A free alternative to iCertifi
iCertifi is built natively for Apple, on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and sold by subscription. Tradehand includes ten manual certificate types on Free with no monthly fee and no per-certificate charge, on any device, Android and Windows included.
Tradehand
iCertifi
The short answer
iCertifi is an established Apple-only certificate app, native on iPhone, iPad and Mac since 2012. Tradehand writes ten certificate types free on any device, then answers, quotes, books and chases the work around them. 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 iCertifi if…
- You work entirely on an iPhone, iPad or Mac
- You want an established, single-purpose certificate app
- Its companion gas, PAT and fire apps suit how you work
Choose Tradehand if…
- You want certificates free on any device, Android and Windows included
- Your problem is a thin diary, not messy paperwork
- You want a Free plan with the Assistant
Where iCertifi wins: a mature native Apple app, trusted since 2012, with companion gas, PAT and fire apps that Apple-only electricians know well. Tradehand's edge is being free, cross-platform, and doing the office work around the certificate.
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 are included on Free. Free, or paid plans from £19 a month billed yearly
Salary: National Careers Service. iCertifi is a subscription, sold monthly through to annually. Tradehand includes the Assistant on Free and bills a subscription for automation and more usage.
See pricingSide by side
| What matters |  Tradehand |  iCertifi |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate rangeSource: iCertifi | Tradehand✓ Ten published types, signed PDF. Countersign only when a supervisor signs | iCertifiBS 7671 certificates, with separate Gas Cert, PAT and fire apps |
| EIC, EICR and minor worksSource: iCertifi | Tradehand✓ All three, on the BS 7671 model forms | iCertifiAll three, the core iCertifi range |
| DevicesSource: iCertifi | Tradehand✓ Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac | iCertifiApple only: iPhone, iPad and Mac, built natively for iOS |
| Track recordSource: iCertifi | TradehandNewer, built for a sole trader working off a phone | iCertifi✓ Native since 2012, used by contractors and Network Rail |
| Answers the phone and books the jobSource: iCertifi | Tradehand✓ Quote from your rates, held when approval is required | iCertifiNot marketed on icertifi.co.uk |
| Chases what you are owedSource: iCertifi Mint Books | Tradehand✓ Chases quotes and unpaid invoices by SMS, email and voice | iCertifiMint Books, its own quoting and invoicing app, integrates with iCertifi |
| In a quiet monthSource: iCertifi pricing | TradehandFree, or paid plans from £19 a month billed yearly | iCertifiThe subscription is due either way |
The certificate is only half the job
iCertifi wrote the report. The quote, the booking and the invoice chasing are still yours to do.
iCertifi stops at the certificate, on Apple devices only. Tradehand does the office work on any device, and the certificate itself stays free.
Switching takes an afternoon
No app store subscription and nothing to install. Start writing a certificate free today.
- Step 1
Open Tradehand
Sign in on any device, iPhone, Android or PC, and start a certificate.
- Step 2
Write one free
Produce a real BS 7671 certificate and export the PDF at no cost.
- 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. An electrician writes and exports manual certificates on Free, without a subscription or charge per certificate. 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.
Does Tradehand work on Android?
Yes. Tradehand runs on Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac. iCertifi apps are built natively for iOS, on iPhone, iPad and Mac, so an electrician on Android or Windows cannot run iCertifi at all.
Can I export certificates for free?
Yes. Tradehand puts no paywall on saving, printing or emailing a certificate PDF, from the first one you write. There is no export charge and no watermark to pay off.
Does iCertifi answer my phone or chase my invoices?
iCertifi markets certification apps, free calculators and Mint Books, a separate invoicing and accounting app that quotes and integrates with iCertifi. The iCertifi site does not market call answering or booking. Tradehand’s Assistant answers, quotes, books and chases; manual certificates are included on Free.
Can I move my existing iCertifi certificates into Tradehand?
Tradehand brings your customer list and your price list across, and a person at Tradehand does it, not you tapping through an importer on the iPhone. Historic jobs and certificates already issued in iCertifi do not come over today, so keep the iCertifi app installed, or export what you want for reference. New certificates begin in Tradehand right away.
Can someone else countersign a certificate?
Yes. A Tradehand certificate is digitally signed, and a second person can countersign it from their own iPhone, iPad or Mac, so the supervising electrician signs off work another member of the team carried out. Countersigning carries no charge, and neither do any of the ten Tradehand certificate types.
What does Tradehand actually cost me?
Picture a quiet January. 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 costs about £25,000 a year, quiet January included.
Is there a contract?
No contract, no minimum term and no cancellation fee, and nothing renews in the background. Writing certificates in Tradehand stays free. 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.
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.
