Which trade software includes AI customer support in the UK?

Tradehand ranks first: Tradehand answers every call, text, email, WhatsApp and web chat itself and then quotes, books and chases the invoice, with no monthly fee. Jobber's AI Receptionist answers calls and texts and books jobs, at $29/mo on top of a plan from $49/mo. ServiceM8 has an AI Phone Agent inside ServiceM8 Phone from £15/mo. Powered Now sells an AI Receptionist add-on at £29/mo. Commusoft and Tradify automate admin rather than answering live calls.

Does Jobber have an AI receptionist, and what does it cost?

Yes. Jobber's Receptionist, powered by Jobber AI, answers calls and texts 24/7 and can book jobs into the calendar. Jobber sells it as a $29 a month add-on to any plan and includes it at no extra cost on the Plus plan. Jobber's own plans start at $49 a month for Core with no commitment. Jobber is North-America-first and priced in US dollars.

Does ServiceM8 answer calls with AI?

ServiceM8 markets an AI Phone Agent inside ServiceM8 Phone, its separate phone product, on the higher tiers, and it answers calls like a staff member. ServiceM8 Phone starts at £15 a month on top of a ServiceM8 plan, and ServiceM8's own UK plans run from a free tier covering 30 jobs a month up to £269 a month. Core ServiceM8 also sends Quote Follow-up and Automated Payment Follow-ups on every plan.

Does Tradify have an AI receptionist?

No. Tradify focuses on quoting, invoicing and scheduling, with Quote & Invoice Reminders and its SmartTools AI: SmartRead reads photographed supplier invoices and SmartWrite drafts customer messages. Tradify does not answer customer phone calls, so you still pick up the phone yourself. Tradify UK is priced at £34 to £44 per user per month.

Is an AI receptionist better than a missed-call text-back?

A missed-call text-back only fires after you miss the call, and it sends one message. An AI that answers picks the call up, holds the conversation and books the work. Tradehand goes further again and also quotes the job and chases the invoice, so the job does not stall. Powered Now's add-on sits between the two: it answers and takes a message, then hands the lead back to you.

Will my customers know they are talking to AI?

With Tradehand the customer deals with your business, your name and your number, and anything that needs you personally comes through to your phone. You approve every message until you are comfortable letting Tradehand run on its own.

How much does AI customer support cost for a UK trade business?

It depends on the model. Jobber charges $29 a month for its Receptionist on top of a plan from $49 a month, ServiceM8's AI agent needs ServiceM8 Phone from £15 a month, and Powered Now's add-on is £29 or £39 a month. Tradehand has no monthly fee and earns 5% of the invoices Tradehand chases and collects, so a quiet week costs nothing. The honest comparison is an office admin on £25,000 a year, paid whether the invoices land or not.

Tradehand ranked first: best trade software with AI customer support

Q: Does Powered Now have an AI receptionist?

Yes, as a separately bought add-on. Powered Now's Receptionist costs £29 a month for speech or £39 a month for speech and text, on top of a Powered Now plan at £28 to £40 a month. It picks up out of hours, takes the caller's name, number and job details, and texts back anyone who rings off, then passes the lead to your phone. Full Powered Now sync is still listed as coming soon, so it does not yet pull the job into your diary for you.

Blake FolgadoCo-founder, Tradehand

Published 2 August 2026Updated 17 September 2026

"AI customer support" means very different things across these six products. Tradehand, Jobber, ServiceM8 and Powered Now all answer a live customer. Only Tradehand and Jobber take the conversation as far as a booked job, and only Tradehand carries on into quoting and chasing the invoice. Commusoft and Tradify use AI for admin and leave the answering to you.

Written for UK sole traders and small trade businesses. Every price and capability below was checked on 15 September 2026 against the vendor's own page, linked beside the claim.

Tradehand ranked first: best trade software with AI customer support

The short answer

The best trade software with AI customer support in the UK is Tradehand, because it is the only one on this list that answers every channel itself and then quotes, books and chases without a monthly fee. Jobber runs it close on answering and loses on currency. Tradify is the better buy if you would rather keep answering the phone and want two-way Xero sync.

Best overall: Tradehand · answers call, text, email, WhatsApp and web chat as your business, then quotes, books and chases, with no monthly fee and 5% of collected invoice payments.
Best in North America: Jobber · its AI Receptionist answers and books 24/7, at $29/mo on top of a plan from $49/mo, priced in US dollars.
Best free starting point: ServiceM8 · free up to 30 jobs a month, with an AI Phone Agent available inside ServiceM8 Phone from £15/mo.
Best out-of-hours cover: Powered Now · a £29/mo add-on receptionist that answers at 10pm and texts back missed callers, then hands the lead to you.
Best for larger teams: Commusoft · AI:den writes the job reports and drafts the emails, and a customer portal comes with it, but nothing answers the phone.
Best if you still answer: Tradify · £34–£44 per user a month for the tidiest quoting and invoicing here, plus two-way Xero sync.

