# Tow Deputy vs TowPilot: $99 Towing AI vs $500 Voice Agent

Source: Tow Deputy (https://towdeputy.com) — AI Towing Dispatcher & 24/7 AI Receptionist for Towing Companies.
Last updated: September 2026.
Page: https://towdeputy.com/compare/

Tow Deputy is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or integrated with TowPilot. TowPilot is a trademark of its respective owner and is named here only for comparison. This resource does not link to TowPilot.

TowPilot cells below are taken from vendor dashboard screenshots (AI agent, dispatch, impound, transfers, TowPhone, drivers, pricing, and listed TMS connectors). Confirm current capabilities and pricing with that vendor.

## What's the difference?

Tow Deputy is towing-only AI from $99/mo: it quotes your exact rate card, collects a PCI-compliant SMS deposit, and is adding the same dispatch-oriented stack TowPilot already sells — including Towbook and Omadi integrations, coming soon. TowPilot already ships native TMS connectors from $500/mo, with quoting as an optional setting. Same job, done for towing: exact prices, deposits, and the integrations, at about 1/5 the price.

Tow Deputy does not answer for plumbers, dentists, or other trades. Every call is a tow, a lockout, a flat, or a jump. Dispatch-oriented features and native Towbook and Omadi integrations are coming soon, so you get the same TMS handoff TowPilot markets today — with the quoting and deposits they treat as optional. TowPilot already ships a dispatch-oriented backend: per-service on/off toggles, impound-lot scripts, a drivers table, TowPhone for live dispatcher seats, and listed connectors for Towbook, Omadi, TOPS, InTow, and Dispatch Anywhere. Quoting is a setting you can leave off. List price starts at $500/mo, with a higher plan at $1,500/mo.

Tow Deputy works alongside the dispatch software you already run. Today that handoff is SMS and dashboard — you create the job in Towbook, Omadi, or whatever you use. Native Towbook and Omadi job creation, and the rest of the dispatch-oriented stack, are coming soon. You will not need a $500/mo generic agent to get jobs into your TMS.

## Pricing: $99 vs $500

Tow Deputy prices are current list prices. TowPilot figures are the list prices used for this comparison ($500/mo base, $1,500/mo higher plan); confirm current billing with that vendor.

Capability — Tow Deputy — TowPilot
- Starting paid plan: $99/mo Starter (290 calls) — $500/mo base
- Free trial / free plan: $0/mo, 20 calls, Growth features, no credit card — Unknown
- Next plan up: $199/mo Growth (590 calls, smart deposits) — $1,500/mo higher plan
- Extra calls: $0.30 each, or $30 per 100 — Billing portal / credits — confirm rates with vendor

Starter is about 5× cheaper than TowPilot's base. Growth at $199/mo is still less than half of $500. A year of TowPilot base is $6,000 versus $1,188 for Tow Deputy Starter. Five extra $150 cash tows a week is about $3,900 a month in recovered work — against a $99 Starter bill. An overnight human dispatcher runs $3,000–$4,500/mo; TowPilot's $1,500 plan sits in that neighborhood without being a towing-only quoting product.

(An experimental Lead Engine plan at $3,000/mo bundles Growth with marketed jobs; that is a different conversation than the $99 vs $500 choice.)

## Why a dispatch agent still loses cash tows

A towing call is not a dentist appointment. If the agent skips drivetrain (FWD/RWD/AWD/4x4), you send the wrong truck. If it can't turn a landmark like behind the Shell off exit 12 into an address, the driver hunts. If it can't quote your hook-up, per-mile, and zone-based hook-up fees by distance from the yard, the caller shops the next listing. Listing "we take cash, credit, or debit" is not a PCI-compliant SMS deposit into your own Stripe. TowPilot can log the call into dispatch software and still miss the money. Tow Deputy only does this job, so those questions are the product, not a prompt.

## Side-by-side (from shipped Tow Deputy behavior and TowPilot vendor screenshots)

### Intake & quoting

- Built only for towing companies: Towing only — Generic-style agent + dispatch backend
- Roadside service types: Tows, lockouts, jump starts, tire changes, winch-outs with separate prices — Per-service toggles: towing, jump, tire, fuel delivery, lockout, winch-out
- Drivetrain, keys, problem type, passengers, pickup and drop-off: Every call, including FWD/RWD/AWD/4x4 — Vehicle class Light/Medium/Heavy/Motorcycle shown; drivetrain not shown — Unknown
- Landmarks, exits, mile markers: Yes — Not shown in vendor settings — Unknown
- Quotes your exact rate card live: Always on from your card — the product — Optional "Let the AI quote prices" toggle (shown off in vendor screenshots)
- Zone-based hook-up fees by distance from yard: In the live quote — Rate builder has location extras; confirm zone hook-up with vendor
- After-hours and vehicle-class pricing: Custom night hours, type/weight surcharges from your dashboard — Class handling plus a rate builder (base, per-mile, deadhead, hours). Confirm live quoting is on.
- Winch-out intake: AI handles with your winch-out price — AI transfers to team rather than fully handling
- Rate setup: Editable in the dashboard from your card — Rate builder, import JSON, or "Generate Pricing with AI" from plain English

Do not read that as "TowPilot cannot quote." They have a rate screen. Quoting is optional in their agent settings. Tow Deputy is built around quoting your exact card including zone-based hook-up fees.

