Four platforms built around very different assumptions about your trade business. Before you commit to a subscription, know what each one actually costs in pounds, whether it handles MTD, and what UK tradespeople say about it in the field.
For most UK sole traders and teams up to five engineers, Tradify offers the best mix of job-cycle depth, transparent sterling pricing, and field usability (4.7/5 on Capterra from 2,700+ reviews). Commusoft is strongest for gas, HVAC, and multi-engineer service firms needing contracts, service agreements, and compliance records; budget GBP 150-300/month for a team of four. Jobber has the best mobile experience and cleanest onboarding, with MTD-compatible QuickBooks sync, but payments and add-ons inflate the real cost. Powered Now is the simplest, cheapest start for a sole trader needing HMRC-ready quotes and invoices, though not a long-term fit as a team grows. Across all four, the advertised entry price rarely reflects what a team of four to six actually pays once processing fees, add-ons, and accountancy integrations are included.
If Sole trader starting out — need HMRC-compliant quotes and invoices on a phone
If Electrician or plumber with 2-8 engineers — need job management and a reliable mobile app
If Gas engineer or heating contractor with annual maintenance contracts and Gas Safe obligations
If Team of 5-15 engineers wanting the best mobile app and clean onboarding
If Builder or general contractor managing multi-week projects rather than service jobs
If Validating before committing any budget
| Tradify | Commusoft | Jobber | Powered Now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price (annual billing) | £29/month (1 user) | £89/month (Office, up to 3 users) | £39/month (Core, 1 user) | £15/month (Starter, 1 user) |
| Typical cost — 5 engineers | ~£99/month (Team plan, annual) | ~£149-£199/month (Office/Advanced) | ~£119-£169/month (Connect/Grow Team) | ~£49/month (Business plan) |
| Ideal trade and size | All trades; 1-20 engineers | Gas, HVAC, heating; 5-50 engineers with contracts | All trades; 1-15 engineers; best mobile | Sole traders and micro (1-3); paperwork-focused |
| Minimum commitment | Monthly or annual (15% discount annual) | Annual contract; monthly at premium | Monthly or annual (up to 20% discount annual) | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | 14-day demo via sales team | 14 days, no credit card | 14 days free |
| Scheduling and dispatch | Drag-and-drop job board; recurring jobs; technician availability | Advanced dispatch board; engineer capacity; travel time; compliance status | Visual calendar; route optimisation (rebuilt Oct 2025); GPS add-on | Basic job list and calendar; no live dispatch board |
| Quoting and invoicing | Digital quotes with signature; templates; purchase orders | Multi-stage quoting; service agreements; parts catalogue | Online quotes with digital signature; client approval portal | Professional quotes and invoices; signature capture; photo attachments |
| Making Tax Digital (MTD) / VAT | MTD via Xero and QuickBooks integrations | MTD via Sage, Xero, and QuickBooks integrations | MTD via QuickBooks Online UK and Xero | VAT-ready invoicing; MTD via Xero |
| Payment processing | Stripe integration; standard Stripe UK rates | Stripe (card); GoCardless (Direct Debit) from Advanced plan | Jobber Payments UK: 2.9% + 20p per transaction | Stripe integration; standard Stripe UK rates |
| Mobile app rating (iOS / Android) | 4.6 / 4.5 (App Store, June 2026) | 4.2 / 4.1 (App Store, June 2026) | 4.8 / 4.7 (App Store, June 2026) | 4.4 / 4.3 (App Store, June 2026) |
| Key UK integrations | Xero, QuickBooks, Stripe; no native Sage | Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, GoCardless, Gas Safe Register | QuickBooks Online, Xero, Stripe; two-way SMS (UK) | Xero, QuickBooks, Stripe |
| Gas Safe / engineer compliance | Not built in; custom fields only | Built-in Gas Safe register lookup; compliance certificates; engineer history | Not built in; custom fields only | Basic certificate templates only |
| Service agreements / contracts | Recurring jobs only; no contract management | Full service agreement module; renewal reminders; SLA tracking | Recurring jobs only; no contract management | Recurring invoices only |
| G2 / Capterra rating (June 2026) | 4.7/5 Capterra (2,700+ reviews) · 4.6/5 G2 | 4.3/5 Capterra (~180 reviews) · 4.2/5 G2 | 4.6/5 Capterra (1,456 reviews) · 4.5/5 G2 | 4.5/5 Capterra (~120 reviews) · 4.3/5 Trustpilot |
| UK-specific support | UK phone and chat; UK community forum | UK-based team; dedicated account manager from Advanced plan | Chat and email; UK business hours | UK-based team; phone support on paid plans |
| Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) | Via Xero / QuickBooks integration | Via Sage / Xero integration | Via QuickBooks / Xero integration | Via Xero only |
| Tradify | Commusoft | Jobber | Powered Now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of onboarding | 8 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
| Pricing transparency | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Mobile app quality | 8 | 7 | 10 | 7 |
| Sole trader / micro fit | 8 | 4 | 7 | 9 |
| Multi-engineer fit (5-20) | 8 | 9 | 7 | 3 |
| Gas/HVAC compliance | 4 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
| MTD and UK accounting | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| User satisfaction (Capterra/G2) | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
Tradify is the most-reviewed UK trade job management platform with over 2,700 Capterra ratings at 4.7/5. Built explicitly for tradespeople — electricians, plumbers, gas engineers, builders — it covers the full job cycle from quoting to invoice with a practical mobile app rated 4.6 on iOS and 4.5 on Android. Pricing in sterling is transparent: £29/month annual for a solo operator, £99/month for a team of five. MTD compliance is handled via Xero and QuickBooks integrations rather than a built-in VAT filing engine. The main limitation is that it is not a service-agreement platform — gas and HVAC businesses with annual contract management needs will outgrow it.
