Christmas Light Installation Invoicing Software (2026)
For a solo Christmas light installer, ShowTheReceipts ($15/mo) covers the season — quote the install, invoice the same day, bill takedown separately months later, and keep the whole season's cash, card, and Venmo payments in one ledger for tax time.
How we picked
Entry-plan prices as published in 2026, checked against each vendor's own pricing page or a recent third-party pricing summary. We judged tools on the solo installer's real workflow — a seasonal install-then-takedown cycle billed months apart, same-day invoicing, and on-site payment — not multi-crew franchise features.
| Software | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| ShowTheReceipts That's us | $15/mo | Solo installers: install and takedown invoiced separately, on-site card payment, cash & Venmo tracked, tax-ready books |
| Kickserv Flex | $19/mo | Budget scheduling + invoicing, no seasonal-specific design tools |
| Tinsel CRM | Custom / pay-as-you-go | Lighting-specific route building and inventory tracking; billing model is subscription-adjacent rather than a flat monthly rate |
| QuoteIQ | $29.99/mo | AI estimating and before/after photo documentation for the install |
| Jobber | $49/mo (Core) | Multi-crew dispatch across a large install season |
The solo installer’s real workflow
This trade runs on a compressed season with two billable events months apart — the install in November, the takedown in January. Software either handles that split cleanly or treats it like any other one-time job.
1. ShowTheReceipts — $15/mo
Invoice the install the day you finish, bill takedown as its own separate job when it happens, and keep cash and Venmo tracked alongside card payments in the same ledger — so a season with two billing events months apart doesn’t turn into two disconnected records.
2. Kickserv Flex — $19/mo
The honest budget pick for scheduling and invoicing. No lighting-specific design or inventory tools, so route planning and stock tracking stay manual.
3. Tinsel CRM — custom / pay-as-you-go
The lighting-specific specialist: route building, inventory tracking, and a mockup tool for pitching designs. Pricing is closer to a pay-as-you-go model than a flat monthly rate — worth confirming current terms directly before committing.
4. QuoteIQ — $29.99/mo
AI-assisted estimating and before/after photo documentation for the install, useful if visual proof of the finished job matters to your sales process.
5. Jobber — $49/mo (Core)
Full dispatch and scheduling for a business running several install crews during peak season.
Skip it if you’re a solo installer — the dispatch board is overhead you’ll set up once for the season and rarely touch.
Frequently asked questions
What software does a solo Christmas light installer actually need?
A way to invoice the install immediately, bill takedown as a separate job months later, and track a season's worth of cash, card, and Venmo payments in one place — since this trade only runs hard for a few months a year.
What do I get with ShowTheReceipts for $15/month?
The solo-installer workflow at the lowest paid price — separate install and takedown invoicing, on-site card payment, and cash/Venmo tracked alongside card in the same ledger, with tax-ready exports at year end.
Is a lighting-specific tool like Tinsel worth it over a general invoicing app?
If route building and inventory tracking across dozens of homes is your main bottleneck, a lighting-specific tool earns its keep. If your core need is just quoting, invoicing, and getting paid, a general tool covers that at a lower and more predictable cost.