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Sammy vs Karven: two ways to price a job.
Both are AI quoting apps for Australian tradies. Karven prices from fixed per-trade calculators and runs in the browser. Sammy quotes the way your business does, from your rates, your supplier prices and the jobs you train him on, then runs the job and the invoicing, on iPhone, Android and the web. Checked 27 September 2026.
The short answer
Sammy suits you if
- You want quotes that sound like your business, priced from your own rates and suppliers.
- You want a proper app on your phone, not a web page.
- You want the job, the variations, the progress claims and the invoices in the same place as the quote.
- You use Simpro or Ascora, or want to start quotes from your ServiceM8 jobs and push them straight back.
Karven suits you if
- Your trade has a Karven calculator and you want the same inputs to give the same price every time.
- You want the lowest monthly price, or you have more than five people quoting.
- You do your books in MYOB.
- You want scheduling and route planning in your quoting tool.
Both give you a free week with no card. The fairest test is to run the same job through each and send the quote you’d rather put your name to.
Side by side
| Sammy | Karven | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Sole traders and small crews in the trades. | Australian tradies. Its terms require an ABN. |
| How a price is set | Your rate rules first, then your supplier prices, then your instructions, then Sammy’s Australian trade knowledge. Trained on your past jobs, including which ones ran over budget. | The AI fills in a per-trade calculator, which prices from your rates, margins and supplier prices. Trades without a calculator get an AI estimate that shows its working. |
| Describe the job by | Voice note, text, photos, video or plans. | Voice, photos, typing or pasting the enquiry, and plan takeoff. |
| Sending the quote | A proposal your client accepts online, with optional follow-up emails on days 2, 5 and 10. | A branded PDF your customer accepts, e-signs and pays a deposit on, with automated follow-ups. |
| After you win it | The job, contract, variations, progress claims, what the job is costing you, and the invoices. | Invoicing on every paid plan. Jobs, scheduling and route planning on Business and Pro. |
| Connects to | Xero, ServiceM8 (both ways), Simpro and Ascora. | Xero, MYOB, ServiceM8, Stripe and Google Calendar. |
| Where it runs | iPhone and Android apps, and the web. | The web. You can add it to your phone’s home screen; there’s no App Store or Google Play app. |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card. | 1 week, no card. |
How each one prices a job
Karven’s approach, in its own words: “The AI fills the inputs. The engine sets the price.” Each trade has a calculator that works the price out from your rates, your margins and supplier prices, so the same job gives the same number every time. For a trade without a calculator, Karven’s AI estimates the job and shows its working.
Sammy works from your business rather than a fixed calculator. When he builds an estimate he uses, in this order:
- your rate rules, the rates you’ve told him to charge
- your supplier price lists, matched to material lines automatically
- your instructions, such as allowances you always add or brands you prefer
- his Australian trade knowledge, only where you haven’t given him anything better
Training Sammy on a past job teaches him your labour, your rates and what you always include. He also asks whether that job came in over, under or on budget, so he learns the prices that worked rather than repeating one that lost you money. Every line, quantity and rate is on the estimate for you to check and change before it goes out, and if Sammy’s own changes would shift your profit by a big step, he stops and asks you to confirm first.
What it costs
On list price, Karven is cheaper at every crew size. Both charge one flat price for the whole crew rather than per person. Sammy’s team plans cover up to 3 or up to 5 people, and adding someone within your plan costs nothing extra.
| Sammy | Karven | |
|---|---|---|
| Just you | Pro: $99 a month, or $950 a year | Starter: $64.90 a month, or $649 a year |
| Up to 3 people | Team 3: $249 a month flat, or $2,390 a year | Business: $141.90 a month flat, or $1,419 a year |
| Up to 5 people | Team 5: $399 a month flat, or $3,830 a year | Business: $141.90 a month flat, or $1,419 a year |
| 6 or more | Team 5 is the largest plan. Talk to us about bigger crews. | Pro: $273.90 a month flat, or $2,739 a year |
Questions tradies ask
Is Sammy priced per user?
No. Pro is $99 a month for one person. Team 3 is $249 a month for up to three people and Team 5 is $399 a month for up to five, whether you’ve filled every seat or not. All prices include GST. See team plans and billing.
Does Sammy just copy my old quotes?
No. Your past jobs teach him how your business quotes, but your rate rules and supplier prices come first, and he checks whether each old job made money before he learns from it. You can review what he’s learned, correct it in plain words, or reset it.
Can I see how Sammy got to a price?
Yes. The estimate shows every line with its quantity and rate, and you can change any of them yourself or ask Sammy to. Material lines matched to your supplier lists use your real purchase prices.
Does Karven have an iPhone or Android app?
Not in the app stores. Karven runs in the browser, and you can add it to your home screen. Sammy is on the App Store, Google Play and the web.
Can I keep ServiceM8 or Simpro for scheduling?
Yes. Sammy doesn’t do scheduling. He can start an estimate from a ServiceM8 or Simpro job and push the quote back into it, and he syncs invoices and payments with Xero.