Hearth financing is worth it for small contractors who run in-home estimates on jobs above $5,000 and expect to finance at least $40,000 of work per year. Below that volume, a pay-per-job platform like Wisetack usually costs less. Most small shops pay Hearth $1,499 to $1,799 per year in 2026, and the answer turns on how much you actually finance, not on how polished the app is.
Key takeaways
- As of mid-2026, Hearth's published tiers run $1,499 per year (Essentials) and $1,799 per year (Pro), plus a one-time $99 setup fee; Hearth's own fee page says most companies invest $2,000 to $6,000 per year.
- Hearth charges no dealer fees, so against Wisetack's 3.9% per-transaction fee the Pro plan breaks even around $46,000 in annual financed volume, not the $26,000 figure often quoted against 7% dealer-fee platforms.
- Hearth holds 4 stars from roughly 1,300 Trustpilot reviews and an A rating from the BBB; the most common complaint is the annual auto-renewal charge.
- Homeowners see offers from an 18-lender network: loans of $1,000 to $250,000, terms of 2 to 12 years, APRs from about 7.99% up to 35.99%, with FICO scores as low as 550 considered.
- Skip Hearth if you work commercial-only, finance under about $25,000 per year, or will not bring financing up during estimates.
What Hearth actually costs in 2026
Hearth's pricing is a flat annual subscription with zero per-loan dealer fees, which means your cost is fixed whether you finance two jobs or forty. Third-party pricing roundups list three tiers as of mid-2026, and Hearth's own contractor-fees page confirms the ballpark by stating most companies invest $2,000 to $6,000 per year.
| Plan | Annual price (2026) | Who it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $1,499 | Solo operators who mainly want the financing link and quote tools |
| Pro | $1,799 | Small crews that also want contracts, invoicing, and payment collection |
| Elite | $4,999 | Larger teams with multiple sales reps |
Add a one-time $99 setup fee on top of any tier. For a full line-item view, see our Hearth fee breakdown for 2026, and if you are stuck between tiers, the Pro vs Starter comparison covers what each level includes.
The break-even math against per-job fees
The break-even question is simple: at what financed volume does Hearth's flat fee cost less than paying a percentage on every funded job? The answer depends heavily on which competitor you compare. Wisetack charges contractors a 3.9% fee per funded transaction with no subscription, according to Wisetack's published fee documentation. Traditional dealer-fee platforms like GreenSky run higher, commonly around 6% to 12% depending on the loan product, with promotional plans costing the most.
| Annual financed volume | Wisetack at 3.9% | Dealer-fee platform at 7% | Hearth Pro flat fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | $780 | $1,400 | $1,799 |
| $30,000 | $1,170 | $2,100 | $1,799 |
| $50,000 | $1,950 | $3,500 | $1,799 |
| $100,000 | $3,900 | $7,000 | $1,799 |
| $200,000 | $7,800 | $14,000 | $1,799 |
Run the division and you get two very different break-even points. Against a 7% dealer fee, Hearth Pro pays for itself at about $25,700 in financed volume, which is where the widely repeated "$26,000" figure comes from. Against Wisetack's 3.9%, the honest break-even is about $46,000 on Pro, or about $38,500 on Essentials. One caveat cuts back in Hearth's favor: Wisetack's 0% promotional products stack extra fees of 4.9% to 9.9% on top of the base rate, so if you lean on 0% offers to close, your blended Wisetack cost climbs toward 9% to 13% and the break-even drops fast. Our Hearth vs Wisetack comparison works through that scenario, and the GreenSky dealer fee math shows the high end of the fee spectrum.
What using Hearth correctly looks like
Using Hearth correctly means treating it as a sales tool, not a background service, and this is where most disappointed subscribers went wrong. Signing up and filing the welcome email produces exactly zero return. The contractors who make the subscription pay do four things:
- Introduce financing during the estimate, before revealing the total price
- Have the homeowner open the pre-qualification link on their phone at the kitchen table, since checking offers is a soft credit pull that does not affect their score
- Show the monthly payment next to the project total on every written quote
- Train everyone who runs estimates to do the same, every time
An $18,000 bathroom reads very differently as roughly $340 per month. If you want the exact sequence, we wrote a step-by-step guide to using Hearth during an in-home estimate.
Signs Hearth will pay off for you
- Your average residential job is $5,000 or more. Financing only creates contrast when the ticket produces a meaningful monthly payment. A $1,200 repair does not need it; a $12,000 bathroom does.
- You run at least 3 to 5 estimates per week. A flat subscription rewards volume. More conversations mean more chances to convert the fee into savings.