Solo (1 user): £34/month monthly, £29/month annual. Team (up to 5): £115/month monthly, £99/month annual. Premium (up to 10 users): £195/month monthly, £169/month annual. All prices in GBP. Xero and QuickBooks integrations included. Card processing via Stripe at standard Stripe UK rates (typically 1.4% + 20p for European consumer cards; verify at stripe.com/gb/pricing).
UK sole traders and teams of 1-20 tradespeople across electrical, plumbing, gas (without compliance module needs), building, and general contracting who want a proven, well-reviewed platform at a transparent price.
Commusoft is the most feature-complete UK platform for gas, HVAC, and boiler service businesses. It includes built-in Gas Safe register integration, engineer compliance tracking, full service agreement management with SLA and renewal reminders, a parts catalogue, and GoCardless Direct Debit for recurring payments. Pricing starts at £89/month for up to three users on the Office plan. It is purpose-designed for the managed-service model: businesses holding annual maintenance contracts that respond to breakdowns and need an audit trail for every engineer visit. Not the right fit for sole traders or project-based builders who do not work on service contracts.
Office plan: from £89/month annual (up to 3 users). Advanced plan: from £149/month annual (up to 5 users, additional modules). Enterprise: bespoke pricing for 15+ engineers. Annual commitment is the default. GoCardless transaction fees apply separately (standard GoCardless UK rate: 1% capped at £2 per Direct Debit transaction). Stripe card processing at standard Stripe UK rates. All prices in GBP.
UK gas engineers, heating and plumbing contractors, HVAC businesses, and boiler service companies with 5+ engineers holding annual maintenance contracts requiring Gas Safe compliance, service agreement management, and GoCardless recurring payments.
Jobber offers the best mobile experience of the four (4.8 iOS / 4.7 Android) and the cleanest onboarding path — operational the same day with a 14-day free trial. The UK version supports two-way SMS, QuickBooks Online MTD sync, and Xero integration. It covers quoting, scheduling, GPS tracking (add-on), invoicing, and a client-facing self-service portal. The main drawbacks for UK tradespeople are no native Gas Safe compliance features, no service agreement module, and a payment processing fee of 2.9% + 20p per transaction that accumulates quickly at volume. Add-ons are priced separately.
Core: £49/month monthly, £39/month annual (1 user). Connect: £99/month monthly, £79/month annual. Grow: £169/month monthly, £139/month annual. Team plans available for 5 and 10 users. All prices in GBP at current Jobber UK rates (June 2026; verify at getjobber.com/pricing). Jobber Payments: 2.9% + 20p per transaction (UK). Add-ons billed separately.
UK sole traders and teams of 1-15 tradespeople across all trades who want the best field-usability mobile app, same-day onboarding, and transparent pricing, and do not need Gas Safe compliance or service agreement management.
Powered Now is a UK-built platform designed specifically for sole traders and micro businesses wanting HMRC-compliant quotes, invoices, and basic job records on a smartphone. At £15/month annual for the Starter plan, it is the cheapest credible option in this comparison. The mobile app is praised for simplicity — a sole trader can produce a professional quote with photos and signature capture in minutes. MTD compatibility is delivered via Xero. The core limitation is scheduling depth: there is no dispatch board, no live GPS tracking, and no multi-engineer coordination — making it unsuitable for any business with more than two or three field workers.
Starter: £19/month monthly, £15/month annual (1 user). Grower: £29/month monthly, £24/month annual (up to 2 users). Business: £59/month monthly, £49/month annual (up to 5 users). All prices in GBP. Stripe card processing at standard Stripe UK rates. Xero integration included on Business plan; available as an add-on on lower tiers.
