The ServiceM8 alternative for UK sole traders who want more work, not tidier admin.

The short answer

Scored on work won instead of admin cleared, Tradehand is the strongest ServiceM8 alternative for a UK sole trader. Tradehand answers the phone, quotes, books and chases while you are under a floor. No monthly fee, 5% of collected invoice payments after the fee-free allowance.

Tradehand

Best for sole traders with a thin diary who want the phone answered

ServiceM8

Best for an iPhone crew needing job costing, assets and dispatch depth

Tradify

Best for trades who want accounting sync included on the entry plan

Powered Now

Best for certificate-heavy work needing deep UK forms

Are you buying tidier admin, or more work won?

All four clear admin well, and none of that fills a thin diary. Judge them on the office job instead: answering, quoting, booking, 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 monthly fee, no setup fee, nothing to unlock. 5% of what Tradehand collects after the fee-free allowance.

Salary: National Careers Service. ServiceM8 bills by jobs a month, Tradify and Powered Now per user, Tradehand nothing until a customer has paid.

Side by side

	Tradehand	ServiceM8
Answers the phoneSource: ServiceM8 Phone	Tradehand✓ Included, and it quotes and books too	ServiceM8AI Phone Agent, higher ServiceM8 Phone tiers
Chases customers who went quietSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing	Tradehand✓ Chases customers who never got a quote	ServiceM8Quote Follow-up and Automated Payment Follow-ups, every plan
CertificatesSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing	Tradehand✓ Ten types, free, signed and countersigned	ServiceM8Electronic Forms, from the Growing plan
Cuts the driving between jobsSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing	Tradehand✓ Day optimiser reassigns jobs, you approve every swap	ServiceM8Dispatch Map, Integrated Navigation, Trip Time Tracking
Depth for a bigger crewSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing	TradehandThin. Built for one trader up to five	ServiceM8✓ Asset Management, Job Costing, Staff GPS
How you are billedSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing	Tradehand£0 a month, 5% of collected invoices after the fee-free allowance	ServiceM8Monthly, by jobs a month, free under thirty
When you growSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing	TradehandMore only after you were paid more	ServiceM8The next job tier up at the cap

So which should you actually pick?

Where ServiceM8 wins: a mature dispatch board, asset management, job costing, and a real free plan under thirty jobs a month. Nobody on that plan answers your phone.

Leaving ServiceM8 without losing your records

Run both, and cancel ServiceM8 only once the alternative has earned it.

1. Day 1
   Export customers and prices

   Pull your customer list and price list out of ServiceM8. Keep the account for history.

2. Day 1
   A person does the import

   A person imports your customers and prices, then sets up your number, rates and diary.

3. Day 2 to 7
   Judge it on jobs won

   Missed calls forward to Tradehand, which answers, quotes and books as your business.