Software comparison
PestBase vs GorillaDesk: Which Pest Control Software Fits Your Business?
We make one of these two, so weigh this accordingly. GorillaDesk is the highest-rated product in this category and was built by people who ran pest control companies. This page tries to be accurate about that rather than talk around it.
The short version
Two pest-built products with very different shapes
PestBase
Built so that a lead captured at a door becomes a scheduled service and an invoice without leaving the system.
- Operations running door-to-door or seasonal sales teams
- Companies that want canvassing, service, billing, and workforce records in one place
- Teams growing past what a per-route tool prices comfortably
GorillaDesk
Built by former pest control and lawn care operators for route-based trades. Published pricing, a free trial, and no contracts.
- Solo operators and small teams, typically one to three routes
- Anyone who wants to try software before buying it
- Operators who also run lawn care or pool service
Sales and service on one record
Simple, transparent, and very well reviewed
Feature by Feature
What each platform does, and at which tier
01
Sales, CRM and marketing
| Capability | PestBase | GorillaDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Lead capture and CRM | Yes | Yes |
| Door-to-door canvassing | Yes — built in, with territory mapping and rep tracking. | Not confirmed as a native module; the draft named a separate D2D app we could not verify |
| Sales pipeline | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic estimates | Yes | Yes |
| Review generation | Yes | Yes |
| SMS to customers | Yes | Yes — priced as an add-on |
02
Field operations and compliance
| Capability | PestBase | GorillaDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling and dispatch | Yes | Yes |
| Route optimisation | Yes | Yes — Basic is limited to 25 stops; smart routing is Pro |
| Pesticide application records | Yes — product, EPA registration number, target pest, SDS access. See compliance | Yes — chemical and material usage tracking, from Basic |
| Device / trap barcoding | Yes | Yes |
| WDO termite inspection reporting | Yes | Not confirmed as a dedicated module |
| Technician mobile app | Yes — iOS and Android | Yes — iOS and Android |
| GPS tracking | Yes | Yes Pro |
| Workforce, licences and CEUs | Yes | Not confirmed as a distinct module |
03
Billing, integrations & reporting
| Capability | PestBase | GorillaDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing and payments | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring / subscription billing | Yes | Yes |
| Customer portal | Yes | Yes |
| QuickBooks | Yes | Yes |
| Zapier | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-branch support | Yes | Yes Growth — reviewers note enterprise depth is limited |
| Job costing and margin reporting | Yes | Not confirmed; reviewers describe reporting as core rather than deep |
Independent reviews
What reviewers actually say
GorillaDesk — Capterra
4.8/5
273 reviews
Category context
Highest Rated
Above PestPac, FieldRoutes and Briostack on Capterra
PestBase
No profile yet
We're newer and haven't built a review history
What GorillaDesk users praise
- Ease of use and fast setup, with no implementation project
- Transparent pricing and the absence of contracts
- Pest-specific tooling — chemical tracking, trap barcoding, pest activity
- Value at the Basic tier for solo operators and small teams
What GorillaDesk users criticize
- Costs climb as routes are added, and some features require a tier upgrade
- Reporting depth is limited for larger multi-location operations
- Some reviewers report slow or unproactive support during outages
- SMS is an extra line on the bill
Pricing
Per route, not per company
| PestBase | GorillaDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Custom quote based on team size and workflows | Published, per route per month — one route is one technician's schedule |
| Published price | None — quote only | Yes — Basic $49, Pro $99, Growth $149 per route, per month (some sources list Growth higher — confirm current rates) |
| What scales the cost | Team size and workflows selected | Number of technician routes. Office staff, admins and devices are unlimited and free |
| Free trial | No — live demo instead | Yes — 14 days, no credit card |
| Contracts and setup fees | Contact Sales | No contracts, no setup fees, month-to-month or annual |
Find your fit
The honest way to decide: count your routes
This comparison turns on size and on what you're trying to connect, not on which product is "more pest-specific." Both were built for this industry.
START
PestBase is the better fit if…
- You run a door-to-door or seasonal sales team and want canvassing in the same system as service
- You need workforce records — licenses, CEUs, renewals — alongside operations
- You want job costing and margin by service line, not core reporting
- Your technician count has grown to where per-route pricing is worth re-examining
GorillaDesk is the better fit if…
- You run one to three routes and want to keep things simple
- You want to trial software before committing to it
- Published pricing and no contract matter to you
- You also run lawn care or pool service on the same platform
Frequently asked questions
How much does GorillaDesk actually cost?
Published plans start at $49 per route per month for Basic, $99 for Pro and $149 for Growth — per route, where a route is one technician's schedule. Office staff and admin users are unlimited and free. A four-technician operation on Pro is therefore paying around four times the headline figure. SMS is a separate add-on. Confirm current rates directly with GorillaDesk.
Does either offer a free trial?
GorillaDesk does — 14 days, no credit card. We don't. We offer a live demo, which is a different thing: useful for seeing the product against your own routes, but not the same as running your own jobs through it unsupervised.
Is GorillaDesk a general home service tool or pest software?
Pest software. It was founded by former pest control and lawn care operators and is built for route-based trades — pest, lawn and pool. It isn't a generalist platform, and it ships pest-specific tooling like chemical tracking and trap barcoding.
Which features need a higher GorillaDesk tier?
Customer portal, subscription billing, smart routing, QuickBooks Online sync, GPS tracking, e-signatures, device barcoding, review generation and Zapier are Pro-tier. Sales pipeline, dynamic estimates and multi-branch support are Growth. Basic routing is capped at 25 stops. Check the current plan pages before assuming a feature is included.
Does either handle pesticide records and compliance?
Both do. GorillaDesk includes chemical and material usage tracking from its Basic tier. PestBase records product, EPA registration number, target pest and quantity at the point of service, with Safety Data Sheets and labels available in the field. See how ours works.
What else should I look at?
PestPac by WorkWave for enterprise depth and WDO termite reporting, FieldRoutes by ServiceTitan, and Briostack. If you're a solo operator, GorillaDesk's Basic tier is genuinely hard to beat on price and simplicity.
If the sales-to-service handoff is what keeps breaking
That's the part we built for. Bring a real service week and a real territory, and we'll show you honestly whether it fits.
Or call 1-888-678-6227