ServiceM8 vs Tradify for an Australian trade business

Before you read on: Avera is a ServiceM8 Certified Partner. We set up ServiceM8 for trade businesses and train their crews. So every fact below comes from ServiceM8's or Tradify's own website, with a link to the page it came from, and anything a vendor's site doesn't state is left out.

How each one charges

ServiceM8 charges by the number of jobs you create each month. Every new job card uses a job credit, and paid plans step up by monthly job allowance, as ServiceM8's free plan page explains. The free plan is the only one that limits users, to one. Every paid plan on ServiceM8's pricing page lists unlimited users, and the prices are shown in Australian dollars including GST.

Tradify charges per user per month across its Lite, Pro and Plus plans, with a Custom plan on request. Its Australian pricing page shows prices in Australian dollars excluding GST, billed month to month with no contract.

So a ServiceM8 bill grows with the number of jobs you book, and a Tradify bill grows with every person you give a login. Pull last month's job count and the number of people who need the app before you compare plans. Both offer a 14-day free trial.

Phones, tablets and the office

ServiceM8's pricing page lists iOS and Android apps plus a desktop app for Mac and PC on every plan.

Tradify's pricing page says it runs as an app on iPhone, iPad and Android devices, and its scheduling page also lists desktop and tablet.

Working without reception

ServiceM8 lists offline access on every plan. Its pricing page says you can use the app without internet connectivity, and updates sync once you're back in range.

Tradify's own help article, Does Tradify Work Offline?, says both the web console and the mobile app depend on a live internet connection.

If your crew works in basements, plant rooms or out past mobile coverage, test this on a real site during the trial.

Xero and MYOB

Both connect to Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks Online. ServiceM8's integrations page says it syncs clients, items, invoices and payments with your accounting package, and the integration is included on all plans.

Tradify lists Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks Online on its pricing page. Its MYOB page says invoices, bills, payments, suppliers and customer details are shared with MYOB automatically, at no extra charge.

Check with your bookkeeper which MYOB product you run, and confirm the connection in the trial.

Quoting

ServiceM8's quoting page says you can email or text clients a link to view and accept a quote online, and send several quote options at once. You can also prebuild kits of labour and materials into bundles, and build quotes in the office or on the app.

Tradify's quoting page says customers can accept quotes online from the email you send. You can import your suppliers' price lists, and turn an accepted quote into a job or an invoice with one button. Quotes can be built and sent from a phone, tablet or desktop.

If you price off supplier lists, Tradify's import is worth testing. Anyone who regularly gives customers a good, better and best choice should try ServiceM8's quote options.

Scheduling

ServiceM8's scheduling page says you drag jobs onto a time and a staff member, and employees are notified of schedule changes on their devices. You can also text clients a booking link where they pick an available time.

Tradify's scheduling page describes drag-and-drop scheduling with timeline, planner and calendar views. Staff get automatic notifications when work is booked for them, and you can assign jobs to staff or subcontractors.

Who each one suits

Tradify says on its how it works page that it is built for trade teams of up to 20 people. ServiceM8's free plan is aimed at sole operators, and its paid plans add as many logins as you need.

Going by the vendors' own pages, ServiceM8 suits crews who often work out of reception, and businesses taking on people faster than they take on jobs. Tradify suits a team that wants to pay month to month per person and works off supplier price lists.

Either one needs job templates, price lists, forms and the accounting connection in place before the crew starts using it. If you go with ServiceM8, that's the setup and training we do from near Geelong, and over video for trades across Victoria.