Spectora vs HomeGauge
Spectora
vs
7.7
5.6
HomeGauge
These two products are now part of the same company: Spectora acquired HomeGauge in April 2025, and both continue to be sold. Spectora is cloud-based; HomeGauge is built around a Windows desktop report writer.
Quick Stats
Spectora
Overall Score
7.7/10
Starting Price
$109/mo
Founded
2015
Free Trial
Yes
Best For
Inspectors who want the largest existing community and established ecosystem
HomeGauge
Overall Score
5.6/10
Starting Price
$89/mo
Founded
2001
Free Trial
30 days
Best For
Long-time users comfortable with a Windows desktop workflow
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Spectora | HomeGauge |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting & Templates | ||
| Custom Report Templates Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Customizable templates with drag-and-drop editor
|
Full Support
Full Support
Desktop Report Writer with extensive customization
|
| Pre-Built Templates |
Full Support
Full Support
Community templates available
|
Full Support
Full Support
Extensive template library
|
| Specialty Inspection Forms Key |
Full Support
Full Support
WDI, Wind Mitigation, NPMA-33, 4-Point, Florida WDO, Texas WDI, and a PDF filler
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Some specialty templates available
|
| Conditional Logic in Reports Key |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic conditional logic
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Limited conditional options
|
| Multiple PDF Output Modes |
Full Support
Full Support
Full and summary PDFs with a text-only summary option
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
PDF with some format options
|
| Photo Management |
Full Support
Full Support
Photo upload, annotation, and management
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Photo annotation in the Companion app; Photo Locker
|
| Report Macros/Batch Actions |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Limited batch operations
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Some batch features in desktop writer
|
| Template Import/Migration |
Full Support
Full Support
Importers for HomeGauge, HIP, InspectIt, Horizon, and spreadsheets
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Template import available
|
| Video Support in Reports |
Full Support
Full Support
Direct video upload plus embeds
|
Full Support
Full Support
Video and 360° images in reports
|
| Interactive Report Viewer |
Full Support
Full Support
Online report viewer
|
Full Support
Full Support
Dashboard viewer for clients
|
| Diagrams & Illustrations |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic diagram support
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Sketch tool
|
| Report Comments/Narratives |
Full Support
Full Support
Comment library with AI Comment Assist
|
Full Support
Full Support
Extensive comment library
|
| AI & Automation | ||
| AI Report Writing Key |
Partial Support
Partial Support
AI Comment Assist in the base plan
|
Not Available |
| AI Photo Analysis Key | Not Available | Not Available |
| AI Template Building |
Partial Support
Partial Support
AI Comment Assist works inside the template builder
|
Not Available |
| Automated Email Sequences |
Full Support
Full Support
Email automation workflows
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Time Release Messaging for scheduled follow-up emails
|
| Automated SMS Notifications |
Full Support
Full Support
SMS automation included in the base plan
|
Not Available |
| Conditional Automation Rules Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Tags and multi-condition AND/OR rules (Advanced)
|
Not Available |
| Pre-Built Automations |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Some automated workflows included
|
Not Available |
| Merge Tags |
Full Support
Full Support
Placeholders in emails, texts, and agreements
|
Full Support
Full Support
Merge fields
|
| Speech-to-Text |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Device speech-to-text
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Device dictation in the Companion app; voice recordings
|
| Scheduling & Booking | ||
| Online Booking Widget |
Full Support
Full Support
Online scheduling widget
|
Full Support
Full Support
ScheduleNow embeddable online booking
|
| Drive-Time Aware Scheduling Key |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Service Areas assign the closest qualified inspector (Advanced)
|
Not Available |
| Route Optimization | Not Available | Not Available |
| Team Calendar |
Full Support
Full Support
Team calendar view
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Multi-inspector calendars
|
| Conflict Detection |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Some conflict detection
|
Not Available |
| Configurable Availability |
Full Support
Full Support
Inspector availability and service areas
|
Full Support
Full Support
ScheduleNow time slots and time off
|
| Property Data Enrichment Key |
Partial Support
Partial Support
ATTOM or RentCast autofill of square footage, year built, and foundation; US only
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
BuildFax property-history reports (pay-per-use)
|
| Drag-and-Drop Scheduling |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Limited drag-and-drop
|
Not Available |
| Booking Confirmations |
Full Support
Full Support
Booking confirmations
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic confirmations
|
| Calendar Sync |
Full Support
Full Support
Two-way Google Calendar sync plus iCal feed
|
Full Support
Full Support
Google Calendar sync; Outlook and iCal sharing
|
| Client Experience | ||
| Customer Portal Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Client Portal for reports, payment, signing, and add-ons
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Dashboard viewer for buyers
|
| Agent Portal Key |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Agent access available
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Agent dashboard view
|
| No-Account Access |
Full Support
Full Support
Tokenized secure links
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Clients normally log in with a HomeGauge account; a no-login link is available
|
| Digital Signature Capture |
Full Support
Full Support
Digital signature
|
Full Support
Full Support
E-signature on online agreements
|
| Payment Gating |
Full Support
Full Support
Reports stay locked until paid
|
Full Support
Full Support
Require payment before documents can be viewed
|
| Post-Inspection Surveys |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic follow-up options
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Customer ratings and website rating widget
|
| Repair Request Lists |
Full Support
Full Support
Repair Request Builder
|
Full Support
Full Support
Create Request List (CRL) — flagship feature
|
| Mobile-Friendly Reports |
Full Support
Full Support
Mobile-friendly reports
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Somewhat mobile-friendly
|
| Communication | ||
| Unified Inbox Key | Not Available | Not Available |
| Live Chat Widget | Not Available | Not Available |
