Tradify vs Powered Now: Which Is Better for UK Electricians? (2026)
Quick Verdict
These two tools are closer than any other pairing in this category — same audience, similar price, both work on Android and iOS. The decision comes down to what's costing you the most time right now. If it's quoting speed and invoicing workflow, Tradify is faster and its Xero integration is cleaner. If it's compliance paperwork — EICRs, Minor Works certificates, CIS deductions, or working in areas with no signal, Powered Now handles all of it natively and Tradify doesn't.
Most UK electricians who produce compliance certificates regularly and ask us which to choose end up on Powered Now. Those who don't will find Tradify simpler to use day-to-day.
The Core Difference
Tradify is a New Zealand product with strong UK adoption. It's been refined over many years into a very efficient quote-to-invoice workflow with excellent accounting sync. What it isn't is a UK compliance tool — no EICR certificates, no Minor Works, limited CIS support.
Powered Now was built in the UK specifically for British tradespeople. That difference shows up in everything from the certificate library to how CIS deductions are calculated. It's not just a feature — it's a fundamentally different product philosophy. Tradify is built around job management efficiency. Powered Now is built around the complete paperwork lifecycle for UK trades.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Tradify | Powered Now |
|---|---|---|
| Android app | ✅ Full parity with iOS | ✅ Full parity with iOS |
| EICR / Minor Works certificates | ❌ Not included | ✅ Built in, 100+ forms |
| CIS deductions | ⚠️ Via Xero only | ✅ Native, built-in |
| Making Tax Digital | ⚠️ Via Xero | ✅ Native |
| Offline working | ❌ Needs signal | ✅ Full offline mode |
| Xero integration | ✅ Best in category | ⚠️ Works, less seamless |
| Quoting speed | ✅ Faster | ⚠️ More steps |
| Starting price | £34/mo per user | £15/mo (Business solo) |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | 14 days, no card |
| Location tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
Where Tradify Wins
Xero integration. Tradify's connection to Xero is consistently rated the most reliable in this category. Invoices, bills, purchase orders, customers, and contacts all sync automatically. If your accountant works primarily in Xero and expects things to appear correctly without intervention, Tradify is the safer choice. Powered Now's Xero sync works but requires more manual reconciliation — multiple Capterra reviewers have flagged this specifically.
Quoting speed. Building and sending a quote in Tradify is faster than in Powered Now, particularly when working from a saved price list or materials catalogue. The AI quoting assistant on the Plus plan (£54/mo) auto-populates materials from imported supplier price lists — genuinely useful for electricians pricing against fluctuating cable and component costs. Powered Now's quoting is capable but has more steps.
Simpler to learn. Most users report being fully operational in Tradify within an afternoon. Powered Now has a broader feature set which means slightly more setup time, though it's still faster to get going than most competitors.
Where Powered Now Wins
Compliance certificates. EICRs, Electrical Installation Certificates, Minor Works Certificates, and over 100 other trade-specific forms are built directly into Powered Now's job workflow. Complete the job, fill in the certificate on-site, get a digital signature, email it to the client, raise the invoice — one system, one workflow. With Tradify, the certificate has to be produced separately. The 2025 expansion of electrical safety regulations in the social housing sector has created significant demand for EICR workflows — Powered Now is built for exactly this.
CIS and MTD natively. CIS deduction calculations and Making Tax Digital are built into Powered Now, not routed through a third-party accounting tool. If you work as a subcontractor under CIS and issue reverse charge VAT invoices, Powered Now handles the correct HMRC-required wording automatically. Tradify handles this through Xero — which works, but requires Xero to be correctly configured with domestic reverse charge VAT codes first.
Offline working. Powered Now works fully without internet. Everything syncs when signal returns. For electricians regularly working in commercial basements, plant rooms, or rural properties with poor coverage, this is a practical daily advantage that Tradify doesn't offer.
UK-native development. When HMRC changes MTD requirements, when electrical safety regulations are updated, when new certificate formats are required — Powered Now updates its UK compliance features as a core priority. Tradify addresses UK compliance as a secondary market requirement.
The Catches
Tradify: No compliance certificates. Limited CIS support without Xero setup. No offline mode. The "sent from Tradify" footer on every outbound email annoys users doing commercial work. No way to send photo reports with invoices.
Powered Now: Field engineers pay the same rate as office staff — no lower-tier field licence. Xero integration requires more manual attention than Tradify's. Quoting UI has more steps. Setup takes a little longer due to the broader feature set.
Pricing Comparison at Real Business Sizes
| Setup | Tradify | Powered Now |
|---|---|---|
| Sole trader | £34/mo (Starter) | £15/mo (Business) |
| 2-person team | £68/mo | £50/mo (Professional x2) |
| 5-person team | £170/mo | £125/mo (Professional x5) |
| 5-person + AI quoting | £270/mo (Plus x5) | £125/mo |
Powered Now is cheaper at most team sizes. The gap narrows if you need Tradify's AI quoting features, but for pure job management and compliance, Powered Now's pricing is more competitive, particularly for sole traders where the Business plan at £15/mo is a genuine option.
Who Should Choose Which
Choose Tradify if
- You don't regularly produce compliance certificates
- Your accountant relies on clean Xero sync
- Quoting speed is your main bottleneck
- You want the fastest possible setup
- You need the AI materials quoting assistant
Choose Powered Now if
- You regularly produce EICRs, Minor Works, or other certificates
- You work as a subcontractor under CIS
- You work in areas with poor or no signal
- You want everything in one UK-native system
- You're a sole trader — the £15/mo Business plan is hard to beat
Tradify — 14-day free trial, no card
Try Tradify →Powered Now — 14-day free trial, no card
Try Powered Now →What Real Users Say
Tradify users report
"Tradify enables us to keep everything together from Quoting to invoice, back costing and a record of each job completed." — Capterra, verified
"Inventory management also isn't very strong, which could be an issue for businesses that track a lot of parts or materials." — Capterra
"The reporting tools could go a little deeper. I'd love more customisable dashboards." — G2, verified
Powered Now users report
"Being able to generate certificates straight from the app saves time and ensures that everything is correct and professional." — Professional Electrician, Len Lilley
"I can track material costs, profit margins, and customer spend profiles, which helps me make informed decisions about pricing." — Professional Electrician review
"Our experience has been 2nd to none. We expected a difficult learning process but it's been much simpler than expected." — Capterra