Two of the most popular job management apps for UK tradespeople, and they take fundamentally different approaches. Tradify charges per user and keeps things simple. ServiceM8 charges per job and goes deeper on features.
Both will handle quotes, invoices, scheduling, and job tracking. But the right choice depends on how you work, how many jobs you run, and whether you need a team on the system.
Here’s how they actually compare.
Quick Summary
Choose Tradify if:
- You have employees or subcontractors who need app access
- You want simple, straightforward software that’s easy to learn
- You prefer predictable monthly costs regardless of job volume
- You’re already using Xero for accounting
Choose ServiceM8 if:
- You’re a sole trader or small team (1-3 people)
- You do high volume — lots of smaller jobs
- You want advanced features like online booking and automated emails
- Budget is tight and you want to start free
Pricing Compared
This is where the two platforms differ most — and where the wrong choice can cost you.
Tradify Pricing
Tradify charges per user, per month:
- Lite: £34/user/month — core features, limited reporting
- Plus: £44/user/month — full features, advanced reporting, priority support
Minimum spend is one user. Every additional team member who needs app access adds another £34-44/month.
Example costs:
- Sole trader: £34-44/month
- 2-person team: £68-88/month
- 5-person team: £170-220/month
ServiceM8 Pricing
ServiceM8 charges per job completed, with monthly caps:
- Free: £0 — up to 4 jobs/month (good for testing)
- Starter: £29/month — up to 15 jobs/month
- Growing: £79/month — up to 50 jobs/month
- Premium: £149/month — up to 150 jobs/month
- Premium Plus: £269/month — unlimited jobs
Crucially, staff accounts are free. You can add unlimited team members at no extra cost.
Example costs:
- Sole trader (20 jobs/month): £79/month
- Sole trader (100 jobs/month): £149/month
- 5-person team (100 jobs/month): £149/month
Which Works Out Cheaper?
It depends entirely on your setup:
| Scenario | Tradify (Plus) | ServiceM8 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader, 30 jobs/month | £44 | £79 | Tradify |
| Sole trader, 80 jobs/month | £44 | £149 | Tradify |
| 3-person team, 30 jobs/month | £132 | £79 | ServiceM8 |
| 3-person team, 80 jobs/month | £132 | £149 | Tradify |
| 5-person team, 50 jobs/month | £220 | £79 | ServiceM8 |
| 5-person team, 150 jobs/month | £220 | £149 | ServiceM8 |
The pattern: Tradify wins for sole traders and low-headcount operations doing moderate-to-high job volumes. ServiceM8 wins for teams, especially those doing fewer jobs per person.
Features Compared
Quoting
Tradify: Clean, professional quote templates. Add line items, labour, materials, and margins. Quotes can be emailed directly or converted to jobs with one click. Customers can accept quotes online. Simple and effective.
ServiceM8: Similar core functionality, but adds quote templates with saved items, optional terms and conditions, and electronic signature capture. Online quote acceptance with automated follow-ups available on higher plans.
Winner: ServiceM8 — slightly more flexibility, but both handle quoting well.
Invoicing
Tradify: Generate invoices from completed jobs with all costs pulled through automatically. Send via email with online payment links (Stripe or GoCardless integration). Syncs directly with Xero or MYOB.
ServiceM8: Same core workflow — job to invoice with one click. Integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, and MYOB. Adds batch invoicing on higher plans, useful if you invoice weekly rather than per-job.
Winner: Draw — both integrate with major UK accounting software and handle invoicing cleanly.
Scheduling & Dispatch
Tradify: Calendar view showing all team members. Drag-and-drop job assignment. Team members see their schedule in the mobile app. Simple and visual — works well for small teams.
ServiceM8: More sophisticated dispatch board with map view, GPS tracking, and intelligent routing. See where your team is in real-time. Better suited to businesses with multiple vans covering territory.
Winner: ServiceM8 — more powerful for teams, though Tradify is simpler to learn.
Job Management
Tradify: Each job has notes, photos, documents, time tracking, and costs attached. Clear status workflow (quoted, scheduled, in progress, completed, invoiced). Everything lives in one place.
ServiceM8: Similar structure but adds job forms and checklists — useful for compliance documentation, safety checks, or multi-stage jobs. Automated job status emails can keep customers informed without manual effort.
Winner: ServiceM8 — job forms and automation add genuine value for some trades.
Mobile App
Tradify: iOS and Android apps let field staff view schedules, log time, add notes/photos, and capture signatures. Offline mode works when signal drops — syncs when reconnected. Clean interface, easy to learn.
ServiceM8: Excellent mobile app with similar features plus barcode scanning, voice-to-text notes, and on-site payment processing. The app feels more polished and feature-rich.
Winner: ServiceM8 — one of the best mobile experiences in this category.
Customer Communication
Tradify: Manual emails and SMS from within the app. Customer portal lets clients view quotes and invoices. Functional but basic.
ServiceM8: Automated email and SMS sequences — appointment reminders, on-my-way notifications, follow-up requests for reviews. Online booking lets customers self-schedule. Significantly more automation available.
Winner: ServiceM8 — automation is a genuine time-saver if you set it up.
Reporting
Tradify: Job profitability, team performance, quote conversion rates, and financial summaries. The Plus plan adds more detailed reporting. Clear and actionable.
ServiceM8: Similar reports plus customer insights, job type analysis, and custom report building. Premium plans add more depth.
