Tradify vs Jobber: Which Is Better for UK Electricians? (2026)
Quick Verdict
For most UK electrical businesses under five people: Tradify. It's cheaper, built with UK trades in mind, has cleaner Xero integration, and doesn't have Jobber's sharp pricing jump when you add a second employee.
For larger teams or businesses that want richer client automation: Jobber. Better scheduling, a client self-service portal, AI marketing tools, and stronger route optimisation. The economics improve at five or more users and the feature set justifies the higher price if you'll actually use it.
Both have the same core gap for UK electricians: no EICR certificates, no native CIS reverse charge support. If compliance paperwork is your main headache, Powered Now is the tool to look at instead.
The Key Differences
Tradify is a New Zealand product with strong UK trades adoption — it's been refined specifically for the quote-to-invoice workflow electricians, plumbers, and builders use daily. Jobber is a Canadian platform built for the broader home services market globally. Both work in the UK, but they've been built from different starting points with different audiences in mind.
The practical differences that matter most: pricing model, Xero vs QuickBooks integration quality, client-facing features, and where the value crossover point sits for your team size.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Tradify | Jobber |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per user/month (flat) | Per account — tiered by users |
| Starting price | £34/mo (1 user) | ~£31/mo (1 user) |
| 2-person team cost | £68/mo | ~£134/mo (Connect) |
| 5-person team cost | £170/mo | ~£134/mo (Connect) |
| Xero integration | ✅ Best in category | ✅ Good |
| QuickBooks integration | ✅ Good | ⚠️ Documented sync issues |
| Client self-service portal | ❌ | ✅ |
| AI marketing tools | ❌ | ✅ (Plus or add-on) |
| Route optimisation | ✅ Basic | ✅ Stronger |
| EICR / compliance certs | ❌ | ❌ |
| CIS native support | ⚠️ Via Xero | ⚠️ Limited |
| Offline working | ❌ | ✅ (added Jan 2026) |
| Android app | ✅ Full | ✅ Full |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | 14 days, no card |
The Pricing Crossover Point
This is the most important practical difference and it's not obvious from the headline prices.
| Team size | Tradify (Starter) | Jobber | Cheaper option |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | £34/mo | ~£31/mo (Core) | Jobber (slightly) |
| 2 people | £68/mo | ~£134/mo (Connect) | Tradify (2× cheaper) |
| 3 people | £102/mo | ~£134/mo (Connect) | Tradify |
| 5 people | £170/mo | ~£134/mo (Connect) | Jobber |
| 8 people | £272/mo | ~£134/mo (Connect) | Jobber |
The crossover is around four to five people. Below that Tradify is cheaper. Above that Jobber's team plan becomes better value — and at that size you're also more likely to use the client portal and scheduling features that justify the Jobber premium.
The Xero vs QuickBooks Question
If your accountant uses Xero: Tradify's integration is cleaner, more reliable, and better tested with UK accounting workflows. Invoices, bills, purchase orders, contacts, and supplier price lists all flow automatically. Multiple users describe it as working quietly in the background without intervention.
If your accountant uses QuickBooks: Jobber's integration is more capable in theory but has a documented reliability problem. Approximately 2% of line items drop during sync according to multiple Capterra reviews, auto-sync breaks regularly, and manual reconciliation becomes routine. Tradify's QuickBooks integration is more reliable in practice. Worth testing both during trials if QuickBooks is your accounting platform.
Where Each Tool Wins
Tradify wins on
- Small team economics. Cheaper for 1–4 people by a significant margin.
- Xero integration. Cleaner, more reliable, better for UK accounting workflows.
- UK trades focus. Built with the specific workflow of UK electricians and tradespeople in mind.
- Simplicity. Faster to set up, fewer decisions to make, less to learn.
- AI quoting. Supplier price list import + AI-assisted quoting on Plus plan.
Jobber wins on
- Larger team economics. Cheaper than Tradify at 5+ people on a team plan.
- Client portal. Self-service approvals, payments, and job history for clients.
- Scheduling. Stronger drag-and-drop, route optimisation, crew view.
- AI marketing. Review requests, campaigns, AI Receptionist for after-hours leads.
- Offline mode. Added January 2026 — works in basements and rural areas.
The Catches
Tradify: No client self-service portal. No offline mode. The "sent from Tradify" email footer on every outbound message. No photo reports attached to invoices.
Jobber: Sharp pricing jump at two employees (Core to Connect). QuickBooks sync reliability issues. USD-first pricing means GBP equivalent fluctuates. Google Calendar sync is 24-hour lag, not real-time. No UK compliance certificates or native CIS support.
Who Should Choose Which
Choose Tradify if
- Your team is 1–4 people
- Your accountant uses Xero
- You want UK-native development and support
- Simplicity and fast setup matter
- Budget is a priority
Choose Jobber if
- Your team is 5+ people
- A client self-service portal would add value
- You want AI marketing and after-hours lead capture
- Scheduling complexity requires better tools
- You need offline working in the field
Tradify — 14-day free trial, no card
Try Tradify →Jobber — 14-day free trial, no card
Try Jobber →What Real Users Say
Tradify users report
"It does everything and more. Customer database, jobs, schedule, invoicing. Made my life much easier." — Capterra
"Reports that are included in the software aren't what we use on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Also the software slows up on big jobs." — Software Advice
"After nearly 3 years, Tradify has been a great affordable platform. It works great on desktop and Android." — Trustpilot
Jobber users report
"I spend maybe an hour per week on invoicing and paperwork now. Online payments and invoicing make me look professional." — G2, Stacey Flanagan
"I love the calendar in Jobber. I do not love that it does not sync well with Google Calendar. It only syncs every 24 hours." — GetApp, verified
"This company has gone downhill for some time. To run a small business with 10 users it's about double what it was." — Trustpilot, Sep 2025