Tradehand vs ServiceM8 · updated July 2026
ServiceM8 is strongest on iPhone. Tradehand is built around the whole enquiry.
ServiceM8 markets an AI Phone Agent alongside its Apple-first job-management app. Tradehand joins the call, quote, booking and payment follow-up in one office team on any phone. No monthly fee, 5% only when you're paid.
The short answer
ServiceM8 is a proven choice for a mature Apple-first job app with a genuine free plan. Choose Tradehand if you want one office team carrying the enquiry through quoting, booking and payment follow-up. No monthly fee, 5% of what it collects.
Are you buying tidier admin, or more work won?
Both clear admin well, and neither fills a thin diary on its own. Judge them on the office job instead: answering, quoting, booking, 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)
TradehandNo monthly fee, no setup fee, nothing to unlock. 5% of what Tradehand collects.
Tradehand on £100k collectedA fifth of one hire, and only on money already in your account.
Salary: National Careers Service. ServiceM8 bills monthly by jobs a month, with a free plan for one user under thirty jobs. Tradehand bills nothing until a customer has paid.
Side by side
| Tradehand |  ServiceM8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers the phoneSource: ServiceM8 Phone and AI Phone Agent | Tradehand✓ Included, and it quotes and books too | ServiceM8AI Phone Agent, higher ServiceM8 Phone tiers |
| Android as good as iPhoneSource: ServiceM8 Lite for Android | Tradehand✓ Full trader app on Android and iPhone | ServiceM8Lite on Android, iOS is the full app |
| How you are billedSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing (servicem8.com) | Tradehand£0 a month, 5% of collected invoices | ServiceM8Monthly, by jobs a month, free under thirty |
| Job capsSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing (servicem8.com) | Tradehand✓ No cap, a busy month costs no more per job | ServiceM8Thirty a month free, then tiered by jobs |
| Chases what is owedSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing (servicem8.com) | Tradehand✓ Quotes, invoices and enquiries that went quiet | ServiceM8Quote Follow-up and Automated Payment Follow-ups, every plan |
| Depth for a bigger crewSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing (servicem8.com) | TradehandThin. Built for one trader up to five | ServiceM8✓ Asset Management, Job Costing, Staff GPS |
| ContractSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing (servicem8.com) | TradehandNone, leave whenever you like | ServiceM8Monthly subscription |
What "answers your phone" looks like
A Tuesday morning. You're under a sink and can't pick up. Nothing below required your phone.
They reach you any way.
Sarah M.
ServiceM8 has an AI Phone Agent as part of its phone product. The Tradehand distinction is one office team carrying that enquiry through the quote, booking and payment follow-up.
An honest recommendation
Choose ServiceM8 if…
- ·Your crew is on iPhones and happy to drive the app themselves
- ·You want a genuine free tier while volume is low
- ·You value its mature dispatch board, asset management and job costing
Choose Tradehand if…
- ✓You (or your crew) are on Android and want full features
- ✓You'd rather the missed call got answered than logged
- ✓You want the same office team to carry enquiries into quoting, booking and payment follow-up
Where ServiceM8 wins: a polished iOS field app, a real free plan, years of dispatch-board refinement, and an AI Phone Agent option. Tradehand does not import historic jobs, so keep your old records for reference.
Move new work over without losing your old records
Run both side by side, and keep your old job history safely available for reference rather than assuming it moves.
- Day 1Prepare your data
Export your customers and keep your ServiceM8 job history safely available for reference.
- Day 1A person does the import
A person imports your customers and price list, then sets up your number, rates and diary. Historic jobs are not imported.
- Day 2–6Run both in parallel
Tradehand starts answering your missed calls while ServiceM8 keeps running.
- When readyMove new work across
Cancel ServiceM8 only when you no longer need it for active jobs or reference history.
Questions sole traders ask
Is Tradehand a good ServiceM8 alternative for UK sole traders?
Yes, especially on Android, or when you are too busy on the tools to answer every call. Tradehand answers missed calls, quotes and books jobs on any phone for £0 a month. ServiceM8 suits an all-iPhone crew wanting a mature dispatch board.
Is ServiceM8 worth it? (honest review take)
For an iPhone crew wanting a genuine free plan and a polished dispatch board, ServiceM8 is worth considering. Honest caveats for a UK sole trader: the cut-down Android Lite app, the free plan's thirty-job cap, and a monthly bill that rises with job volume.
Is Tradehand or ServiceM8 cheaper?
ServiceM8 has a free plan for one user and thirty jobs a month, then bills monthly by job volume, paid whether or not those jobs get paid. Tradehand has no monthly fee and takes 5% only on payments it collects.
Does ServiceM8 work properly on Android?
ServiceM8 says its iPhone and iPad app is the most feature-rich experience. ServiceM8 Lite for Android covers core field tasks and manual job-time tracking, but not every iOS capability. The Tradehand trader app runs the full day on either.
Does ServiceM8 have an AI receptionist?
Yes. ServiceM8 markets an AI Phone Agent inside ServiceM8 Phone, a separate subscription, on its higher tiers. Tradehand includes answering as part of the same office team that quotes, books and follows up payment.
What can I import from ServiceM8?
A person imports your customers and price list into Tradehand. Historic jobs are not imported, so keep your ServiceM8 account available for reference.
Does Tradehand do certificates?
Yes. Tradehand includes ten certificate types free, digitally signed and countersigned. ServiceM8 puts Forms and Certificates on its Growing plan and above.
Does Tradehand work with Xero or QuickBooks?
Tradehand pushes invoices one way into Xero and QuickBooks, plus a CSV export. That push is not a sync, and not yet available for VAT registered companies.
Is there a contract or minimum term?
No contract, no minimum, no cancellation fee. Export your data and leave whenever you like.
Sources & References
More comparisons
Hear it answer your phone
Two minutes: watch the AI take a job, send the quote and book it, on any phone, no app to open. Then decide.