### Payments & deposits

- PCI-compliant SMS deposit during a cash tow: Yes, Growth, into your Stripe — Not shown; impound settings list accepted methods to callers
- Funds in your own Stripe: Yes — Unknown
- What the AI says about payment: Sends a deposit link that collects money — Can tell impound callers you take cash, credit, or debit — that is not a retail-tow deposit
- Built to cut no-shows: Yes, revenue capture — Optional quoting; dispatch connectors first

### Dispatch & software

- Works alongside Towbook / Omadi today: SMS + dashboard today; native Towbook & Omadi coming soon — Listed connectors: Towbook, Dispatch Anywhere, Omadi, TOPS, InTow
- Native automatic job creation in the TMS: Coming soon — Towbook & Omadi — Markets lookup and job create when customers call — Unknown
- Closest-driver / send to trucks: Closest-driver dispatch via SMS and app — Optional "send jobs to trucks" toggle (shown off in vendor screenshots)
- Drivers / fleet list: Dispatch summaries today; fuller dispatch tools coming soon — Drivers table: name, phone, vehicle, status
- Live dispatcher phone in the browser: Keep your number (forwarding) or a dedicated AI line — TowPhone: separate browser seats, not the AI line
- Service-area map: Your coverage, quoted from the card — Radius (10/25/50/100 mi), city, county, or custom
- Replaces dispatch software: No — No

TowPilot already has the broader native TMS connector list today. Confirm that with the vendor. Tow Deputy native Towbook and Omadi job creation is coming soon — not shipped yet.

### Impound & transfers

- Escalate police, motor club, or irate callers: You set the rules — Live rep, law-enforcement keywords, ask-by-name, caller-from-company, custom scenarios
- Dedicated impound-lot playbook: Not an impound-lot product — Required docs, hide pricing/locations/storage, after-hours release
- Per-class AI vs transfer: Intake on every retail tow; you set escalations — Light / medium / heavy / motorcycle: AI Handles, transfer, or decline

### Coverage & price

- 24/7 answering, simultaneous calls: Under two seconds — Dedicated agent number
- Multi-language: Paid plans — Unknown
- Live in under 24 hours: Forward your number or use a dedicated AI line — Unknown
- Free plan to test on real calls: 20 calls, no card — Unknown
- Starting paid price: $99/mo — $500/mo base; $1,500/mo higher plan

## Same dispatch stack. Better towing product.

TowPilot already has native TMS connectors and TowPhone today. Tow Deputy is adding dispatch-oriented features and Towbook and Omadi integrations soon. Until that ships, the handoff is SMS and dashboard — and you already get exact quotes, PCI SMS deposits, and a $99 Starter plan instead of $500–$1,500/mo.

If you need those connectors this week and you are fine paying that much, they have them now. Everyone else should start on Tow Deputy: a generic-style agent can log the call into dispatch software and still miss drivetrain, the landmark, your zone hook-up, and the deposit.

## FAQs

What's the difference between Tow Deputy and TowPilot?
Tow Deputy is a towing-only AI receptionist that quotes your exact rate card, including zone-based hook-up fees, and collects a PCI-compliant deposit by SMS. Dispatch-oriented features and native Towbook and Omadi integrations are coming soon. TowPilot already ships native TMS connectors from $500/mo; quoting is an optional setting. Tow Deputy is built to do that same job for towing — exact quotes, deposits, and the integrations — at about 1/5 the price.

Why does a towing-only agent matter?
A towing call is not a dentist appointment. If the agent skips drivetrain, you send the wrong truck. If it can't turn a landmark like behind the Shell off exit 12 into an address, the driver hunts. If it can't quote your hook-up, per-mile, and zone-based rates, the caller shops the next listing. Tow Deputy only does this job, so those questions are the product, not a prompt.

Does Tow Deputy replace TowPilot or my dispatch software?
Neither replaces your dispatch software. Tow Deputy answers the phone, prices the job, and can take a deposit, then hands you a finished intake by SMS and dashboard to enter in Towbook, Omadi, or whatever you run. Automatic & Native Towbook and Omadi job creation is coming soon. TowPilot already markets native connectors to Towbook, Omadi, TOPS, InTow, and Dispatch Anywhere — confirm that with the vendor. Tow Deputy is not affiliated with TowPilot.

When should I choose TowPilot instead?
You do not have to. Tow Deputy is adding dispatch-oriented features and native Towbook and Omadi integrations soon, on top of exact quotes and PCI SMS deposits. TowPilot already has native TMS connectors and a browser dispatcher phone (TowPhone) today — at $500–$1,500/mo. If you need those connectors this week, they have them now. If you want the towing-only quoting and deposit product plus the same Towbook and Omadi integrations shortly, start on Tow Deputy at $99/mo instead of spending $6,000 a year before you have captured a deposit.

How much does Tow Deputy cost vs TowPilot?
Tow Deputy is $0/mo for 20 calls (Growth features, no credit card), $99/mo Starter (290 calls), and $199/mo Growth (590 calls, smart deposits). Extra calls are $0.30 each or $30 per 100. TowPilot's list prices are $500/mo base and $1,500/mo on the higher plan. Starter is about 5× cheaper than TowPilot's base; a year of TowPilot base is $6,000 versus $1,188 for Tow Deputy Starter.

Does TowPilot quote towing prices?
TowPilot can quote but not as well. Their agent settings include an optional "Let the AI quote prices" toggle, and they have a rate builder for base fee, per-mile, and deadhead. Tow Deputy quotes your exact rate card on every call as the product, including zone-based hook-up fees by distance from the yard — not a setting you have to turn on.

Does Tow Deputy replace Towbook / create jobs automatically?
No. Tow Deputy does not replace Towbook, Omadi, or any dispatch software. Native automatic job creation is coming soon for Towbook and Omadi. Today the handoff is SMS plus the dashboard; you create the job in the TMS you already run.

Try the live demo: (615) 205-9369, or book a setup call at https://towdeputy.com/#book.