You don't need ten apps. A small plumbing business needs three jobs done: run the work, do the books, and answer the customer. Pick one tool for each, and don't pay for what you won't use.
We don't sell job management or accounting apps, so we've no stake in those picks. We do sell lead and call-answering systems, and I've said so where it matters. I also haven't tested each app on a live plumbing job. These picks are my judgement from their published prices and features. Most have a free trial, so test before you commit. Commusoft and Simpro don't mention one on the pages we read.
My picks
- Starting out on a tight budget: ServiceM8's free plan, if 30 quotes and work orders a month is enough.
- One to three people who do gas work: Powered Now.
- A small team that wants jobs and invoicing joined up: Fergus or Tradify.
- Larger heating firms: Commusoft or Simpro. Neither publishes prices, and Commusoft has a 12-month contract.
- Accounts: FreeAgent if your bank includes it, otherwise Xero or QuickBooks.
Job management apps
These handle quotes, jobs, diaries, invoices and often certificates. Prices were read on 5 November 2026 and may exclude VAT.
| App | UK price | Trial | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ServiceM8 | Free for 1 user and 30 quotes and work orders a month. Then £25, £59, £119 or £269 a month by job volume, with unlimited users. | 14 days | Sole traders and small teams who text a lot |
| Powered Now | £28, £32 or £40 a month per user on the listed "was" prices, or £280, £320 or £400 a year | 14 days, no card | Small UK trades, with Gas Safe certificates on the higher plans |
| YourTradebase | £29 a month on an undated page, with admin users at £5 and field staff free. Its pricing page wouldn't load for us. | 30 days, no card | Small teams with subcontractors |
| Fergus | From £39 or £45 a month. The page doesn't say if that's per user. | 14 days, no card | Tracking time and materials on each job |
| Tradify | We couldn't open its UK pricing. Third parties report £34 to £44 per user a month. | 14 days, no card | Quotes, jobs, invoices and scheduling in one place |
| Jobber | Priced in US dollars. Core starts at $49 a month on no commitment. It takes UK card payments, but confirm sterling and VAT. | 14 days on Grow, no card. UK card payments aren't available during the trial. | Firms that like its customer tools |
| Commusoft | Not published. Per licence on a 12-month contract, minimum 4 licences. | Not mentioned | Established heating and gas firms |
| Simpro | Not published | Not mentioned | Larger firms with complex jobs |
I've left Payaca out of the picks. Its standard pricing starts at £1,199 a month, or £999 billed annually, plus £1,500 onboarding, with a £299 a month plan for new clean tech firms. It's built for solar, heat pump, battery and EV charger installers. Invoice2go is an invoicing tool rather than a job system, and we couldn't confirm its UK price.
How I'd choose
- Under 30 quotes and work orders a month: try the free ServiceM8 plan before you pay for anything.
- You do lots of gas work: check that the app's certificates match what you need. Powered Now lists Gas Safe certificates on its Professional and Premium plans.
- You work with subcontractors: check how the app charges for them. YourTradebase lists field team and subcontractors as free.
- You're a growing team: look at per-user cost, because a per-user app gets expensive as you hire. ServiceM8 charges by jobs instead.
Check two things before you sign up. Can you get your customer list out if you leave? Does it connect to your accounting software?
Accounting apps
If you're a sole trader or a landlord with income above the thresholds, Making Tax Digital needs compatible software. That's £50,000 now, £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028, on gross income. HMRC doesn't recommend any product, so use its software finder too.
| App | UK price before VAT | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| FreeAgent | £19 sole trader, £33 limited company, a month | Free with a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business account, or an active Mettle account |
| Xero | £18, £39, £55 or £70 a month | The £18 plan caps at 20 invoices and 10 bills. CIS returns are a £5 a month add-on. |
| QuickBooks | From £10 a month for sole traders, from £16.60 for limited companies | Offers vary. Taking the 90% off means giving up the 30-day trial. |
| Sage | We couldn't confirm current prices | Check its site directly |
My view: check your bank first, because free is hard to beat. If you subcontract to builders, count Xero's CIS add-on in the price. A plumber sending more than 20 invoices a month will outgrow Xero's cheapest plan quickly.
HMRC says free products exist for people with simple tax affairs, with limits. If you only need the basics, have a look.
Apps that answer the phone
This is the gap in most job apps. They start working once a customer exists. Few of them help when someone rings while you're in a loft.
| App | Answers calls with AI? | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Powered Now | Yes, add-on | £29 or £39 a month |
| ServiceM8 | Yes, on some phone plans | Included in the £119 UK plan |
| Tradify | No sign of it | Has AI for reading invoices and writing text. Reminders are scheduled. |
| Fergus | Not for the UK that we could see | Fergus AI is in beta, and a partner tool lists only Australia |
| Commusoft | Summarises calls | Doesn't describe answering them |
| Jobber | Yes, UK sale unconfirmed | $29 a month |
There's more on this in is an AI receptionist worth it?.
Where we fit
We aren't a job management app. We don't do certificates or job costing, so keep your job app.
We work before the job: getting found, answering every call and message, following up quotes, and asking for reviews. If your problem is what happens once the work is booked, buy one of the apps above. If your problem is getting and keeping customers, that's what we do.
Don't forget the free ones. A Google Business Profile, the WhatsApp Business app and a shared calendar cost nothing and do a lot.
Questions plumbers ask
What's the best app for a self-employed plumber?
If you're on your own and doing under 30 quotes and work orders a month, start with ServiceM8's free plan. If you need Gas Safe certificates, look at Powered Now. Either way, use the trial on real jobs before you pay.
Do plumbers need job management software?
Not on day one. A notebook and a calendar will do for a while. Once you lose track of quotes or invoices, the cost of an app is small compared with one forgotten job.
Which app is best for Gas Safe certificates?
Powered Now lists them on its Professional and Premium plans. Other apps may offer them too, so check that the certificates you need are covered.
Which accounting app works with Making Tax Digital?
Xero, QuickBooks and FreeAgent all say they're ready, but QuickBooks's own wording on Income Tax varies by page, so check your plan. Use HMRC's software finder too, because HMRC doesn't recommend any product.
David Bell, founder of Real Business Systems
David helps small UK businesses get found, answer every enquiry and keep customers coming back. We sell some of the services mentioned here, and we say so where they come up.
Sources
- ServiceM8, UK pricing and free plan
- Powered Now, pricing and plumbers
- YourTradebase, quotes (undated) and scheduling
- Fergus, UK pricing, Fergus AI and H3llo
- Tradify, UK training and support, SmartTools and features
- Kael Tripton, Tradify UK pricing and Whito, job software costs (third parties)
- Jobber, pricing and UK payments
- Commusoft, pricing and AI:den
- Simpro, pricing
- Payaca, UK pricing
- Invoice2go, pricing
- FreeAgent, pricing
- Xero, UK pricing
- QuickBooks, Making Tax Digital software and sole traders
- GOV.UK, choose software for Making Tax Digital
- GOV.UK, Making Tax Digital dates
Prices and rules change. Check the source before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.