UK sole traders and micro-businesses (1-3 field workers) across all trades who primarily need HMRC-compliant quotes, invoices, and basic job records on a smartphone at the lowest possible monthly cost.
What real users praise and criticise on G2, Capterra, Trustpilot and Reddit — with sources.
Tradify has the largest and most consistent review base of any UK trade management platform in this comparison. Satisfaction is driven by ease of use, practical mobile performance, and visible product investment — reviewers note regular feature updates and UK-focused improvements. Negative sentiment concentrates on missing compliance features (Gas Safe, compliance certificates) and limited reporting depth rather than core product reliability.
Commusoft reviews are strongly polarised by business type. Gas and HVAC service businesses with maintenance contract operations rate it highly for compliance and contract management depth. Project-based trades and smaller businesses frequently find it over-engineered and expensive for their needs. The most consistent positive theme is Gas Safe compliance integration; the most consistent negative theme is onboarding complexity and price.
Jobber's UK reviews closely mirror its global pattern: high satisfaction on ease of use, mobile quality, and support responsiveness, with criticism concentrated on reporting limitations and add-on cost escalation. UK-specific feedback notes that two-way SMS and Jobber Payments work well in the British market, though processing fees at volume are a concern for higher-turnover contractors.
Powered Now reviews are dominated by sole traders and one-to-two person operations. The platform consistently earns praise for simplicity, UK-compliance focus, and price. Critical sentiment concentrates on the platform's limitations as a business grows: reviewers who joined as sole traders and expanded to three or more engineers frequently switch away. No significant controversy in the review record — satisfaction is genuine within the narrow use case it serves.
All four platforms process card payments via Stripe or their own payments product. Jobber charges 2.9% + 20p per transaction. Tradify, Commusoft (card), and Powered Now pass through standard Stripe UK rates (typically 1.4% + 20p for European consumer cards; higher for commercial or non-European cards). A plumbing contractor billing £25,000/month by card pays £350-£725 per month in processing fees alone — potentially more than the annual platform subscription. Commusoft's GoCardless option reduces this for recurring contract payments (1% capped at £2 per Direct Debit transaction), which is worth modelling if you hold annual maintenance contracts.
None of the four platforms files VAT returns or CIS returns directly with HMRC. All route MTD compliance through an integrated accounting package: Xero (from £14/month), QuickBooks Online (from £12/month), or Sage Business Cloud (from £15/month). If you are VAT-registered, this integration is required by law — not an optional extra. This is a fixed cost overhead on top of all four platform prices that most comparison guides omit. Budget £12-£35/month for the accountancy tool in addition to the job management subscription.
Jobber charges separately for GPS tracking, AI Receptionist (£79/month), Marketing Suite (£63/month), and additional users beyond the plan. Commusoft structures its compliance and contract management features across plan tiers — the feature set you need may require a more expensive plan than the entry price suggests. Tradify's accounting integrations are included but advanced reporting requires third-party tools. Powered Now gates its Xero integration to the Business plan; lower-tier subscribers pay extra or go without. The feature set a fully operational team actually needs typically costs 30-60% more than the published entry price.
UK-built field service management platform for teams of 5-50 engineers, positioned between Tradify and Commusoft in depth and price. Covers job scheduling, asset management, service contracts, mobile forms, compliance certificate management, and real-time engineer tracking. Pricing starts at approximately £39/user/month. Strong for facilities management contractors and multi-trade businesses. Often cited as the natural upgrade path from Tradify for mid-size service businesses that need asset tracking but do not require Commusoft's gas-specific depth. Official site: joblogic.com.
Australian-built but widely used by UK sole traders and micro-businesses, particularly electricians and air conditioning engineers. iOS-only mobile app rated 4.8 on the UK App Store. Covers job management, quoting, invoicing, and basic scheduling. Pricing starts at £9/month for up to 15 active jobs. Xero and QuickBooks integrations available. The iOS-only limitation is a genuine constraint for Android-using engineers or teams with mixed devices — confirm your team's device split before evaluating. Official site: servicem8.com.
Enterprise-grade field service management platform for trade contractors running 15-200+ engineers, popular with UK electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and fire protection contractors. Covers project management, full job costing, multi-stage quoting, compliance, and inventory management. Pricing is bespoke and not published — typically starts at £200-£400/month for smaller teams after a formal onboarding engagement. The most direct UK alternative to Commusoft at scale, with deeper project-costing capabilities. Requires a formal implementation; not suitable for businesses that need to be live within days. Official site: simpro.co.uk.
How the dominant US platforms compare in depth — useful context if you are evaluating Jobber's global positioning before committing to the UK version.
ExploreHow to select and implement a job management CRM matched to the UK home services trade cycle, with decision criteria by trade type and team size.
