MotionOps vs. Markate
Four questions. One honest answer.
Looking for a Markate alternative? Both tools handle scheduling, invoicing and CRM for service businesses. Markate leans into marketing; MotionOps leans into running crews. Answer four questions and see which one fits the jobs you actually run.
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Same starting point. Very different depth.
Both MotionOps and Markate handle scheduling, invoicing, and CRM for field service businesses.
Markate leans heavily into marketing automation and CRM.
MotionOps focuses on the operational layer that actually runs your team: HR, payroll, multi-crew management, and structured job workflows.
MotionOps
Works for small teams. Built for operational scale.
- Full scheduling, dispatch, and HR management from day one.
- Change orders, liability waivers, and contract version tracking built in.
- Timesheet QA, overtime tracking, and payroll-ready CSV exports built in.
- Employee document storage, skills tracking, and days-off management.
- Multi-day jobs, multiple service areas and timezones, all supported natively.
- Job photo and video documentation with annotation, no add-ons required.
Markate
Strong CRM and marketing. Thinner on team operations.
- Well-priced base plan with strong marketing automation and SMS/email campaigns.
- Good job costing and change orders built in; online booking is a $10/mo add-on.
- Basic job photos included; the CompanyCam integration costs $10/mo extra.
- Few HR tools: no employee document storage, no skills tracking, no days-off.
- No timesheet approval workflow or overtime tracking.
- Per-employee billing: $5/employee/mo, so a 10-person team adds $50/mo on top.
Side-by-side feature breakdown
An honest look at what each platform delivers, and where the gaps are for growing teams.
| Features | MotionOpsField Operations Platform | MarkateCRM & Marketing Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling & Dispatch | ||
| Drag & drop scheduling | ||
| Color-coded schedule | ||
| Multi-day job scheduling | Work orders split into multi-day jobs | |
| Multiple service areas & timezones | ||
| Skill-based crew assignment | ||
| Employee days-off integrated with schedule | ||
| Proposals, Change Orders & Job Management | ||
| Digital proposal / estimate builder | ||
| Advanced change orders with customer signature | ||
| Digital contract signing & version tracking | E-signature capture in the app; no version tracking | |
| Professional liability waivers | ||
| On-site assessment | ||
| Job walkthrough | ||
| Before / during / after photo & video documentation | Job photos; CompanyCam integration is $10/mo extra | |
| Draw & annotate directly on photos | ||
| Guided job-closing (prevents unbilled items) | ||
| Job checklists | ||
| Invoicing & Payments | ||
| Invoicing & online payment processing | ||
| Multiple invoices per job (progress billing) | ||
| Cost plus materials flow: expenses auto-attach to invoices with markup applied | ||
| Automatic processing fee added to invoice | ||
| Deposit collection before job start | ||
| Credit card processing fee | From 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.9% + $0.30Square rate; PayPal also supported |
| ACH / bank transfer fee | 1% up to $20k, 0.5% over | Via Square |
| QuickBooks Online sync | ||
| Customer financing | ||
| Time Tracking, Expenses & Payroll Prep | ||
| GPS-stamped clock in / clock out | ||
| Timesheet QA / manager approval workflow | ||
| Overtime tracking | ||
| AI receipt scan for expense entry | ||
| Expense QA & approval process | ||
| Payroll prep & CSV export | Payroll reports; hours sync to QuickBooks Payroll | |
| Job costing & profitability analysis | ||
| HR & Employee Management | ||
| Employee files & document storage (IDs, certs) | ||
| Day off requests & approvals | ||
| Employee skills & grades tracking | ||
| Performance leaderboards (sales & field) | ||
| Digital business cards per employee | ||
| Defined roles & access levels | ||
| Integrations & Technology | ||
| QuickBooks Online sync | ||
| Zapier / 7,000+ app integrations | Paid add-on: $10/mo | |
| Mobile app (iOS & Android) | ||
| AI receptionist / call handling | Kate AI receptionist add-on: $1 per call | |
| Onboarding & Support | ||
| Free onboarding session | ||
| Phone support (real humans) | Phone, chat and email, weekdays 9am–5pm MST | |
| Free trial available | ||
| Team training & customer success program | ||
IncludedPartial or add-onNot available
Most of what Markate does, and the operational layer it's missing
Markate handles CRM and marketing well.
MotionOps handles those and adds the crew management, HR, and payroll infrastructure that growing teams need to operate without chaos.
Full HR management, not just employee access
Adds the HR side: store documents, track skills and grades, and approve days off, with no separate HR tool.
Lets you add employees, set roles, assign jobs and run performance leaderboards.
On-site assessment & job walkthrough
Structured on-site assessment and job walkthrough flows, so field teams document conditions before and after every job.
No equivalent structured pre/post job workflow.
Up to 5 users and HR tools in one plan price
Go includes up to 5 users in the plan price; each extra user is $29/mo, more per seat than Markate, with HR documents, overtime tracking and AI receipt scanning in the plan.
Charges $5/employee/month on top of the base plan: a 10-person team adds $50/mo, a 20-person team adds $100/mo.
Photo documentation with no add-on required
Before/during/after photo and video documentation built in, with annotation tools.
Basic job photos, plus a CompanyCam integration at $10/mo extra.
Timesheet QA & overtime tracking
Adds the manager approval layer: bulk timesheet review, QA workflow, and built-in overtime tracking, so payroll is accurate before it goes out.
