Inspector Studio vs Horizon
Inspector Studio
vs
8.8
5.9
Horizon
Horizon brought the backing of Carson Dunlop's building science expertise and some of the best report illustrations in the industry. Carson Dunlop has announced that Horizon will sunset on December 15, 2026, so this comparison is most useful for current Horizon users weighing where to move next.
Quick Stats
Inspector Studio
Overall Score
8.8/10
Starting Price
$119/mo
Founded
2023
Free Trial
Yes
Best For
Multi-inspector firms and solo inspectors wanting the most complete platform
Horizon
Overall Score
5.9/10
Starting Price
N/A
Founded
1988
Free Trial
No
Best For
Existing Horizon users planning a migration before the December 15, 2026 sunset
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Inspector Studio | Horizon |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting & Templates | ||
| Custom Report Templates Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Hierarchical template editor with sections, groups, items, questions, and triggers
|
Full Support
Full Support
6,000+ customizable report items
|
| Pre-Built Templates |
Full Support
Full Support
InterNACHI residential master template plus marketplace templates; 7 built-in report types
|
Full Support
Full Support
6,000+ items with illustrations
|
| Specialty Inspection Forms Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Wind Mitigation (OIR-B1-1802), 4-Point, Roof Certification, WDO (FDACS-13645), NPMA-33, and TREC REI 7-6
|
Full Support
Full Support
30+ ancillary reports including commercial, Tarion, and TREC
|
| Conditional Logic in Reports Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Operational decisions hide/show sections based on property characteristics; trigger system for conditional content
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic conditional logic
|
| Multiple PDF Output Modes |
Full Support
Full Support
Full, summary, and checklist PDFs from the same data, plus TREC REI 7-6 output
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
PDF with Speed Write option
|
| Photo Management |
Full Support
Full Support
Gallery system with device uploads, location tagging, batch operations, entity assignment
|
Full Support
Full Support
Annotation, auto-caption, and auto-numbering
|
| Report Macros/Batch Actions |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Flows copy answers and photos between reports; bulk-hide of review items; no one-click item-group macros
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Speed Write for quick completion
|
| Template Import/Migration |
Full Support
Full Support
Importers for Spectora, Hive, Palmtech 9, HomeGauge, and Inspector Toolbelt templates
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Some import capabilities
|
| Video Support in Reports |
Full Support
Full Support
Video upload and embedding in reports
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
YouTube and Vimeo links only
|
| Interactive Report Viewer |
Full Support
Full Support
Web-based interactive report viewer for clients
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Online report access
|
| Diagrams & Illustrations |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Org-wide Reference Images library plus photo annotation tools; no stock illustration set
|
Full Support
Full Support
Extensive illustration library — strongest in market
|
| Report Comments/Narratives |
Full Support
Full Support
Pre-written comment library plus Lexi AI-generated narratives
|
Full Support
Full Support
6,000+ pre-written items with technical articles
|
| AI & Automation | ||
| AI Report Writing Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Lexi generates deficiency, limitation, and narrative text from the finding title, location, and report context, with configurable style and creativity
|
Not Available |
| AI Photo Analysis Key |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Uploaded photos are auto-analyzed for descriptions, search tags, detected findings, and equipment dataplates; results are searchable in the gallery but not written into the report
|
Not Available |
| AI Template Building |
Partial Support
Partial Support
AI restructures imported templates with a guided accept/decline review, and AI Assist writes template comments; no assistant for building from scratch
|
Not Available |
| Automated Email Sequences |
Full Support
Full Support
55 pre-built automations with 120 merge tags, configurable triggers, delays, and attachments
|
Full Support
Full Support
Horizon Marketer timed emails
|
| Automated SMS Notifications |
Full Support
Full Support
Automated SMS with scheduling to avoid off-hours delivery
|
Not Available |
| Conditional Automation Rules Key |
Full Support
Full Support
65 trigger events with And/Or conditions on service, service category, contact tag, inspection status, and agreement signing
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
By inspection type, with triggers on contract and payment
|
| Pre-Built Automations |
Full Support
Full Support
55 pre-built automations ready on day one
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Vendor email templates
|
| Merge Tags |
Full Support
Full Support
120 merge tags for emails, SMS, and agreements
|
Not Available |
| Speech-to-Text |
Full Support
Full Support
Built-in voice capture in the mobile app: dictate a finding and match it to template comments
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Voice search and dictated notes in the mobile app
|
| Scheduling & Booking | ||
| Online Booking Widget |
Full Support
Full Support
Embeddable booking widget with ATTOM property data enrichment
|
Full Support
Full Support
Online scheduling
|
| Drive-Time Aware Scheduling Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Google Maps integration for drive-time calculations
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Map shows travel time and distance
|
| Route Optimization |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Daily route map and drive-time totals in scheduled order; no stop-order optimization
|
Not Available |
| Team Calendar |
