# Pool Office Manager vs Paythepoolman

Pool Office Manager bills per active user. Paythepoolman bills a $50 base plus $15 per technician. Published list prices and feature gates as of 2026-09-15. No winner.

- Canonical: https://www.poolprostack.com/compare/pool-office-manager-vs-paythepoolman
- Vendors: [Pool Office Manager](https://www.poolprostack.com/vendors/pool-office-manager), [Paythepoolman](https://www.poolprostack.com/vendors/paythepoolman)
- No ranked winner
- Updated: Sep 15, 2026

Pool Office Manager bills per active user. Paythepoolman bills a $50 base plus $15 per technician. Those meters are not interchangeable, so this page does not name a cheaper product or a winner. Figures are from vendor pages checked 2026-09-15. We have not tested either app.

## Two different meters

> **Verified fact:** [POM pricing](https://poolofficemanager.com/pricing) bills per **active user**. The first user is **$125/mo**. Each additional user is **$25/mo**. QuickBooks Online is a **+$25/mo** add-on. Location count is not the meter.

> **Verified fact:** [Paythepoolman](https://www.paythepoolman.com/) publishes a homepage calculator of **$50/mo base + $15/mo per technician**. One technician is **$65/mo** on that calculator (2026-09-15). The JS formula is `50 + (techs * 15)`. Location and customer count do not appear on the calculator.

A POM user is not a Paythepoolman technician. You cannot subtract a seat dollar from a tech-line dollar and get a breakeven. Headcount of people using POM moves the POM bill, including office seats. Headcount of technicians moves the Paythepoolman unit. Do not treat those as the same person without vendor confirmation.

See each [Pool Office Manager](/vendors/pool-office-manager) and [Paythepoolman](/vendors/paythepoolman) profile for documented functions, still without a field test. Third-party operator snippets already on those profiles are not new quotes and not a PoolProStack test.

## How you pay

> **Verified fact:** Public [POM pricing](https://poolofficemanager.com/pricing), 2026-09-15. Worked examples use the published seat formula. They omit unpublished fleet quotes and unpublished card fees. The fetched HTML prints the published examples **2 users = $150/month** and **4 users = $200/month**.

| Active users | Published math | Software only | With QBO (+$25) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | First user | $125 | $150 |
| 2 | $125 + $25 | $150 | $175 |
| 3 | $125 + $25 × 2 | $175 | $200 |
| 4 | $125 + $25 × 3 | $200 | $225 |
| 5 | $125 + $25 × 4 | $225 | $250 |

Pricing is month-to-month. The same page says seasonal companies can deactivate users in the off-season. It claims unlimited customers, jobs, and pictures. **12+ users** are unpublished on that page. It says contact them for a fleet rate. This page does not invent a fleet number.

> **Verified fact:** The [POM pricing](https://poolofficemanager.com/pricing) meta description, fetched 2026-09-15, states a free **30-day** trial with **no card**. The pricing body advertises a free trial without restating the day count. Home copy also says "Get Started with a 30-Day Free Trial."

> **Verified fact:** Public [Paythepoolman homepage](https://www.paythepoolman.com/) calculator, 2026-09-15.

| Line | What the page publishes |
| --- | --- |
| Base | $50/mo |
| Per technician | $15/mo |
| 1 technician total | $65/mo |
| Pool Junction customer app | $25/mo optional |
| Convenience fee | $1.50/transaction advertised |
| Processor percentage | Unpublished |
| Trial | 30-day free trial advertised |
| Payroll (homepage addon card) | Custom Pricing |
| Payroll ([features/payroll](https://www.paythepoolman.com/features/payroll/)) | $12 per employee per month plus a one-time sign-up fee. Signup-fee dollars unpublished. |
| Support | Mon–Fri 8:00am–4pm EST, free |

