Thumbtack can be worth it for a pro who answers fast, prices leads with care and wins a good share of the jobs they pay for. It is a poor deal for a pro who replies hours later, because you pay for the lead whether or not you get the job. This guide explains how Thumbtack charges, what it refunds and how it compares with Angi, using the two companies' own help pages and terms, read on October 31, 2026. Neither company publishes a typical price per lead, so this guide does not give one.
How Thumbtack charges pros
Thumbtack says "there's no charge to join, no annual fees and no membership fees" (Thumbtack for pros). You pay per lead, and there are two kinds.
- Direct leads. A customer finds you in search results and contacts you. If the job matches your preferences, you are charged automatically (Thumbtack: pay for leads).
- Opportunities. You reach out to a customer first. Thumbtack says "you only pay the price shown if the customer responds to you."
You set your own lead prices, and Thumbtack calls that "the exact amount you'll pay for each lead." It says prices vary with the type and size of the job, how many pros are available and your market.
The weekly budget
You set a weekly budget across all your services, and it resets on Monday (Thumbtack: set your budget). The lead that uses up your budget is charged in full, so a week can run over. Thumbtack caps the overrun at 40% of your budget or $40 plus 2% of your budget, whichever is less (Thumbtack: set your budget). After that lead, new leads stop until Monday.
Opportunities sit outside that budget. Thumbtack says that when a customer responds, "the cost is separate from your budget." If you send many Opportunity messages, track that spend on its own.
How many pros see the same request
Thumbtack limits a customer to contacting five pros in the first four hours of their search. After four hours, the customer can contact more (Thumbtack quality commitment). You can see on each lead how many pros the customer has contacted.
That number is the one to watch. A lead shared with five pros is worth less than a lead shared with one, and speed matters most in the first few hours.
What Thumbtack refunds
- Fair Shot Refund. If a customer replies to none of the pros they contacted within 72 hours, Thumbtack refunds the lead automatically (Thumbtack quality commitment). To qualify, you must reply within four business hours, which Thumbtack defines as 8am to 8pm your local time (Thumbtack refund policy for Thumbtack numbers).
- Other refunds. You can ask within 45 days of the charge, and Thumbtack decides case by case, "at our sole discretion" (Thumbtack refund policy). Examples that may qualify include an invalid phone number, a duplicate lead, a job that changed a lot, and a job on dates you blocked.
- Not refunded. Losing the job to another pro. Thumbtack says "we don't provide refunds in these situations." Credit packages are not refundable, and fees are not refunded when an account closes.
Refunds go to your Thumbtack balance for future leads. Thumbtack says you can get money back to your card only if you ask within 10 business days of the refund approval.
How Angi charges pros
Angi's Pro Terms, effective October 6, 2026, say pros pay for leads "as part of a subscription, per Lead, or as part of a bundle of Leads" (Angi Pro Terms). A few lines in those terms are worth reading before you sign.
- Subscriptions renew automatically, and Angi may raise the fee by up to 10% over the previous term. Ending early may bring an early termination fee.
- Pay-per-lead budgets can run over "by a Lead or two" in a normal month.
- Leads are shared. The terms say "frequently a Lead is sent to several other Approved Pros." Angi's homeowner form says "Get quotes from up to 5 pros!" (Angi landscaping advertising article).
- You pay whether or not you get the job. Angi's latest annual report describes lead fees as paid "regardless of whether the Pro ultimately provides the requested service" (Angi 10-K for 2025).
- No refund on termination. The terms say you are not entitled to a refund of fees paid, including prepayments.
Angi's per-lead price is not published on the pages we read. Its lead FAQ says "different sized jobs have different Lead Fees" (Angi Leads FAQ). The terms mention an annual membership fee "where applicable" but give no amount.
What Angi credits
Angi gives credits, not cash, and at its discretion (Angi lead credit guidelines). You must ask within 30 days of the charge, and an unused credit expires after six months. Duplicate leads, a wrong zip code or job type, and contact details that are all wrong may qualify. A customer who does not call back, hired someone else or changed their mind does not qualify, and neither does "you did not win the job."
The FTC case against HomeAdvisor
In 2023 the FTC finalized an order against HomeAdvisor, the company behind Angi Leads. The FTC alleged that since at least mid-2014 HomeAdvisor made false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims about the quality and source of its leads. The order required HomeAdvisor to pay up to $7.2 million for redress (FTC final order release). In November 2023 the FTC said it was sending 110,372 checks, more than $3 million in all, to home service providers (FTC refunds release).
In its January 2023 release, the FTC described an annual membership fee of $287.99 on top of per-lead fees (FTC proposed order release). That was the FTC's description in 2023, not a current Angi price.
Thumbtack vs Angi, side by side
- Who sets the lead price. Thumbtack lets you set it. Angi's price is not published, and its FAQ says it varies by job size.
- Membership fee. Thumbtack says none. Angi's terms mention one "where applicable" with no amount.
- How many pros per request. Thumbtack caps it at five in the first four hours. Angi's terms say a lead is frequently sent to several pros.
- Refunds. Thumbtack refunds automatically when a customer replies to no one in 72 hours. Angi gives credits on request within 30 days.
- Commitment. Thumbtack has a weekly budget you can change. Angi offers auto-renewing subscriptions as well as per-lead buying.
How to tell if it is working for you
Track three numbers for a month on either platform: what you paid in leads, how many of those leads became booked jobs, and what those jobs earned. Divide the lead spend by the jobs won to get your cost per job, and compare it with the job's profit, not its price. For how to work out what an hour of your time costs, read what a service hour really costs.
Reply speed is the lever you control. Both platforms send the same request to more than one pro, so the first good reply often wins.
Where your own website fits
Lead platforms rent you a customer for one job. A website and a phone number of your own let repeat and referral customers reach you directly, with no per-lead fee. Some pros use both: leads to fill the calendar while their own site and Google profile grow. For the Angi side of that math, read Angi leads vs your own website.
Fasite is one way to get the own-site half. It is $199 a month, or $1,990 a year, for a done-for-you website, a 24/7 AI receptionist on its own new number, online booking, estimates, invoices and scheduling. It does not sell leads, and a new site takes time to rank on Google, so it does not replace a lead platform in your first months. The first subscription starts with a 30-day free trial, and no card is needed to start.
Frequently asked questions
Does Thumbtack charge pros a membership fee?
No. Thumbtack says there is no charge to join and no annual or membership fees (Thumbtack for pros). You pay for leads.
How much does a Thumbtack lead cost?
Thumbtack does not publish a typical price. You set your own lead prices, and Thumbtack says prices vary with the job, the number of pros available and your market (Thumbtack: pay for leads).
Do I pay if I do not get the job?
Yes, on both platforms. Thumbtack does not refund a lead because another pro was hired, and Angi does not credit a lead because you did not win the job.
Is Thumbtack better than Angi?
It depends on how you work. Thumbtack lets you set lead prices, has no membership fee and refunds leads where the customer replies to no one. Angi offers subscriptions with a discount on leads but renews automatically. Try one at a time and track cost per job won.
How many pros get the same Thumbtack lead?
Up to five in the first four hours of a customer's search, and more after that (Thumbtack quality commitment). Each lead shows how many pros the customer has contacted.