MyBuilder charges when you are shortlisted. Tradehand earns when you are paid.
MyBuilder is free to join and free to show interest in jobs, then charges a fee the moment a homeowner's contact details are shared with you, whether or not you win the work. Tradehand gets you found instead: on its marketplace and through a website under your own name on paid plans, with an Assistant that answers, quotes, books and collects payment. Free includes the Assistant; paid plans add automation, more usage and lower payment rates.
Tradehand
MyBuilder
The short answer
Choose MyBuilder if you want to browse posted jobs and pay per introduction, with a fee you see before you respond. Choose Tradehand if you would rather customers come to you and an assistant runs the admin under your name. Free includes the Assistant; paid plans add automation, more usage and lower payment rates.
An honest recommendation
Choose MyBuilder if…
- You want to browse posted jobs and pick which introductions to pay for
- You value reviews that only come from customers who genuinely hired
- You are filling a new diary and accept paying for some silence
Choose Tradehand if…
- You would rather customers find you than pay per introduction
- You want missed calls answered, quotes sent and payment chased for you
- You want Free tools with the Assistant or a paid plan for automation, with unlimited team members
MyBuilder's model is fairer than blind lead-selling: joining is free, showing interest is free, each job's fee is shown before you respond and never changes afterwards, and its reviews come only from customers who hired through the site or proved the work happened. A strong MyBuilder profile is genuinely earned.
Should you have to buy your customers at all?
MyBuilder charges at the introduction, before a word is exchanged about price. Tradehand earns at the end, when the invoice is paid. Where the charge sits decides who pays for the homeowners who go quiet.
UK office manager starter salary, before NI and pension. Paid whether or not the invoices land.
Source: Office manager salary, £25,000 starter (National Careers Service)
TradehandFree, or paid plans from £19 a month, billed yearly
MyBuilderFree to join and to express interest. A shortlist fee, starting from £7 and varying with the job, is charged when the customer's details are shared with you.
Sources: MyBuilder fees: charged only when a homeowner shortlists you, MyBuilder lead fees: from £7, shown before you respondSalary: National Careers Service. MyBuilder shows each job's fee before you respond and invoices weekly; being hired is not required for the fee to be payable. Tradehand offers Free tools with the Assistant and paid plans for automation.
See pricingSide by side
| What matters |  Tradehand |  MyBuilder |
|---|---|---|
| What it isSource: MyBuilder job flow: homeowners can invite up to ten trades | TradehandUK marketplace to find and book trades, plus an AI assistant | MyBuilderJob board: homeowners post work, trades express interest |
| What triggers a chargeSource: MyBuilder terms: the fee is payable whether or not you win the job | Tradehand✓ Free and paid plans, with a fee on collected payments | MyBuilderBeing shortlisted: the fee is due whether or not you are hired |
| If the customer goes quietSource: MyBuilder refunds: account credit only, at MyBuilder's discretion | Tradehand✓ You have paid nothing | MyBuilderRefunds are discretionary and paid as account credit, never cash |
| Who else quotes the jobSource: MyBuilder job flow: homeowners can invite up to ten trades | TradehandThey contact one trade; details stay with that trade | MyBuilderMany trades can show interest; homeowners can invite up to ten |
| Who answers and chases the job | Tradehand✓ An assistant under your name: answers, quotes, books, chases payment | MyBuilderYou contact each shortlist and do the follow-up yourself |
| Being foundSource: MyBuilder sponsored placements: optional paid visibility | TradehandMarketplace profile plus a website under your own name on paid plans | MyBuilderA MyBuilder profile; paid sponsored placement is optional |
| CommitmentSource: MyBuilder fees: charged only when a homeowner shortlists you | TradehandNo contract, leave whenever you like | MyBuilderNo membership fee or contract; fees invoiced weekly |
“Mybuilder is a race to the bottom.”
What happens when the customer comes to you
A homeowner finds your business on Tradehand while you are mid-job. Your Tradehand assistant answers every call and message that follows without you stopping work, and not one of them carried a shortlist fee.
