Most articles about pest control software compare the same four things: scheduling, invoicing, a mobile app, and price. Those matter. None of them is the thing that will cost you a fine.
If you apply pesticides commercially in Australia, you have a legal record to make for every single application, and you have 48 hours to make it. Almost no general job management software has a field for it. So the real question when you pick software is not whether it can send an invoice. It is whether, three years from now, you can produce a complete record of what you sprayed at a property you have long since forgotten.
This guide compares the options on that basis, and is honest about where our own product falls short of it.
The rule most comparisons leave out
Under Part 4 of the Pesticides Regulation 2017 (NSW), it is compulsory for everyone who uses pesticides for commercial or occupational purposes to record their pesticide use. The NSW EPA states the two deadlines plainly:
The record must be made within 48 hours of using the pesticide, kept for 3 years.
Other states and territories run their own schemes with their own details, so check your own regulator. The NSW rules are the most thoroughly published and they are a reasonable floor to design your process around.
The 48 hours is the part that decides your software. A record you write up on Sunday night from memory, for a week of jobs, is already outside the window for most of them. The record has to be made at or near the job, which means it has to be made on a phone, which means your software either has a field for it or you are keeping a second system.
What has to be in the record
The EPA breaks the required particulars into six groups:
| What | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Who applied it | Full name, address and contact details. If an employee or contractor applied it, their name plus the employer's name, address and contact details. First and last name, not nicknames. |
| When | The date you applied it. A job running over more than one day needs a separate record for each day. |
| The pesticide | The full product name off the label, including letters and numbers. The EPA's own example: "glyphosate" is insufficient, "Bloggs Glyphosate 360 Herbicide" is correct. |
| Where it was used | The situation treated, as specifically as you can put it. "Applying a pesticide to rooms in a house" rather than a one-word category. |
| How much | The total amount of mix you made up and used, the rate of application, and the area covered. |
| Where you applied it | The property address and a delineation of the area where the pesticide was released. A sketch or a marked-up plan is acceptable. |
That last row is the one software usually misses. An address is easy. A delineation of the treated area is a drawing or a described boundary, and most field service apps have nowhere to put it.
If the owner or occupier asks for a copy of the record, you have to give them one.
Why general job software struggles here
Most Australian pest control businesses do not run pest-specific software. They run general field service or job management software, because that is what is sold here and what integrates with Australian accounting. The big names in that category are built for trades: a job, a quote, a timesheet, an invoice.
That shape works for most of your week. It breaks on the chemical record, in a specific way worth understanding before you commit.
A notes field is not a record. Free text has no required fields, so the one time a technician is in a hurry the product name goes in as "the usual" and the rate does not go in at all. You will not find out until someone asks for the record, which is exactly when you cannot fix it.
A photo of a paper book is not much better. It satisfies the letter of making a record, but it is not searchable, so producing three years of records for one address becomes an afternoon of scrolling.
What you actually want is structured fields, on the phone, required before the job can be closed. Judge every option in this list on that.
OneBookPlus runs quoting, invoicing, bookings, jobs and GST-ready accounting in one Australian app. See what that looks like for pest control.
The comparison
Eight options, scored on what actually decides this for a pest business rather than on feature counts. The chemical record column is the one to read first.
| Chemical record | Recurring | Field apps | Built for | Accounting | Pricing model | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OneBookPlus | Structured: APVMA, treated areas, weather. Paid add-on | Yes | iOS native, Android via mobile web | Australia | Built in | Flat, per account |
| ServiceM8 | Build your own electronic form | Yes | iOS and Android native | Australia | Needs Xero | Per job volume, unlimited users |
| Ascora | Build your own form | Yes | iOS and Android | Australia | Needs Xero or MYOB | Per user |
| AroFlo | Configurable, with setup effort | Yes | iOS and Android | Australia | Needs Xero or MYOB | Enterprise quote |
| simPRO | Configurable, with setup effort | Yes | iOS and Android | Australia | Needs Xero or MYOB | Enterprise quote |
| Tradify | Notes or a custom field | Yes | iOS and Android | New Zealand | Needs Xero or MYOB | Per user |
| Fergus | Notes | Yes | iOS and Android | New Zealand | Needs Xero or MYOB | Per user, timesheets extra |
| Jobber | Notes or a custom field | Yes | iOS and Android | Canada and the US | No native AU GST or BAS | Per user, billed in US dollars |
A word on that first column, because it is the one most likely to mislead. "Build your own form" is not a criticism. ServiceM8's electronic forms library is genuinely good and a competent operator can build a pesticide form in an afternoon that captures everything the regulation asks for. The point is that you have to know to do it, and nobody at the vendor will tell you, because the obligation is specific to your trade.
