The One Thing You Need to Know When Deciding to Hire Thumbtack vs. Taskrabbit

Sometimes, life calls for extra hands to complete a task. Maybe you’re an entrepreneur with a big project in the pipeline and no spare time, or maybe you’re a homeowner who needs a few light fixtures hung. That’s where going to an online platform to hire someone can help, and two stand out in particular: Thumbtack and TaskRabbit. But how do you know which one to go with? Here’s all you need to know about hiring on Thumbtack vs. TaskRabbit, from both platforms’ benefits to their pitfalls. 

Both Thumbtack and TaskRabbit offer services like cleaning, painting, moving, and home repair and serve to match folks who need help with people who can get the job done. For example, you can hire someone locally to help you pack, move homes, or paint a room.

Both platforms also have features to help you vet who you’ll hire. Once you input your task type and zip code, a list of businesses and individuals pops up. You can see information such as star rating, reviews, price range, and number of jobs completed through the site. Then, you can click on the profile to dive deeper into their work philosophy and see photos of the jobs they’ve done before.

One key difference is the type of services available on each platform. Thumbtack focuses more on longer-term home-related projects, whereas TaskRabbit’s primary function is to complete a one-off job quickly. TaskRabbit is ideal if you need someone to hang a heavy mirror or assemble IKEA furniture — yes, there’s a category for that.

Astrid Kusumawardhani works from home in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she recently used TaskRabbit to hire someone to help assemble a sectional sofa and two wardrobes, all from IKEA. “It was super easy to book a person,” she says. “The platform was intuitive and came integrated with the IKEA web page, so that was seamless.” Kusumawardhani says the person she hired (a Tasker) was on time, friendly, and professional, not to mention incredibly time-efficient — they did a nine-hour job in four. 

Thumbtack works well if you need to hire someone long-term for a home renovation project or weekly lawn care service. Another positive for Thumbtack is that there are sections on the site for wellness and learning, so you could also use the site to hire a yoga instructor or learn a new language.

When considering the pros and cons of Thumbtack vs. TaskRabbit, I found that Thumbtack’s site was a bit more user-friendly. I couldn’t find any house cleaners in my city on TaskRabbit, but three on Thumbtack would service my area. Thumbtack also gave more information about the person I was considering hiring, such as payment methods, number of employees, and business hours. The major pro for TaskRabbit, though, is that it’s perfect if you’re looking for quick or same-day help.

Haiko de Poel is the CEO of a Charleston, South Carolina, catering company and has used both lead-generation sites to hire temporary event staff. He recently used Thumbtack to hire servers for a 200-person lunch. “They were professional, efficient, and courteous, ensuring all guests were well-looked-after,” de Poel says. He’s also had a smooth experience finding bartenders, food runners, and post-event cleanup through TaskRabbit.

For de Poel’s purposes, both platforms have been equally helpful. “Rates can vary, but I’ve found the value provided through these platforms well-worth the investment,” he says. Hiring short-term employees has allowed his business to thrive, as folks have arrived on time, followed instructions without supervision, and worked efficiently to get the work done well.

It’s difficult to say that one site outshines the other in the market for home improvement workers, as it all depends on the task at hand. TaskRabbit is the platform of choice for mounting a TV or solving a leaky pipe issue quickly. However, if you’d like to build a trusted relationship with someone who will do a lengthier job, such as weekly lawn care or remodeling a kitchen, Thumbtack is likely the wiser choice.