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 earns 5% of an invoice payment Tradehand collects, from the first payment.

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, with an eligible separate ServiceM8 Phone Connect Plus or revised Unlimited subscription. Phone eligibility is independent of the core Free plan. Core AI quoting and invoicing allow ten uses a day on Free, unlimited on paid core plans. Tradehand drafts quotes from your rates and holds them when approval is required.

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 published certificate types and a signed PDF. A supervisor countersigns only when one signs. 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.

Tradehand vs ServiceM8

ServiceM8 is strongest on iPhone. Tradehand is built around the whole job.

ServiceM8 markets an AI Phone Agent alongside its Apple-first job-management app. Tradehand gives you an assistant that carries the call, the quote, the booking and the payment follow-up on any phone. No monthly fee, 5% of an invoice payment Tradehand collects, from the first payment.

Blake FolgadoCo-founder, Tradehand

Published 10 July 2026Updated 29 September 2026

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 assistant carrying the call through quoting, booking and payment follow-up. No monthly fee, 5% of an invoice payment Tradehand collects, from the first payment.

Are you buying tidier admin, or more work won?

Compare answering, quoting, booking and chasing, then weigh the cost against hiring an office admin.

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 an invoice payment Tradehand collects, from the first payment.

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 Agent: plans and availability	Tradehand✓ Quote from your rates, held when approval is required	ServiceM8AI Phone Agent on eligible separate ServiceM8 Phone Connect Plus or Unlimited plans
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 an invoice payment Tradehand collects, from the first payment	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 customers who 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.

ServiceM8 has an AI Phone Agent as part of its phone product. The Tradehand distinction is one assistant carrying that call through the quote, booking and payment follow-up.

An honest recommendation

Choose ServiceM8 if…

·Your crew is on iPhones
·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 assistant to carry calls and messages 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 1
Prepare your data
Export your customers and keep your ServiceM8 job history safely available for reference.
Day 1
A 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 2–6
Run both in parallel
Calls to the Tradehand business number ring the saved staff phone first. A missed mobile gets one text in the business name. A missed landline reaches the assistant. Tradehand does not take over a number the business already uses. ServiceM8 keeps running.
When ready
Move new work across
Cancel ServiceM8 only when you no longer need it for active jobs or reference history.

Questions sole traders ask

Sources & References

Hear your assistant answer the phone

Get started. Your assistant takes the call, sends the quote and books it, on any phone, no app to open. Then decide.

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