Tradify vs ServiceM8: honest verdict for UK trades (2026)

The short answer

Tradify suits a UK trade that wants accounting sync on every plan and the full app on Android. ServiceM8 suits an iPhone crew that wants a genuine free plan and a mature dispatch board. Tradehand carries calls through quoting, booking and payment follow-up.

So which should you pick?

Choose Tradify if…

You want Xero or QuickBooks Online sync on the cheapest plan
You are on Android and want the same app as an iPhone crew
You will pay for Pro to get certificates and reminders

Choose ServiceM8 if…

Your crew is on iPhones all day
You want a genuine free plan while volume is low
You value its mature dispatch board and job costing

Choose Tradehand if…

Your problem is a thin diary, not a messy one
You want calls and messages answered, quoted, booked and chased without you
You want a Free plan with the Assistant

Tradify and ServiceM8 are both mature, trusted tools, and each beats Tradehand on depth for a bigger crew. Pick between them on Android against iPhone, and free plan against accounting sync.

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

Free and paid plans

Free, or paid plans from £19 a month billed yearly

Salary: National Careers Service. Tradify bills per user per month, ServiceM8 monthly by jobs a month with a free plan at the bottom, Tradehand offers Free tools with the Assistant and paid plans for automation.

See pricing

Side by side

What matters	Tradify	ServiceM8	Tradehand
Answers the phoneSources: Tradify UK pricing, ServiceM8 Phone Agent: plans and availability	TradifyNot marketed on its pricing page	ServiceM8AI Phone Agent on eligible separate ServiceM8 Phone Connect Plus or Unlimited plans	Tradehand✓ Quote from your rates, held when approval is required
Free planSources: Tradify UK pricing, ServiceM8 UK pricing	TradifyNo free plan, a fourteen day trial	ServiceM8✓ One user, thirty jobs a month	TradehandFree plan with the Assistant, no job cap
Android appSources: Tradify UK how it works, ServiceM8 Lite for Android	Tradify✓ Same app on Android and iPhone	ServiceM8ServiceM8 Lite on Android, full app on iPhone	Tradehand✓ Full trader app on either
Certificates and formsSources: Tradify UK pricing, ServiceM8 UK pricing	TradifyCompliance Certificates, from the Pro plan	ServiceM8Forms and Certificates, from the Growing plan	Tradehand✓ Ten published types, signed PDF. Countersign only when a supervisor signs
AccountingSources: Tradify UK pricing, ServiceM8 UK pricing	Tradify✓ Xero and QuickBooks Online sync, every plan	ServiceM8✓ Xero, QuickBooks Online and MYOB sync, every plan	TradehandOne way push to Xero and QuickBooks, plus CSV
Chases the moneySources: Tradify UK pricing, ServiceM8 UK pricing	TradifyQuote & Invoice Reminders, from the Pro plan	ServiceM8✓ Quote Follow-up and Automated Payment Follow-ups, every plan	Tradehand✓ Chases customers who never got a quote too
How you are billedSources: Tradify UK pricing, ServiceM8 UK pricing	TradifyPer user, per month, again for every hire	ServiceM8Monthly, by jobs a month, more at each cap	TradehandFree, or paid plans from £19 a month billed yearly

The option neither comparison shows you

Here is a Tuesday with Tradehand handling the call, quote and booking while you are on the tools.

Tom Bennett

Assistant

Website enquiry

Hi, it's Tom Bennett at 42 Blackstock Road N4 3HE. The fuse board keeps tripping when the oven is on. Can someone come out this week? My number is 07700 900456

TB9 Sept, 23:02

We can certainly look at this for you this week. To make sure we send the right specialist, does the fuse board trip immediately as soon as you turn the oven on, or only after it has been heating up for a few minutes? Also, is it just the oven circuit switch that flips, or the main RCD?

Assistant· 9 Sept, 23:03· Delivered

Here is the quote for replacing your consumer unit, Tom. It covers the board, the RCBOs, testing and the certificate.

Assistant· 9 Sept, 23:04· Delivered

Web chat

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Money

Grow

9:41

ServiceM8 offers editable AI quotes and invoices. Tradehand carries the call through quoting, booking and payment follow-up.

See call answering

Trying Tradehand takes a week

Keep whichever you are on. Run Tradehand alongside it, and cancel only if it wins.

Day 1
Export customers and prices
Pull your customer list and price list out of Tradify or ServiceM8. Keep the account for history.
Day 1
A person does the import
A person imports your customers and prices, then sets up your number, rates and diary. Historic jobs do not import.
Day 2 to 7
Judge it on jobs won
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. Your current app can keep running.

Your questions

Tradify or ServiceM8, which is better for a UK sole trader?

Tradify is the stronger fit if you want accounting sync on every plan and the full app on Android. ServiceM8 is stronger for an iPhone crew that wants a free plan and a mature dispatch board.

Is ServiceM8 or Tradify cheaper?

ServiceM8 has a free plan of one user and thirty jobs a month, then bills by job volume. Tradify has no free plan and bills per user, so it grows with every hire. 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 Tradify or ServiceM8 answer my phone?

ServiceM8's AI Phone Agent requires an eligible separate ServiceM8 Phone Connect Plus or revised Unlimited subscription, independent of its core Free plan. Core AI quoting and invoicing allow ten uses a day on Free, unlimited on paid core plans. Tradify does not market call answering on its pricing page. Tradehand drafts quotes from your rates and holds them when approval is required.

Does ServiceM8 work properly on Android?

ServiceM8 says its full-featured app is optimised for iOS, and that Android users get ServiceM8 Lite. Tradify runs the same app on both. The Tradehand trader app runs the full day on either.

Do Tradify and ServiceM8 do certificates?

Tradify includes Compliance Certificates from its Pro plan. ServiceM8 includes Forms and Certificates from its Growing plan. Tradehand includes ten published certificate types and a signed PDF. A supervisor countersigns only when one signs.

Which one chases late payments?

ServiceM8 markets Automated Payment Follow-ups on every plan. Tradify includes Quote & Invoice Reminders from Pro. Tradehand chases payment, and also chases the customer who never got a quote, which is where most lost work sits.

Is there a good alternative to both Tradify and ServiceM8?

Tradehand, if you want one assistant carrying calls through quoting, booking and payment follow-up. Tradehand answers missed calls, quotes, books and chases. 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 with Xero or QuickBooks?

Tradehand pushes invoices one way into Xero and QuickBooks, plus a CSV export. That push is not a two way sync, and it is not available yet for VAT registered companies. Tradify and ServiceM8 both sync on every plan.