CurbBid vs Sera Systems

Sera and CurbBid are the same price. The difference is the per-tech math.

Sera Core Essentials is $399/mo for up to 4 techs - then $149 every month for tech #5. CurbBid Pro is $399/mo with unlimited techs forever. Plus, Sera is built for HVAC. CurbBid is built for any residential trade.

30-day money-back · No contract · Fast setup, flat price
Quick verdict

Sera Systems is purpose-built for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors who want margin pricing, service agreements, and membership management. They're explicit about it on their own site. CurbBid is trade-agnostic - built for plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, painters, handymen, landscapers, fence guys, pressure washers, anyone who quotes and invoices residential homeowners.

The contractor voice

You're a painter. You don't need margin pricing on a service agreement.

Sera's standout feature is margin-based pricing tied to job costing - it's amazing if you're an HVAC shop where every install needs to clear a target gross margin (source). If you're a painter quoting a 3-bedroom, you don't need that. You need the quote out the door and a follow-up text two days later. CurbBid is built around exactly that.

You added a tech. You owe $149 more.

Sera's Core Essentials plan is $399/mo for up to 4 techs. Tech #5 is +$149/mo. Tech #6 is +$149/mo. On CurbBid Pro, tech #5 is +$0. Tech #15 is +$0. Same price.

You wanted to try it. They wanted a demo.

Sera doesn't list pricing publicly on most pages and routes you to a sales demo. CurbBid's price is right on the homepage. Sign up at lunch, send a quote before dinner.

Side-by-side

The same job, the same crew. Two prices.

CurbBid Sera Systems
Monthly price $399 (Pro) or $999 (Max) $399/mo, includes 4 techs
Per-user charges None $149 per tech beyond 4
Setup time Minutes, not weeks. No setup fee. Multi-week onboarding; undisclosed onboarding fee
All features on every plan Yes - no feature gating Tiered (Core Essentials → higher)
Quote follow-ups (auto) Included by default Yes (HVAC-focused workflow)
Trade focus All residential trades HVAC, plumbing, electrical
Free trial / guarantee No free trial, 30-day money-back Free trial offered
Contract required No Annual onboarding commitment typical
Best for Solo + 2–5 person residential trades, any specialty 5–20 tech HVAC/plumbing/electric shops
The math

Real cost at 1, 3, 5, and 8 techs

Crew size Sera Systems CurbBid
1 tech $399/mo $399/mo
3 techs $399/mo $399/mo
5 techs $399 + $149 = $548/mo $399/mo
8 techs $399 + ($149 × 4) = $995/mo $399/mo

At 5+ techs, CurbBid Pro saves $149/mo per extra tech. At 8 techs, that's $596/mo - over $7,100 a year just on the per-tech difference.

In the details

What's missing for non-HVAC trades

  • Margin pricing engine assumes equipment-based jobs
  • Service agreements engine is built around recurring HVAC tune-ups
  • AHRI equipment integrations don't help painters or handymen
  • Onboarding fee not published - you don't see total cost until the demo

Common contractor sentiment

  • Easy to use and good support, but tied closely to HVAC workflows
  • Some accounting features require third-party software
  • Smaller shops report being told 'we're too small' before signing up - Sera fits 4-tech-and-up best
The honest take

When Sera Systems is the right call.

Sera is genuinely better than CurbBid if you're an HVAC, plumbing, or electric shop with 4+ techs, you sell service agreements, you live and die by job-level margin, and you want a tool built specifically for your trade. Sera customers report a 52% net profit increase in 6 months in the company's own case studies - those numbers are HVAC-specific, but they're real. CurbBid is for the rest of the trades - and for any shop that wants to add a fifth tech without writing another $149 check.

Bottom line

Get started. Setup is fast, there is no setup fee, and the price is flat. If CurbBid doesn't pay for itself in 30 days, get every penny back.

Get Started