MowNext vs GorillaDesk
GorillaDesk is solid field service software. The Pro stack still adds up fast.
GorillaDesk now positions itself more broadly across pest, lawn, pool, cleaning, and contracting. The current trade-off for mowing operators is still familiar: SMS is extra, Basic routing caps at 24 jobs at once, and a lot of the nicer workflow wins live on Pro.
The short version
MowNext vs GorillaDesk, in a paragraph.
- Lawn-first design — recurring mow schedules, weather-aware reschedules, route logic for mowing days.
- SMS is included on Crew. GorillaDesk still sells SMS as a separate add-on.
- Crew is $49/mo for up to 5 users. GorillaDesk public pricing leads with Basic at $49 and Pro at $99.
- No Basic-plan route cap. GorillaDesk says Basic route optimization handles 24 jobs at once.
- Built specifically for lawn operators, not general field service.
- No setup fees or contracts.
- Native iOS and Android apps.
- Pro adds QuickBooks sync, customer portal, subscription billing, reviews, and digital documents.
- Material tracking fits pest, lawn, pool, and other field-service work.
- Separate Growth plan exists for pipeline and sales workflows.
Side by side
MowNext vs GorillaDesk — feature by feature.
No cherry-picking. Where GorillaDesk wins, we say so.
| MowNext | GorillaDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | $19/mo Solo | $49/mo Basic |
| Pro-tier option | $49/mo Crew | $99/mo Pro |
| Growth / pipeline plan | $49/mo + $9/seat | $149/mo Growth |
| SMS pricing GorillaDesk academy docs describe SMS as a separate add-on. | Included on Crew | $5/mo add-on + SMS packs |
| Contracts / setup fee GorillaDesk says there are no setup fees or contracts. | ||
| Industry fit | ||
| Lawn-care-first design GorillaDesk positions itself across pest, lawn, pool, cleaning, and contracting. | ||
| Material / chemical tracking Honest: GorillaDesk wins on this for fert-squirt and pest-style operators. | ||
| Customer portal | No-login link | Pro |
| Subscription billing | Pro | |
| Scheduling & mobile | ||
| Recurring jobs | ||
| Route optimization volume | No published cap | 24 jobs at once on Basic |
| Weather-aware reschedules | ||
| Native iOS/Android apps | ||
| Mobile PWA (no install) | ||
| Payments & integrations | ||
| Card rate | 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe) | Varies by processor |
| QuickBooks sync | CSV + Zapier | Pro |
| "On my way" text messages | Crew | Basic / Pro with SMS add-on |
| Dedicated review / document workflow | Pro | |
The pricing math, including the SMS surcharge
GorillaDesk's current public comparison page leads with two core plans: Basic at $49/mo and Pro at $99/mo. Their industry pages also market a $149/mo Growth plan for pipeline and sales workflows.
What gets stacked on top:
- SMS is a separate add-on. GorillaDesk's academy docs describe a $5/mo subscription plus SMS packs. "On my way" texts exist, but the texting layer is not just included with the core plan.
- Basic route optimization handles 24 jobs at once. If your mowing day is heavier than that, GorillaDesk's own pricing docs point you to Pro.
- QuickBooks sync, customer portal, subscription billing, reviews, and digital documents require Pro.
MowNext Crew at $49/mo includes SMS to customers, weather-aware reschedules, and a no-login customer portal. Same low-end price as GorillaDesk Basic, but with more of the lawn-operator workflow included.
Field-service DNA, in product decisions you'll feel
GorillaDesk is broader than the older "pest only" framing. The site now explicitly talks to pest, lawn, pool, cleaning, and contracting teams. But the product is still built like a general field-service platform first, not like a mowing route system first.
That shows up in the way GorillaDesk talks about route optimization, subscription billing, material tracking, review generation, and digital documents. For a mowing-only operator, the questions tend to be simpler: how fast can I reorder the route, text customers, and recover from weather without buying extra layers?
Where GorillaDesk genuinely wins
GorillaDesk is clean on the basics: no setup fees, no contracts, native mobile apps, and a real Pro tier with QuickBooks sync, customer portal, subscription billing, review workflow, and digital documents. If you need material tracking or broader field-service flexibility, those are meaningful strengths.
If pest control, lawn treatment, pool, or mixed field service is your primary workload, stay on GorillaDesk. We're not the right tool for that workload.
Where MowNext wins for mow-first operators
SMS is included, not surcharged
On the $49/mo Crew tier, you get SMS and reminders already inside the plan. No separate platform fee. No decision about whether texting belongs in a separate add-on before you can turn it on.
Weather-aware reschedules are native
We pull NOAA forecast data every morning at 5am. If rain is forecast in your service area, jobs auto-flag with a one-tap "move to next day" button. GorillaDesk has no native weather logic — you find out when customers text you in the rain.
No Basic-plan route ceiling
GorillaDesk's own pricing page says Basic route optimization handles 24 jobs at once. We do not publish that kind of route ceiling on Crew, because mowing days often blow past it.
A UI built around mowing
The schedule view shows your day, not a general field-service stack. Weather logic, recurrence patterns, and route reordering are all aimed at mowing crews, not a broader mix of pest, cleaning, pool, and contracting workflows.
Migrating from GorillaDesk
Export customers, properties, and recurring schedules from GorillaDesk. We import them and walk you through Stripe. Free for any operator with 100+ customers.
Honest fit
Who should pick which.
We mean it. If you fit the GorillaDesk list, stay where you are. We'd rather you find the right tool than churn in 90 days.
Pick MowNext if you…
- Run mowing as your primary service.
- Want SMS that's included, not stacked as an add-on.
- Need weather-aware reschedules built in.
- Want a UI designed around mowing routes, not a broader field-service stack.
- Don't need material or chemical tracking.
Stay with GorillaDesk if you…
- Run pest, pool, lawn treatment, or mixed field-service work.
- Need material tracking, subscription billing, or Pro workflow depth.
- Already have GorillaDesk dialed in and the team trained.
- Use the recurring subscription billing or Growth pipeline heavily.
- Want native mobile apps and the existing GorillaDesk ecosystem.
Try it before you switch.
Start free. No credit card. We'll move your GorillaDesk data when you're ready.