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

Short answer

The right alternative depends on why you’re leaving Tradify.

Your crew loses signal, you want other software feeding jobs in, or your crew is growing: ServiceM8. It works fully offline, has an API and Zapier, and charges per business, not per user.

You’re a plumber or electrician buying lots of materials: Fergus, for supplier invoices and price files, plus an API and some offline use.

You need stock in vans, purchase orders, projects or compliance across many sites: Ascora, AroFlo or Simpro.

If none of these reasons apply, stay. Tradify is still the best-rated job app on every app store we track.

The alternatives at a glance

From each vendor’s pricing and help pages, checked 26 October 2026. Tradify doesn’t charge GST to GST-registered Australian businesses, so its listed price is the cost; the others’ ex-GST prices are what you pay after GST credits.

Why people look past Tradify

1. It doesn’t work without signal

Tradify’s help centre says “Tradify does not work offline as, both the Web Console and the Mobile App are dependent on a live internet connection to operate” (Tradify, updated July 2026). A January 2026 update added an “Offline” banner when the connection drops, not an offline mode. Some comparison pages call Tradify’s offline support “limited”; Tradify itself says there isn’t any.

Alternatives that work offline: ServiceM8 (fully), Ascora (offline mode on every plan), Simpro (mostly), Fergus (time, notes and photos since August 2026).

2. Nothing else can create jobs in it

Tradify “does not currently offer a public API or self-service API keys (as of September 2026)” (Tradify). Your website enquiry form, call tracking or a CRM can’t create jobs or customers in Tradify. Its connections are Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, Stripe and Google Calendar.

Alternatives with an API and Zapier: ServiceM8 (API from Starter, Zapier, an add-on marketplace), Fergus (open API and Zapier since 2026), AroFlo (API and Zapier), Simpro (API).

3. Per-user pricing as the crew grows

Tradify Pro is A$52 per user a month. That’s fine for one or two people, but it adds up:

Monthly subscription, ex GST. ServiceM8 charges per business with unlimited users, set by how many new jobs you create, so it’s the cheapest from two people up unless you’re doing hundreds of jobs. For one person doing 51 to 150 jobs a month, Tradify is cheaper.

4. Stock, purchase orders and reporting

Tradify has no stock control, and purchase orders and reporting are on its top plan (Plus, A$62). If you carry stock in vans or need proper job and business reporting:

• Ascora tracks stock across vans and sites on a per-user price.
• AroFlo includes stock, purchase orders, assets, compliance forms and Gantt charts in one plan.
• Simpro goes deepest on stock, purchasing and reporting.
• Fergus has purchase orders (Professional) and pulls overheads from Xero into its profit reports, but no stock levels.

5. You’re a GeoOp customer being moved to Tradify

The Access Group, which has owned Tradify since October 2024, bought GeoOp and GeoNext in February 2025 and is moving their customers onto Tradify. Tradify’s migration page says GeoOp and GeoNext “will be sunsetted, and once this happens, your account and data will no longer be accessible”, that you’ll pay the same price per user as on Geo, and that attachments come across as links back into Geo. There’s no public shutdown date.

You don’t have to move to Tradify. Before your Geo account closes, download any photos and files you want to keep, since they only come across as links. ServiceM8 has a free tool for importing GeoOp job history. Its GeoOp page still shows a 50% discount, but the small print says that offer ended on 31 December 2024.

6. Ownership

Some Tradify users would rather back an independent Australian or NZ company. ServiceM8 is a private Australian company and Fergus a private NZ one. Simpro and AroFlo belong to Simpro Group, backed by US private equity.

The alternatives

ServiceM8: the closest swap with offline and an API

Job card

ServiceM8

Best for

Small teams doing lots of short jobs

Not ideal for

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

Price from

Free (30 jobs/mo), then A$29–349/mo inc GST

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

Try ServiceM8→

Details checked 25 Oct 2026

ServiceM8 covers the same ground as Tradify (quotes, scheduling, job cards, invoices, payments, Xero) and fixes the first three reasons above: it works fully offline, has a public API and Zapier, and charges per business. It also has lower card fees than Tradify on its paid plans (1.69% down to 1.19% plus 30c, against Tradify’s 1.9%).