Worked examples use only $50 + $15 × technicians. They omit Pool Junction, the convenience fee, payroll, and unpublished Plus. Ignore third-party pages that still say $10/tech. The homepage calculator is $15/tech. The homepage **80% OFF for 3 Months** banner with code **BIG80NOW** is a promo. It is not the list floor.

| Technicians | Published math | Monthly software |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | $50 + $15 | $65 |
| 2 | $50 + $15 × 2 | $80 |
| 3 | $50 + $15 × 3 | $95 |
| 5 | $50 + $15 × 5 | $125 |

> **Unverified:** The homepage says the Orenda calculator is included FREE with Plus. The [features page](https://www.paythepoolman.com/features/) repeats Orenda free with Plus and LaMotte SpinTouch import into the Plus app. Those fetched pages do not publish a separate Plus price. Ask the vendor what Plus costs on your quote.

> **Unverified:** Homepage Integrated Payroll still says Custom Pricing. [Payroll](https://www.paythepoolman.com/features/payroll/) publishes **$12/employee/mo** plus a one-time sign-up fee with no dollar amount for that fee. This page does not invent a reconciliation. Prefer the payroll page for the monthly floor. The signup fee stays a **GAP**.

## Same-shop cells

These cells apply published formulas only. POM "active users" and Paythepoolman "technicians" are different units. Optional add-ons are excluded except the named POM QBO add-on.

| Shop shape | POM (no QBO) | POM (+ QBO $25) | Paythepoolman (before add-ons) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 person / 1 tech | $125 | $150 | $65 |
| 2 POM users / 2 techs | $150 | $175 | $80 |
| 3 POM users / 3 techs | $175 | $200 | $95 |
| 5 POM users / 5 techs | $225 | $250 | $125 |

> **Editorial judgment:** Read the cells as two meters, not a ranking. At one headcount on each published formula, Paythepoolman list ($65) is lower than POM ($125) before add-ons. That is arithmetic, not a winner. A shop with many office seats and few field techs can look expensive on POM and cheaper on Paythepoolman, or the reverse when every worker is a field tech and POM seats map 1:1. Plus, Junction, payroll, QBO, inventory, and offline still differ. Get both quotes.

## Units side by side

| | [Pool Office Manager](/vendors/pool-office-manager) | [Paythepoolman](/vendors/paythepoolman) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Billable unit | Active user. Seat meter. | Base $50 + $15/tech. Headcount meter. |
| What counts as one unit | One person using the software | One technician on the homepage calculator |
| Published 1-unit rate | $125/mo first user. $25/mo each additional. QBO +$25/mo | $65/mo at 1 tech ($50 + $15) |
| What moves the bill | Each additional active user, plus the QBO add-on | Each additional technician |
| What does not move the bill | Location count | Location or customer count on the calculator |
| Office / admin seats | Count as users on the published formula | Not a published office-seat line on the calculator |
| Seasonal cost control | Deactivate users off-season (vendor claim) | Not marketed as seasonal seat deactivation on fetched pages |
| First-month offer | Meta and home: 30-day free trial, no card on meta. Pricing body: free trial without a day count | 30-day free trial. Separate 80% off / BIG80NOW banner is promo, not list |
| Feature gate on price | QBO is +$25/mo. Chemistry, routing, inventory, and GPS sit on the same public platform copy | Orenda and LaMotte sit on Plus. Plus dollars unpublished. Junction $25/mo optional |
| Processor / payment fee | Stripe named on pricing. Processor percentage unpublished | ACH, cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay claimed. Convenience fee $1.50/txn. Processor percentage unpublished |
| SMS | Texts claimed. Unit price unpublished | Invoice SMS (*text credits*). Bucket or credit unit price unpublished |
| Customer-facing app | Not sold as a separate $25 add-on on fetched pages | Optional Pool Junction $25/mo |
| Payroll | Not a published POM software add-on on fetched pages | $12/employee/mo on features/payroll. Homepage addon still Custom Pricing. Signup fee unpublished |
| Fleet / volume quote | 12+ unpublished | New Business Discount amount unpublished |
| Activation | Unpublished on the fetched 2026-09-15 pricing HTML. Status is a **GAP**. This page does not print a dollar amount. | Not a published activation line on the fetched homepage |

Do not read those rows as a ranking. A 1-user POM shop is not a 1-tech Paythepoolman shop.

