How we review software
Quick answer
We score UK trade software on six weighted criteria: UK fit (25%), price and value (20%), core job features (20%), ease of use as shown by user reviews (15%), accounting links (10%) and contract flexibility (10%). Every price is taken from the vendor's own page and dated. Commission never changes a score or ranking.
Every recommendation on this site comes from the same scoring method, applied the same way to every product, whether or not the company pays us anything.
What we score, and how much it counts
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| UK fit | 25% | £ pricing, UK certificates (EICR, EIC, CP12 and others), VAT handling, Making Tax Digital, CIS, UK office and support hours |
| Price and value | 20% | Cost for a sole trader, a 3-person team and an 8-person team; extra fees (text messages, card payments, add-ons); free plans and trials |
| Core job features | 20% | Quoting, scheduling, job sheets, photos, invoicing, payments, timesheets, purchase orders, recurring work |
| Ease of use | 15% | Independent user ratings and review themes on Capterra UK, Trustpilot, the App Store and Google Play |
| Accounting links | 10% | Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and FreeAgent; one-way or two-way sync; which plan includes it |
| Contract flexibility | 10% | Monthly vs annual vs multi-year contracts, minimum users, onboarding fees, how easy it is to leave and export your data |
Where our facts come from
- Prices and plans: the vendor's own UK pricing page. If a price is only shown in US dollars, or only "on request", we say so and never convert or guess it.
- Features: vendor feature pages and help centres.
- User opinion: named third-party platforms, quoted with score, number of reviews and the date checked. We never combine these into a star rating of our own, and we never publish made-up reviews or testimonials.
- Rules: GOV.UK, HSE and the official regulations for landlord electrical and gas safety, VAT, CIS and Making Tax Digital.
How we keep verdicts independent
Some links on this site earn us a commission. Commission plays no part in our scores, our rankings or which products we include. We recommend products with no affiliate programme when they are the better fit, and we publish the downsides of products that do pay us. This follows the ASA's rules on recognising ads and the CMA's guidance on reviews under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
How we keep pages up to date
Each page shows a "last updated" date and the date prices were checked. We re-check the pricing pages of the main products at least every quarter. If you think something is wrong, contact us and we will check it.
Frequently asked questions
Do you test the software yourselves?
Our verdicts are based on published pricing, feature and help pages, independent user reviews and UK regulations. Where we have used a free trial for a specific check we say so on that page. We do not claim on-site trade experience or long-term use.
Do software companies pay to be listed?
No. Nobody can pay for a place or a higher position. Some companies run affiliate programmes that pay us when a reader signs up through our link, and those links are marked (Ad). Several products we recommend pay us nothing.
How often do you update prices?
We re-check the pricing pages of the main products at least every quarter, and straight away when we hear of a change. Every page shows the date prices were last checked.
Sources and checks
Prices, features and ratings were checked on 12 October 2026 against these sources. Software prices change often, so confirm on the vendor's site before you buy.