ServiceM8 alternatives in 2026: the best option for each reason to switch

Short answer

The right alternative depends on why you’re leaving.

Your crew is on Android or you want the simplest app: Tradify. It has the best app ratings of any job app in our data, on both iPhone and Android. Re-test ServiceM8 first, though: it replaced its cut-down Android app with a full one in September 2026.

You’re a plumber or electrician buying a lot of materials: Fergus, for its supplier price books and invoice import.

You need stock control, purchase orders, projects or compliance across many sites: AroFlo, or Simpro for bigger contractors. Both cost a lot more and come with setup fees.

You need offline mode and stock across vans at a per-user price: Ascora.

The alternatives at a glance

Prices from each vendor’s pricing page, checked 25 October 2026.

Why people look past ServiceM8

Before you switch, check your reason still holds up. These are the four that come up most on comparison pages, Reddit threads and app reviews, checked against ServiceM8’s own help centre.

1. You’re doing more jobs than your plan allows

ServiceM8 charges per business, not per person, and every paid plan has unlimited users. The plan is set by how many new jobs you create each month: 50 on Starter (A$29), 150 on Growing (A$79), 500 on Premium (A$149), and 1,500 on Premium Plus (A$349), which charges 20c for each job after that.

That’s cheap for a crew of four doing 120 jobs. It gets expensive for one or two people doing hundreds of small jobs, like a pest controller or a cleaner. If that’s you, a per-user app like Tradify or Ascora can cost less.

2. Your crew uses Android phones

For years ServiceM8 on Android was “ServiceM8 Lite”, a cut-down app. That changed with ServiceM8 15 in September 2026, which brought a full Android app. ServiceM8 now says Android has “almost all the same functionality as the iOS app”. Four things are still iPhone-only (ServiceM8 help):

• Room Scan, 3D viewing and AR measuring
• Drawing diagrams (you can still mark up photos)
• Editing and filling in PDFs from attachments
• Automatic in-camera photo tagging (Android has voice-to-tag)

Most comparison pages still say Android gets the Lite app, which is out of date. Android users are still less happy than iPhone users, though:

Of ServiceM8’s 197 one and two-star reviews since 2024 that we pulled from the three stores, 114 mentioned Android, Samsung, the Lite app or wanting the “full version”. Reviews since the new app arrived are better but still mixed: the newest Google Play reviews averaged about 2.0 stars in July and August 2026 and 3.0 in September. The main complaint after the update is that uploading photos from the phone’s gallery stopped working the way it used to.

If Android was your reason to leave, trial ServiceM8 15 on your crew’s own phones before you switch.

3. You need purchase orders or real stock control

ServiceM8 “does not have built-in functionality to create and send purchase orders to suppliers”, according to its own support page. For stock, it shows the quantities from your accounting software: if you use Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, you manage stock there. There’s no van or warehouse stock in ServiceM8 itself.

If you hold stock in vans or need POs against jobs, look at Ascora, AroFlo or Simpro. Tradify (Plus plan) and Fergus (Professional) have purchase orders but no stock levels.

4. Your work is projects, not call-outs

ServiceM8 is built around short jobs. It has progress invoices and deposits from the Starter plan, but no Gantt charts or retentions. One electrician on Reddit described it as “truly designed for one site visit is one job is one invoice”, and moved to Simpro for large projects while missing how “fast and easy” ServiceM8 was.

For staged work with retentions, Tradify Pro handles progress invoicing with deposits and retentions. AroFlo and Simpro add proper project management.

The alternatives

Tradify: the simplest switch

Job card

Tradify

Best for

Sole traders and crews up to about 20 who want simple

Not ideal for

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

Price from

A$48 per user/mo ex GST (no GST charged if you're GST-registered)

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

Try Tradify→

Details checked 26 Oct 2026

Tradify is the alternative most comparison pages lead with, and we found the same in our app-store data: it rates highest of the seven apps we checked on every store, with 4.73 on the Australian App Store (4,108 ratings), 4.77 on Google Play (3,142) and 4.64 on the Xero App Store (187). Its Android app is the same full app as on iPhone.

