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 credits to run down, so an electrician writes and exports certificates for £0 all year. Tradehand's only charge is 5% of an invoice after the fee-free allowance, taken after the customer has paid it.

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 does all four, and bills nothing for them unless an invoice gets paid.

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?

£0 a month, and nothing when the renewal date you are used to comes round, because Tradehand has no licence, setup fee or add-on. It takes nothing during the fee-free allowance. After that it earns 5% only once it has collected the invoice, so a quiet month costs nothing. An office admin handling the same work costs about £25,000 a year, invoices or no invoices.

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. After the fee-free allowance, the office work is priced at 5% of money Tradehand has already collected.

FastTest alternative

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.

Blake FolgadoCo-founder, Tradehand

Published 10 July 2026Updated 24 July 2026

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: £0 a month, 5% of collected invoices after the fee-free allowance.

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.

An office admin

£25,000 /year

UK office manager starter salary, before NI and pension. Paid whether or not the invoices land.

Source: Office manager salary (National Careers)

Tradehand

£0 /month

No annual licence, no monthly fee, no credits to top up. 5% of what Tradehand collects after the fee-free allowance.

Salary: National Careers Service. FastTest is an annual licence, due again whether the year was busy or quiet. Tradehand charges nothing until a customer has paid.

Side by side

	Tradehand	FastTest
Certificate rangeSource: NAPIT FastTest (napit.org.uk shop)	Tradehand✓ Ten types, free, signed and countersigned	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 credits	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✓ Included, and it quotes the work too	FastTestNot marketed on the NAPIT FastTest page
How you are billedSource: NAPIT FastTest (napit.org.uk shop)	Tradehand£0 a month, 5% of collected invoices after the fee-free allowance	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.

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 would rather pay nothing in a quiet month

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.

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 credit caps.
Step 3
Turn on the office work
Let Tradehand answer calls, quote and chase payment. 5% after the fee-free allowance, and only when you are paid.

Questions sole traders ask

Sources & References

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.

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