The eight options, ranked
Ranked for a typical Australian pest control business of one to ten technicians. We publish this, so weigh our own entry accordingly and read the reasoning rather than the position.
On pricing: you will find plan names and the pricing model below but no dollar figures. Published prices move faster than articles get updated, and a stale number is worse than none. Current figures, each carrying the date we last checked the vendor's own pricing page, live on our comparison pages, linked under every entry.
1ServiceM8
Australian, founded 2010, and the most widely used job management app among Australian trades. Plenty of pest controllers already run on it.
Best for an established pest business of two to ten technicians that already uses Xero and wants the deepest trade ecosystem available locally.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Per-job pricing with unlimited users on every paid tier | No built-in accounting, so Xero is effectively compulsory |
| Fifteen years of trade-specific depth | Per-job tier ceilings cap how far you can grow on a plan |
| Electronic forms library, so a compliant chemical form is buildable | No CRM or email and SMS marketing |
| Native apps on both iOS and Android | Storage and SMS are charged on top |
| Large add-on marketplace and trade-trained bookkeepers | Diagram drawing, Room Scan and AR measurement are iOS only |
Pricing. Per job volume rather than per user, with unlimited users on every paid tier. Plans run Starter, Growing, Premium and Premium Plus, with a free tier below them. Current figures are on our ServiceM8 comparison.
For pest control. The pricing model is the reason it tops this list. Your week is many short jobs rather than a few long ones, so per-job tiers suit the shape of the work, and adding a third technician costs nothing extra. The chemical record is on you to build, but the forms library is good enough that it is an afternoon rather than a project. The one caveat worth knowing: diagram drawing, which is the obvious way to capture a delineation of the treated area, is iOS only.
2OneBookPlus
OneBookPlus is the only option on this list that ships the pesticide record as a structured form rather than something you build yourself. That is the whole reason it places this high, and it is also the only reason: on mobile and on ecosystem depth, ServiceM8 is ahead.
Best for an operator who wants the chemical record ready-made rather than built, and one bill instead of a job app plus an accounting subscription.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Structured chemical log: APVMA number, treated areas, weather | The timber pest module is a paid add-on, not part of the base plan |
| Accounting, invoicing and GST built in, no Xero needed | No native Android app, the mobile web app covers it |
| Report types written against AS 4349.3 and AS 3660.2 | Weighted toward inspection and termite work over general treatments |
| Recurring jobs for quarterly and annual programs | Records the date but not start and finish times |
| Treatment history searchable by address | Smaller add-on ecosystem than ServiceM8 |
| Australian built, Australian support, AUD billing | Newer product than the fifteen-year incumbents |
What the chemical log actually captures. This is the part worth comparing field by field, because it is where the other options ask you to build something.
| Field | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Product name and APVMA approval number | The EPA wants the full product name off the label. The approval number removes any doubt about which registered product it was. |
| Active constituent, dilution rate, quantity applied | The "how much" group: rate of application and total mix. |
| Application method and batch number | Equipment used, plus the batch if a product is later recalled or questioned. |
| Target pest and treated areas | The situation treated and the delineation of where the pesticide went. |
| Weather, temperature and wind | Not required by every state, and the thing that decides whether a spray drifted. |
| Technician name and licence number | Who applied it, and the licence they held when they did. |
| Site address, suburb, state, postcode | Searchable by address, so three years of history at one property is one lookup rather than an afternoon. |
| Treatment date and warranty expiry | The record date, plus when your own warranty on that treatment runs out. |
| Photos | Attached to the record rather than living in a camera roll. |
The report side, if you do inspections. Nine standard AS 4349.3 areas are waiting when you start a report: interior, roof void, subfloor, exterior, roof exterior, grounds, fences, outbuildings and trees within 50m. Per area you record moisture meter and thermal readings, and live activity, damage, workings and conducive conditions are tracked separately rather than lumped into one finding. Areas you could not inspect are recorded with the reason rather than quietly left off, which is the part that protects you later. Issue it as a branded PDF or a tokenised link the buyer, conveyancer or strata manager opens without a login, and void it later if you need to withdraw it: the link stops resolving the moment you do. Pre-purchase, annual termite re-inspection and AS 3660.2 termite management types are all included, and annual re-inspection due dates come with them, which is the recurring revenue most pest businesses run on.
Pricing. Flat per account rather than per user, with the Timber Pest and Termite Reports module charged as an add-on.
For pest control. The chemical log carries the fields the regulation asks for, including the treated areas and the weather, temperature and wind at the time of application, so there is nothing to build and nothing to remember to build. Two honest caveats. The module leans toward timber pest and termite work, so if your business is mostly general treatments, trial it before committing. And on mobile, ServiceM8 is ahead of us: it ships a native Android app and we do not.
3Ascora
Australian-built field service software with solid job, asset and scheduling depth.
