If you have searched "HomeAdvisor vs Angi", you are probably trying to decide which one to pay for, or whether to pay for either. The short answer: they are not really competitors. Both are brands of Angi Inc. What differs is the product you buy. One sells you leads, one at a time. The other sells you advertising space. This guide explains both in plain words, with every fact taken from the companies' own pages or public government records, checked October 8, 2026.
- HomeAdvisor and Angi belong to the same company, Angi Inc. Angi Leads is the name HomeAdvisor's pay-per-lead service goes by today.
- With leads, you pay for each homeowner match whether or not you win the job. Angi's own annual report says so in those words.
- A HomeAdvisor request can go to up to four pros, so the first one to reply has the edge.
- Neither company publishes a price list for pros. Ask for your trade and your zip in writing before you sign.
- Leads you rent stop when you stop paying. A site, reviews and listings you own keep working.
HomeAdvisor and Angi are the same company
Angi Inc.'s annual report says the company "continues to operate under multiple brands including Angi, Angie's List, HomeAdvisor, and Handy" (Angi Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal 2025, sec.gov, checked October 8, 2026). The pro side of HomeAdvisor now calls its lead service "Angi Leads". HomeAdvisor's own pro help page uses that name throughout (pro.homeadvisor.com/help/faqs, checked October 8, 2026). The Federal Trade Commission's 2022 complaint names the company as HomeAdvisor, Inc., "also doing business as Angi Leads, also doing business as HomeAdvisor Powered by Angi" (FTC complaint, docket 9407, ftc.gov, checked October 8, 2026).
So when you compare the two, you are really comparing two ways of paying the same company for customers:
- Leads (HomeAdvisor, now Angi Leads): a homeowner fills in a request, gets matched with pros, and each matched pro pays a fee for that match.
- Ads (Angi): you pay to advertise your business and offers on Angi, and homeowners who browse Angi can find you and contact you.
Angi Inc.'s annual report for 2025, filed with the SEC, lists both: fees pros pay for consumer matches, revenue from pros under contract for advertising, and membership subscription revenue (Angi Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal 2025, sec.gov, checked October 8, 2026).
How HomeAdvisor leads work
On the homeowner side, HomeAdvisor's How it works page says a homeowner describes the project and then will "receive information for up to four pre-screened, local home improvement pros". It goes on to say that as soon as the request is processed, the homeowner's information is sent to the matched pros, who then contact the homeowner (homeadvisor.com/how-it-works, checked October 8, 2026).
On the pro side, the Angi Leads help page says you tell them the type of work you do and the area you serve, and you "pay a nominal fee for each lead you match to. Different sized jobs have different Lead Fees." The page does not publish the fees. It gives a phone number for pricing (pro.homeadvisor.com/help/faqs, checked October 8, 2026).
The most important sentence for a contractor sits in Angi's annual report. It describes the lead fees as "fees paid by Pros for consumer matches (regardless of whether the Pro ultimately provides the requested service)". The same report says lead revenue varies with the service requested, the product experience and the location (Angi Inc. 10-K, fiscal 2025, checked October 8, 2026). In plain words: you pay for the introduction, not for the job.
How Angi ads work
Angi's own FAQ for homeowners explains where its money comes from: service professionals who pay to advertise services on Angi, paid homeowner memberships, and Angi Services, where Angi books the project itself (angi.com/faq, checked October 8, 2026).
To advertise, a business has to become "Angi Approved". According to the same FAQ, businesses with at least one review must keep an average rating of 3 stars or higher, the owner or a relevant manager must pass a criminal background check, and the business must attest that it holds all the state and local licenses it needs. New advertisers show as "New to Angi" until they have at least one review. Angi says it revokes certification and advertising from businesses that stop meeting the rules (angi.com/faq, checked October 8, 2026).
Angi does not publish advertising prices on a public page we could find. Plans are quoted by a sales rep for your trade and area.
Side by side
| Question | HomeAdvisor (Angi Leads) | Angi Ads |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Each homeowner match | Advertising space |
| Paid if you lose the job | Yes, per the 10-K | The ad runs either way |
| Shared with other pros | Up to four per request | Homeowners compare listings |
| Public price list | No | No |
| Entry rules | Trade and area | 3 stars, background check, licenses |
All rows are from the pages named above, checked October 8, 2026.
What contractors pay
Because neither company posts prices, most numbers you see online are estimates from contractors or from other software companies, usually with no source given. Treat any range like that as a rumor until you see your own quote.
The one official number in the public record is older. In its complaint dated March 11, 2022, the FTC said that to join HomeAdvisor's network, a service provider "pays an annual membership fee of $287.99 in addition to paying for each lead" (FTC complaint, docket 9407, ftc.gov, checked October 8, 2026). That was the figure at the time of the complaint. Ask what the membership costs today, if there is one, before you sign.
Questions worth asking the rep, and getting in writing:
- What is the lead fee for my trade, in my zip code, for each job size?
- How many other pros get the same lead?
- Is there a membership or a monthly minimum, and how do I cancel?
- What is the process if a lead is a wrong number or outside my area?
- For ads, how long is the contract, and is there a fee to leave early?
What the FTC case was about
This is public record, and it is worth knowing before you buy leads from anyone, not only HomeAdvisor.