What you give up: Tradify’s simplicity and ratings. ServiceM8 rates 4.54 on the Australian App Store against Tradify’s 4.73, and 3.76 on Google Play against 4.77; its full Android app only arrived in September 2026 (ServiceM8 15), replacing a cut-down “Lite” app. It has no purchase orders, no retentions, and support is chat and email only. See ServiceM8 alternatives for its weak spots.

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 is the closest match on price (A$53 per user, plus GST) and adds what Tradify lacks for materials-heavy trades: supplier invoices and price files from Reece, Tradelink, the Rexel Group brands and dozens more Australian wholesalers, purchase orders on Professional, and profit reports that pull your overheads from Xero. It has had an open API and Zapier since 2026, and its app queues time, notes and photos offline.

Watch for: forms, SWMS and automatic supplier imports are on Professional (A$77), certificates are an add-on (A$30 a month), and Fergus’s prices have risen about 20% since mid-2025.

Ascora: offline and stock at a per-user price

Ascora is built in Perth. It’s A$45 per user a month on Essentials and A$59 on Elite, with offline mode on every plan, stock across vans and sites, timesheets that sync to payroll, and project tools. GST isn’t stated, and there’s an implementation fee on the bigger plans. Its app ratings are low: 3.2 on the Australian App Store (58 ratings).

AroFlo: when you’ve outgrown Tradify

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 puts everything in one plan: stock, purchase orders, assets, compliance and safety forms, Gantt charts and 600+ supplier links. It’s from A$80 per user a month plus GST with a three-user minimum and a setup fee from A$1,450, and there’s no free trial. Its app is weak offline. See AroFlo pricing.

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 for contractors with office staff, from about five to 200+ people. It has no published price; Australian customers report about A$85 to A$100 per person a month, plus setup, often on multi-year contracts. See Simpro pricing.

Others you’ll see

• Jobber appears on most lists. It’s Canadian and built for North America; check currency and Xero setup in Australia.
• NextMinute suits residential builders running staged projects, from A$199 a month plus GST for 3–9 users.

When to stay on Tradify

• You value the easiest app and the best user ratings: 4.73 on the Australian App Store from 4,108 ratings, 4.77 on Google Play.
• You’re one person doing 51 to 150 jobs a month (it’s cheaper than ServiceM8 there).
• You invoice renovation or fit-out work in stages with retentions (Pro has it).
• You want phone support and free one-on-one training.
• You don’t need offline, an API or stock.

Before you switch

1. Export your customers, jobs and price list from Tradify, and check what the new app can import.
2. List your recurring jobs; plan to set them up again.
3. Connect the new app to Xero and send one test invoice before moving everyone over.
4. Run real jobs through the new app’s free trial for a week, on your crew’s own phones.
5. Cancel Tradify after the move. It’s month to month.

In New Zealand

Tradify is NZ$48 to NZ$62 per user plus 15% GST in NZ. ServiceM8 charges the same plan numbers in NZ dollars. Fergus is from NZ$53 (Basic) with deeper NZ supplier links (Mico, J.A. Russell, Corys), and is named in more NZ job ads than Tradify (10 to 4).

Common questions

What’s cheaper than Tradify? For two or more people, ServiceM8. For one person doing up to 50 jobs a month, ServiceM8’s Starter (A$29 inc GST) or its free plan (30 jobs).

Is there a Tradify alternative that works offline? ServiceM8 works fully offline. Ascora and Simpro work offline too, and Fergus covers time, notes and photos offline.

Does Tradify have an API or Zapier? No. Tradify says it has no public API as of September 2026.

Who owns Tradify? The Access Group, a UK software company, since October 2024.

DE

Written by Dan Edwards

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