The Five Platforms, Side by Side
All five of these apps connect people who need help with people who do the work, but they charge for it in very different ways. The differences matter on both sides: what workers pay to get jobs shapes what consumers end up quoted. This table summarizes the models as of 2026.
| GigNGo | Thumbtack | TaskRabbit | Angi | Handy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay (consumer) | Free to post; pay the local directly, no platform fees added | Free to post; pay the worker's quoted price | Worker's hourly rate plus a 15% service fee and a $5 booking fee, paid through the platform | Free to request; pay the contractor's quoted price | Fixed price set by Handy at booking, paid through the platform |
| What workers pay | $0 lead fees, $0 commission; optional Pro subscriptions for extra visibility | $15–$60+ per lead, whether or not they win the job | 15% commission on every job | Roughly $15–$100+ per lead, and the same lead is often sold to several workers | No per-lead charge; Handy sets the pay rate and takes a platform fee, with penalties for canceled jobs |
| Who sets prices | The local worker quotes; consumer and local agree directly | The worker quotes each job | Workers set their own hourly rates; the platform adds its fees on top | The contractor quotes each job | Handy sets fixed prices for the customer and the pay rate for the worker |
| Coverage | All 50 US states, including smaller towns; worker density varies by area | Nationwide, with a large established worker base | 50+ major cities; limited outside big metros | Nationwide, with a long-established contractor network | Varies by service; strongest in larger cities |
| Best for | Free quotes with no added fees, and locals who want to keep 100% of what they earn | Getting many quotes across a very wide range of services | Same-day booking in big metros, such as furniture assembly | Larger home-improvement projects with established contractors | Quick fixed-price cleaning bookings without comparing quotes |
Competitor fees summarized from each platform's published model as of 2026; details vary by service and market. GigNGo's detailed head-to-head pages are linked below.
A Short Read on Each Platform
GigNGo
GigNGo is a free two-sided marketplace: consumers post a task and local workers respond with offers. There are no consumer fees, no lead fees, and no commission — the consumer pays the local directly and the local keeps 100 percent. GigNGo makes money from optional Pro subscriptions for workers who want extra visibility. It covers all 50 states, though as a newer platform its worker density varies by area.
Thumbtack
Thumbtack is free for consumers and offers one of the widest service ranges of any platform, with a large, established worker base. Its workers pay per lead — commonly $15–$60 or more each, hired or not — and many price that cost into their quotes. See GigNGo vs Thumbtack.
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit lets consumers book a specific worker at an hourly rate, often same-day, and handles payment through the platform. Consumers pay a 15 percent service fee plus a $5 booking fee on top of the worker's rate, and workers pay a 15 percent commission. It operates in 50-plus major cities rather than nationwide. See GigNGo vs TaskRabbit.
Angi
Angi (the merger of Angie's List and HomeAdvisor) has a long-established contractor network and strong brand recognition, particularly for larger home-improvement work. Contractors buy leads — roughly $15–$100 or more each — and the same lead is often sold to several competitors at once. See GigNGo vs Angi.
Handy
Handy takes a different approach: instead of quotes, Handy sets a fixed price up front for services such as cleaning, and assigns the job to a worker paid at a rate Handy sets, keeping a platform fee. Workers are not charged per lead, but they face penalties for canceling accepted jobs. It is a convenient option for consumers who want a set price without comparing offers.
When GigNGo Is Not the Best Pick
An honest comparison should say so plainly: if you need same-day furniture assembly in a big metro, TaskRabbit's instant booking is hard to beat. If you want a fixed price for a cleaning without reading any quotes, Handy's model is built for exactly that. And because Thumbtack and Angi have been around much longer, they simply have more workers and more posted jobs in many areas today. GigNGo's case is cost and fairness — no fees on either side — and since posting and applying are free, it costs nothing to try it alongside the others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which app is cheapest for hiring local help?
Of the five major platforms, GigNGo is the only one that adds no fees on either side: consumers post for free and pay the local worker directly, and workers pay no lead fees or commissions. Thumbtack and Angi are also free for consumers to post on, but their workers pay for every lead, and those costs are often reflected in quotes. TaskRabbit adds a 15 percent service fee plus a $5 booking fee on top of the worker's rate, and Handy charges a fixed price it sets itself.
Which app is best for workers?
It depends on what a worker values. For keeping earnings, GigNGo is the only one of the five where workers pay no lead fees and no commission, so they keep 100 percent of the agreed price. Thumbtack and Angi charge per lead whether or not the worker is hired; TaskRabbit takes a 15 percent commission on each job; Handy pays a rate it sets and keeps a platform fee. Workers who want the most volume today may still find more posted jobs on the older platforms, which is why many use more than one.
Is GigNGo really free?
Yes. Consumers post tasks, receive offers, and hire for free, and they pay the local worker directly with no added platform fees. Local workers browse and apply to tasks for free and keep 100 percent of what they earn; optional Pro subscription tiers exist for extra visibility, but they are never required.
Detailed head-to-head comparisons: GigNGo vs Thumbtack, GigNGo vs TaskRabbit, GigNGo vs Angi, and GigNGo vs Craigslist. If you are a worker weighing lead costs, see Lead Fees Explained and the lead fee calculator.