I already run on Housecall Pro. Why add Hotlyne?

Housecall Pro runs the booking and the billing. Its client updates are confirmations and receipts. The three hours you are actually in the house still belong to texts. Hotlyne covers that part: rooms tick off live and the client watches from wherever they are.

When is Housecall Pro the better choice?

If you want scheduling, invoicing, card payments, and review requests in one place, or you are adding a team, it is a solid pick. Hotlyne does none of that. It does the live timeline, and only that.

Do my clients need an app or an account?

No. One link, any browser, any phone. Nothing to download, nothing to sign up for.

What do clients actually see?

A timeline of the clean. They know when you arrive, they watch rooms finish one by one, and they get a notice when you wrap. Photos and notes attach to the room where they happened, once you are on Pro.

How long does setup take?

About five minutes. Build your checklist once and save it as a template. Duplicate it for every job.

How much does Hotlyne cost?

Nothing to start. 5 active timelines free, no credit card. Pro is $9.99/month for photos, branding, and up to 1,000 timelines.

Hotlyne vs. Housecall Pro

A Housecall Pro alternative for solo house cleaners.

Housecall Pro is an all-in-one for home service companies, and cleaning businesses are a big part of its base. Basic starts at $59/month for one user. If the problem you actually have is clients texting for updates, that is a lot of software around one problem. Hotlyne gives them one live timeline link they open in any browser, with rooms ticking off as you clean. No account, no app, and the first 5 timelines are free.

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Side by side

Housecall Pro vs. Hotlyne, feature by feature.

Feature	Housecall Pro	Hotlyne
Built for	Home service companies running scheduling, invoicing, and payments in one place	Independent cleaners keeping clients updated through the job
How clients follow the job	Booking confirmations, texts, and receipts from Housecall Pro	One live timeline link in any browser. No account, no app
Setup	Client imports, service setup, and booking configuration	One checklist template, running in about five minutes
Free plan	No free plan. A trial, then paid tiers	5 active timelines with unlimited viewers. No credit card
Starting price	Basic at $59/month billed annually for one user. $79 month-to-month	Free to start. Pro at $9.99/month with photos and branding
Payments and invoicing	Built in, with card processing fees	Not included. Keep the invoicing setup you already use
Team seats	Essentials at $149/month covers up to 5 users	Pro is $9.99/month flat. Client viewers are always unlimited
Branding	Your logo on invoices and your booking site	Your name, logo, and website on every timeline (Pro)

Housecall Pro details come from its public website and pricing pages, checked October 2026. Prices vary by billing term and seat count.

Where Housecall Pro wins.

If paperwork is the bottleneck, Housecall Pro clears it.

You want scheduling, invoicing, and card payments in one system.
You take card payments and want them tied to each job automatically.
You want automated review requests after every completed visit.
You are growing past solo and need seats for a team.

Where Hotlyne wins.

If the interruptions are the problem and not the paperwork, Hotlyne fits the job.

Free for 5 timelines. Pro is $9.99/month, against $59 and up every month.
Clients watch rooms finish live from any browser. Nothing to install.
One tap per room with your gloves still on, plus a photo when it matters.
No service catalog to build. One checklist template covers the week.
A timestamped record of every clean, with your logo on it once you go Pro.

See how Hotlyne works for house cleaners

FAQ

Questions cleaners ask before they switch.

I already run on Housecall Pro. Why add Hotlyne?: Housecall Pro runs the booking and the billing. Its client updates are confirmations and receipts. The three hours you are actually in the house still belong to texts. Hotlyne covers that part: rooms tick off live and the client watches from wherever they are.
When is Housecall Pro the better choice?: If you want scheduling, invoicing, card payments, and review requests in one place, or you are adding a team, it is a solid pick. Hotlyne does none of that. It does the live timeline, and only that.
Do my clients need an app or an account?: No. One link, any browser, any phone. Nothing to download, nothing to sign up for.
What do clients actually see?: A timeline of the clean. They know when you arrive, they watch rooms finish one by one, and they get a notice when you wrap. Photos and notes attach to the room where they happened, once you are on Pro.
How long does setup take?: About five minutes. Build your checklist once and save it as a template. Duplicate it for every job.
How much does Hotlyne cost?: Nothing to start. 5 active timelines free, no credit card. Pro is $9.99/month for photos, branding, and up to 1,000 timelines.