Winner: Draw — both offer solid reporting for small business needs.
Ease of Use
Tradify
Tradify’s main selling point is simplicity. The interface is clean, the workflow is logical, and most users are productive within a day or two. There’s less to configure, which means less to get wrong.
The trade-off is fewer features. If you want sophisticated automation or complex workflows, Tradify may feel limiting.
Best for: People who want software that just works without a steep learning curve.
ServiceM8
ServiceM8 has more features, which means more to learn. Initial setup takes longer — you’ll want to configure job forms, email templates, and automation rules properly. Budget a few hours to get it right.
Once configured, it’s powerful. But some users find the depth overwhelming, especially if they only need basic functionality.
Best for: People willing to invest time upfront for more capability long-term.
UK-Specific Considerations
Tradify
- New Zealand company but well-established in the UK market
- Prices in GBP, UK support hours
- Integrates with Xero (dominant UK accounting software)
- VAT handling built in
- UK-format quotes and invoices
ServiceM8
- Australian company with strong UK presence
- Prices in GBP, UK support available
- Integrates with Xero and QuickBooks
- VAT handling built in
- UK-format documents
Both platforms work well for UK trades. Neither has significant UK-specific advantages over the other.
Integrations
Tradify Integrates With:
- Xero (accounting)
- MYOB (accounting)
- Stripe (payments)
- GoCardless (direct debit)
- Mailchimp (marketing)
ServiceM8 Integrates With:
- Xero (accounting)
- QuickBooks (accounting)
- MYOB (accounting)
- Stripe (payments)
- Deputy (staff scheduling)
- Zapier (connects to 5,000+ apps)
Winner: ServiceM8 — Zapier integration opens up far more possibilities.
Support
Tradify
- Email and chat support
- Phone support on Plus plan
- Good knowledge base and video tutorials
- Active user community
ServiceM8
- Email and chat support
- Phone support on Premium plans
- Extensive knowledge base
- Regular webinars and training
Both offer adequate support. Neither is exceptional, but neither will leave you stuck.
Who Uses What?
Tradify tends to attract:
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- HVAC technicians
- Small building firms
- Trades wanting simplicity over features
ServiceM8 tends to attract:
- Sole traders watching costs
- Cleaning and maintenance businesses
- Pool and spa services
- Trades wanting automation
- Businesses doing high job volumes
There’s significant overlap — both work for most trade types. The split is more about business model than trade.
The Verdict
Choose Tradify If:
You’re a sole trader or very small team doing a decent volume of jobs. Per-user pricing works in your favour, and the simpler interface means less time wrestling with software.
You want straightforward software that does the basics well. Quote, schedule, invoice, get paid. If that’s all you need, Tradify delivers without complexity.
You’re already on Xero and want tight integration. Tradify’s Xero sync is excellent.
You value predictable costs. Whether you do 20 jobs or 200 jobs in a month, your bill stays the same.
Choose ServiceM8 If:
You have a team and don’t want to pay per head. Adding staff to ServiceM8 costs nothing, which can save hundreds monthly compared to Tradify.
You want automation. Appointment reminders, follow-up emails, on-my-way texts, review requests — ServiceM8 handles this automatically once configured.
You do lots of smaller jobs. The per-job pricing can work against you at very high volumes, but the free staff accounts often offset this.
You want room to grow. ServiceM8’s deeper feature set gives you more options as your business evolves.
Trial Recommendations
Both offer free trials — use them.
Tradify: 14-day free trial with full features. Enough time to quote a few jobs and see if the workflow suits you.
ServiceM8: Permanent free tier (4 jobs/month) plus trial of paid features. You can use the free version indefinitely for testing or very low-volume work.
Set up a real job in each. Do the full cycle: create customer, quote, convert to job, schedule, complete, invoice. Whichever feels more natural is probably the right choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I switch between them later?
Yes, but it’s painful. Job history, customer databases, and templates don’t transfer automatically. You’ll likely start fresh on the new platform. Choose carefully upfront.
Do I still need accounting software?
Yes. Both handle invoicing but neither replaces proper accounting software for UK tax compliance, VAT returns, and financial reporting. Xero or QuickBooks are the usual companions.
What about Jobber, Fergus, or Powered Now?
All viable alternatives. Jobber is popular but pricier. Fergus is Tradify’s main competitor with similar pricing. Powered Now is strong on UK compliance features like Gas Safe certificates. We’ll cover these in separate reviews.
Can I use these for CIS subcontractor work?
Both handle basic invoicing, but neither automates CIS deduction calculations. You’ll need your accountant or accounting software for that.
Is there a contract or can I cancel monthly?
Both are monthly rolling contracts. You can cancel anytime without penalty. Annual plans offer discounts but lock you in.
Bottom Line
Tradify is the simpler, safer choice for sole traders and small teams who want straightforward job management without complexity. If you just want something that works and don’t need advanced automation, Tradify won’t let you down.
ServiceM8 is the more powerful choice if you have a team (free staff accounts), want automation, or need features like online booking and job forms. It takes more setup but rewards the investment.
For a sole trader doing 30-50 jobs a month, it’s close to a coin flip on cost — try both and see which interface you prefer.
For a 3+ person team, ServiceM8’s free staff accounts usually make it the better value despite higher base pricing.
Looking for more options? Check out our full Best Job Management Software UK 2026 guide covering Tradify, ServiceM8, Powered Now, Fergus, and more.
