Buying guides · Guide · 4 min read

Tradify vs ServiceM8: the honest head-to-head for UK trades

The two most-shortlisted job management apps compared properly: pricing models, platforms, UK tax fit and feature depth, plus the question both of them share.

By Trade PA · Published 5 October 2026 · Reviewed 15 September 2026

Disclosure straight away: we build Trade PA, a third option in this market, and it appears once, at the end, clearly labelled. Everything before that is the two of them on their own merits, because if you are picking between Tradify and ServiceM8 you deserve a straight answer, not an ambush.

The structural difference: how they charge

Tradify is priced per user; ServiceM8’s paid plans are priced by job volume. ServiceM8’s free plan is the exception: one user, not unlimited staff. Use each provider’s current pricing page, count everyone who needs their own login, and include VAT and optional services consistently. A quote that becomes a job is a different question from how many visits that job requires.

That shape decides more than any feature list. A low-volume solo, a handful of jobs a month, is cheapest on ServiceM8, sometimes dramatically so. A solo doing lots of small fast jobs, the classic sparky week, climbs ServiceM8's tiers while Tradify stays flat. A growing team flips it again: every new pair of hands costs another seat on Tradify, while ServiceM8 does not care how many people log in, only how many jobs go through. The only honest method: count your real jobs and your real people, and price your actual month on both. The headline numbers will mislead you in both directions.

Choose the feature tier before calculating seats. Tradify puts progress invoicing, reminders and certificates in Pro or above, with SmartTools in Plus. In ServiceM8, some add-ons require a higher tier even if your job count is low. A trial with everything unlocked can hide what disappears when you select the entry plan.

Platform: the Apple question

ServiceM8 is optimised for Apple and recommends iPhones and iPads, and it shows in the polish of that workflow. It now offers a cut-down "ServiceM8 Lite" for Android for field techs who just need the basics, but the full experience is Apple-first. If your business runs on Android, verify exactly what the Lite app covers before anything else, because it can settle this comparison on its own. Tradify takes the broader route across phones and the web; confirm current device support for your exact setup on both sites, because these things move.

UK fit: two imports, one caveat each

For UK work, test the output you actually need: a standard invoice, an applicable reverse-charge invoice, and the relevant CIS record. Do not infer a tax capability from a supplier’s country of origin. Ask how the figures reach your accounting software and who checks the tax treatment. Our CIS calculator helps with a simple example, not every edge case.

Feature depth: what each is known for

Tradify's reputation is the dependable all-rounder: quoting, scheduling, job tracking, timesheets, and on its top tier the power-user layer, purchase orders, bulk invoicing, reporting, its Smart document features. ServiceM8's reputation is field automation: slick checklists, forms, on-site payments and communication flows that reduce office-and-van friction. Both are mature, both are trusted by large user bases, and both will comfortably run a well-organised trade business.

The verdict, by person

Low job volume, Apple devices, want maximum system for minimum money: ServiceM8, and price the tier your real month needs. Growing team, mixed devices, want the establishment all-rounder with UK corporate backing: Tradify, priced at Pro unless the basics cover you. Either way you will be choosing a good product; this is not a category with a wrong answer between these two.

Compare the AI workflow as well

Both suppliers advertise AI capabilities. ServiceM8 includes a voice assistant; Tradify has AI writing and bill-reading tools. Give each a fictional job with a labour line, a material line and an explicit exclusion. Check whether it drafts correctly, which plan it needs and what you must approve. Our product, Trade PA, is another option for that test. Its Solo plan starts at £39 monthly with AI allowances; Business Phone is an optional extra.

Whatever you shortlist, the test is the one from our buying guide: one real job, quote to paid, through the trial, on a normal working day. Feature pages do not run your business; Tuesdays do.