Best for an Australian business that wants local support and is comfortable with per-user pricing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Job, asset and scheduling depth for service contractors | Per-user pricing, so every extra technician adds to the bill |
| Australian built with local support | No built-in accounting, needs Xero or MYOB |
| Native apps on iOS and Android | No customer-facing booking page or marketing tools |
Pricing. Per user. Plans run Essentials, Elite and Enterprise. Current figures are on our Ascora comparison.
For pest control. A genuinely capable Australian option, and the per-user model is the thing to model out before you sign. Pest businesses tend to add technicians faster than they add revenue per technician, so per-user pricing compounds in a way per-job pricing does not.
4AroFlo
Enterprise-grade Australian field service software aimed at fleets of twenty or more technicians.
Best for a larger pest operation running commercial contracts with asset registers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Deep job costing | Enterprise pricing, overkill for solo and small teams |
| Asset management across sites and contracts | Implementation fees and a real onboarding project |
| Complex workflow rules, configurable enough for a compliant chemical form | Still needs Xero or MYOB for accounting |
Pricing. Enterprise quote rather than a published list. Current detail is on our AroFlo comparison.
For pest control. Configurable enough that you can build exactly the chemical record you want, with the setup cost that implies. The wrong answer for a three-person operation and a reasonable one at twenty.
5simPRO
Twenty years of enterprise trade software, built in Australia for commercial contractors.
Best for multi-site commercial pest contracts with inventory and project costing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Sophisticated project costing | Custom-quote pricing, not publicly listed |
| Mature multi-warehouse inventory, useful if you hold chemical stock | Significant implementation and onboarding cost |
| Established consultant ecosystem | Longer onboarding than a self-serve platform |
| Configurable forms | Still requires Xero or MYOB for accounting |
Pricing. Custom quote. Current detail is on our simPRO comparison.
For pest control. The inventory side is the differentiator if you carry chemical stock across a warehouse and vans. Everything else about it says twenty-plus technicians.
6Tradify
New Zealand built, aimed squarely at one to ten person trade businesses.
Best for a small team that wants clean quoting and scheduling without a setup project.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Mobile-first job entry, iOS and Android | Nowhere structured to put a chemical record |
| Mature timesheet automation | No built-in accounting, needs Xero or MYOB |
| Photo evidence and materials tracking | No client-facing booking page |
| Integrates with Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks | New Zealand built, so some Australian configuration is on you |
Pricing. Per user. Plans run Lite, Pro and Plus. Current figures are on our Tradify comparison.
For pest control. A clean and cheap way in, let down for this trade by having no structured place for the chemical record. You will be running a notes field or a paper book alongside it.
7Fergus
New Zealand built and openly aimed at plumbing and electrical work.
Best for a plumbing or electrical business, which is to say not this one.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strong quoting-to-invoicing pipeline | Built around plumbing and electrical workflows, and it shows |
| Job workflow and site visits built around trade work | Timesheet users are charged on top of the plan price |
| Native apps on iOS and Android | No customer-facing online booking, CRM or marketing |
| No built-in accounting, needs Xero or MYOB |
Pricing. Per user, with timesheet users charged separately. Plans run Essentials, Professional and an Enterprise tier. Current figures are on our Fergus comparison.
For pest control. Competent software pointed at a different trade. Nothing here is built for a chemical record or a recurring treatment program, and the timesheet surcharge catches teams out.
8Jobber
Canadian, founded 2011, and genuinely polished. It is also built for a different country.
Best for a North American home-service business, which is who it is designed for.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Polished interface, among the best here | Billed in US dollars |
| Strong scheduling | No native Australian GST or BAS handling, and no ABN field |
| Good client communications | Per-user pricing that scales aggressively |
| Support hours do not match an Australian working day |
Pricing. Per user, billed in US dollars. Plans run Core, Connect, Grow and Plus. Current figures are on our Jobber comparison.
For pest control in Australia. A good product in the wrong country for this purpose. For a business whose entire compliance story is Australian, software with no native GST or BAS handling is the wrong trade, however good the scheduling is.
If you are in one of these situations
- Your crew is on Android phones. ServiceM8 or Tradify. We ship a native iOS app and run everything else in the mobile browser, which works, but a native Android app is a native Android app.
- You do timber pest and pre-purchase inspections. OneBookPlus, because the report types are built against the relevant Australian Standards and the chemical log sits beside them.
- You run twenty or more technicians across commercial contracts. AroFlo, or simPRO if you carry chemical stock worth tracking as inventory.
- You already run Xero and are happy with it. ServiceM8, and spend the saved afternoon building the pesticide form properly.
- You want one bill and one customer record. OneBookPlus, with the add-on caveat above.
- You are starting out and want the cheapest way to look professional. Tradify, and keep a paper chemical book until you outgrow it.