| Canned Responses | Not Available | Not Available |
| Department Routing | Not Available | Not Available |
| VOIP/Call Integration Key | Not Available | Not Available |
| SMS Messaging |
Full Support
Full Support
Two-way SMS Conversations (Advanced, web only)
|
Not Available |
| Email Integration |
Full Support
Full Support
Email integration
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic email
|
| Auto-Responders | Not Available | Not Available |
| Communication History |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic history
|
Not Available |
| Business Operations | ||
| Payroll Module Key |
Full Support
Full Support
PaySplits (Advanced)
|
Not Available |
| Multi-Location Support Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Organization tools for franchises and multi-location companies
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Some multi-user features
|
| Time Clock |
Full Support
Full Support
In-app hourly tracking for inspectors (Advanced)
|
Not Available |
| Mileage Tracking | Not Available | Not Available |
| Team Management |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Multi-user management
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic team features
|
| Custom Analytics Dashboard Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Custom dashboards (Advanced)
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic dashboard
|
| Revenue Reports |
Full Support
Full Support
Revenue reporting with CSV exports
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Business Insights revenue reports
|
| Canadian Support |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic Canadian support
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
HomeGauge Payments is US-only
|
| Pricing & Payments | ||
| Stripe Integration |
Full Support
Full Support
Stripe payments
|
Not Available
Not Available
Card payments run through HomeGauge Payments (US only), not Stripe
|
| Square Integration |
Not Available
Not Available
Legacy Square connections are being migrated to Spectora Payments
|
Not Available |
| PayPal Integration |
Not Available
Not Available
PayPal is not integrated
|
Not Available |
| ACH/Bank Transfer |
Full Support
Full Support
ACH at a flat $3.99
|
Not Available |
| Pay-at-Close |
Full Support
Full Support
Pay at Close
|
Not Available |
| Dynamic Pricing Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Modifiers by square footage, age, mileage, and area
|
Not Available |
| Service Bundling |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Add-on services
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Service groups and discount line items
|
| Tax Configuration |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Tax configuration
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic tax
|
| Invoicing |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Invoice features
|
Full Support
Full Support
Invoicing with tax rate and refunds
|
| QuickBooks Integration |
Full Support
Full Support
QuickBooks integration
|
Unknown
Unknown
No vendor documentation found
|
| FreshBooks Integration | Not Available | Not Available |
| Xero Integration | Not Available | Not Available |
| Contracts & Agreements | ||
| Digital Contracts |
Full Support
Full Support
Digital agreements
|
Full Support
Full Support
Online agreements
|
| E-Signature Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Digital signatures
|
Full Support
Full Support
E-signature on online agreements
|
| Contract Templates |
Full Support
Full Support
Contract templates
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic templates
|
| Auto-Attach to Services |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Manual attachment
|
Not Available |
| Multi-Party Signing |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Multi-signer support
|
Not Available |
| Marketing & Reputation | ||
| Google Review Management Key |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Review widget for Google, Yelp, and Facebook; no monitoring or replying
|
Not Available |
| Automated Review Requests |
Full Support
Full Support
Automated review requests
|
Not Available |
| Sentiment-Based Routing | Not Available | Not Available |
| AI Review Responses | Not Available | Not Available |
| SEO-Ready Website |
Full Support
Full Support
Website service from $699/yr plus setup; a 3-page site is included with Advanced
|
Full Support
Full Support
Website service from $69/mo plus setup fee
|
| Email Marketing Integration |
Full Support
Full Support
Mailchimp integration
|
Not Available |
| Referral Tracking |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Basic referral tracking
|
Not Available |
| Integrations & Platform | ||
| Zapier Integration |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Zapier on Advanced only, contacts only
|
Unknown
Unknown
No vendor documentation found
|
| Open API |
Full Support
Full Support
Public API and webhooks; write access limited to contacts and attachments
|
Not Available |
| Mobile App (iOS) |
Full Support
Full Support
Native iOS app
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Companion app for field data collection; reports are finished in the desktop writer
|
| Mobile App (Android) |
Full Support
Full Support
Native Android app
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Companion app for field data collection; reports are finished in the desktop writer
|
| Offline Capability Key |
Full Support
Full Support
Mobile app completes a full inspection offline; connection needed to import and sync
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Desktop writer and Companion app both work offline
|
| Cloud-Based Platform |
Full Support
Full Support
Cloud-based
|
Partial Support
Partial Support
Cloud dashboard and report delivery only; the cloud Web Writer was retired in September 2025
|
| Desktop Application |
Not Available
Not Available
Web and mobile only
|
Full Support
Full Support
Desktop Report Writer — core product (Windows only)
|
| ISN Integration |
Partial Support
Partial Support
Some ISN integration
|
Full Support
Full Support
ISN appointment sync
|
| Permit Research Integration Key | Not Available | Not Available |
Pricing Comparison
Spectora
Standard
$109/mo
$1,090/mo billed annually
- Report writing
- Scheduling
- Payments
- Agreements
- AI Comment Assist
- SMS and email automation
Advanced
$109/mo
$1,090/mo billed annually
- Everything in Standard
- PaySplits and hourly tracking
- Two-way SMS conversations
- Custom dashboards
- Zapier and AI Message Assist
HomeGauge
HomeGauge
$89/mo
- Desktop Report Writer (Windows)
- Companion app for iOS and Android
- ScheduleNow online booking
- CRL feature
- 30-day free trial
The Verdict
Our Verdict
Spectora is the more complete product of the two — it is cloud-based, has a larger community, and offers AI Comment Assist, a public API, and broader automation. HomeGauge suits inspectors who prefer a Windows desktop workflow and its Create Request List. Since HomeGauge's cloud Web Writer was retired in September 2025, HomeGauge itself points inspectors who want a cloud writer toward Spectora.