Published 2026-10-25 · Updated 2026-10-25
Completa vs. Thumbtack and Angi for Austin home projects
How Completa, Thumbtack and Angi differ on requesting work, who confirms the price, what pros pay and how payment works, for Austin homeowners and pros.
Thumbtack and Angi are nationwide marketplaces. Homeowners use them for free, and pros generally pay for leads or advertising. Completa is an Austin-first home-project app: you get a real-time estimate for supported work, a matched local pro confirms or adjusts the price before work begins, and you manage the accepted project in the app with milestone payment holds.
Publisher disclosure: Completa publishes this article, so it is not an independent review. What we say about Thumbtack and Angi summarizes how each describes its service on its website and, for Angi, in its annual report, as of October 2026. It is not a rating of any platform or pro. Terms change, so check current pages.
How we compared
On October 25, 2026, we read each company's help pages, pro pages and FAQs, plus Angi Inc.'s 2025 annual report. We left out anything an official page didn't confirm, including lead prices, which vary by job and market. "Angi" here includes HomeAdvisor and Angi Leads. Angi Inc. runs HomeAdvisor and calls its pro app "formerly Angi Leads and Angi Ads."
Side by side
| Thumbtack | Angi (incl. HomeAdvisor, Angi Leads) | Completa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you request work | Answer project questions, then contact pros you pick: up to five in the first four hours. | Browse a directory or answer questions. HomeAdvisor sends your request to up to four matched pros. | Describe the project with details and photos. It may go to a limited group of matched local pros. You see up to three responders. |
| Who sets or confirms the price | Pros set their prices. You compare and chat. Some services have a set price. | Upfront prices for some services, quotes for others. | A real-time estimate for supported work. The matched pro confirms or adjusts the price before work begins. |
| How pros pay to get jobs | A fee per lead, at a price the pro sets, within a weekly budget. No subscription fee. | Fees per lead. Also memberships and advertising. | No charge to receive or view a job. Current matching is not pay-to-play. See contractor pricing. |
| How payment works | Free for homeowners. You pay the pro directly. | Free for homeowners. Some services can be paid on Angi. | Milestone payment holds, released as agreed stages are done. See how we price. |
| Where it works | Nationwide, 500+ project categories. | Nationwide network, 500+ service categories. | Austin-first. Availability depends on your city or ZIP and the trade. |
What changes for homeowners
Price. On Thumbtack and Angi, you compare prices or quotes, or book an upfront price where offered. On Completa, the real-time estimate comes from the details you submit. A matched local pro reviews the project-specific scope and confirms or adjusts the price before work begins. Some jobs need a visit first.
Payment. On Completa, you fund the agreed milestones through milestone payment holds. Release can follow your approval or the current 72-hour auto-approval process when the applicable conditions allow it. Read how milestone payment holds work.
Your cost. Thumbtack and Angi say they are free for homeowners. Angi also sells paid homeowner memberships. On Completa, checkout shows the reviewed price, any applicable customer or payment charge, tax and the total before you authorize payment.
What changes for contractors
Thumbtack's help center says, "On Thumbtack, you pay for leads — new customers who reach out to you directly." You set the lead price and a weekly budget. Opportunities cost only if the customer responds. On preset jobs, Thumbtack keeps a percentage of the job price.
HomeAdvisor's FAQ says pros "pay a fee for each lead they receive." Angi's annual report counts lead fees "regardless of whether the Pro ultimately provides the requested service." Its 2025 options included leads within a monthly budget and discounted leads in a subscription package. Angi's FAQ says pros who meet its rating, background-check and license requirements can pay to advertise as Angi Approved pros, and those pros are listed above other providers in search results.
Completa doesn't charge a pro to receive or view a job. Current matching is not pay-to-play. You can confirm, counter or decline the scope and price before work begins. Fees are on the contractor pricing page.
When Thumbtack or Angi may fit better
- You're outside Completa's current coverage. Completa launches from Austin and isn't available in every city, ZIP or trade. Thumbtack and Angi describe nationwide coverage.
- Completa doesn't offer your category. Thumbtack and Angi each list more than 500 categories.
- You want to hear from more pros at once. Thumbtack and HomeAdvisor can connect you with several. Completa shows up to three.
- You're a pro who wants to buy leads in many markets. Both let pros set their own lead budgets.
What to check whichever you use
- License where the trade requires it. The City of Austin says electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors need a Texas license and City registration. A general contractor doesn't need a state license for a building permit. Confirm licenses with the issuing agency, using our license and permit checklist.
- Written scope. The City advises a signed agreement before work starts, covering what, where, how, timing, cost and payment schedule.
- Change orders. Get each change in writing before the extra work: what changed, the price and the schedule effect. See our change-order checklist.
- Payment terms. The City says full payment in advance is not advisable. Tie payments to the work schedule.
- Permits. The City says contractors pull permits for their own work. Be wary if one asks you to.
Frequently asked questions
How is Completa different from Thumbtack and Angi?
Completa is an Austin-first home-project platform. For supported work, it calculates a real-time estimate from the project details you submit, and a matched local pro reviews the scope and confirms or adjusts the price before work begins. Thumbtack and Angi describe nationwide services where homeowners search for free and pros pay for leads or advertising, as stated on their websites in October 2026.
Do contractors pay for leads on Thumbtack, Angi, or Completa?
Thumbtack's help center says pros pay for leads, meaning customers who contact them directly. HomeAdvisor's FAQ says pros pay a fee for each lead they receive, and Angi says pros pay to advertise. Completa doesn't charge a pro to receive or view a job, and current matching is not pay-to-play. Completa's contractor fees are on its contractor pricing page.
Does Completa work everywhere in Greater Austin?
No. Completa launches from Austin, and availability depends on your city or ZIP code and the trade. Matching also depends on timing and which local pros are available for the work.