Comparison at a glance

Ranked on what actually happens when a customer gets in touch: does the software answer live, what does it do with the job next, and what does it cost.

Software	Answers live?	Then what	Price	Best for
1.Tradehand	Yes, 24/7, as your own business	Answers call, text, email, WhatsApp and web chat, then quotes, books and chases	No monthly fee, 5% of collected invoice payments	UK sole traders who keep missing calls on the tools and want the whole job handled
2.Jobber	Yes, Receptionist answers calls and texts	Books jobs into the calendar; you build the quote	From $49/mo; AI Receptionist $29/mo add-on, included on Plus	teams working in the US or Canada
3.ServiceM8	AI Phone Agent on higher ServiceM8 Phone tiers	Quote Follow-up and Automated Payment Follow-ups on every plan	Free up to 30 jobs/mo, then £25–£269/mo; ServiceM8 Phone from £15/mo	iPhone traders who will pay for ServiceM8 Phone
4.Powered Now	Yes, on the separately bought AI Receptionist	Captures the lead and texts missed callers; you book the job	£28–£40/mo; AI Receptionist £29/mo or £39/mo on top	certificate-heavy work that wants automatic chasing on Premium
5.Commusoft	No, AI:den drafts replies and reports	Writes job reports and emails; outbound reminder calls coming; customer portal	No prices published; quoted per user on request	larger field service teams wanting a customer portal
6.Tradify	No, you answer the phone yourself	Quoting, invoicing, scheduling and Quote & Invoice Reminders	£34–£44 per user per month	tidy quoting and invoicing with two-way Xero sync

The ranking, one by one

The same six in ranked order, each with its published price, its honest pros and cons, and who it fits.

Tradehand

Our pick

Answers every channel, then quotes, books and chases

Best for UK sole traders who keep missing calls on the tools and want the whole job handledNo monthly fee, 5% of collected invoice payments

Answers live: Yes, 24/7, as your own business
Then what: Answers call, text, email, WhatsApp and web chat, then quotes, books and chases
Price: No monthly fee, 5% of collected invoice payments

Tradehand pros

Answers call, text, email, WhatsApp and web chat, day or night
Quotes the job, books it and chases the invoice after answering
No monthly fee and no per-user seat
Speaks as your own business, on your own number

Tradehand cons

Built for UK trade businesses, so it is no use outside the UK
No two-way accounting sync for VAT-registered companies yet
Newer than Tradify, Jobber and Commusoft, with a shorter track record

Tradehand is software with an assistant in it, not an app you operate. Tradehand answers every call, text, email, WhatsApp and web chat itself, day or night, in your own name, then quotes the job, books it into your diary and chases the invoice once the work is done. There is no monthly fee and no per-call charge. Tradehand takes nothing. After that it earns 5% of the invoices it collects, so a quiet week costs nothing. The comparison worth making is an office admin on £25,000 a year, paid whether the invoices land or not. Tradehand is best for UK sole traders who keep missing calls on the tools. If two-way Xero sync matters more to you than answering, Tradify below is the better buy.

Jobber

A mature AI Receptionist that answers and books

Best for teams working in the US or CanadaFrom $49/mo; AI Receptionist $29/mo add-on, included on Plus

Answers live: Yes, Receptionist answers calls and texts
Then what: Books jobs into the calendar; you build the quote
Price: From $49/mo; AI Receptionist $29/mo add-on, included on Plus

Jobber pros

Jobber's Receptionist answers calls and texts around the clock and books jobs
Transcripts, live text monitoring and keyword escalation are included
Large, well-established platform with deep scheduling and payments

Jobber cons

Jobber is priced in US dollars and built North-America-first
The AI Receptionist costs $29/mo on top unless you are on the Plus plan
Jobber's Receptionist books the job but does not build the quote

Jobber's Receptionist, powered by Jobber AI, answers calls and texts around the clock and books jobs into the calendar, with transcripts, live text monitoring and keyword escalation. Jobber publishes Core at $49 a month, Connect at $139, Grow from $199 and Plus from $499 with no commitment, and sells the AI Receptionist as a $29 a month add-on to any plan, included at no extra cost on Plus. Jobber is built North-America-first and priced in US dollars, so it fits teams working in the US or Canada rather than a UK sole trader.

Sources: Jobber: AI Receptionist for Home Service Businesses, Jobber: Pricing (Core, Connect, Grow, Plus; AI Receptionist add-on)

ServiceM8

An AI Phone Agent, sold inside a separate phone product

Best for iPhone traders who will pay for ServiceM8 PhoneFree up to 30 jobs/mo, then £25–£269/mo; ServiceM8 Phone from £15/mo

Answers live: AI Phone Agent on higher ServiceM8 Phone tiers
Then what: Quote Follow-up and Automated Payment Follow-ups on every plan
Price: Free up to 30 jobs/mo, then £25–£269/mo; ServiceM8 Phone from £15/mo

ServiceM8 pros

ServiceM8 has a genuinely free plan covering 30 jobs a month
Quote Follow-up and Payment Follow-up automation on every plan
The AI Phone Agent answers calls like a staff member

