and execute marketing campaigns

Sterling approach

You get 6 AI agents that handle these tasks autonomously. No staff required.

Front Desk Agent answers every call 24/7
Quoting Agent builds quotes from voice input
Dispatch Agent optimizes routes automatically
Collections Agent auto-invoices and chases payments
Reputation Agent requests reviews after every job
Marketing Agent runs campaigns on autopilot

Feature-by-feature comparison

Every feature, side by side.

Feature
Sterling
ServiceTitan
AI & Automation
AI Front Desk Agent (24/7 call answering)
AI Quoting Agent (voice-to-quote)
AI Collections Agent
AI Reputation Agent
AI Dispatch Agent (route optimization)
AI Marketing Agent (seasonal campaigns)
Autonomous back office
Core Operations
Scheduling & dispatch
CRM / customer management
Invoicing & payments
Estimates & proposals
Mobile app
GPS tracking
Pricebook management
Trade Coverage
Trades supported
100+
~20
Trade-specific AI agents
Service agreements
Equipment tracking
Inventory management
Add-on
Permit tracking
Business Growth
Review management
Add-on
Marketing automation
Add-on
Online booking
Reporting & analytics
Commission tracking
Pricing & Setup
Starting price
$149/mo flat
$245+/tech/mo
Implementation fee
$0
$5K–$50K+
Setup time
30 minutes
3–12 months
Free trial
14 days
None
Contract required
Per-technician pricing
API access
Add-on
QuickBooks integration

Who should use what

Choose Sterling if you...

Have 1–20 technicians
Want AI to handle your back office
Don't have (or want) dedicated office staff
Need to be operational in days, not months
Want flat, predictable pricing
Operate in a niche trade beyond HVAC/plumbing/electrical

Consider ServiceTitan if you...

Have 20+ technicians across multiple locations
Have dedicated office and IT staff
Need deep enterprise reporting and call tracking
Can invest $5K–$50K+ in implementation
Can wait 3–12 months for full deployment
Primarily operate in HVAC, plumbing, or electrical

What contractors say about switching

"I was paying $1,800/month for ServiceTitan and still had to hire a receptionist. Sterling costs $299 and the AI answers my phone better than any human I've hired."

HVAC Contractor — Phoenix, AZ

"ServiceTitan took 4 months to implement. Sterling was running in 30 minutes. I wish I'd found it first."

Plumber — Dallas, TX

"I looked at ServiceTitan but I'm a 3-person shop. Sterling IS my receptionist and office manager."

Plumber — Raleigh, NC

Frequently asked questions

Ready to switch from ServiceTitan?

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