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The five job management apps, side by side

ServiceM8, Tradify, Fergus, Simpro and AroFlo: what each one costs, who it suits, and where it falls short. Prices and features checked 26 Oct 2026.

At a glance

AppBest forPriceFree trialWorks offlineStock control
AroFloTeams of 3 to 40+ doing maintenance and compliance workFrom A$80 per user/mo, 3-user minimumDemo onlyPartlyYes
FergusPlumbers and electricians running crews of 1–20From A$53 per user/mo + GST (Essentials), A$77 (Professional)14 days, no cardPartlyNo
ServiceM8Small teams doing lots of short jobsFree (30 jobs/mo), then A$29–349/mo inc GST14 days, no cardYesNo
SimproEstablished contractors, roughly 5–200+ staff, with office staffQuote only (setup fee extra)Demo onlyYesYes
TradifySole traders and crews up to about 20 who want simpleA$48 per user/mo ex GST (no GST charged if you're GST-registered)14 days, no cardNoNo

AroFlo

Teams of 3 to 40+ doing maintenance and compliance work

Why teams pick it

Suits businesses of 3 users up to 40+ technicians, with everything on one plan.

Not ideal for

Sole traders and 1–2 person businesses.

Does well

  • Compliance and safety forms built in, and they can be required before a job starts.
  • 600+ connected suppliers, including Reece, Rexel and Lawrence & Hanson.
  • Detailed stock control, kits and purchase orders.
  • Public API and Zapier.

Limits

  • No customer booking portal confirmed.
  • The new offline mode is mostly view-only plus notes; recording labour offline is still to come.
  • Project management with Gantt charts; progress claims aren’t confirmed.
Price
From A$80 per user/mo, 3-user minimum
How it’s priced
Per user, cheaper per user as you add more. Setup from A$1,450
Free trial
No free trial advertised
Runs on
iPhone, Android, web. Partial offline
Accounting
Xero (push, payments pulled back). MYOB, QuickBooks
Based in
Australia (Melbourne; part of Simpro Group)

Fergus

Plumbers and electricians running crews of 1–20

Why teams pick it

Fergus says it mostly serves crews of 1 to 20, and field staff can be cheaper timesheet users.

Not ideal for

Stock-level inventory; quoting or invoicing offline.

Does well

  • Forms, checklists and SWMS on Professional; certificates are an add-on (A$30/month for 1 to 9 staff).
  • 150+ supplier integrations, including Reece, Tradelink and Rexel.
  • Open API (2026) and a Zapier app.

Limits

  • No stock-level inventory (it connects to FieldStockPro for that).
  • Offline mode covers time, notes and photos, not quotes or invoices.
  • Job phases let you invoice in stages; retentions aren’t confirmed.
  • Enquiry management, but no customer self-booking confirmed.
Price
From A$53 per user/mo + GST (Essentials), A$77 (Professional)
How it’s priced
Per full user, plus cheaper timesheet-only users (from A$26/mo + GST)
Free trial
14 days, no card, no setup fee
Runs on
iPhone, Android, web. Partial offline (time, notes, photos)
Accounting
Xero (invoices out, payments back). MYOB, QuickBooks
Based in
New Zealand

ServiceM8

Small teams doing lots of short jobs

Why teams pick it

One price for the business with unlimited users: you pay by jobs a month, not by staff.

Not ideal for

Project work needing progress claims or Gantt charts; deep stock control.

Does well

  • Works offline and syncs when you’re back in range, on every plan.
  • Forms and certificates from the Growing plan (A$79/month inc GST).
  • Online bookings on every plan.
  • Public API from Starter, plus Zapier and an add-on marketplace.

Limits

  • No stock control: price lists and bundles only.
  • Imports supplier price lists and invoices, but has no live supplier connections.
  • Deposits and progress invoices from Starter, but no retentions or project scheduling.
Price
Free (30 jobs/mo), then A$29–349/mo inc GST
How it’s priced
Flat per business, tiered by jobs per month. No per-user fees
Free trial
14 days, no card, no lock-in
Runs on
iPhone, Android, web. Works offline
Accounting
Xero two-way (contacts, items, payments). MYOB, QuickBooks
Based in
Australia

Simpro

Established contractors, roughly 5–200+ staff, with office staff

Why teams pick it

Built for established contractors with office staff, from about 5 to 200+ people.

Not ideal for

Sole traders and small crews wanting self-serve signup and monthly pricing.