You pay per user: A$48 (Lite), A$52 (Pro) or A$62 (Plus) a month. Tradify bills from New Zealand, so it doesn’t charge GST to GST-registered Australian businesses. Most businesses need Pro, which adds job photos, online quote acceptance, progress invoicing with retentions and timesheets.

What you give up coming from ServiceM8:

• Offline mode. Tradify needs a connection. If your crew works in basements or out of range, that rules it out.
• Connections to other tools. Tradify has no public API and no Zapier, so your website forms, call tracking or CRM can’t feed jobs into it.
• Cheap extra users. At three people Tradify Pro costs A$156 a month, against A$71.82 ex GST for ServiceM8 Growing (A$79 inc GST).

Tradify has been owned by The Access Group, a UK software company, since October 2024. Access also owns GeoOp.

Fergus: for plumbers and electricians

Job card

Fergus

Best for

Plumbers and electricians running crews of 1–20

Not ideal for

Stock-level inventory; quoting or invoicing offline

Price from

From A$53 per user/mo + GST (Essentials), A$77 (Professional)

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

Try Fergus→

Details checked 26 Oct 2026

Fergus was started by a plumber in New Zealand and is built around supplier materials. It says it connects to 100+ trade suppliers, including Reece, Tradelink and the Rexel Group brands in Australia, so your price book stays current and supplier invoices land on the right job. Professional adds purchase orders and SWMS and hazard forms.

It’s from A$53 per user a month on Essentials and A$77 on Professional, plus GST (Fergus’s terms say fees are per user and exclude tax). Timesheet-only users for apprentices start from A$26. It was running a “90% off til December” offer when we checked.

Fergus added an offline mode in August 2026, but it only covers time entries, notes and photos. Quoting and invoicing need a connection. Teams over 10 go on a custom Enterprise plan.

Ascora: offline, stock and projects at a per-user price

Ascora is built in Perth and sits between the small-team apps and AroFlo. It’s A$45 per user a month on Essentials and A$59 on Elite (for up to 30 technicians), with a 14-day trial and no lock-in. GST isn’t stated, and there’s a one-off implementation fee on the bigger plans.

Every plan works offline on mobile, and Ascora covers stock across vans and sites, timesheets that sync to payroll, and projects. Its app ratings are the weak spot: 3.2 on the Australian App Store (58 ratings) and 3.3 on Google Play (45).

AroFlo: when you’ve outgrown the small-team apps

Job card

AroFlo

Best for

Teams of 3 to 40+ doing maintenance and compliance work

Not ideal for

Sole traders and 1–2 person businesses

Price from

From A$80 per user/mo, 3-user minimum

Free trial

No free trial advertised

Runs on

iPhone, Android, web. Partial offline

Accounting

Xero (push, payments pulled back). MYOB, QuickBooks

Try AroFlo→

Details checked 25 Oct 2026

AroFlo is one plan with everything in it: Gantt charts, stock control, a trade CRM, compliance forms and links to 600+ suppliers. It suits maintenance contractors and compliance-heavy trades with three or more people in the field.

It’s from A$80 per user a month plus GST, with a three-user minimum, so A$264 a month including GST at the smallest. Setup starts at A$1,450. There’s no free trial. AroFlo Go, its cheaper one-person version, is closed to new customers. See AroFlo pricing for the full breakdown and how its price has changed since 2022.

Simpro: for established contractors

Job card

Simpro

Best for

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

Not ideal for

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

Price from

Quote only (setup fee extra)

Free trial

No free trial; demo only

Runs on

iPhone, Android, web. Field app works offline

Accounting

Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks (data pushed from Simpro)

Try Simpro→

Details checked 25 Oct 2026

Simpro is built for contractors from about five to 200+ staff with office staff, mixing service, maintenance and project work. It handles quoting and estimating, real-time stock, purchasing and multi-company setups. It’s also the job app Australian employers name most in Seek job ads, so you can hire people who already know it.

Simpro doesn’t publish prices. Australian customers report paying around A$85–100 per person a month for small and mid-sized teams, plus a setup fee, often on multi-year contracts. In 2026, existing Simpro and AroFlo customers were offered the new Lightning AI upgrade at a 15% to 25% uplift. See Simpro pricing before you book a demo.