- On March 11, 2022 the FTC issued an administrative complaint saying that "since at least July 2014" HomeAdvisor made representations about the quality, characteristics and source of its leads that were false, misleading or unsubstantiated. It said HomeAdvisor resold leads purchased from third parties it calls affiliates, and that telling providers the first month of the mHelpDesk subscription was free was wrong: that month added $59.99 to the annual membership.
- HomeAdvisor agreed to a consent order. The FTC's analysis of it says it "requires HomeAdvisor to pay up to $7,200,000" for redress, and bars misrepresenting that leads concern people who intend to hire soon, that they match a provider's task and location preferences, or that the homeowner asked HomeAdvisor directly. The final order was issued in April 2023.
Sources: the FTC complaint, the Analysis to Aid Public Comment and the Decision and Order in docket 9407, ftc.gov, all checked October 8, 2026. A consent order is a settlement, and it does not say every lead was bad. The takeaway for a contractor is simple: ask where a lead came from and how fresh it is, from any seller.
The shared-lead problem
Shared leads are not a scam. They are a business model, and they can work for some shops. But the model has a built-in race. When the same homeowner is sent to several pros at once, the job usually goes to whoever replies first and quotes fastest. A solo contractor on a roof or under a sink is at a disadvantage in that race, through no fault of the work.
Three things decide whether shared leads pay off for you:
- Speed. Can someone reply within minutes, every time, including evenings? If not, you are paying to lose.
- Ticket size. A lead fee is easier to carry on a $9,000 roof than on a $180 faucet swap.
- Your close rate. Track it for a month. Leads paid for, jobs won, money collected. Your own numbers beat any article.
If you do buy leads, the reply speed problem has a fix. Koira's AI receptionist answers on your number and texts back a missed call in about a minute with three open times, and booking by text puts the time they pick on your day. That is on the Grow plan. It does not matter where the call came from.
The other road: leads you own
Every lead service is rented attention. When you stop paying, the calls stop. The other road takes longer to build but keeps working: neighbors find you directly, on Google, on your own site, from your reviews and from the street you just worked on. None of this needs Angi to go away. You can run both while you build.
What owning your leads looks like in practice:
- A site that books jobs. Koira builds your site from your business with Book online and Get a price on every page. It is free on a Koira address, and your own domain comes with Grow.
- A page for every town. Koira's contractor SEO writes a page for every town you work and every service you offer, and posts a finished job each month.
- Listings that match. Your Google and Bing listings stay in step with your site: name, hours, services and photos.
- Reviews after every job. An hour after the invoice is paid, Koira texts the customer your Google link, and drafts the reply when the review comes in.
- The street you just worked on. Neighbor postcards go to the 50 homes nearby most likely to hire you, the morning after the job. One flat price per card on every plan.
The difference from a lead service: when a neighbor calls from your own site or your own listing, nobody else got the same call at the same moment.
How to choose
A fair way to decide, without anyone's sales pitch:
- Lean toward leads if you are brand new, have no reviews yet, can reply within minutes and your jobs are big enough to carry a fee you may not win back.
- Lean toward ads if you already have good reviews on Angi and want to be seen by homeowners who browse there, and you are comfortable with a contract.
- Lean toward your own channels if you are tired of racing other pros for the same homeowner and want each month's work to make the next month easier.
Whatever you pick, start by seeing where you stand. The free AI report looks at your search results, listings and reviews against shops near you, in about a minute. Then compare what you would spend on leads with what Koira's plans cost: Office is free, Grow is $249 a month plus usage at cost, Front Office is $499 a month flat.
Questions contractors ask
Are HomeAdvisor and Angi the same company?
Yes. Both belong to Angi Inc. HomeAdvisor's pro lead service now goes by the name Angi Leads, per HomeAdvisor's own pro help page, checked October 8, 2026.
Do you pay for HomeAdvisor leads you do not win?
Yes. Angi Inc.'s 10-K for fiscal 2025 describes lead fees as paid by pros for consumer matches "regardless of whether the Pro ultimately provides the requested service". Checked October 8, 2026.
How many contractors get the same HomeAdvisor lead?
HomeAdvisor's How it works page says a homeowner will receive information for up to four pre-screened local pros, and that the homeowner's information is sent to those matched pros. Checked October 8, 2026.
How much does HomeAdvisor cost per lead?
HomeAdvisor does not publish lead prices. Its pro help page says lead fees differ by job size and gives a phone number for pricing. Online ranges are third-party estimates. Ask for a written quote for your trade and zip code.
What was the FTC case against HomeAdvisor?
The FTC's March 2022 complaint said HomeAdvisor made false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims about the quality, characteristics and source of its leads. Under a consent order made final in April 2023, HomeAdvisor must pay up to $7.2 million for redress and stop those claims. Source: FTC docket 9407 documents, ftc.gov, checked October 8, 2026.
What does it take to advertise on Angi?
Angi's FAQ says you must be Angi Approved: an average rating of 3 stars or higher once you have a review, a criminal background check on the owner or relevant manager, and an attestation that you hold the required licenses. Checked October 8, 2026.
Is there a way to get leads that are not shared?
Yes. Calls that come from your own website, your Google listing, your reviews and your neighbor postcards go only to you. They take longer to build than buying leads, and they keep working when you stop paying for anything.
