MountChief Pricing: What You Get for $79/Month
Transparent flat pricing is rare in taxidermy software. Most platforms hide fees behind sales calls, charge per seat, or lock critical features behind higher-priced tiers. MountChief charges $79 per month, flat. No per-seat fees. No add-on pricing for features that should be standard.
This article breaks down exactly what's included at $79/month and how that compares to building the same capability from separate tools.
TL;DR
- Whether you do 50 mounts per year or 500, the price doesn't change.
- At $79/month, the risk of trying MountChief is $79.
- MountChief's flat $79/month with no hidden fees is specifically designed to be transparent and predictable.
- This article breaks down exactly what's included at $79/month and how that compares to building the same capability from separate tools.
- comparable DIY stack costs $180 to $250 per month and still doesn't achieve the integration that MountChief provides natively.
- MountChief at $79/month is $948 per year.
What $79/Month Includes
At MountChief's standard rate, you get the complete platform:
AI-Powered Intake
Every intake is guided by AI, capturing required fields and attaching condition photos. No add-on fee for AI features. No upgrade required to access intake.
QR Tag Tracking
Unlimited QR tags generated from the intake system. Tags follow specimens through tannery and production. No per-tag fees.
Customer Portal
Every customer receives a portal link at intake. Unlimited customers. No per-customer fee. No tier limit on active portal users.
Tannery Tracking
Log shipments to multiple tanneries. Track expected return dates. Update job status when hides return. Unlimited tannery partners.
Compliance Flags
Automated compliance flags for regulated species, migratory birds, exotics, CITES-applicable species. Built into intake, not a separate compliance add-on.
Digital Invoicing
Create, send, and track invoices from within the platform. Deposit tracking, progress payments, and final invoice all integrated with the intake record.
Payment Processing
Accept card payments online through the customer portal. Payment confirmation triggers mount-ready notifications automatically.
Mobile Access
Full mobile interface, update job stages, review intake records, and respond to customer questions from your phone anywhere in the shop.
Reporting
Season summary reports, species breakdown, revenue reporting, and production metrics. Available without upgrading to a higher tier.
Team Management
Role-based access for staff. Multiple users on the same account with appropriate permissions. No per-user fee.
What a Comparable DIY Stack Costs
If you tried to build the same capability from separate tools:
| Function | Separate Tool | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Job tracking | Jobber or similar | $39-49 |
| Customer communication | Mailchimp or similar | $20-30 |
| Invoicing and payments | QuickBooks or similar | $30-40 |
| Form builder (intake) | Typeform or similar | $25-35 |
| Document storage | Google Drive (free) or cloud storage | $0-15 |
| Total estimated | | $114-169/month |
That stack also doesn't include:
- QR tag tracking integrated with job records
- Taxidermy-specific compliance flags
- Customer portal with real-time job status
- AI intake designed for taxidermy specimens
To get those features from separate tools, you'd need additional subscriptions or custom development. A comparable DIY stack costs $180 to $250 per month and still doesn't achieve the integration that MountChief provides natively.
Are There Additional Fees?
MountChief's $79/month flat pricing means:
No per-seat fees. Adding a second or third staff member to your account costs nothing extra.
No feature tier pricing. You don't pay more to access compliance flags, tannery tracking, or advanced reporting. Everything is included.
No intake volume fees. Whether you do 50 mounts per year or 500, the price doesn't change.
Payment processing fees: Standard card processing rates apply when customers pay invoices online (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, industry standard, not a MountChief markup). These are the same rates you'd pay through any payment processor.
How to Think About the ROI
MountChief at $79/month is $948 per year. Let's be realistic about the return.
Time savings on intake: If AI intake saves you 4 minutes per specimen versus paper, and you process 200 specimens per season, that's 800 minutes. Over 13 hours. At $25/hour of your labor: $325 per season in time value on intake alone.
Status call reduction: If a portal reduces your status calls from 30 per week to 3 per week during a 16-week peak season, that's 27 calls × 4 minutes × 16 weeks = 1,728 minutes. At $25/hour: $720 in labor value annually.
Mix-up prevention: One avoided mix-up on a $600 deer mount (rework cost estimate $600) pays for more than 7 months of subscription.
Total first-year measurable value: $325 + $720 + $600 (conservative) = $1,645 in documented time and risk savings against $948 annual cost.
Most MountChief shops report recovering the cost within the first month of deer season.
Comparing MountChief to Other Taxidermy Software
The taxidermy software market has several players. MountMonitor pricing and other platforms price differently. Some per seat, some per tier, some on annual-only contracts.
MountChief differentiates on:
- Integration: All features in one platform, not bolt-on additions
- Tannery tracking as a core feature: Not an afterthought
- Flat pricing: No surprises at billing time
- AI intake: Purpose-built for taxidermy, not adapted from a general-purpose form tool
- No annual contract required: Pay monthly, cancel if it's not working
Getting Started
A free trial or demo lets you see the platform before committing. The onboarding takes hours, not weeks. Most shops are processing their first digital intakes within a day of signing up.
At $79/month, the risk of trying MountChief is $79. The cost of staying on paper, as the comparison above shows, is considerably higher.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in MountChief's $79/month plan?
Everything in the platform: AI intake, QR tag tracking, customer portal, tannery tracking, compliance flags, digital invoicing, payment processing, mobile access, reporting, and team management. There are no feature tiers. The complete platform is available to every subscriber at the flat monthly rate.
Are there any additional fees with MountChief?
Standard card processing rates apply when customers pay invoices online (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). There are no per-seat fees, no intake volume fees, and no feature upgrade fees. The $79/month covers the complete platform regardless of team size or transaction volume.
How does MountChief pricing compare to other taxidermy software?
A comparable DIY stack of separate tools covering the same functions costs $180 to $250 per month and still lacks MountChief's integrated QR tracking, tannery management, and AI intake capability. Other taxidermy software options vary, some charge per seat, others use annual contracts or feature tiers. MountChief's flat $79/month with no hidden fees is specifically designed to be transparent and predictable.
How does this apply to solo taxidermy shops?
The principles in this guide apply to solo shops just as they do to larger operations, though the scale differs. A single-person shop may have lower absolute volume but faces the same documentation, compliance, and customer communication requirements. The practical advice here scales down to any shop size.
What is the most common mistake taxidermists make with mountchief pricing breakdown?
The most common mistake is treating mountchief pricing breakdown as an afterthought rather than building it into the standard workflow from the start. Shops that encounter problems in this area typically did not establish clear processes before season, which means every situation becomes a one-off decision rather than a standard response.
Try These Free Tools
Put these insights into practice with our free calculators and planners:
Sources
- National Taxidermists Association (NTA)
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
Get Started with MountChief
If you are evaluating taxidermy software options, the right test is to run actual intake through each platform and measure the difference. MountChief is $79 per month with all features included and setup takes hours, not days. Try MountChief free and compare it directly against whatever you are using now.