ServiceM8 is strongest on iPhone. Tradehand is built around the whole job.
ServiceM8 markets an AI Phone Agent alongside its Apple-first job-management app. Tradehand gives you an assistant that carries the call, the quote, the booking and the payment follow-up on any phone. 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.
Tradehand
ServiceM8
The short answer
ServiceM8 is a proven choice for a mature Apple-first job app with a genuine free plan. Choose Tradehand if you want one assistant carrying the call through quoting, booking and payment follow-up. 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.
An honest recommendation
Choose ServiceM8 if…
- Your crew is on iPhones
- You want a genuine free tier while volume is low
- You value its mature dispatch board, asset management and job costing
Choose Tradehand if…
- You (or your crew) are on Android and want full features
- You'd rather the missed call got answered than logged
- You want the same assistant to carry calls and messages into quoting, booking and payment follow-up
Where ServiceM8 wins: a polished iOS field app, a real free plan, years of dispatch-board refinement, and an AI Phone Agent option. Tradehand does not import historic jobs, so keep your old records for reference.
Are you buying tidier admin, or more work won?
Compare answering, quoting, booking and chasing, then weigh the cost against hiring an office admin.
UK office manager starter salary, before NI and pension. Paid whether or not the invoices land.
Source: Office manager salary (National Careers)
TradehandFree, or paid plans from £19 a month, billed yearly
Salary: National Careers Service. ServiceM8 bills monthly by jobs a month, with a free plan for one user under thirty jobs. Tradehand includes the Assistant on Free and bills a subscription for automation and more usage.
See pricingSide by side
| What matters |  Tradehand |  ServiceM8 |
|---|---|---|
| Answers the phoneSource: ServiceM8 Phone Agent: plans and availability | Tradehand✓ Quote from your rates, held when approval is required | ServiceM8AI Phone Agent on eligible separate ServiceM8 Phone Connect Plus or Unlimited plans |
| Android as good as iPhoneSource: ServiceM8 Lite for Android | Tradehand✓ Full trader app on Android and iPhone | ServiceM8Lite on Android, iOS is the full app |
| How you are billedSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing (servicem8.com) | TradehandFree, or paid plans from £19 a month, billed yearly | ServiceM8Monthly, by jobs a month, free under thirty |
| Job capsSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing (servicem8.com) | Tradehand✓ No cap, a busy month costs no more per job | ServiceM8Thirty a month free, then tiered by jobs |
| Chases what is owedSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing (servicem8.com) | Tradehand✓ Quotes, invoices and customers who went quiet | ServiceM8Quote Follow-up and Automated Payment Follow-ups, every plan |
| Depth for a bigger crewSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing (servicem8.com) | TradehandThin. Built for one trader up to five | ServiceM8✓ Asset Management, Job Costing, Staff GPS |
| ContractSource: ServiceM8 UK pricing (servicem8.com) | TradehandNone, leave whenever you like | ServiceM8Monthly subscription |
What "answers your phone" looks like
A Tuesday morning. You're under a sink and can't pick up. Nothing below required your phone.
ServiceM8 has an AI Phone Agent as part of its phone product. The Tradehand distinction is one assistant carrying that call through the quote, booking and payment follow-up.
Move new work over without losing your old records
Run both side by side, and keep your old job history safely available for reference rather than assuming it moves.
- Day 1
Prepare your data
Export your customers and keep your ServiceM8 job history safely available for reference.
- Day 1
A person does the import
A person imports your customers and price list, then sets up your number, rates and diary. Historic jobs are not imported.
- Day 2–6
Run both in parallel
Calls to the Tradehand business number ring the saved staff phone first. A missed mobile gets one text in the business name. A missed landline reaches the assistant. Tradehand does not take over a number the business already uses. ServiceM8 keeps running.
- When ready
Move new work across
Cancel ServiceM8 only when you no longer need it for active jobs or reference history.
Your questions
Is Tradehand a good ServiceM8 alternative for UK sole traders?
Yes, especially on Android, or when you are too busy on the tools to answer every call. Tradehand answers missed calls, quotes and books jobs on any phone with the Assistant. ServiceM8 suits an all-iPhone crew wanting a mature dispatch board.
Is ServiceM8 worth it? (honest review take)
For an iPhone crew wanting a genuine free plan and a polished dispatch board, ServiceM8 is worth considering. Honest caveats for a UK sole trader: the cut-down Android Lite app, the free plan's thirty-job cap, and a monthly bill that rises with job volume.
Is Tradehand or ServiceM8 cheaper?
ServiceM8 has a free plan for one user and thirty jobs a month, then bills monthly by job volume, paid whether or not those jobs get paid. 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.
Does ServiceM8 work properly on Android?
ServiceM8 says its iPhone and iPad app is the most feature-rich experience. ServiceM8 Lite for Android covers core field tasks and manual job-time tracking, but not every iOS capability. The Tradehand trader app runs the full day on either.
Does ServiceM8 have an AI receptionist?
Yes, with an eligible separate ServiceM8 Phone Connect Plus or revised Unlimited subscription. Phone eligibility is independent of the core Free plan. Core AI quoting and invoicing allow ten uses a day on Free, unlimited on paid core plans. Tradehand drafts quotes from your rates and holds them when approval is required.
What can I import from ServiceM8?
A person imports your customers and price list into Tradehand. Historic jobs are not imported, so keep your ServiceM8 account available for reference.
Does Tradehand do certificates?
Yes. Tradehand includes ten published certificate types and a signed PDF. A supervisor countersigns only when one signs. ServiceM8 puts Forms and Certificates on its Growing plan and above.
Does Tradehand work with Xero or QuickBooks?
Tradehand pushes invoices one way into Xero and QuickBooks, plus a CSV export. That push is not a sync, and not yet available for VAT registered companies.
Is there a contract or minimum term?
No contract, no minimum, no cancellation fee. Export your data and leave whenever you like.
Hear your assistant answer the phone
Get started. Your assistant takes the call, sends the quote and books it, on any phone, no app to open. Then decide.
