ServiceM8
Best for most small teams
Free, then $29 / month inc GST
- Priced by jobs; unlimited users on paid plans
- GPS, timesheets & accounting sync on every plan
- 14-day trial, no card
- Busy months can push you up a tier
Tradify, ServiceM8, Fergus and AroFlo compared in Aussie dollars, with GST shown like for like. Quoting, invoicing, certificates, Xero/MYOB and what your team will really pay. Built for plumbers, sparkies, HVAC techs and builders.
Illustration only, not a vendor app
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Five quick questions. We match you on real AUD prices and on features confirmed on each vendor's own page. Nothing else goes into it.
Our top pick for 2026
You pay for the work you do, not the people you employ. Paid plans include unlimited users, and the everyday tools are on every plan, even the free one. It works out cheapest in six of the seven typical businesses we costed below.
Starter $29 (50 jobs) · Growing $79 (150) · Premium $149 (500) · Premium Plus $349 (1,500). All inc GST.
Start your 14-day free trial → No card needed · affiliate linkNo single app suits everyone. Here's who each one is best for, and what it costs on its cheapest plan.
Best for most small teams
Free, then $29 / month inc GST
Best for lots of jobs per person
$52.80 per user / month inc GST
Best for supplier-linked job costing
From $53 per user / month
An established firm with stock, maintenance contracts and 3+ staff? See AroFlo below. It's demo-only, but it's the right call for some businesses.
A tick appears only where the vendor's own page confirms the feature. A question mark means we couldn't confirm it yet, which isn't the same as missing. Scroll sideways on a phone; the first column stays put.
| Checked 20 Oct 2026 | TrTradify$52.80 per user inc GSTTry free | Our pickS8ServiceM8Free, then $29/mo inc GSTTry free | FeFergus$53 per userTry free | ArAroFlofrom $80 per userBook a demo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price & plans | ||||
| Entry price (AUD) | $48 ex GST ($52.80 inc) per user/mo | Free plan; then $29/mo inc GST | $53 per user/mo, GST not stated | From $80 per user/mo, 3-user min, GST not stated |
| All plans | Lite $48 · Pro $52 · Plus $62 | Free $0 · Starter $29 · Growing $79 · Premium $149 · Premium Plus $349 | Essentials $53 · Professional $77 | from $80 |
| Priced by | Each user | Jobs per month (users unlimited on paid plans) | Each user | Each user, sliding scale |
| Prices include GST? | No, ex GST | Yes, inc GST | Not stated | Not stated |
| Trial & set-up | ||||
| Free trial | 14 days, all features | 14 days, no card | 14 days, no card | Demo only |
| Free plan | No | Yes, 1 user, 30 jobs/mo | No | No |
| Xero / MYOB / QuickBooks | Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks (all plans) | Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks (all plans) | Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks | Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks |
| Features | ||||
| iPhone and Android apps | iPhone, iPad, Android | iPhone, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Quoting | All plans | All plans; proposals from Growing | Both plans, price books | Yes |
| Compliance forms & certificates | Pro and up | Growing ($79) and up | Professional | Compliance & safety forms |
| Recurring jobs / maintenance | Pro and up | Free plan and up | Both plans | Not confirmed |
| Timesheets | Pro and up | All plans | Both plans | Yes |
| Automatic service reminders | Plus only | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| GPS tracking of staff | Staff locations on schedule; GPS not stated | Staff GPS & dispatch map, all plans | Both plans | Paid add-on |
| Supplier price lists / integrations | Price list & supplier bill import | Emailed price list import, all plans | Reece, Tradelink, Ideal Electrical & more (Professional) | 600+ suppliers incl. Reece, Rexel |
| Stock & inventory | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Purchase orders on Professional | Inventory tools |
| Contract | Month to month | Monthly | Monthly, no lock-in | Not stated |
| Try Tradify free | Try ServiceM8 free | Try Fergus free | Book a demo | |
Slide to match your business and tick what you can't live without. It picks the cheapest plan that covers your must-haves, using the list prices above.
Figures include GST where the vendor says how GST applies. Fergus and AroFlo don't say, so they're shown as listed and never tagged cheapest. List prices only; promotions ignored.
