The right Powered Now alternative depends on the size of your business. A sole trader or small crew is best served by a trades job app that handles quotes, jobs and invoices from a phone, while a firm with a team of engineers needs a field service system with scheduling, assets and compliance built in.
Built in the UK for UK trades: that's the promise Powered Now leads with, and it's the bar any replacement has to clear. Its app covers jobs, quotes, invoices, scheduling and certificates, so a new one has to match the UK side of the work, not just the job list. If yours can't keep up with a day of quoting, visits and certificates written up in the van, it's time to look around.
The nine apps below are for UK electricians, plumbers, builders and small maintenance firms, in no particular order. I've started with the UK checks, then grouped the tools by the size of business they're built for, with a table and the full list after that.
Check the UK paperwork before the features
Several of these tools serve markets well beyond the UK, so don't assume UK paperwork is covered. Before you compare screens, check three things: whether the app produces the certificates your trade needs, how it handles VAT on quotes and invoices, and whether invoices sync to the bookkeeping software your accountant uses, such as Xero or QuickBooks. Requirements vary by trade and change over time, so confirm the current rules with your trade body or scheme provider, and ask your accountant about anything to do with VAT.
The second check is scale. Some tools here are field service systems aimed at larger engineer teams, with fleet tracking, asset registers and compliance modules. That's ideal for a firm with twenty vans and far too much for a sole trader with one.
Apps for sole traders and small crews
Tradify is built for tradespeople and covers quotes, jobs, staff and invoices in one app. Fergus aims at electricians, plumbers, builders and other trades. ServiceM8 combines job tracking with a CRM, lets you complete paperwork on site and runs a UK-specific site. Jobber serves home and commercial service businesses, from quoting through to taking payment. Fieldmotion is cloud job management for field workers, with scheduling and data capture. Check each one for the UK certificates you issue, because a polished quoting screen won't help if you're still filling in forms by hand.
Field service systems for engineer teams
Workever is built for growing UK service and maintenance teams, with scheduling, an engineer app and invoices that go into Xero or QuickBooks. Joblogic covers jobs, engineers, assets, compliance, quotes and invoices for UK trades in one system. Commusoft is field service management for service and contracting businesses, with a UK site. BigChange is aimed at UK field service teams and adds fleet management to scheduling, invoicing and customer updates. These four make the most sense once you've got office staff booking work for several engineers.
For a wider look at the category, see my guide to field service management software in the UK and my roundup of job management software. If chasing unpaid invoices is the real headache, my list of invoice reminder and late payment tools is worth a read.
Nine job management apps for trades
| Tool | Type of app | Built around |
|---|---|---|
| BigChange | Field service and fleet | Bigger teams with vans on the road |
| Commusoft | Field service for service firms | Service and contracting businesses |
| Fergus | Job software for trades | Electricians, plumbers and builders |
| Fieldmotion | Field job management | Scheduling and data capture in the field |
| Jobber | Service business software | Quote, schedule and invoice in one place |
| Joblogic | UK field service management | Compliance and assets alongside jobs |
| ServiceM8 | Job tracking and CRM | Finishing paperwork on site |
| Tradify | Job management for trades | Quotes, jobs, staff and invoices |
| Workever | UK field service software | Invoices that sync to Xero or QuickBooks |
Every Powered Now alternative, A to Z
BigChange
Best for: UK field service firms that want scheduling, fleet management, invoicing and customer updates on one platform, as the vendor describes it.
Commusoft
Best for: Service and contracting businesses wanting field service management software from a vendor with a UK site that says contractors have trusted it for years.
Fergus
Best for: Electricians, plumbers, builders and other trades who want job management built for tradespeople, with a free trial, per the vendor.
Fieldmotion
Best for: Field workers and their office staff who want cloud job management with scheduling and data capture, running all field work from one place, the vendor says.
Jobber
Best for: Home and commercial service businesses that want to quote, schedule, invoice and take payment in one place, as the vendor puts it.
Joblogic
Best for: UK trade firms with engineer teams who want jobs, engineers, assets, compliance, quotes and invoices in one cloud system, per the vendor.
ServiceM8
Best for: Trade contractors and engineers who want job tracking and a CRM, with paperwork completed on site and, the vendor says, a UK-specific site.
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Tradify
Best for: Tradespeople wanting one app for quotes, jobs, staff and invoices, which the vendor calls an all-in-one job management app, with a free trial.
Workever
Best for: Growing UK service and maintenance teams that want scheduling, an engineer app and invoicing into Xero or QuickBooks, according to the vendor.
My advice for UK trades switching apps
Switch in a quiet week, not in the middle of your busiest month. Moving your customer list, open jobs and saved quote items takes longer than anyone expects, and you don't want to be learning a new app while a customer waits for an invoice.
Get your accountant's view before you commit, especially on how invoices and VAT flow into your books. And talk to whoever books your work: if your office manager hates the scheduling screen, it'll lose you more time than any feature saves.
Put one real job through every trial
- Pick a recent, ordinary job with a quote, a visit and an invoice.
- Recreate the customer and send the quote from your phone, as you would on site.
- Book the visit, assign it to yourself or an engineer and complete the job sheet.
- Produce any certificate the job needed and check it matches what your scheme expects.
- Raise the invoice and see whether it lands correctly in your bookkeeping software.
- Time the whole thing, and keep the app that got you from quote to invoice with the least fuss.
Do you make job management software for trades? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is Powered Now only for UK trades?
Powered Now pitches itself as built in the UK for UK trades, covering jobs, quotes, invoices, scheduling and certificates.
Do these apps handle UK certificates?
Coverage varies by app and by trade. Check that an app produces the exact certificates you issue before you move, and confirm current requirements with your trade body or scheme provider.
Which apps sync invoices with Xero or QuickBooks?
One tool in this list says on its own site that it invoices into Xero or QuickBooks. For the others, check the integrations page before you sign up.
Is a field service system too much for a sole trader?
Usually, yes. Field service systems are aimed at firms with several engineers and office staff. A sole trader is normally better off with a simpler trades app.
Can these apps give VAT advice?
No. They help you raise quotes and invoices, but VAT questions are for your accountant or HMRC guidance, not your job app.
Can I run a trades app from my phone alone?
Many trades apps are built to be run from a phone on site, from quote to invoice. If someone books work for you in an office, check how the desktop side handles scheduling too.
