If you're a contractor trying to grow your business, you've probably looked at Angi (formerly HomeAdvisor), Thumbtack, or both. They're the biggest names in the game — but bigger doesn't always mean better.
Let's break down what each platform actually costs, how their leads work, and whether there's a better option out there.
Angi (HomeAdvisor)
Cost: $288–$300/year membership fee plus $15–$85 per lead, depending on your trade. Roofing, HVAC, and remodeling leads sit at the higher end.
How leads work: Angi sells each lead to 3–8 contractors simultaneously. You're competing the moment you pick up the phone. In 2025, they introduced a "homeowner choice" model where clients pick which contractors contact them, but the per-lead charge still applies whether you land the job or not.
Contracts: Annual contracts are common and notoriously hard to cancel. Many contractors report being auto-renewed without clear notice.
The problem: You're paying for leads you share with multiple competitors. Close rates hover around 10-15% for shared leads, meaning you could spend $500+ on leads and only land one job.
Thumbtack
Cost: No membership fee, but you pay per lead — typically $10–$100+ depending on the job type and your area.
How leads work: Thumbtack is pay-as-you-go. You see a job, you pay to send a quote. If the homeowner doesn't respond, you're still charged. "Instant Match" features can auto-spend your budget.
Contracts: No annual contracts, which is a plus. But costs can spiral fast if you're not monitoring your spending.
The problem: While Thumbtack is more flexible than Angi, you're still paying per lead. If you send 20 quotes in a week and only hear back from 3, you've burned through hundreds of dollars.
Lead Blueprint
Cost: $59/month (Basic) or $119/month (Pro). That's it. No per-lead fees, ever.
How leads work: Homeowners post jobs for free (up to 10/month), so there's always real work on the platform. You browse and respond to jobs that match your trade and area. Your 1st response costs the same as your 50th — zero.
Contracts: Month-to-month, cancel anytime. No annual lock-in. Plus a 30-day money-back guarantee — if you don't get a single lead in your first month, you get a full refund.
What's different: Lead Blueprint also functions as a contractor network. You can connect with other trades pros, get sub-trade referrals, and build your professional network — something Angi and Thumbtack completely ignore.
The real cost comparison
Let's say you respond to 15 leads in a month:
Even if Lead Blueprint's close rate were half of what Angi offers (which it isn't — exclusive leads close at 40-60% vs shared leads at 10-15%), you'd still come out ahead because the math is so much better.
So which one should you pick?
If you're a small to mid-size contractor who wants predictable costs and exclusive leads, Lead Blueprint is the obvious choice. You know exactly what you're spending every month, and you're not competing with 4 other contractors for the same client.
If you're a large company with a massive marketing budget and you can absorb the cost of shared leads, Angi might still work for you — but even large contractors are starting to question whether the per-lead model makes sense.
Thumbtack sits in the middle. It's flexible, but costs add up fast and the lack of a network means you're just buying leads, not building relationships.
The trades industry is changing. The per-lead model had its time, but contractors are waking up to the fact that it mostly benefits the platform — not the people doing the work.