A free alternative to NAPIT FastTest
FastTest is NAPIT's certification software, sold as an annual licence for Windows and mobile, with AI circuit credits that run out and no Mac OS version. Tradehand writes ten certificate types free, on any device.
Tradehand
FastTest
The short answer
FastTest suits a NAPIT member who wants NAPIT-branded certificates and Building Control notification from the app. Tradehand writes ten certificate types free on any device, Mac included, then answers, quotes, books and chases the work. Choose Tradehand. Free includes the manual tools and the Assistant with £1 of usage a month: 5% of each payment Tradehand takes, card fees included. Paid plans from £25 a month add automation and more usage. Basic payment fees on your own jobs: From 1.25% + 20p, deducted automatically when the customer pays. Grow and Advanced have lower Tradehand payment fees.
An honest recommendation
Choose FastTest if…
- You are a NAPIT member and want to notify Building Control from the app
- You want NAPIT-branded certificates and scheme integration
- You work on Windows and the AI credit allowance suits your volume
Choose Tradehand if…
- You want certificates free on any device, Mac included
- Your problem is a thin diary, not messy paperwork
- You want a Free plan with the Assistant
Where FastTest wins: for NAPIT members it notifies Building Control directly and issues NAPIT-branded certificates. Tradehand does not replicate that scheme integration, and if those perks matter the annual licence may be worth it.
Are you buying a certificate app, or the office work around it?
A certificate is paperwork on a job you had already won. What fills a thin diary is answering, quoting, booking and chasing. That is a person's job.
UK office manager starter salary, before NI and pension. Paid whether or not the invoices land.
Source: Office manager salary (National Careers)
TradehandManual certificates on Free. Free, or paid plans from £19 a month billed yearly
Salary: National Careers Service. FastTest is an annual licence, due again whether the year was busy or quiet. Tradehand includes the Assistant on Free and bills a subscription for automation and more usage.
See pricingSide by side
| What matters |  Tradehand |  FastTest |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate rangeSource: NAPIT FastTest (napit.org.uk shop) | Tradehand✓ Ten published types, signed PDF. Countersign only when a supervisor signs | FastTestBS 7671 certification, NAPIT branded for members |
| EIC, EICR and minor worksSource: NAPIT FastTest (napit.org.uk shop) | Tradehand✓ All three, on the BS 7671 model forms | FastTestAll three, the core FastTest range |
| DevicesSource: NAPIT FastTest (napit.org.uk shop) | Tradehand✓ Phone, tablet, Mac or PC | FastTestWindows, Android, iOS and most browsers. NAPIT states there is no Mac OS version |
| Usage capsSource: NAPIT FastTest (napit.org.uk shop) | TradehandNone. Unlimited certificates, no usage charge | FastTestAn AI circuit credit allowance a licence year, then paid credits |
| Scheme notificationSource: NAPIT FastTest (napit.org.uk shop) | TradehandNone. You self-certify through your own scheme | FastTest✓ Notify Building Control from the app, a real FastTest win |
| Answers the phone and books the jobSource: NAPIT FastTest (napit.org.uk shop) | Tradehand✓ Quote from your rates, held when approval is required | FastTestNot marketed on the NAPIT FastTest page |
| How you are billedSource: NAPIT FastTest (napit.org.uk shop) | TradehandFree, or paid plans from £19 a month billed yearly | FastTestAn annual licence, due again next year |
The certificate is only half the job
FastTest wrote the report. The quote, the booking and the invoice chasing are still on your plate.
FastTest stops at the certificate, and the licence falls due whether the year was busy or quiet. Tradehand keeps going, does the office work, and the certificate itself stays free.
Switching takes an afternoon
No licence to buy and nothing to install. Start writing a certificate free today.
- Step 1
Open Tradehand
Sign in on any device, phone, Mac or PC, and start a certificate.
- Step 2
Write one free
Produce a real BS 7671 certificate and export the PDF at no cost, with no usage caps.
- Step 3
Turn on the office work
Let Tradehand answer calls, quote and chase payment. Free includes the manual tools and the Assistant with £1 of usage a month: 5% of each payment Tradehand takes, card fees included. Paid plans from £25 a month add automation and more usage. Basic payment fees on your own jobs: From 1.25% + 20p, deducted automatically when the customer pays. Grow and Advanced have lower Tradehand payment fees.
Your questions
Is Tradehand's certificate software really free?
Yes. There is no annual licence to buy, no monthly fee, no setup fee, no add-ons and no usage balance to run down, so an electrician writes and exports certificates for £0 all year. Paid plans add automation, more usage for calls and texts and lower payment rates.
Can I still notify Building Control?
Tradehand does not have NAPIT's built-in scheme notification. If direct NAPIT notification is central to your workflow, FastTest is built for exactly that. You can still self-certify through your own competent person scheme in the usual way.
Does Tradehand work on a Mac?
Yes. Tradehand runs on any device, Mac included. NAPIT states there is no Mac OS version of FastTest, so a Mac user works in a browser rather than a desktop app.
Does FastTest answer my phone or chase my invoices?
The NAPIT FastTest page markets certification, scheme notification and AI circuit generation. It does not market call answering, quoting, booking or payment chasing. Tradehand’s Assistant does all four; manual certificates are included on Free.
Can I move my existing FastTest certificates into Tradehand?
A person at Tradehand moves your customer list and your price list over, so there is no import screen to fight. Historic jobs and certificates already issued in FastTest do not transfer today. Run the FastTest licence to the end of its year, or export the records you want for reference, and write everything new in Tradehand.
Can someone else countersign a certificate?
Yes. Every Tradehand certificate is digitally signed, and a second person can countersign the same one, so a qualified supervisor signs off work an apprentice carried out. Countersigning costs nothing, the same as all ten Tradehand certificate types.
What does Tradehand actually cost me?
Manual certificates cost £0 a month on Free, and nothing renews when the date you are used to comes round, because Tradehand has no licence or setup fee. Free includes the manual tools and the Assistant with £1 of usage a month: 5% of each payment Tradehand takes, card fees included. Paid plans from £25 a month add automation and more usage. Basic payment fees on your own jobs: From 1.25% + 20p, deducted automatically when the customer pays. Grow and Advanced have lower Tradehand payment fees. An office admin handling the same work costs about £25,000 a year, invoices or no invoices.
Is there a contract?
No contract, no minimum term, no cancellation fee and no renewal date sitting in the diary. Certificates in Tradehand stay free for as long as you use them. Paid plans add automation and more usage; cancellation takes effect at the end of the paid period.
Sources & references
More comparisons
Free certificates, and an assistant doing the office work
Write a BS 7671 certificate free on any device, then Tradehand quotes, books and chases payment for you.
