Pool AI vs Skimmer vs Pool Brain
One page, all three: what Pool AI, Skimmer and Pool Brain cost and what each one lists on its own public pages. Checked October 17, 2026. We make Pool AI, so read the sources and check the other two yourself.
What you would pay each month
Example companies. Skimmer charges per serviced location, Pool Brain per active technician, and Pool AI a flat price. We assume one pool per location.
| Your company | Pool AI | Skimmer Getting Started | Skimmer Scaling Up | Pool Brain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner-operator, 60 pools | $69 (Solo) | $60 | $120 | $65 + base fee |
| Owner + 5 techs + office, 400 pools | $225 (Pro) | $400 | $800 | $325 + base fee |
| Owner + 10 techs, 900 pools | $225 (Pro) | $900 | $1,800 | $650 + base fee |
Pool AI: Solo is $69 for one owner-operator; Pro is $225 and includes the owner and unlimited users, with no per-user fee. Skimmer: Getting Started is $1 per location (from $49 for 49 locations) and Scaling Up is $2 per location (from $98 for 49 locations); quotes, scheduling and route optimization are in Scaling Up. Pool Brain: $65 per active field technician with unlimited office users; its pricing page did not show the base fee, so we left it out.
Everything side by side
“Not listed” means we did not find it on that company’s public pages on the date above. It does not mean the product can’t do it. Pool AI Solo is for one owner; team features are in Pro.
✓ listed — not listed on their public pages
| Pool AI | Skimmer | Pool Brain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE AND PLANS | |||
| How you pay | Flat price per company: $69 Solo, $225 Pro | Per serviced location: $1 (Getting Started) or $2 (Scaling Up) | Per active technician: $65 each, plus a base fee |
| Users | Solo: owner + 1 office user. Pro: owner + unlimited users, no per-user fee | Unlimited technicians and admins | Unlimited office users; each active tech is billed |
| Per-pool fees | None | Yes, beyond the first 49 locations | None listed |
| Free trial and setup | ✓ Free setup; first month free | ✓ Scaling Up: first month free (promotion); 30-day refund guarantee | “Start free trial” button; terms not shown |
| ROUTES AND SCHEDULE | |||
| Route building and optimization | ✓ Route map on every plan; weekly board with route optimization (Pro) | ✓ Route builder; route optimization on Scaling Up | ✓ “Optimize with one click” |
| Drag-and-drop schedule | ✓ Yes (Pro) | ✓ Schedule on Scaling Up | ✓ Yes |
| Work orders and jobs | ✓ Yes, including repairs | ✓ Yes; recurring work orders on Scaling Up | ✓ Yes; job templates |
| TECH APP | |||
| Works offline | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes, no sign-in or signal needed |
| Photos and checklists on visits | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes (guided workflows) |
| Chemical dosing | ✓ Yes: Blue sizes the dose to the pool | ✓ LSI and dosing calculator (Scaling Up) | ✓ Calculated when the tech enters readings |
| CUSTOMERS | |||
| Customer portal | ✓ Yes: a private page for each customer | ✓ Yes: customers pay and look things up themselves | ✓ Yes: past jobs and route stops |
| Visit reports with photos by email | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes: customizable | ✓ Yes: proof-of-service emails |
| Reports and messages in the customer’s language | ✓ Yes: 6 languages | — Not listed | — Not listed |
| MONEY | |||
| Quotes and invoices | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes (quotes on Scaling Up) | ✓ Yes |
| Online payments and AutoPay | ✓ Yes (Pro, or Payments add-on) | ✓ Yes: AutoPay, Apple Pay, Google Pay | ✓ Yes: card or ACH, automatic |
| QuickBooks | ✓ Yes (Pro) | ✓ Yes: real-time sync | ✓ Yes: two-way sync |
| Technician pay and payroll | ✓ Yes (Pro) | — Not listed | ✓ Technician pay listed |
| Profit reports | ✓ Yes: what each pool earns a month | ✓ Productivity reporting (Scaling Up) | ✓ Route profit reports and technician scorecards |
| GROW YOUR BUSINESS | |||
| New customers and a free directory page | ✓ Yes: three companies per ZIP | Marketing Suite add-on, $150 a month | — Not listed |
| AI assistant | ✓ Blue: owners, techs and customers | AI Phone add-on, $99 a month | — Not listed |
| Import from your old app | ✓ Yes: CSV from Skimmer, Pool Brain and others | — Not listed | — Not listed |
| PARTS, INTEGRATIONS AND SUPPORT | |||
| Supplier ordering and price lists | ✓ Yes: price book and suppliers; purchasing in Pro | Shopping list; Heritage integration | Heritage integration; equipment tracking |
| Other integrations | QuickBooks | Heritage, LaMotte, Orenda, Sunbit financing | WaterGuru, Pentair, Heritage, Orenda, LaMotte, API |
| Support | In-app support chat and email; we set up your account with you | Support and customer success team; live phone support on Scaling Up | Help center; other support not stated |
Where Pool AI is different
- One flat price. A 900-pool company pays the same $225 as a 400-pool company, and there is no fee per pool.
- Reports, messages and Blue work in six languages, so your customers read everything in theirs.
- New customers can find you. Each ZIP has three companies, and every company gets a free page in the Pool AI directory.
Where the others are strong
- Skimmer has a large support team, texting, consumer financing, a 30-day refund guarantee, and a cheaper entry plan for very small companies.
- Pool Brain optimizes routes on every plan, works offline with no sign-in, syncs both ways with QuickBooks, and lists route profit reports, technician scorecards and an API.
- Both have been around longer than Pool AI. Pool AI is new: the first companies are founding members and Florida is our first region. If you rely on a specific integration, check that it is there before you switch.
Common questions
Is Pool AI cheaper than Skimmer?
For a company with a few hundred pools, yes: $225 a month for Pool AI Pro, against $400 to $800 for Skimmer in our example. For a very small company on Skimmer’s Getting Started plan, Skimmer can be cheaper.
How does Pool AI compare with Pool Brain on price?
Pool Brain charges per active technician ($65 each), so its cost grows with your crew. Pool AI Pro is a flat $225 for the owner and unlimited users.
Can I move my customers from Skimmer or Pool Brain?
Yes. Pool AI can import a CSV export from Skimmer, Pool Brain or another app, and we help you set it up for free.
Where these facts come from
Public pages, read on October 17, 2026. Prices and features change, so please check them yourself.
Pool AI, Skimmer and Pool Brain are separate companies. Pool AI is not affiliated with or endorsed by Skimmer or Pool Brain, and their names belong to their owners. We are a competitor, so this page is our own view; tell us at info@mpcpoolai.com if anything is out of date.