JustBAU vs Thumbtack.
Thumbtack sells you introductions. JustBAU gives you a page. One costs money every time a client appears; the other costs nothing and puts your phone number on the screen.
- Cost to publish
- $0. No credit card to sign up.
- Lead fees
- None. Clients contact you directly.
- Commission
- 0% of every job you book.
Two different businesses
01 — The modelsHow Thumbtack works
Thumbtack is a lead marketplace. A client describes a job, Thumbtack passes it to several pros in that category, and each pro pays for the introduction. The fee is owed whether the client replies, hires someone else, or disappears. What one lead costs moves with the category and with how many pros are bidding, so the busy season is also the expensive one.
How JustBAU works
JustBAU is a page you publish. Your business name, what you actually do, the US city or states you work in, how you meet people, your photos and pricing, and your Contact Methods — phone, email, website. A client who finds the page calls the number on it. Nothing is bid on, no lead is shared with four other pros, and nothing has to be bought before someone can reach you.
Thumbtack vs JustBAU, line by line
02 — Side by side| What it is | Thumbtack | JustBAU |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to be listedBefore anyone has contacted you. | Free profile. Paid to compete. | $0. No credit card. |
| Cost per client contactWhat one conversation costs you. | A lead fee, commonly $15–$120+ by category. | Nothing. They contact you. |
| Commission on the jobWhat the platform takes when you get paid. | None on the job — the cost is charged upfront, per lead. | 0%. |
| Who the lead belongs toExclusivity of the introduction. | Shared. The same request goes to several pros at once. | Yours. Nobody else is sent your page. |
| How clients reach youThe route from interest to a call. | Through the marketplace inbox. | Your Contact Methods, on the page. |
| Where the traffic landsThe page a search result points at. | A profile on their domain, beside competitors. | Your own page and slug, built to be indexed. |
| If you stop spendingWhat is left when the budget goes. | The introductions stop. | Your page stays published. |
When Thumbtack is the better answer
03 — HonestlyIf you want someone else to fill the calendar and you would rather pay per introduction than build an audience, a lead marketplace does that job. Thumbtack has demand on tap in dense categories, and in a slow month that is worth something. JustBAU does not send you work — it gives you a page to send people to and something for a search engine to find. Running both is a perfectly sensible answer: the marketplace for overflow, a page of your own for everyone who already knows your name.
Questions
04 — 6 answersDoes JustBAU send me leads like Thumbtack does?
No, and that is why it costs nothing. JustBAU publishes a page people find and contact you on. There is no lead fee because there is no lead being sold — the client is talking to you, not to us.
Can I use JustBAU and Thumbtack at the same time?
Yes. They do different jobs. Plenty of people buy leads for overflow and keep a page of their own for referrals, repeat clients, and anyone who searches their name.
Do I pay a commission when I book a job through JustBAU?
No. We are not in the middle of the booking, so there is nothing to take a cut of. The client contacts you and you agree the work between yourselves.
Is JustBAU free?
Yes. Creating a profile and publishing a listing are free. No credit card to sign up.
Who is JustBAU for?
Independent workers who do the work themselves — plumbers, stylists, therapists, photographers, tutors. Not factories, wholesale, or staffing agencies. US listings.
What do I need to publish a listing?
Your city or service area states, how you meet people, a Contact Method, a logo or headshot, at least one service, and a name plus a short pitch. About five minutes.
Stop paying to be introduced.
Publish a page with your services, your service area, and your Contact Methods. Free to publish, no credit card.
Other comparisons
2 moreJustBAU vs Angi
Angi sells homeowner leads to contractors. JustBAU is a public profile with direct Contact Methods — free to publish, no lead fees, no commission.
JustBAU vs Yelp
Yelp is a review directory funded by advertising. JustBAU is a page you publish, with your services and direct Contact Methods first. Free to publish.
Independent workers who do the work themselves — not factories, wholesale, or staffing agencies. US listings only. Competitor pricing and features change; check their sites for current terms.