2026 platform matrix · 14 dimensions
Angi vs Thumbtack vs Houzz vs AskBaily
Side-by-side on 14 dimensions that actually matter: fee model, homeowner cost, matching logic, verification, data resale, regulatory intelligence, language coverage, FTC history, and the tools each platform actually ships. 2026 data, source-linked.
| Dimension | Angi | Thumbtack | Houzz | AskBaily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee model (contractor) | $20-80 per paid lead, shared 3-8 ways | $7-60 per homeowner contact, shared 3-15 ways | Houzz Pro subscription tiers + ad spend | Tiered 8-15% take-rate on closed-job revenue only |
| Fee model (homeowner) | Free, but lead costs pass through in quotes | Free, but contact costs pass through in quotes | Free | Always $0 |
| Homeowner matching | Broadcast to 3-8 contractors | Broadcast to 3-15 contractors | Directory browsing + homeowner-initiated outreach | 1 AI-scoped homeowner → 1 verified contractor |
| Live license verification at match | No — self-reported profiles updated at signup | No — Background-Checked + Top-Pro badges (not license-live) | No — self-reported professional profiles | Yes — 17 regulators integrated, queried at match time |
| AI-scoped project brief before match | No | No | No | Yes (Baily / Gemini 2.5 Flash, 80+ languages) |
| Data resale | Leads sold to multiple contractors | Contacts monetized across pros | Houzz Pro ad targeting uses homeowner data | No resale. Homeowner data shown only to matched contractor after consent. |
| Regulatory intelligence feed | None | None | None | Public RSS + JSON Feed at /feed — 81 jurisdictions |
| FTC action history | HomeAdvisor (parent) $7.2M FTC settlement 2023 | State AG pricing-transparency actions 2023 | No federal consumer-protection actions | Clean. CSLB #1105249 parent operator BBB A+ |
| Public API / data endpoints | No public structured data | No public structured data | Some listing API for partners | CC-BY-4.0 /data/*.json — cities, regulatory, pillars, 1,620 city-scoped FAQ, 5 fact sheets |
| Shareable CAC-comparison tool | No | No | No | /tools/cac-compared — 8-platform contractor savings calculator |
| Language + locale coverage | Token Spanish toggle, ~100 indexed Spanish pages | Token Spanish toggle | Multi-language product UIs | 80+ languages in chat (Baily). Indexed Spanish pages + /data/faq-es/ for 10 Hispanic metros |
| Metros covered | US + Canada nationwide | US + UK | ~20 countries | 80 metros across 5 continents; 1 live (LA), 79 ramping |
| Interactive license-lookup tool | No | No | No | /tools/license-lookup — 17-jurisdiction format-validated deep-link |
| Homeowner verification guide per city | No | No | No | /safety/{city} for 81 metros + /es/seguridad/{city} for 10 Hispanic metros |