The free mHelpDesk alternative built for San Francisco contractors.
The Bay Area is one of the most expensive residential service markets in the country, with Victorian and Edwardian homes in the city, mid-century tract homes on the Peninsula, and sprawling suburbs across the East Bay. Seismic retrofits, sewer lateral compliance, and electrification upgrades dominate the remodel scene. mHelpDesk charges $169+/month per user for the privilege of running your business. Clockwork costs $0/month — pay only when you collect a payment.
The real cost of mHelpDesk in San Francisco.
$169/month per user means a 5-tech shop is paying $845/month before they invoice a single job.
Annual contracts mean you are stuck even if the product disappoints.
The interface feels dated , training a new tech takes days, not hours.
Reporting is basic, and the real dashboards are locked behind higher tiers or paid add-ons.
No virtual receptionist and no customer financing means mHelpDesk is missing the two features that actually move revenue.
Per-user annual billing. Implementation and training fees charged separately. Pricing only disclosed after a sales call.
3.5% + 30¢ when you collect a payment. No monthly fee, no contract, no setup fee.
What San Francisco crews actually get.
| Feature | Clockwork | mHelpDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling & Dispatch | Included free | Included (per user) |
| Invoicing | Included free | Included (per user) |
| Payment Processing | 3.5% + 30¢ | mHelpDesk Payments |
| Customer Financing | Built-in, free | Not included |
| Virtual Receptionist | Included free (24/7) | Not included |
| Fleet Tracking | Included free | Limited add-on |
| Reporting & Analytics | Included free | Basic only |
| Website Builder | Included free | Not included |
| Monthly Cost (1 user) | $0/month | $169+/month |
| Monthly Cost (5 users) | $0/month | $845+/month |
| Annual Contract Required | No | Yes |
| Setup Fee | $0 | Implementation fee |
Switching from mHelpDesk in San Francisco.
Does Clockwork do everything mHelpDesk does?+
Yes. Work orders, scheduling, dispatch, estimates, invoices, customer portal, payments, and QuickBooks sync are all included. Clockwork also adds virtual receptionist, fleet tracking, and customer financing free.
What is the real cost difference?+
A 5-tech shop pays mHelpDesk $845+/month ($10,140/year) plus implementation fees. The same shop pays Clockwork $0/month. You only pay 3.5% + 30¢ per transaction.
How hard is it to migrate from mHelpDesk?+
Not hard. Our onboarding team exports your customers, jobs, and invoices from mHelpDesk and imports them into Clockwork. Most shops are fully migrated within 24 hours.
Does Clockwork feel as old-school as mHelpDesk?+
No. Clockwork is built mobile-first for trucks and tablets, not desktops. Techs in the field can tap through their day without fighting the software.
San Francisco crew? Stop overpaying.
Sign up free in 2 minutes. Migrate from mHelpDesk in under an hour.
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