## Chemistry, routing, offline, GPS, payments, and QuickBooks

These are published claims, not a field test.

> **Verified fact:** [POM's chemical calculator](https://poolofficemanager.com/pool-chemical-calculator) claims instant dosage from entered readings and a Before/After **LSI** calculator. Fetched POM home, pricing, features, and chemical-calculator pages do not name Orenda or LaMotte.

> **Verified fact:** [Paythepoolman features](https://www.paythepoolman.com/features/) claim an Orenda calculator "included FREE with **Plus**" (measurements, dosage, custom chemicals, automatic LSI) and **LaMotte SpinTouch** import into the Plus app. Financial records claim chemical cost per pool. Plus price is unpublished.

> **Verified fact:** [POM pricing](https://poolofficemanager.com/pricing) claims route maps and schedule optimization. [Features](https://poolofficemanager.com/features) repeat real-time route management and building optimal routes. Those pages do not publish a separate route upsell.

> **Verified fact:** [Paythepoolman features](https://www.paythepoolman.com/features/) claim one-click route optimization and live progress. The homepage comparison table marks Route Optimization and Tech GPS Tracking present. No published plan split gates the optimizer behind a higher paid tier.

> **Verified fact:** [POM home](https://poolofficemanager.com/) and [features](https://poolofficemanager.com/features) claim inventory: chemicals and parts by tech, truck, warehouse, or customer, with barcode scanning on features. Quotes, e-signatures, contracts, and repair/one-off jobs are claimed on the same public pages.

> **Verified fact:** [Paythepoolman](https://www.paythepoolman.com/) claims contactless bidding, leads/pipeline, Task Hub, Project Management (**Beta** on home), repair scheduling, fleet management, equipment log, and a shopping list. Warehouse inventory depth is not a POM-style pillar on those fetched pages.

> **Verified fact:** [POM pricing](https://poolofficemanager.com/pricing) says mobile apps work without internet. [Features](https://poolofficemanager.com/features) claim offline-first field tools. We have not confirmed every workflow (photos, invoices, signatures) while offline.

> **Unverified:** The word "offline" and a no-signal field mode were **not found** on fetched Paythepoolman home or features HTML (2026-09-15). Treat offline as **not claimed / unknown**. **GAP.**

> **Verified fact:** [POM features](https://poolofficemanager.com/features) claim GPS check-ins and tracking.

> **Verified fact:** [Paythepoolman features](https://www.paythepoolman.com/features/) claim GPS tracking and map images as proof of service. Homepage marks Tech GPS Tracking present.

> **Verified fact:** [POM pricing](https://poolofficemanager.com/pricing) names Stripe. A processor percentage is not published on the fetched pricing or features pages. Ignore inventing one.

> **Verified fact:** [Paythepoolman](https://www.paythepoolman.com/) claims ACH, Visa, MasterCard, Google Pay, and Apple Pay, with stored cards / autopay and a convenience fee of **$1.50/transaction**. Features marketing says "$0 processing cost with convenience fees on." That is fee-pass marketing, not a published processor percentage. Card/ACH rates stay a **GAP**.

> **Verified fact:** [POM features](https://poolofficemanager.com/features) claim **QuickBooks two-way** sync. [Pricing](https://poolofficemanager.com/pricing) lists QuickBooks Integration at **+$25/mo** and says the product works with QuickBooks Desktop. The [home FAQ](https://poolofficemanager.com/) states Desktop is **one-way POM to Desktop**, batch. Object lists stay on the [QuickBooks guide](/guides/best-pool-service-software-with-quickbooks).

