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Angi, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor or Yelp ads vs your own website: which is worth it?
· 6 min read
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Lead apps rent you customers: you pay per lead or click, a lead can go to several pros, and reviews stay on the platform. A website you own costs a flat amount and keeps working when you stop paying. Most trade pros do best using apps to fill gaps while building their own site and Google profile.
This page is for the bigger question behind "is Angi worth it": should you keep paying platforms for leads, or put that money into a website and Google profile you own? If you just want Angi and Thumbtack side by side, read Angi vs Thumbtack. If you're still deciding whether you need a site at all, start with does my business need a website?
How do Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack and Yelp charge?
None of the three lead marketplaces publishes a price list. Angi sets the price in your contract, HomeAdvisor says it reviews current prices "when you call to join," and Thumbtack shows lead prices inside your account. Here's what each company's own pages say.
Prices and terms checked Oct 17, 2026, on each company's own pages. They change often, so check before you sign up.
| Angi | HomeAdvisor (an Angi brand) | Thumbtack | Yelp Ads | Your own website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Leads, by lead, subscription or bundle | Leads, against a 28-day "spend target" that "is not a hard cap" | Leads. No subscription, membership or annual fee | Clicks on your ad (cost per click) | A flat monthly or one-time price |
| Public price list | No. Set in your contract | No. Reviewed when you call to join | No. You set your own lead prices and budget | No. The price per click moves with demand | Yes, usually |
| Pay if you don't win the job? | Yes: "You will pay for the leads you receive, even if you do not win the job" | Yes, "whether or not you ultimately win the job" | Lead fees are final and non-refundable except under its refund policy | You pay per click, job or not | No per-lead charge |
| Shared with other pros? | "May send a lead to multiple pros." Angi's help center says no more than five | Same company and agreement as Angi | "Limited competition per lead." The number isn't published | Your ad shows next to and on competitors' pages | No. Calls and forms come only to you |
| Contract | Subscriptions auto-renew, and the fee may rise up to 10% per renewal | Same agreement as Angi | "No hidden fees or contracts" | Self-serve has no term contract, per Yelp | Depends on the provider. Ask |
| Reviews you earn | Angi's "sole and exclusive property" | Same agreement as Angi | Stay on Thumbtack | Stay on Yelp | Your Google reviews stay on your Google profile, and you can show them on your site |
Yelp's help pages wouldn't load for us on Oct 17, 2026, so the Yelp column comes from Yelp's own pages as they appear in search results. Treat it as a summary and check Yelp directly.
What's the lead-fee math?
Cost per lead is the number the apps show you, but cost per booked job is the number that matters. Add up a month of spend on one platform and divide it by the jobs you actually booked from it.
Made-up numbers to show the math: you spend $900 in a month, get 30 leads and book 5 jobs. That's $30 a lead but $180 a booked job. If a typical job leaves you $400 after materials, the platform took almost half of it.
Plug in your own numbers with the lead-fee calculator. If calls from your own site or Google profile go unanswered, the missed-call calculator shows what that costs you. A website doesn't help if nobody picks up.
Shared or exclusive leads: why does it matter?
When the same request goes to several pros, the customer usually hires whoever calls back first or quotes lowest. You pay the same lead fee either way. Angi says it may send a lead to multiple pros and that you pay whether or not you win. Thumbtack says it limits competition but doesn't say to how many. A call from your own website or Google profile goes to you alone, so you compete on your reputation, not your response time.
What's left when you stop paying?
| When you stop | Lead apps | Your own website |
|---|---|---|
| New leads | Stop | Keep coming from Google, referrals and your truck, as long as the site stays up |
| Your reviews | Stay on the platform. Angi's agreement says pros have no right to republish reviews first posted on Angi | Google reviews stay on your Google profile whatever you do with your site |
| Your profile and photos | Thumbtack says it has no obligation to delete or return content you posted | Your domain and the text and photos about your business are yours |
| Contract | Angi subscriptions renew automatically unless you give notice before the new term. Early termination fees may apply | Depends on the provider |
To be fair about our own service: with makeasite.co, your domain is registered in your name and goes with you if you leave, and we'll send you a copy of your content if you ask within 30 days. Our designs and code stay with us, so the site itself comes down when your paid period ends. That's in our terms.
When is a lead app the better call?
- A slow season. A short burst of paid leads can fill gaps. Set a budget, pause when you're booked, and track cost per booked job.
- You're brand new. With no reviews and no site yet, an app can bring first jobs while you build both.
- Testing a new town or service. Paying per lead for a month tells you whether there's demand before you put it on your site.
- One-off, quick jobs like small moves or a single cleaning, where customers often book from an app and don't search for a local company.
Pros who use apps well treat them as a tap they can turn off, not their only source of work. Busy Thumbtack categories include handyman, house cleaning and movers. If you're a plumber, emergency calls tend to come from Google, which is where your own site and profile help most.
For the plan price, see makeasite.co pricing. To compare website options next, read Wix vs Squarespace vs GoDaddy or web designer vs agency, or go back to the overview: does my business need a website?
Disclosure: makeasite.co sells done-for-you websites, so we're one of the options on this page, and we've said plainly where something else is the better pick. Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, Yelp, Facebook, Meta and Google are trademarks of their owners. makeasite.co isn't affiliated with any of them.
Questions trade pros ask
Is Angi worth it for contractors?
It depends on your cost per booked job, not per lead. Angi says you pay for the leads you receive even if you don't win the job, and a lead may go to more than one pro. Track a month of spend against booked jobs. Our Angi vs Thumbtack guide walks through it.
Are Thumbtack leads shared with other pros?
Thumbtack says it limits competition per lead, but it doesn't publish how many pros can get the same request. It also says customers choose the pros they contact.
Is Yelp advertising worth it for contractors?
Yelp Ads charge per click, and Yelp describes a click broadly, including actions like requesting a quote. It can work in categories where people search Yelp first. Judge it the same way as any lead source: what you spent divided by the jobs you booked from it.
Do I keep my Angi reviews if I leave?
Not on your own site. Angi's Pro Agreement (May 11, 2026 version) says ratings and reviews on the Angi platform are Angi's sole and exclusive property, and that pros have no right to republish reviews first published there. Ask happy customers for a Google review too.
What are the alternatives to Angi and Thumbtack?
A Google Business Profile (free), Google Local Services Ads (pay per lead, in eligible categories), referrals and repeat customers, and your own website with a quote form. Most pros mix several and keep the ones with the lowest cost per booked job.
Sources
- Angi Pro Agreement, Last Updated May 11, 2026 (PDF) FAQ, §II.4.i (subscription, up to 10% increase), §IV, "Platform Ownership". Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- How does HomeAdvisor work for contractors? (HomeAdvisor) Lead price, spend target, paying for leads you don't win. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Opportunities and Leads FAQ (Angi Help Center) Matched with no more than five pros. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Thumbtack for Pros No subscription, membership or annual fees; pros set lead pricing and budget; limited competition per lead. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Thumbtack Terms of Use (last updated July 10, 2026) Fees final and non-refundable except per its Refund Policy; content on cancel. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- How does Yelp's Cost Per Click advertising program work? (Yelp for Business) Our direct fetch timed out on Oct 17, 2026; wording taken from Yelp's page as shown in search results.
- makeasite.co Terms of Service What you keep if you leave us. Checked Oct 17, 2026.