Comparison

Hearth for Contractors vs Applause App

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hearth for Contractors

Streamline your home improvement business with digital tools for financing, invoicing, and contracts. Offer customer financing, send professional invoices, and manage contracts on the go to close more deals and get paid faster.

Highlights
  • Offer customer financing
  • Send digital contracts
  • Customize and schedule invoices
  • Collect digital payments
  • Track client activity
  • Syncs with QuickBooks
Read full description

Hearth helps tens of thousands of U.S. home improvement pros close more deals and save time & money with customer financing options and digital workflow tools. No more dealer fees cutting into your profits or messy paperwork slowing you down. Offer financing, send contracts, customize and schedule invoices, and collect digital payments with Hearth—all on the go from your iPhone or iPad. --------------------------------- WHY OFFER FINANCING? • 75% of homeowners want monthly payment options • 18% better average close rate when you offer financing to leads • 30% higher average ticket size on deals closed with financing HEARTH FINANCING: • ZERO dealer fees - Keep 100% of your profits • ZERO underwriting requirements • 12+ lenders, one application • Loans from $1,000 to $100,000 • Terms from 2 to 12 years • FICO scores as low as 550 • Rates as low as 4.9% APR • Fits easily into your existing sales process • Send the financing application on the go from the app • Getting pre-approved has ZERO impact on your client’s credit score • Clients can secure project funds in as soon as 24 hours HEARTH PAY: • Customizable, professional-looking digital invoices • Keep a digital record of every invoice you send • Request digital payments in seconds • Your client can pay securely with debit card, credit card, or ACH transfer • Hearth sends automatic payment reminders to clients to help you get paid faster • Track the status of outstanding payments from the app • Syncs with QuickBooks DIGITAL CONTRACTS: • Easy-to-edit contract template for any business • Customize with your own contract language and logo • Send contracts on the go from the app • Automatically send Hearth Pay invoices upon client signature • Track when clients have viewed your contracts • Collect digital signatures from clients on the job site REPORTING & TRACKING: • Track client activity across financing, contracts, invoices, and payments • Keep tabs on when a client has viewed a contract or invoice • Monitor outstanding invoices • Keep a permanent digital record of client documents FREE MARKETING TOOLS: • Digital banners & financing calculators to embed on your website, with Pro and Elite subscriptions • Personalized Hearth flyer to attach to emails or print and hand to clients • Informational flyers for trade shows and events • Social media post templates TRAINING & LEARNING: • FREE Hearth sales training for your entire team • Exclusive webinars with partners and trainers • Option to purchase sales training add-ons with industry experts • Dedicated Hearth onboarding specialist as you get started • Access to our Learn Center packed with sales tips and walkthroughs AS FEATURED IN: The Washington Post CNBC NBC’s TODAY Martha Stewart Construction Executive --------------------------------- *All loan information is presented without warranty, and estimated APR and other terms are not binding. Hearth’s lending partners generally present a range of APRs (for instance, from 5% to 35.99%) with a range of terms and monthly payments. As an example, a $10,000 loan with an APR of 14.50% and a term of 36 months would have a monthly payment of $344.21. Actual APRs will depend on factors like credit score, loan amount, loan term, and credit history. Only borrowers with excellent credit will qualify for the lowest APRs. All loans are subject to credit review and approval.

About

Applause App

This app provides service teams with real-time performance insights, recognition for achievements, and the ability to cash in on rewards. Managers can track team performance, manage feedback, and monitor leads, fostering motivation and continuous improvement.

Highlights
  • Real-time performance visibility
  • Instant bonuses and recognition
  • Cash-in rewards
  • Team performance tracking
  • Customer feedback management
  • Lead and referral tracking
Features
Read full description

Applause helps service teams see performance in real time, recognize great work, and turn daily wins into measurable results. Technicians get instant visibility into how they’re doing, access to bonuses and recognition, and the ability to cash in on a job well done. Managers get powerful tools to track performance across teams, manage customer feedback, and track leads and referrals, all in one platform. Whether in the field or in the office, Applause connects performance, feedback, and rewards in a system that keeps teams aligned, motivated, and improving every day. Instant rewards that motivate Service workers get recognized the moment great work happens. Earn bonuses and tips, see customer feedback, and cash out rewards directly through the app. Real-time performance insights Live scorecards show progress on key metrics, while managers can view performance by technician, location, or service type to quickly identify wins and coaching opportunities. Recognition that feels real Wins, achievements, customer ratings, and milestones are visible to the whole team, reinforcing the behaviors that drive better service and stronger results. Easy access, every day Technicians and managers share the same real-time data. Managers can monitor performance, manage customer feedback with automated alerts, and keep teams informed, anytime, anywhere.

Screenshots

Hearth for Contractors4 screens
Applause App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Applause App at 4.6 against Hearth for Contractors's 3.4. Applause App also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 43%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Applause App holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 297 and 393 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Hearth for Contractors's written reviews are positive against 85% of Applause App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hearth for Contractors ships an update every 5 weeks, Applause App fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hearth for Contractors versus Applause App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHearth for ContractorsApplause App
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (297 ratings)4.6 (393 ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.5% of reviews84.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings297393 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size114 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHearthApplause Technology, Inc.

Customer experience

Hearth for Contractors

All ratings298 ratings
Positive59.1%
Neutral2.3%
Negative38.6%
Written reviews127 reviews
Positive42.5%
Neutral0.8%
Negative56.7%

Applause App

All ratings391 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral1.0%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative15.4%

Bugs and requests

Hearth for Contractors

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Quotes and contracts disappearing
  • Issues with converting quotes to contracts
  • Freezing and crashing on mobile devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Integration with QuickBooks
  • Ability to customize contracts
  • Improved invoicing and payment features
  • Better reporting and analytics

Applause App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Hearth for Contractors

No in-app purchases

None

Applause App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hearth for Contractors free?
Hearth for Contractors is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Applause App free?
Applause App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hearth for Contractors or Applause App?
Applause App is rated higher. Hearth for Contractors averages 3.4 out of 5 from 297 ratings, while Applause App averages 4.6 from 393 ratings.
Do Hearth for Contractors or Applause App have ads?
Neither Hearth for Contractors nor Applause App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hearth for Contractors or Applause App?
Hearth for Contractors ships an update every 5 weeks, and Applause App fortnightly. Most recently, Hearth for Contractors was updated on November 6, 2026 and Applause App on November 7, 2026.

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