> **Unverified:** Paythepoolman QuickBooks stays unresolved on 2026-09-15. The homepage comparison row **QuickBooks Integrations** is marked present. The same homepage says **Say Goodbye to QuickBooks**. The features hub does not list a dedicated QuickBooks card. [Banking integrations](https://www.paythepoolman.com/features/banking-integrations/) mention looking up QuickBooks bank accounts when posting expenses or payments. That is a bank-account lookup claim, not a confirmed invoice sync. Do not publish a direction, object map, or paid-invoice rule. Ask the vendor in writing.

> **Unverified:** POM SMS unit price is unpublished on the fetched pricing and features pages. Features claim email or text door hangers and notices. Ignore inventing a per-message rate.

> **Unverified:** Paythepoolman invoice SMS is listed on the homepage. Features show an invoice SMS badge "Text credits" plus mass communication and Pool Junction push. A text-bucket or credit unit price is not published on the fetched pages. **GAP.**

> **Editorial judgment:** If daily work is a published LSI calculator, claimed inventory, contracts, offline field apps, and a named QBO fee, POM publishes those claims. If daily work is Orenda, LaMotte, a $65 1-tech list, GPS proof, optional Junction, or published payroll at $12/employee/mo, Paythepoolman publishes those claims, with Plus dollars still a GAP. Confirm chemistry, routing, offline, GPS, payments, SMS, and QuickBooks in a trial.

## Who each product is for

These are fit notes against published units and documented claims. They are not awards.

**Pool Office Manager is for** a pool-only shop that can live with a per-user bill, wants claimed inventory, quotes, contracts, an LSI calculator, offline field tools, and a named two-way QBO fee, and can accept unpublished card fees, unpublished SMS rates, and an unpublished activation line.

**Pool Office Manager is not for** a shop that needs published Orenda or LaMotte, a published fleet rate tonight, or a technician meter. The first user is $125/mo before QBO.

**Paythepoolman is for** a pool-only shop that can live with base-plus-tech billing, wants a published $65 1-tech list, claimed GPS proof, optional Pool Junction, and payroll at $12/employee/mo on the payroll page, and can accept an unpublished Plus price and unresolved QuickBooks copy.

**Paythepoolman is not for** a shop that needs a confirmed QBO object map, documented offline field use, or a published Plus dollar amount tonight. Each new technician raises the published $15 unit even if stop count stays flat.

Per-user versus location: [Pool Office Manager vs Skimmer](/compare/pool-office-manager-vs-skimmer). Per-user versus seat: [Pool Office Manager vs Jobber](/compare/pool-office-manager-vs-jobber). Per-user versus technician: [Pool Office Manager vs Pool Brain](/compare/pool-office-manager-vs-pool-brain). Headcount versus location: [Paythepoolman vs Skimmer](/compare/paythepoolman-vs-skimmer). Base-plus-tech versus active-field-tech: [Paythepoolman vs Pool Brain](/compare/paythepoolman-vs-pool-brain). Seat versus headcount: [Jobber vs Paythepoolman](/compare/jobber-vs-paythepoolman). Technician-and-customer-cap versus headcount: [Poolside vs Paythepoolman](/compare/poolside-vs-paythepoolman). Per-user versus technician-and-customer-cap: [Pool Office Manager vs Poolside](/compare/pool-office-manager-vs-poolside). Solo-operator notes, chemistry claims, routes, GPS, pricing, free plans, and QBO object lists stay on the [solo-operator guide](/guides/best-pool-service-software-solo-operators), [small-team guide](/guides/best-pool-service-software-for-small-team), [free software guide](/guides/free-pool-service-software), [pricing comparison](/guides/pool-service-software-pricing-compared), [chemical tracking guide](/guides/pool-service-software-with-chemical-tracking), [route optimization guide](/guides/pool-service-software-with-route-optimization), [GPS guide](/guides/pool-service-software-with-gps-tracking), and [QuickBooks guide](/guides/best-pool-service-software-with-quickbooks).