What about the American pest-specific platforms?
The dedicated pest control platforms are overwhelmingly American. They are genuinely good at pest workflows, including recurring treatment programs and chemical records, but they are built around United States regulations and labels, they price in US dollars, and their support hours do not line up with an Australian working day. The chemical record fields assume EPA registration numbers rather than APVMA approval numbers.
If you are large enough that pest-specific workflow matters more than local fit, they are worth a look. Most Australian operators under about ten technicians find the fit problems outweigh the benefit.
Where OneBookPlus sits, including what it does not do
We build an Australian all-in-one for small service businesses, so the general parts apply: quoting, scheduling, recurring jobs for your quarterly and annual programs, invoicing, and automatic payment reminders. How those pieces fit together for this trade specifically is on our pest control software page.
The part relevant to this article is a separate Timber Pest Reports add-on, and it includes a standalone chemical log. Its fields are built for the Australian rules rather than adapted from somewhere else:
- Product name and APVMA approval number
- Active constituent, dilution rate and quantity applied
- Application method and batch number
- Target pest and the treated areas
- Weather, temperature and wind at the time of application
- Technician name and technician licence number
- Site address, suburb, state and postcode, searchable by address
- Treatment date, warranty expiry, photos, linked to the job and the customer
The reports side covers timber pest inspections and termite work against the relevant Australian Standards, including pre-purchase inspections and annual termite re-inspections, and produces a PDF you can send.
Two honest limitations.
It records the treatment date but not start and finish times. NSW asks for the time of application as well as the date, so if your regulator wants that level of detail you will need to note it alongside. We would rather tell you that than let you find out from one.
The timber pest module is a paid add-on, not part of the base plan, and it is weighted toward inspection and termite work. If your business is mostly general pest treatments rather than timber pest inspection, the chemical log is the part you want and you should trial it before committing.
How to choose, in order
- Start with the record, not the invoice. Open a trial, pretend you have just finished a job, and try to enter a complete pesticide record on a phone in under a minute. If you cannot, you will not do it in the field either.
- Check it is required, not optional. A field a technician can skip is a field that will be empty on the job someone asks about.
- Then check the ordinary things. Recurring jobs matter more in pest control than almost any other trade, because your revenue is quarterly and annual programs rather than one-off calls. Make sure a recurring schedule can be set once and left alone.
- Check it is Australian where it counts. GST handling, tax invoice requirements, APVMA rather than US registration numbers, and support in your timezone.
- Only then compare price. The cheapest option that leaves you keeping a paper book alongside it is not the cheapest option.
If you are still working out what to charge for the work itself, our hourly rate calculator and the guide to trade charge-out rates cover the arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
Do I legally need software to keep pesticide records in Australia? No. The rules require a record, not a particular medium, and a paper book that contains everything required is compliant. The practical problem is retrieval: records must be kept for three years, and finding every application at one address across three years of paper is slow enough that most operators move to software after the first time someone asks.
How long do pest control businesses have to make a record? In NSW, the record must be made within 48 hours of applying the pesticide, and kept for three years. A job spanning more than one day needs a separate record for each day. Other states run their own schemes, so confirm the rule with your own regulator.
What has to go in a pesticide application record? Who applied it and their contact details, the date, the full product name off the label, the situation treated, how much was used including rate and area covered, and the property address with a delineation of the treated area. If the owner or occupier asks for a copy, you have to provide one.
Can I just use general job management software for pest control? Yes, and most Australian pest businesses do. The gap is the chemical record: general field service apps have no structured field for it, so you end up using a notes box or a separate book. That works until someone asks for three years of records.
Is American pest control software worth it in Australia? It depends on size. The dedicated platforms handle pest workflows well, but they are built around United States regulations, they expect US registration numbers rather than APVMA approval numbers, they price in US dollars, and their support hours do not match an Australian day. Under about ten technicians, the fit problems usually outweigh the benefit.
What is an APVMA number and why does it belong in the record? The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority approves agricultural and veterinary chemicals for use in Australia, and every approved product carries an approval number. Recording it alongside the product name removes any ambiguity about exactly which registered product was applied, which matters when a label changes or a product name is reused.
Sources and method
The record-keeping requirements are quoted from the NSW Environment Protection Authority's compulsory record keeping guidance, which sets out the obligation under Part 4 of the Pesticides Regulation 2017, the 48 hour deadline, the three year retention period and the six groups of required particulars. The EPA also publishes a record-keeping fact sheet for pest management technicians and a sample record form.
Product capabilities were checked against each vendor's own published material. We have deliberately not quoted competitor prices here, because published pricing changes more often than articles are updated and a stale figure is worse than none. Check the vendor's own pricing page before deciding.
The description of our own product, including the two limitations, reflects what ships today rather than what is planned.