Full Support
Full Support
Drag-and-drop team calendar
|
Full Support
Full Support
Daily, weekly, and monthly multi-inspector calendar
|
| Conflict Detection |
Full Support
Full Support
Overlap and drive-time conflict warnings at booking and assignment
|
Full Support
Full Support
Double-booking alerts
|
| Configurable Availability |
Full Support
Full Support
Per-inspector working hours and blackouts, holiday hours, inspector-to-location assignment, ZIP coverage area
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Some configuration
|
| Property Data Enrichment Key |
Full Support
Full Support
ATTOM property data auto-fills sq ft, year built, beds/baths on booking
|
Not Available |
| Drag-and-Drop Scheduling |
Full Support
Full Support
Visual drag-and-drop calendar
|
Not Available |
| Booking Confirmations |
Full Support
Full Support
Automated confirmation email, with 24-hour email and 1-hour SMS reminders
|
Full Support
Full Support
Automated booking confirmations
|
| Calendar Sync |
Full Support
Full Support
Two-way Google Calendar sync, subscribe to any iCal feed, and a published iCal schedule feed
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Google Calendar only
|
| Client Experience | ||
| Customer Portal Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Guided portal to schedule, sign, pay, and view reports. No account required, token-based access
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic client report access
|
| Agent Portal Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Dedicated agent portal for real estate agents to view inspections and download reports
|
Not Available |
| No-Account Access |
Full Support
Full Support
Per-person token links in emails, individually revocable; optional one-time-code sign-in
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Some link-based access
|
| Digital Signature Capture |
Full Support
Full Support
Drawn or typed signatures plus required initials on agreements
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Click-to-accept online
|
| Payment Gating |
Full Support
Full Support
Require payment before releasing inspection reports
|
Full Support
Full Support
Payment First and Contract First report gating
|
| Post-Inspection Surveys |
Full Support
Full Support
Automated post-inspection survey system
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Listen360 integration
|
| Repair Request Lists |
Full Support
Full Support
Repair Planner: clients and agents pick deficiencies, add credits, notes, and photos, then share a link or PDF
|
Full Support
Full Support
Action List
|
| Mobile-Friendly Reports |
Full Support
Full Support
Fully responsive report viewer
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic mobile access
|
| Communication | ||
| Unified Inbox Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Threads: unified email, SMS, and website-widget messages with departments, priorities, canned responses, tags, automated replies, and audit log
|
Not Available |
| Live Chat Widget |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Embeddable Website Widget sends visitor messages into Threads; no real-time chat
|
Not Available |
| Canned Responses |
Full Support
Full Support
Pre-written responses within Threads
|
Not Available |
| Department Routing |
Full Support
Full Support
Route messages to departments or team members
|
Not Available |
| VOIP/Call Integration Key |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Call Sync screen-pop shows the caller's CRM record and history on ring; no telephony integration; enabled on request
|
Not Available |
| SMS Messaging |
Full Support
Full Support
Send and receive SMS within Threads
|
Not Available |
| Email Integration |
Full Support
Full Support
Email within Threads unified inbox
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Email communication
|
| Auto-Responders |
Full Support
Full Support
Thread-triggered automated replies with editable content
|
Not Available |
| Communication History |
Full Support
Full Support
Complete audit trail of all communications per client
|
Not Available |
| Business Operations | ||
| Payroll Module Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Web and mobile time clock, 5-level pay split hierarchy (percentage, flat, hourly), configurable time rounding, mileage reimbursement, override approvals, CSV export (no disbursement)
|
Not Available |
| Multi-Location Support Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Per-location branding on reports, invoices, and emails, timezone, and inspector assignment; per-location pricing and tax apply to online bookings only
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Some multi-user support
|
| Time Clock |
Full Support
Full Support
Web and mobile time clock; mobile punches need a connection
|
Not Available |
| Mileage Tracking |
Full Support
Full Support
Daily mileage derived from scheduled routes with reimbursement calculation; no GPS trace
|
Not Available |
| Team Management |
Full Support
Full Support
Inspector profiles, assignments, permissions, location assignment
|
Full Support
Full Support
Permission levels and QA review
|
| Custom Analytics Dashboard Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Configurable Insights dashboard with number, bar, line, area, pie, table, and gauge panels
|
Full Support
Full Support
Sales reporting and business analytics
|
| Revenue Reports |
Full Support
Full Support
Insights panels over invoices and payments by period, method, service, agent, and inspector, plus margins; no A/R aging report
|
Full Support
Full Support
Business analytics
|
| Canadian Support |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Per-location CAD display, GST/PST-style dual tax labels, and Canadian postal codes; card charges are processed in USD only
|
Full Support
Full Support
Canadian-based company, full Canadian support
|
| Pricing & Payments | ||
| Stripe Integration |
Full Support
Full Support
Full Stripe payment processing
|
Not Available
Not Available
Payments via Guardian and Authorize.net, not Stripe
|
| Square Integration |
Full Support