ServiceM8 cons

The AI Phone Agent needs ServiceM8 Phone, a separate product from £15/mo
ServiceM8 bills by jobs a month, so a busy month costs more
The ServiceM8 Android app, ServiceM8 Lite, does less than the iPhone app

ServiceM8 markets an AI Phone Agent inside ServiceM8 Phone, its separate phone product, on the higher tiers, and it answers calls like a staff member. Core ServiceM8 also sends Quote Follow-up and Automated Payment Follow-ups on every plan. ServiceM8 UK publishes a free plan covering 30 jobs a month, then Starter at £25, Growing at £59, Premium at £119 and Premium Plus at £269 a month, with ServiceM8 Phone from £15 a month on top. ServiceM8 suits iPhone-based traders happy to pay for that phone add-on.

Sources: ServiceM8: Introducing the ServiceM8 Phone Agent, ServiceM8 UK: Pricing (free plan up to 30 jobs a month; ServiceM8 Phone add-on), ServiceM8: Quote Follow-Up Automation, ServiceM8: Payment Follow-Up Automation

Powered Now

An add-on receptionist that takes the message, not the booking

Best for certificate-heavy work that wants automatic chasing on Premium£28–£40/mo; AI Receptionist £29/mo or £39/mo on top

Answers live: Yes, on the separately bought AI Receptionist
Then what: Captures the lead and texts missed callers; you book the job
Price: £28–£40/mo; AI Receptionist £29/mo or £39/mo on top

Powered Now pros

Powered Now's AI Receptionist answers out of hours and texts back missed callers
Automatic Invoice & Quote Chasing is included on the Premium tier
Certificates are included from the Professional tier up

Powered Now cons

The AI Receptionist is an add-on at £29/mo or £39/mo, not part of a plan
Powered Now's receptionist captures the lead rather than booking the job
Full Powered Now sync for the receptionist is still listed as coming soon (checked 15 September 2026)

Powered Now covers quoting, invoicing and scheduling at £28 a month for Business, £32 for Professional and £40 for Premium, with certificates from Professional up and Automatic Invoice & Quote Chasing on Premium only. Its Receptionist is a separate add-on at £29 a month for speech or £39 for speech and text: it picks up out of hours, takes the caller's name, number and job details, texts back anyone who rings off, and passes the lead to your phone. Full Powered Now sync, where calls and bookings pull straight into the account, is still marked coming soon (15 September 2026), so you still book the job yourself.

Sources: Powered Now: Pricing (Business, Professional, Premium), Powered Now: Receptionist (Speech £29/mo, Speech + Text £39/mo; full sync coming soon)

Commusoft

AI that does the admin, not the answering

Best for larger field service teams wanting a customer portalNo prices published; quoted per user on request

Answers live: No, AI:den drafts replies and reports
Then what: Writes job reports and emails; outbound reminder calls coming; customer portal
Price: No prices published; quoted per user on request

Commusoft pros

Commusoft's AI:den writes job reports and drafts replies to long customer emails
A self-service customer portal comes as standard
Built for larger field service teams with real depth

Commusoft cons

Commusoft does not answer incoming customer calls today
Commusoft publishes no prices, so you cannot compare without a sales call
Heavier than a sole trader needs

Commusoft's AI:den writes job reports, summarises long customer emails and drafts replies, and a coming AI:den+ voice agent makes outbound service-reminder calls. Commusoft also offers a self-service customer portal. Commusoft does not answer incoming customer calls today, and it publishes no prices on its UK plans page, so a quote means a sales call. It is built for larger field service teams rather than live answering for a sole trader.

Sources: Commusoft: Ai:den, the intelligent copilot for field service management, Commusoft UK: Plans (no prices published)

Tradify

Tidy admin AI, but you are still the one who answers

Best for tidy quoting and invoicing with two-way Xero sync£34–£44 per user per month

Answers live: No, you answer the phone yourself
Then what: Quoting, invoicing, scheduling and Quote & Invoice Reminders
Price: £34–£44 per user per month

Tradify pros

Tradify's SmartRead reads a photo of a supplier invoice and pulls out the costs
SmartWrite drafts customer-ready descriptions and messages
Two-way Xero sync, which most of this list does not have

Tradify cons

Tradify does not answer customer phone calls at all
Priced per user, so a second pair of hands doubles the bill
Its AI is admin help, not customer support

Tradify focuses on quoting, invoicing and scheduling, with Quote & Invoice Reminders and its SmartTools AI: SmartRead pulls costs out of a photographed supplier invoice, and SmartWrite drafts customer-ready descriptions and messages. Tradify UK publishes Lite at £34, Pro at £37 and Plus at £44 per user a month. Tradify does not answer customer phone calls, so you still pick up yourself. It is a tidy choice if you want neat quoting and invoicing and are happy being the one who answers.

Sources: Tradify: SmartTools, powered by AI (SmartRead and SmartWrite), Tradify UK: Pricing (Lite, Pro, Plus per user per month)