Does well

  • The mobile app works mostly offline; a few things, like new purchase orders, need a connection.
  • Digital Forms add-on (price not published).
  • Vendor catalogues with price comparison.
  • Real-time inventory, stock value reports and purchase orders.
  • Project workflows with retainages and recurring invoices.
  • Open API and Zapier.

Limits

  • Customer portal for payments; self-booking isn’t confirmed.
Price
Quote only (setup fee extra)
How it’s priced
Quoted by office and field users plus add-ons
Free trial
No free trial; demo only
Runs on
iPhone, Android, web. Field app works offline
Accounting
Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks (data pushed from Simpro)
Based in
Founded in Brisbane (Simpro Group, international HQ Miami)

Tradify

Sole traders and crews up to about 20 who want simple

Why teams pick it

Designed for trade businesses of 1 to 20 people, and simple to pick up.

Not ideal for

Crews often out of mobile range; anyone needing an API or Zapier.

Does well

  • Safety forms and compliance certificates on Pro and Plus.
  • Deposits, progress payments and retentions on Pro.

Limits

  • No offline mode: the app needs a live internet connection.
  • No stock control (purchase orders on the Plus plan).
  • No public API and no Zapier app, so connecting other tools is limited.
  • Supplier price lists by CSV import, not live connections.
  • Enquiry form and online quote acceptance, but customers can’t book a time themselves.
Price
A$48 per user/mo ex GST (no GST charged if you're GST-registered)
How it’s priced
Per user (A$48 / 52 / 62 ex GST by plan)
Free trial
14 days, no card, no lock-in
Runs on
iPhone, Android, web. No offline mode
Accounting
Xero two-way (invoices, payments). MYOB, QuickBooks
Based in
New Zealand (owned by The Access Group, UK)

Questions tradies ask

Which job management app is cheapest?

For one person, ServiceM8: it has a free plan (1 user, 30 new jobs a month) and Starter is A$29 a month including GST for unlimited users. Tradify starts at A$48 per user a month ex GST and Fergus at A$53 per user plus GST. AroFlo is A$80 per user ex GST with a 3-user minimum and a setup fee from A$1,450. Simpro only gives quotes. For a crew, the answer changes, because ServiceM8 charges by jobs while the others charge by user. The finder works it out for your team size.

Which apps have a free trial?

ServiceM8, Tradify and Fergus each have a 14-day free trial with no card needed. Simpro doesn’t offer a self-serve trial; you get a sales demo. AroFlo’s pricing page doesn’t offer a trial either, and sign-up goes through a demo.

Do they work without mobile signal?

ServiceM8 works offline on every plan and syncs when you’re back in range. Simpro’s mobile app works mostly offline, with a few limits such as creating new purchase orders. Fergus’s offline mode covers time, notes and photos, but not quotes or invoices. AroFlo’s new offline mode is mostly view-only plus notes. Tradify doesn’t work offline: the app needs a live connection.

Do they connect to Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks?

All five connect to Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks, but what syncs varies: some send invoices one way, others pull payments back, and only some send timesheets to payroll. Our Xero guide goes through it app by app.

Are the prices including GST?

It depends on the app. ServiceM8’s Australian prices include GST. Fergus and AroFlo list prices excluding GST. Tradify lists prices ex GST and bills from New Zealand, so GST-registered Australian businesses aren’t charged GST at all. Simpro doesn’t publish prices.

Which suits a sole trader?

ServiceM8 and Tradify are built for one-person businesses and small crews, and Fergus works for one person too. AroFlo has a 3-user minimum, and Simpro is aimed at businesses of about 5 to 200+ staff, so both usually cost more than a sole trader needs.

Which suits a bigger team with office staff?

Simpro and AroFlo are built for established contractors with office staff, with stock control, purchase orders and project scheduling included. Tradify targets businesses of up to 20 people, and Fergus moves teams of more than 10 staff onto a custom Enterprise quote.

Who owns these apps?

ServiceM8 is a private Australian company. Tradify started in New Zealand and has been owned by The Access Group, a UK software company, since 2024. Fergus is a New Zealand company. Simpro started in Brisbane, and its group bought AroFlo in 2021, so those two are now sister products.

Where does this information come from?

Each vendor’s pricing page, help centre and terms, plus app store and review site ratings, checked in October 2026. Where we’ve used an app hands-on, its profile shows a TESTED stamp with the month.

Do software companies pay to be listed?

No. Some links earn a commission if you sign up, but no company pays to be listed, ranked or left out, and none of them see a page before it’s published.