ExploreThe operational layer — scheduling, CRM, job management, and digital payments — and how it connects to visibility and conversion for trade businesses.
ExploreThe real questions we get every week about this comparison.
Thirty minutes by video or phone. No jargon. The team answers with data from your business on the table.
Talk to the teamFor a sole trader electrician, Tradify Solo (£29/month annual) is the most evidence-backed choice: the largest verified UK review base (2,700+ Capterra reviews at 4.7/5), a practical mobile app on both iOS and Android, digital quotes with signature capture, and transparent pricing. Powered Now Starter (£15/month annual) is the cheaper option if you primarily need HMRC-compliant invoices and basic job records. Avoid Commusoft at this stage — it is designed for multi-engineer service businesses and is significantly more expensive per user.
Yes — Commusoft is the only platform in this comparison with built-in Gas Safe register lookup, engineer compliance status tracking, and gas safety certificate management linked to individual engineer registrations. Tradify, Jobber, and Powered Now allow you to attach certificate documents to job records or use custom fields, but none integrates directly with the Gas Safe register database. If Gas Safe compliance is a daily operational requirement — particularly for businesses holding annual boiler service contracts — Commusoft or Joblogic are the credible options. A sole trader gas engineer doing one-off work can manage Gas Safe records manually alongside Tradify or Powered Now.
All four platforms support MTD compliance, but none is a direct HMRC filing tool — they all route MTD through an integrated accounting package. Tradify and Jobber integrate with Xero and QuickBooks Online, both HMRC-recognised MTD-compatible software. Commusoft additionally integrates with Sage Business Cloud (also MTD-recognised). Powered Now integrates with Xero. In practice, you need both a job management subscription and a separate Xero (from £14/month) or QuickBooks Online (from £12/month) subscription to be fully MTD-compliant. This is a fixed cost overhead that most comparison guides omit.
On the Tradify Team plan (£99/month annual), a typical 5-engineer team running £20,000/month in card payments via Stripe pays approximately £280-£320/month in processing fees at standard Stripe UK rates (1.4% + 20p for European consumer cards). Add a Xero Starter subscription for MTD (£14/month) and the all-in monthly cost is roughly £393-£433/month — compared to Tradify's advertised £99/month. If card processing volume is lower (many jobs settled by bank transfer or cash), the real cost drops significantly; without processing fees the all-in range is £113-£130/month. Tradify publishes all plan prices at tradifyhq.com/pricing.
Yes. Jobber operates fully in the UK with sterling pricing, UK-timezone support, two-way SMS for British numbers, QuickBooks Online MTD sync, and Xero integration. Jobber Payments (card processing at 2.9% + 20p per transaction) is available for UK businesses. The platform does not include UK-specific features such as Gas Safe compliance, native CIS filing, or Sage integration. Two-way SMS requires a Connect plan or above. UK pricing is published in GBP at getjobber.com/pricing and is separate from US dollar pricing — confirm the sterling rate before signing up.
Both are credible for a sole trader plumber but serve different needs. Powered Now (£15/month annual) is cheaper and optimised for paperwork: quotes, invoices, and basic certificate templates that look professional on a phone screen. If paperwork production is your only software pain point, it may be sufficient. Tradify (£29/month annual) costs more but adds job scheduling, purchase orders, time tracking, and a more capable dispatch view — relevant once you manage multiple concurrent jobs or need per-job cost tracking. If you intend to take on an apprentice or a second engineer within 12 months, Tradify scales without a platform migration; Powered Now does not scale well beyond two or three field workers.
Commusoft is the strongest specialist choice for this use case: built-in Gas Safe register integration, service agreement management with SLA and renewal reminders, GoCardless Direct Debit for monthly contract fees, and a parts catalogue. The trade-off is a higher price (from £89/month) and a steeper onboarding. For businesses with 100+ annual maintenance contracts, the operational efficiency from Commusoft's service agreement automation typically justifies the cost. For smaller heating businesses (under 50 contracts), Tradify handles recurring jobs adequately at lower cost, though without compliance certificate integration.
Yes. Joblogic is a UK-built FSM platform for teams of 5-50 engineers with stronger asset management and compliance certificate features than Tradify, without Commusoft's gas-specific depth — a strong middle-ground option from approximately £39/user/month. ServiceM8 is iOS-only but highly rated (4.8 App Store) and used widely by UK electricians and air conditioning engineers from £9/month for up to 15 active jobs. simPRO is the enterprise option for 15-200+ engineer businesses in electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and fire protection, with full project costing and compliance — bespoke pricing from approximately £200-£400/month after a formal implementation. For project-based builders needing multi-phase project management rather than service job management, Buildertrend is a more appropriate category than any platform in this comparison.
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