On MyBuilder the fee lands when the details are shared, and the calls, the quote and the chasing are still yours to do. On Tradehand your assistant answers people already looking for you, sends the quote and books the visit under your name.
You can run both while you decide
MyBuilder has no membership fee, so there is nothing to cancel. Keep expressing interest in jobs while your Tradehand assistant switches on.
- Day 1
Find or claim your listing
Search the Tradehand marketplace for your business, or sign up at tradehand.com/for-trades if you are new.
- Day 1
Set up your assistant
A person connects your number, rates and diary so your assistant can answer under your name.
- Week 1
Run both in parallel
Keep taking MyBuilder shortlists you have paid for while Tradehand answers your own line and website.
- When ready
Review your spend
Use tradehand.com/tools/marketplace-roi to see what each won job really costs in shortlist fees, then let the fees stop themselves once your own customers fill the diary.
Your questions
Is Tradehand a MyBuilder alternative for UK trades?
Yes, and they charge at opposite ends of the job. MyBuilder charges a fee when a homeowner's contact details are shared with you, hired or not. Tradehand gets you found on its marketplace and your own website, answers the call under your name, on a paid plan. Free includes the manual tools and the Assistant with £1 of usage a month: 5% of each payment Tradehand takes, card fees included. Paid plans from £19 a month, billed yearly. They add automation and more usage. Basic payment fees on your own jobs: From 1.25% + 20p, deducted automatically when the customer pays. Grow and Advanced have lower Tradehand payment fees.
How much does MyBuilder cost a tradesperson?
Joining and expressing interest in jobs are free. When a homeowner shortlists you, MyBuilder charges a fee for their contact details, starting from £7 and varying with the likely size, value and location of the job. The exact fee is shown before you respond and is invoiced weekly.
Do I pay MyBuilder even if I do not win the job?
Yes. MyBuilder's own terms say it is not necessary for you to be awarded the job for the shortlist fee to be payable. The fee buys the introduction, not the work.
Does MyBuilder refund a fee if the customer never replies?
Sometimes, as account credit rather than cash, and at MyBuilder's discretion. An unreachable-customer claim needs you to have contacted them within 48 hours, messaged through the site, and had no reply on any channel, requested 7 to 20 days after the shortlist.
Does Tradehand sell leads or charge per shortlist?
No. Homeowners search the Tradehand marketplace free and contact one trade, and that job stays with that trade. Tradehand never charges you to see or answer a customer.
How does Tradehand get me found?
Three ways: your business is listed on the Tradehand marketplace where homeowners search by trade and area, you get a website under your own name on paid plans, built to win local searches, and you get hands-on help setting up and optimising your Google Business Profile. The work comes to you under your own brand.
What do I pay Tradehand?
Free includes the manual tools and the Assistant with £1 of usage a month: 5% of each payment Tradehand takes, card fees included. Paid plans from £19 a month, billed yearly. They add automation and more usage. Basic payment fees on your own jobs: From 1.25% + 20p, deducted automatically when the customer pays. Grow and Advanced have lower Tradehand payment fees.
Can I use MyBuilder and Tradehand together?
Yes. MyBuilder has no membership fee, so many trades keep an eye on posted jobs while their own work builds up. Tradehand answers whatever comes in, whichever door it arrived through.
Sources & references
- MyBuilder fees: charged only when a homeowner shortlists you
- MyBuilder lead fees: from £7, shown before you respond
- MyBuilder terms: the fee is payable whether or not you win the job
- MyBuilder refunds: account credit only, at MyBuilder's discretion
- MyBuilder job flow: homeowners can invite up to ten trades
- MyBuilder sponsored placements: optional paid visibility
- Office manager salary, £25,000 starter (National Careers Service)
More comparisons
Hear your assistant answer the phone
Get started. Tradehand takes a call, sends the quote and books the job under a trade's own name. Then compare that with what the last few shortlist fees won you.