Others you’ll see recommended

• Jobber comes up on most lists. It’s Canadian and built for the North American market, and most of its 6,897 Google Play ratings come from there. Check that its Xero and Australian payment setup suits you before choosing it.
• ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, BuildOps and FieldPulse appear on US-written lists. They’re aimed at the US market.
• NextMinute suits residential builders with Gantt scheduling, from A$199 a month for 3–9 users.
• iTrade prices per field worker with free office users.

What each alternative costs at three team sizes

Subscription only, per month, ex GST. That’s what a GST-registered business pays after claiming GST credits, so it’s the fair way to compare:

ServiceM8’s prices include GST, so we’ve taken the GST out. Ascora doesn’t say whether its prices include GST, so we’ve used its listed price. The Fergus six-person figure uses timesheet-only users for the three apprentices. AroFlo’s is an upper bound, because its per-user rate drops for bigger teams, and its setup fee is extra.

Card fees can matter more than the subscription. Since 1 October 2026 Australian businesses can’t surcharge eftpos, Mastercard or Visa payments, so the fee comes out of your price. ServiceM8’s rate drops as you move up plans (1.89% down to 1.19%, plus 30c). Tradify charges 1.9% plus 30c, and Fergus 1.95% plus 30c. For the six-person business above, if half its 250 invoices a month at A$800 are paid by card in the app, ServiceM8 Premium’s card fees come to about A$510 a month less than Tradify’s and A$560 less than Fergus’s.

When to stay on ServiceM8

Don’t switch if these describe you:

• You have three or more people. Unlimited users means ServiceM8 gets cheaper per head the bigger your crew, up to its job limits.
• Your crew works out of range. ServiceM8 works fully offline. Tradify doesn’t work offline at all, and Fergus only covers time, notes and photos offline.
• You connect other tools. ServiceM8 has a public API, Zapier and an add-on marketplace. Tradify has none of those.
• You take card payments. ServiceM8’s card rates on every paid plan are lower than Tradify’s or Fergus’s.
• Your Android problem was the old Lite app. ServiceM8 15 replaced it in September 2026.

Before you switch

1. Export your clients, job history, photos and price list. Check what format the new app can import.
2. List your recurring jobs and maintenance schedules. Most apps can’t import them, so plan to set them up again.
3. Set up your accounting connection in the new app and send one test invoice to Xero before you move everyone over.
4. Run real jobs through the new app’s free trial for a week, on your crew’s own phones.
5. Check the contract. ServiceM8, Tradify, Fergus and Ascora are month to month. AroFlo and Simpro have setup fees, and Simpro customers report multi-year terms.

In New Zealand

Fergus and Tradify both started in New Zealand. ServiceM8 charges the same plan prices in NZ dollars (NZ$29 to NZ$349) with the same job limits. Tradify is NZ$48 to NZ$62 per user plus GST (Tradify charges NZ GST on NZ invoices). Fergus calls its entry plan Basic in NZ, from NZ$53, with Professional from NZ$75. Fergus Go has more ratings on the NZ App Store (959) than the Australian one (564).

Common questions

Is there a free alternative to ServiceM8? ServiceM8 itself has a free plan for one person doing up to 30 jobs a month. Tradify, Fergus and Ascora have 14-day free trials but no free plan.

Does ServiceM8 charge per user? No. Paid plans have unlimited users, and the price is set by the number of new jobs you create each month.

Does ServiceM8 work on Android? Yes. Since ServiceM8 15 in September 2026, Android has a full app, with four features still iPhone-only (listed above).

Which is cheaper, ServiceM8 or Tradify? For one person doing up to 50 jobs a month, ServiceM8 (A$29 inc GST, A$26.36 ex) beats Tradify Pro (A$52). For three or more people it’s ServiceM8 by a wide margin, unless you’re doing hundreds of jobs a month.

DE

Written by Dan Edwards

Dan sets up job management, call tracking and CRM systems for trade businesses. More about Dan.