Best Job Management Software for UK Electricians (2026)
Quick Verdict
Tradify for most sole traders and small teams — straightforward, Android and iOS, clean Xero sync, fast to set up. Powered Now if you regularly produce EICRs, Minor Works certificates, or work under CIS — it's the only UK-native tool in this category and handles compliance properly. ServiceM8 only if your entire team is on iPhone and client automation is a priority. Jobber for larger teams of five or more who want a polished client portal and richer scheduling.
All four offer 14-day free trials with no card required. That's the right way to test them — run a few real jobs through before committing.
Why This Decision Matters
At £15–£50/mo per user, job management software is one of the bigger recurring costs in a small electrical business. More importantly, switching tools later is genuinely painful — users report migrations taking one to two full days with multiple staff relearning workflows mid-job. That's real money before you've sent a single invoice through the new system.
The other problem: most "best of" lists for this category are written by the vendors themselves, sponsored by the tools they review, or based on US and Australian markets where compliance requirements are completely different. CIS reverse charge, Making Tax Digital, EICR certificates — these are UK-specific requirements that most international tools don't handle natively. This guide is based on original research: verified user reviews from Capterra, G2, and Trustpilot, trade forum discussions, and real pricing checked directly with vendors.
The Four Tools Worth Your Time
Tradify — from £34/mo per user
Built for trades, used by tens of thousands of UK electricians. One place for quotes, jobs, scheduling, timesheets, and invoices. The quoting system lets you build a professional quote on-site and convert it to a live job the moment the client approves — no re-entering anything. Android and iOS both fully supported. Xero, Sage, and QuickBooks sync cleanly.
The AI quoting assistant on the Plus plan (£54/mo) auto-populates materials from imported supplier price lists — genuinely useful for anyone pricing multiple jobs against fluctuating cable and component costs. Most users are operational within an afternoon.
Catch: Every email Tradify sends carries a "sent from Tradify" footer. No compliance certificates. No offline mode.
Full Tradify review →Powered Now — from £15/mo
The only tool in this category built from the ground up in the UK for UK trades. CIS deductions, Making Tax Digital, and nearly 100 electrical compliance certificates — EICR, Minor Works, Electrical Installation Certificate — are all native features, not workarounds. Works fully offline. The 2025 expansion of electrical safety regulations in social housing has created a surge in EICR demand — Powered Now's certificate workflow is built for exactly that volume.
Catch: Field engineers pay the same per-user rate as office staff — no cheaper field-only licence. Xero integration requires more manual attention than Tradify's.
Full Powered Now review →ServiceM8 — from ~£9/mo
Genuinely excellent software if your entire team is on iPhone. The client communication automation — "on my way" texts, arrival windows, job completion notifications — is more sophisticated than any competitor. Custom forms builder is powerful for bespoke site documentation. Per-job pricing is cheaper than competitors at lower job volumes.
Catch: Android app is lite — time tracking excluded. One business reported switching all engineers from Android to iPhone to use it properly. No UK compliance certificates.
Full ServiceM8 review →Jobber — from ~£31/mo
Used by over 200,000 service businesses globally. Strong scheduling with real-time route optimisation, a client self-service portal where customers can approve quotes and pay invoices without calling the office, and AI marketing tools that generate follow-up campaigns automatically. Added offline mode in January 2026. Best value at five or more users where the team plan dilutes the per-user cost.
Catch: USD-first pricing — jumps from ~£31/mo (solo) to ~£134/mo the moment you add a second person. QuickBooks integration has documented reliability issues. No CIS or compliance certificates.
Full Jobber review →Head-to-Head Comparisons
By team size
- Solo trader: Powered Now £15/mo wins on price and compliance. Tradify £34/mo if Xero sync matters more.
- 2–4 people: Tradify — cheaper than Jobber, better than ServiceM8 for mixed devices.
- 5+ people: Jobber's team plan becomes competitive. Consider client portal value.
By priority
- CIS/VAT compliance: Powered Now, clear winner.
- EICR certificates: Powered Now only.
- Xero integration: Tradify, best in category.
- iOS automation: ServiceM8, if team is all iPhone.
- Client portal: Jobber only.
Price Comparison
| Tool | Starting price | 2-person team | 5-person team | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powered Now | £15/mo | £50/mo | £125/mo | 14 days |
| Tradify | £34/mo | £68/mo | £170/mo | 14 days |
| ServiceM8 | ~£9/mo | ~£9/mo* | ~£59/mo* | 14 days |
| Jobber | ~£31/mo | ~£134/mo | ~£134/mo | 14 days |
*ServiceM8 charges per job completed, not per user. Figures based on typical job volumes. Jobber prices approximate GBP conversion from USD.
What to Check Before You Commit
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Does your team have Android users? | Rules out ServiceM8 as a full solution |
| Do you produce EICRs or compliance certificates? | Only Powered Now does this natively |
| Do you work under CIS as a subcontractor? | Powered Now handles this natively; others need workarounds |
| Do you work in areas with poor signal? | Only Powered Now has full offline mode |
| Does your accountant use Xero? | Tradify's Xero sync is the cleanest |
| Is your team 5+ people? | Jobber's team plan becomes competitive at this size |
The Decision Framework
What These Tools Don't Do
None of these replace a full estimating tool for larger commercial projects — if you're pricing from drawings, look at Countfire or Trimble. None handle payroll. None replace your accountant's Xero or Sage setup for VAT returns and year-end. They sit between the job and the invoice, handling the admin layer in between.
For businesses running more than 20 field staff, the schedulers on all four start to feel cramped. At that scale, Commusoft or SimPRO are worth a look — significantly more expensive and complex, but built for that volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does job management software cost for UK electricians?
Costs range from £15/mo (Powered Now Business, sole trader) to £170/mo+ for a five-person team on Tradify. Most electricians pay £34–£68/mo depending on team size. All four tools offer 14-day free trials with no card required.
Which software is best for EICR certificates?
Powered Now is the only tool in this category with built-in EICR certificates. It includes nearly 100 electrical compliance forms as standard, with digital signature capture on-site and automatic email delivery to clients. Tradify, ServiceM8, and Jobber don't include compliance certificates.
Does job management software handle CIS reverse charge?
Powered Now handles CIS natively — deduction calculations and the correct HMRC reverse charge invoice wording are built in. Tradify handles CIS through its Xero integration, which works but requires Xero to be configured correctly first. ServiceM8 and Jobber require manual workarounds.
Is there free job management software for electricians?
No fully-featured free option exists in this category. ServiceM8 has a free tier limited to 15 jobs per month — enough to test the software but not for active use. All four tools offer 14-day free trials. For very simple needs, Invoice Ninja or Wave handle basic invoicing for free but lack job management features.
Which software works offline for electricians?
Powered Now has the most mature full offline mode — the entire app works without signal and syncs when connectivity returns. Jobber added offline mode in January 2026. Tradify and ServiceM8 require internet connectivity to function.
Which tool integrates best with Xero?
Tradify's Xero integration is consistently rated the best in this category — invoices, bills, purchase orders, customers, and contacts all sync automatically. Jobber's Xero integration is also reliable. Powered Now's Xero sync works but requires more manual reconciliation. ServiceM8's integration is functional but the weakest of the four.