## Questions for sales or a trial

1. POM: at my active-user count, is the monthly total still $125 + $25 × extra users, and is QBO still +$25?
2. POM: is any activation charge in writing for my account, or is that line still unpublished?
3. POM: which offline workflows (photos, invoices, signatures) work without cell service?
4. POM: what objects move in the QBO two-way sync, and is Desktop still one-way POM to Desktop, batch?
5. POM: what is the Stripe processor percentage, the SMS unit price, and the 12+ fleet rate?
6. Paythepoolman: at my technician count, is the monthly total still $50 + $15 × technicians, and is Plus a separate paid tier for Orenda and LaMotte?
7. Paythepoolman: which QuickBooks sentence applies to my account, the homepage Integrations row or Say Goodbye, and can I have objects and direction in writing?
8. Paythepoolman: is payroll $12/employee/mo as on features/payroll, or Custom Pricing as on the homepage addon, and what is the one-time signup fee?
9. Paythepoolman: what is the text-credit unit price, the processor percentage after the $1.50 convenience fee, and does the field app work with no signal?
10. Both: what is included in that total (texts, payments, GPS), and what happens to my data if I cancel?

## What we are not claiming

This page does not rank a winner. We have not tested either app. We are not treating a POM user as a Paythepoolman technician. We are not inventing a seat-versus-tech breakeven. We are not inventing a fleet rate for 12+ POM users. We are not inventing a processor percentage for either product. We are not inventing a POM SMS unit price or a Paythepoolman text-credit price. We are not printing an activation-fee dollar amount; that line was unpublished on the fetched 2026-09-15 pricing HTML. We are not inventing Orenda or LaMotte for POM. We are not inventing a Plus price. We are not confirming Paythepoolman offline. We are not confirming a Paythepoolman QuickBooks sync. We are not inventing a payroll signup-fee dollar amount. We are not using BIG80NOW or 80% off as the list floor. We are not using homepage savings pitches as measurement. We do not earn commissions from these vendors.

Ask for written totals at your user count and your technician count. Then trial the chemistry step, the offline stop, and the QuickBooks objects on the same week of invoices. Buying notes: [Pool Office Manager](/vendors/pool-office-manager), [Paythepoolman](/vendors/paythepoolman), [small-team guide](/guides/best-pool-service-software-for-small-team), [QuickBooks guide](/guides/best-pool-service-software-with-quickbooks), [chemical tracking guide](/guides/pool-service-software-with-chemical-tracking). Other meters: [Pool Office Manager vs Skimmer](/compare/pool-office-manager-vs-skimmer), [Pool Office Manager vs Jobber](/compare/pool-office-manager-vs-jobber), [Pool Office Manager vs Pool Brain](/compare/pool-office-manager-vs-pool-brain), [Paythepoolman vs Skimmer](/compare/paythepoolman-vs-skimmer), [Paythepoolman vs Pool Brain](/compare/paythepoolman-vs-pool-brain), [Jobber vs Paythepoolman](/compare/jobber-vs-paythepoolman), [Poolside vs Paythepoolman](/compare/poolside-vs-paythepoolman), [Pool Office Manager vs Poolside](/compare/pool-office-manager-vs-poolside).

## Sources

- [Pool Office Manager - Home](https://poolofficemanager.com/)
- [Pool Office Manager - Pricing](https://poolofficemanager.com/pricing)
- [Pool Office Manager - Features](https://poolofficemanager.com/features)
- [Pool Office Manager - Chemical calculator](https://poolofficemanager.com/pool-chemical-calculator)
- [Paythepoolman - Home](https://www.paythepoolman.com/)
- [Paythepoolman - Features](https://www.paythepoolman.com/features/)
- [Paythepoolman - Payroll](https://www.paythepoolman.com/features/payroll/)
- [Paythepoolman - Banking integrations](https://www.paythepoolman.com/features/banking-integrations/)