Full Support
Square online card payments and refunds
|
Not Available |
| PayPal Integration |
Full Support
Full Support
PayPal payment processing
|
Not Available |
| ACH/Bank Transfer |
Not Available
Not Available
No ACH; card payments only, with Zelle recorded manually
|
Not Available |
| Pay-at-Close | Not Available | Not Available |
| Dynamic Pricing Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Per-unit, threshold, range, and match modifiers on property fields and distance, with ZIP coverage areas
|
Not Available |
| Service Bundling |
Full Support
Full Support
Combo services at package prices, add-ons, and automatic cheaper-combo suggestion at booking
|
Not Available |
| Tax Configuration |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Org-wide sales tax rate with per-service taxable flag; per-location tax rates apply to online bookings only
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Tax configuration
|
| Invoicing |
Full Support
Full Support
Professional invoice generation
|
Full Support
Full Support
Invoices, receipts, and receivables reports
|
| QuickBooks Integration |
Full Support
Full Support
QuickBooks Online: one-way push of customers, invoices, and payments
|
Not Available |
| FreshBooks Integration | Not Available | Not Available |
| Xero Integration | Not Available | Not Available |
| Contracts & Agreements | ||
| Digital Contracts |
Full Support
Full Support
Rich-text contracts with merge tags
|
Full Support
Full Support
Online contract acceptance, logged with wording and timestamp
|
| E-Signature Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Drawn or typed signature with required initials; remote or in-person signing
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Click-to-accept online
|
| Contract Templates |
Full Support
Full Support
Reusable templates with 99 merge tags and Spectora placeholder compatibility
|
Full Support
Full Support
Multiple stored contracts
|
| Auto-Attach to Services |
Full Support
Full Support
Automatically attach relevant contracts to booked services
|
Not Available |
| Multi-Party Signing |
Partial Support
Partial Support
One client signature per agreement; no second signer
|
Not Available |
| Marketing & Reputation | ||
| Google Review Management Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Pulse: Google Business integration with review sync and replies, automated requests, sentiment check-in, AI-drafted responses, outreach tracking
|
Not Available |
| Automated Review Requests |
Full Support
Full Support
Automated review requests on report publish, with reminders
|
Full Support
Full Support
Automated review requests for Google, Facebook, and Yelp
|
| Sentiment-Based Routing |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Sentiment question sends unhappy clients to a private survey and alerts staff; public review links are always shown (no gating)
|
Not Available |
| AI Review Responses |
Full Support
Full Support
AI-drafted replies with tone settings; a person approves before posting to Google
|
Not Available |
| SEO-Ready Website |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Hosted landing page on a platform subdomain, plus a paid website design and hosting service
|
Not Available |
| Email Marketing Integration |
Full Support
Full Support
Mailchimp: customers sync one-way to an audience
|
Not Available |
| Referral Tracking |
Full Support
Full Support
Referral source on every booking, tracking links with click and booking counts, Insights by source, agent, and agency
|
Full Support
Full Support
Referral tracking with agent usage reports
|
| Integrations & Platform | ||
| Zapier Integration |
Partial Support
Partial Support
No listed Zapier app; signed outbound webhooks for inspection events can feed a Zapier catch hook
|
Not Available |
| Open API |
Not Available
Not Available
No public API; signed outbound webhooks only
|
Not Available |
| Mobile App (iOS) |
Full Support
Full Support
iOS app with offline report writing and photo sync
|
Full Support
Full Support
Horizon Mobile app for iOS
|
| Mobile App (Android) |
Full Support
Full Support
Android app with offline report writing and photo sync
|
Full Support
Full Support
Horizon Mobile app for Android
|
| Offline Capability Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Reports, specialty forms, photos, and notes work offline and sync on reconnect; signing, time clock, and publishing need a connection
|
Full Support
Full Support
Mobile app works offline and syncs later
|
| Cloud-Based Platform |
Full Support
Full Support
Fully cloud-based, accessible from any device
|
Full Support
Full Support
Cloud-based
|
| Desktop Application |
Not Available
Not Available
Web-based, no desktop app
|
Not Available
Not Available
Web portal and mobile apps; no desktop app
|
| ISN Integration | Not Available |
Full Support
Full Support
ISN sync
|
| Permit Research Integration Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Permit Hunt: built-in permit research, with auto-search on booking once a Permit Hunt account is connected
|
Not Available |
Pricing Comparison
Inspector Studio
Pay As You Go
Contact for pricing
- All features included
- No monthly commitment
- Pay only when you inspect
- Best for part-time inspectors
Solo
Popular
$119/mo
$1,190/mo billed annually
- All features included
- Unlimited inspections
- 1 inspector
Teams
$218/mo
$2,180/mo billed annually
- All features included
- Unlimited inspections
- 2 team members included
- $59/additional team member
Horizon
Standard
$79/mo
$799/mo billed annually
- Report writing
- Illustrations library
- Scheduling
- Support and training included
The Verdict
Our Verdict
Horizon's illustrations are genuinely impressive, but the product is being retired on December 15, 2026 and is no longer open to new customers. Carson Dunlop recommends Spectora as its migration path. Horizon users who want AI writing, a unified inbox, and built-in reputation management may want to evaluate Inspector Studio alongside Spectora before the deadline. Whichever platform you choose, export the reports and photos you need before Horizon shuts down.