Cheapest entry plan per month, inc GST where the vendor says how GST applies.
| Business | Tradify | ServiceM8 | Fergus | AroFlo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader, quiet month1 user · 25 jobs/mo | $52.80Lite | $0Free | $53Essentials, GST not stated | from $240per month, GST not stated |
| Sole trader, steady1 user · 45 jobs/mo | $52.80Lite | $29Starter | $53Essentials, GST not stated | from $240per month, GST not stated |
| Sole trader, flat out1 user · 100 jobs/mo | $52.80Lite | $79Growing | $53Essentials, GST not stated | from $240per month, GST not stated |
| You + apprentice2 users · 80 jobs/mo | $105.60Lite | $79Growing | $106Essentials, GST not stated | from $240per month, GST not stated |
| 3 vans3 users · 120 jobs/mo | $158.40Lite | $79Growing | $159Essentials, GST not stated | from $240per month, GST not stated |
| 5 people5 users · 200 jobs/mo | $264Lite | $149Premium | $265Essentials, GST not stated | from $400per month, GST not stated |
| 8 people, service work8 users · 450 jobs/mo | $422.40Lite | $149Premium | $424Essentials, GST not stated | from $640per month, GST not stated |
Cheapest entry plan for each business, per month. Tradify converted to inc GST; ServiceM8 prices include GST. Highlighted = lowest where GST is known. Needs compliance forms? Plans change: use the calculator.
Up to 50 jobs a month: ServiceM8 Free or Starter. More than 50 on your own: Tradify Lite is likely cheaper.
Tradify vs ServiceM8 →ServiceM8 usually costs least because users are unlimited. Trial Fergus alongside it if you live on supplier pricing.
ServiceM8 vs Fergus →Book an AroFlo demo. It's built for established firms with 3+ staff and inventory.
AroFlo review →Budget for the mid plan: Tradify Pro, ServiceM8 Growing or Fergus Professional. Tick "forms" in the calculator.
Open the calculator →What each one costs, what's confirmed, and what to watch for. Hands-on trial notes are added as each trial finishes.
Best value for most small trade teams
Verdict: the best value for most small trade businesses. You pay for the work you do, not the people you employ, and the core tools (quoting, scheduling, timesheets, staff GPS and accounting sync) are on every plan, even Free.
Skip it if you work alone and do more than 50 jobs a month. Tradify will likely cost less.
Best for sole traders and crews doing lots of jobs each
Verdict: the pick when each person does a lot of jobs. One price per person means a flat-out month costs the same as a quiet one, and every feature is unlocked during the 14-day trial.
Skip it if you have 3 or more people doing ordinary job numbers. ServiceM8's unlimited users will cost less.
Best for supplier-linked job costing
Verdict: built for plumbing and electrical businesses that live on supplier pricing. Its premium supplier integrations (Reece, Tradelink, Ideal Electrical, J.A. Russell and more) keep price books current, and GPS and timesheets are on both plans.
Skip it if you don't buy much from the big wholesalers. You'd be paying for supplier sync you won't use.
Best for established firms
Verdict: built for established firms running stock, maintenance contracts and projects. Overkill for a one- or two-person business, and you'll pay for three users minimum.
Skip it if you're under 3 people or want to start today. There's a 3-user minimum and no self-serve trial.
For one person doing up to 50 jobs a month, ServiceM8 is the cheapest: its Free plan covers 1 user and 30 jobs a month, and Starter is $29 a month inc GST for 50 jobs. If you do more than 50 jobs a month on your own, Tradify Lite at $52.80 a month inc GST can work out cheaper than ServiceM8 Growing at $79. Full Tradify vs ServiceM8 comparison.
It depends on your jobs per person. One person doing 40 jobs a month pays $29 on ServiceM8 or $52.80 on Tradify. Three people doing 120 jobs a month pay $79 on ServiceM8 or $158.40 on Tradify. All inc GST. Try the calculator with your own numbers.
ServiceM8's prices include GST. Tradify's are ex GST, so add 10%. Fergus and AroFlo don't say on their pricing pages, so ask them before you compare. Most GST-registered businesses can claim the GST back, but compare the full bill either way.
Yes. All four list Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks integrations, and Tradify and ServiceM8 include them on every plan. Test the sync with one real invoice during your trial before you commit.
Tradify, ServiceM8 and Fergus each offer a 14-day free trial. ServiceM8 and Fergus say no card is needed, and ServiceM8 also has a free plan. AroFlo offers a demo rather than a self-serve trial.
Forms aren't on every entry plan. Tradify includes them from Pro, ServiceM8 from Growing ($79 a month inc GST) and Fergus on Professional. AroFlo lists compliance and safety forms. Whether your state's certificate is built in is something to test in the trial. See our guides for plumbers and electricians.
Yes. Tradify, ServiceM8, Fergus and AroFlo all list iPhone and Android apps.
Run the new app alongside the old one for a fortnight. Move your customer list and price list first, finish open jobs in the old system, and start every new job in the new one. Check in the trial that you can import your customers, and that you can export your data again if you ever leave. Our free checklist below walks through it.
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12 things to test in the free trial, plus a one-page plan for moving your customers, price list and open jobs across without losing a week. One email with the checklist, then a short note when prices change.
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