Painting quotes are won and lost on speed and presentation. A customer asking three painters for quotes will typically go with the first professional-looking quote they receive — not necessarily the cheapest. The painter who sends a detailed, room-by-room breakdown with paint specifications and a clear scope within an hour of the site visit wins the job more often than the one who sends a rough figure three days later.
In 2026, there are four serious contenders for the best quoting app for Australian painters. We have compared them on the features that matter most: room-by-room quoting, paint spec tracking, prep cost itemisation, and the speed of getting a professional quote to the customer while your visit is still fresh in their mind.
What Painters Need in a Quoting App
A good painter quoting app needs to handle room-by-room breakdowns (walls, ceiling, trims, doors — each with their own square meterage and coat count), paint specification tracking (brand, colour, sheen level, litres required), prep costs (filling, sanding, sugar soaping, masking), and the ability to clearly define what is and is not included in the price.
| Feature | Solvr | Tradify | ServiceM8 | Fergus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice-to-quote | ✅ Core feature | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Room-by-room breakdown | ✅ | ⚠️ Manual | ⚠️ Manual | ⚠️ Manual |
| Paint spec tracking | ✅ | ⚠️ Notes only | ⚠️ Notes only | ⚠️ Notes only |
| Prep cost itemisation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Photo attachments on quotes | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Automated quote follow-up | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| AI Receptionist (missed calls) | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Xero / MYOB integration | 🔜 Mid-2026 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Starting price (AUD/mo) | $49 | $55 | $29 | $79 |
⚠️ = partial support | 🔜 = on roadmap
1. Solvr — Best for Speed and Residential Painters
Solvr's voice-to-quote feature is the fastest way for a painter to get a quote out after a site visit. Walk through the property, describe each room verbally — walls, ceiling, trims, doors, coat count, prep required — and Solvr generates a fully itemised, room-by-room quote in under 60 seconds. You are sending a professional PDF quote before you have even left the driveway.
The paint specification tracking lets you record the brand, colour, sheen level, and estimated litres per area directly in the voice note. Automated follow-up sends a polite reminder to customers who have not responded to your quote after 24 hours, which alone recovers 15-20% of jobs that would otherwise go cold. Starting at $49/month.
2. ServiceM8 — Best for High-Volume Residential Painters
ServiceM8 is the most popular job management app among Australian painting contractors. Its workflow is optimised for high-volume residential work — the quoting process is fast, the scheduling and dispatch features are excellent, and the client communication tools are the best in the market.
The trade-off is quoting depth. ServiceM8's quoting module is designed for speed, not complexity — it handles standard line items well but does not have native room-by-room breakdown or paint spec tracking. At $29/month for the basic plan, it is the most affordable option with strong job management features.
3. Tradify — Best for Painters Who Want Simplicity
Tradify is a solid all-rounder for painters doing straightforward residential work. The quoting workflow is clean and intuitive, the mobile app is well-designed for on-site use, and the integration with Xero and MYOB is reliable. For a painting business doing $200K-$500K per year in residential work, Tradify covers the bases without unnecessary complexity.
Like ServiceM8, Tradify does not have native room-by-room quoting or paint spec tracking. The lack of automated quote follow-up is a gap for painters who want to maximise conversion rates. At $55/month it is slightly more expensive than ServiceM8.
4. Fergus — Best for Painters Who Need Strong Job Costing
Fergus is the strongest option for painters who want to track actual costs against quoted amounts in real time. Its job costing module lets you see exactly where you are winning and losing margin across your jobs. For a painting business doing $500K+ per year, this data is genuinely valuable.
The quoting workflow is more manual than Solvr or ServiceM8 — there is no voice quoting, and building a detailed quote takes 20-30 minutes. At $79/month it is the most expensive of the four options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can these apps handle commercial painting quotes?
Solvr and Fergus both handle commercial painting quotes with area-based pricing and multi-stage project management. ServiceM8 and Tradify are better suited to residential work.
Do any of these apps calculate paint quantities automatically?
Solvr estimates paint quantities based on the area dimensions you describe in your voice note, applying standard coverage rates. You review and adjust before sending. The other apps require manual quantity calculation.
Is there a free trial?
Solvr offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. ServiceM8, Tradify, and Fergus each offer 14-day trials.