- You hear "I need to think about it" more than once a month. That objection is usually a budget problem in disguise, and a monthly-payment option answers it. We broke down what not offering financing costs you in real dollars.
- Your customers include buyers with FICO scores between 550 and 650. Hearth's 18-lender network considers scores down to 550, so buyers declined by single-lender platforms often still see offers. Details are in our post on Hearth's 550 FICO minimum.
- You already pay dealer fees elsewhere. If you financed $40,000+ last year on a per-job platform, switching to a flat fee is nearly automatic savings; our dealer fee explainer shows how much those percentages quietly take.
Signs Hearth will not pay off
- You finance under about $25,000 per year. At low volume, Wisetack's 3.9% pay-as-you-go model is cheaper than any subscription, and there is nothing to cancel in a slow year.
- You work commercial-only. Hearth's loan products are built for residential homeowners; commercial project financing works on entirely different rails.
- You sell by phone and email and never sit with customers. The platform's biggest edge is the in-person pre-qualification moment. Lose that and you lose most of the conversion lift.
What contractors say after using Hearth
Contractor sentiment on Hearth is genuinely mixed, and it is worth reading before you sign a yearly agreement. On Trustpilot, Hearth holds a 4-star rating across roughly 1,300 reviews as of mid-2026, with praise clustering around close rates on big tickets and complaints clustering around support response and billing. The Better Business Bureau gives Hearth an A rating, but BBB complaints filed in 2026 repeatedly mention surprise auto-renewal charges, including one contractor billed about $2,500 on renewal. High APR offers for weaker-credit customers also draw criticism: homeowner APRs can reach 35.99% per Hearth's own rate disclosures, and some homeowners simply refuse to apply at those rates. We collected field reports in our roundup of what contractors say after using Hearth.
Watch the auto-renewal date
Hearth's subscription renews automatically each year, and this single clause generates more complaints than anything else about the product. Sign up in March 2026 and you will be billed again in March 2027 unless you cancel first. Put a calendar reminder 30 days before renewal and re-run the break-even math with your real numbers: if you financed less than about $40,000 through the platform in the past 12 months, compare against Wisetack's per-job pricing before you let the charge go through.
A three-question decision framework
Answer these three questions before signing anything:
- How much did I finance in the last 12 months? Zero? Start with a per-job platform to prove financing closes jobs for your customer base before committing to an annual fee. Over $40,000? The flat fee wins.
- What is my average residential ticket? Under $5,000, financing rarely moves the needle yet. Over $8,000, it almost certainly will.
- Will I change my sales process? If financing will not come up in every estimate, you are buying a tool you will not use, and no fee structure fixes that.
How we put this together
We compared Hearth's 2026 subscription tiers against per-job fee platforms using Hearth's own pricing and fees pages, Wisetack's published 3.9% transaction fee documentation, Trustpilot's review listing for gethearth.com (4 stars, ~1,300 reviews), and BBB complaint records from 2026. Break-even figures are straight division of annual fee by fee percentage, rounded. Numbers were last verified in July 2026; check current pricing before you buy, since tiers change.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Hearth cost contractors in 2026?
Hearth costs $1,499 per year for Essentials, $1,799 for Pro, and $4,999 for Elite, plus a one-time $99 setup fee, per third-party pricing roundups as of mid-2026. Hearth's own fee page frames it as $2,000 to $6,000 per year for most companies.
Does Hearth charge dealer fees?
No, Hearth charges no per-loan dealer fees; the flat annual subscription is the entire contractor-side cost. You keep 100% of the funded job amount, which is the core trade-off against percentage-fee platforms.
What credit score do homeowners need for Hearth?
Homeowners with FICO scores as low as 550 can see offers through Hearth's 18-lender network. Stronger scores get better APRs, which run from about 7.99% up to 35.99% depending on credit, loan size, and term.
Is Hearth cheaper than Wisetack?
Hearth is cheaper than Wisetack only above roughly $46,000 in annual financed volume on the Pro plan, because Wisetack charges 3.9% per transaction with no subscription. If you rely on Wisetack's 0% promotional plans, which add 4.9% to 9.9% in fees, Hearth wins at much lower volume.
What happens if I stop using Hearth mid-year?
You still owe the full annual subscription, and it will auto-renew unless you cancel before the renewal date. BBB complaints from 2026 show renewal charges are the most common billing dispute, so set a reminder 30 days ahead.
Can I use Hearth for commercial projects?
No, Hearth's financing products are designed for residential homeowners, not commercial clients. Commercial-only contractors should look at business-to-business financing options instead.