Tracks time and generates payroll reports.
Multi-location & multi-timezone support
Run separate service areas across different timezones. Each crew sees their local schedule, and office visibility stays clean across regions.
No equivalent for multi-market operations.
Markate pricing vs MotionOps: Simple plans. Know what each new hire adds.
Markate’s base plan is $45.95/mo on annual billing, plus $5/mo for each employee who uses the app.
A 15-person team pays $120.95/mo before add-ons.
MotionOps Go includes 5 users, and each extra user is $29/mo ($49/mo on Scale). You pay more per seat, and get HR documents, overtime tracking and payroll prep in the plan.
Five people: Markate costs $48.05/mo less. MotionOps Go adds what Markate doesn’t have: overtime tracking, employee documents, liability waivers and AI receipt scanning.
MotionOps
Solo
$39 / mo (annual) · 1 user
CRM, proposals, scheduling, invoicing, digital contracts, QuickBooks Online
Go
Most Popular$119 / mo (annual) · 1–5 users incl.
Everything in Solo + job costing, overtime tracking, HR docs, AI expense tracking. Additional users $29/mo.
Scale
$199 / mo (annual) · 5 users incl.
Everything in Go + multiple locations & service areas, multi-timezone scheduling, team skills & grades, time-off management, job costing reports, white glove onboarding.
Markate
Owner Operator
$45.95 / mo (annual) · 1 user
Base plan with core CRM, scheduling, invoicing, and job management.
No add-ons included.
Team (5 employees)
$70.95 / mo (annual)
$45.95 base + $5/employee × 5. Basic job photos included; the CompanyCam integration adds $10/mo. Online booking adds $10/mo.
Team (15 employees)
$120.95 / mo (annual)
$45.95 base + $5 × 15 employees. Still no HR tools, no timesheet QA, no multi-location support at any price.
Annual pricing. Markate adds $5 per employee per month on top of the base plan; the striped bar shows the CompanyCam and online booking add-ons ($10/mo each).
See all MotionOps plans and features“Before MotionOps, we needed to be present on every job site, every day. Huge change for us was being able to monitor our projects remotely. This gave us time to focus on growth.”
Make the switch if you recognize yourself here
MotionOps is the better choice if your business runs on more than a CRM: if you're managing crews, structuring payroll, and needing operational control that scales with you. Tap the ones that sound like you.
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Book a demoFAQ
Is MotionOps a good alternative to Markate?
Yes, especially as your team grows. Both platforms handle scheduling, invoicing, and CRM for field service businesses, and Markate leans hard into marketing automation. MotionOps focuses on the operational layer that runs a team: HR management, timesheet QA, payroll prep, multi-crew and multi-location support, and built-in photo documentation with no add-on required.
Why do contractors switch from Markate to MotionOps?
Most switch when Markate handles CRM and marketing well but lacks team-operations depth. The pull toward MotionOps is concrete: full HR tools, timesheet approval with overtime tracking, native photo documentation (no paid CompanyCam add-on), and multi-location support. It's the difference between a marketing-led CRM and an operations platform.
What does MotionOps do that Markate doesn't?
Several team-operations essentials: full HR tools (employee documents, skills and grades tracking, day-off approvals), timesheet QA with manager approval and overtime tracking, multi-location and multi-timezone support, and structured on-site assessment and job walkthrough workflows. It also includes photo and video documentation natively, where Markate covers basic job photos and charges $10/mo for its CompanyCam integration.
Is MotionOps cheaper than Markate?
For one person on annual billing, yes: MotionOps Solo is $39/mo, against $45.95/mo for Markate's Owner Operator plan. For teams, Markate costs less: $70.95/mo for 5 employees and $120.95/mo for 15, before the CompanyCam and online booking add-ons at $10/mo each. MotionOps Go is $119/mo for up to 5 users, plus $29/mo for each extra user. The difference pays for what Markate doesn't have: employee documents, timesheet approval, overtime tracking, AI receipt scanning and, on Scale, multiple locations.
Is MotionOps better for multi-location contractors than Markate?
Yes, Markate has no multi-location or multi-timezone capability at any price. MotionOps lets you run separate service areas across different timezones, with each crew seeing their local schedule while office visibility stays clean across regions. If you operate in more than one market, or plan to, this is a capability Markate simply doesn't offer.
Can I change the plan?
UPGRADE: You can upgrade anytime. For monthly plans, the new price starts right away. If you choose annual plans, the total amount is charged upfront upon signing up as a client and is non-refundable if you cancel before the year is complete.
DOWNGRADE: For monthly plans, downgrades start with your next billing cycle. For example, if you signed up on the 1st of the month and requested a downgrade on the 15th, the new pricing will apply beginning on the 1st of the following month.
Does MotionOps offer a mobile app? Is there an additional cost for it?
Yes, MotionOps has a mobile app with no additional charge. This app has a variety of features that allow you to manage your MotionOps account through your smartphone or tablet. With the app, you can monitor your workers' activities, keep track of their progress, and stay up-to-date on your project management tasks. The mobile app is designed to be user-friendly, intuitive, and easy to use, making it an excellent tool for managing your business even while you're on the go.
Ready to run your business with real structure?
Join contractor teams that use MotionOps to manage crews, projects, finances, and growth, all from one platform. It will be worth it, we promise.
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