Field service management (FSM) software, an FSM platform, a field service system, a job management app: the names differ, but they all mean one place to run the work your team does at customer sites. This guide compares the FSM platforms UK businesses shortlist most often, and links to separate guides by team size, trade and feature.
Competitor details reviewed . This is a HiveSuite-published guide, not an independent ranking. Each comparison links to official product sources and shows the plan requirements for each platform.
What good field service management software should do.
- Scheduling and dispatch. A shared calendar with drag-and-drop jobs, recurring work and clash warnings, so the office can see who is free.
- Mobile working, including offline. Engineers need their jobs, site notes and forms on their phone, including in basements, plant rooms and rural sites with no signal.
- Quote to invoice to payment. Quotes that convert to jobs, jobs that convert to invoices, and card payments without re-typing anything.
- Customer updates. A customer portal or self-service link where customers approve quotes, see job history and pay, plus email and SMS notifications.
- Recurring and maintenance work. Service intervals, recurring invoices and reminders for work that comes round every month or every year.
- Compliance paperwork. Certificates and job sheets completed on site with signatures, and next-check-due dates you can follow up.
- Stock and materials. Stock levels, materials used on jobs and purchase orders, so job costs are accurate.
- Reporting. Clear answers on revenue, outstanding invoices, job profitability and team workload, without exporting to a spreadsheet.
Check each one on the plan you would actually buy. Many FSM systems put the customer portal, planned maintenance or stock control in a higher tier.
An FSM platform built for UK contractors and mobile service businesses.
HiveSuite brings the whole job into one workspace: HiveCRM for customers, quotes, invoices and the Customer Portal; HivePlanner for scheduling and dispatch; HiveCrew, the field team's view for checking in, logging time, adding photos and issuing certificates; HiveIntel for asking questions of your data, building reports and sharing dashboards; HiveHire for equipment hire; HiveFleet for vehicles, plant and drivers; and HiveLeave for staff holidays.
- Every feature on every plan, from Solo to Enterprise, with prices that include VAT.
- Customer Portal on all plans: customers approve quotes, view jobs, pay invoices and message your business from their browser.
- Stripe card payments on all plans, optional if you prefer bank transfer.
- Native Android app with offline mode, on by default. On iPhone, HiveSuite runs as an installable web app that needs a connection while the native iOS app awaits App Store approval.
- Inventory with stock tracking and purchase orders, recurring jobs and invoices, conflict detection and full time tracking.
- Compliance documents issued from jobs with signatures, using templates designed around common UK trade and compliance workflows.
SMS sending requires a paid plan and credits, and two-way replies need an additional paid dedicated UK number.
Other FSM systems UK businesses compare.
These summaries come from each vendor's published plans and product pages. Prices and plan contents change, so follow the comparison for current details and sources.
Commusoft
Service contractors comparing planned maintenance, assets and field operations.
Pricing: A plans page is published. Request a quote for the required licences, modules and contract terms.
Field work: Service contracts, scheduling and mobile quoting, including on-site variations.
Check: Commusoft advertises customer portals and AI-assisted tools; availability depends on the selected package and modules.
Joblogic
Maintenance contractors comparing PPM, assets and multi-site operations.
Pricing: Standard starts at £45 per user/month billed annually. Premium and Enterprise require a quote.
Field work: Job management and assets; PPM and route scheduling are listed under Premium.
Check: Joblogic lists PPM and route scheduling in Premium, and customer portals and stock management in Enterprise.
Simpro
Service and project businesses comparing inventory, assets and operational reporting.
Pricing: Pricing is quoted for the business and selected add-ons, rather than a single published universal subscription price.
Field work: Project, inventory and asset management, with mobile field workflows.
Check: Simpro advertises customer portals, automated SMS and AI reporting. Pricing depends on the selected modules and add-ons.
ServiceTitan
Service businesses comparing dispatch, price books and larger operational workflows.
Pricing: Per-technician pricing is supplied on request for Starter, Essentials and The Works.
Field work: Dispatching, scheduling, invoicing and price books; mobile estimates depend on package.
Check: ServiceTitan documents its Xero integration as Private Preview for selected accounts. Package and regional availability may vary.
Jobber
Service businesses comparing scheduling, customer self-service and automated follow-ups.
Pricing: USD plans vary by team size and billing term. Core starts at $29/month when billed annually; monthly billing costs more.
Field work: Scheduling, quotes, invoices and online booking.
Check: Jobber pricing and Client Hub availability vary by plan, team size and billing term. Two-way texting is available in the UK.
ServiceM8
Field teams comparing job-volume pricing and mobile workflows.
Pricing: UK paid plans start at £25/month for Starter. Plans have job-volume and SMS allowances; check VAT and extra usage.
Field work: Full app on iOS and a Lite app on Android. Check offline behaviour on the device and plan you would use.
Check: ServiceM8 has a full iOS app and a Lite Android app. The full management experience remains centred on iOS.
Fergus
Trades comparing job costing, supplier costs and field-team workflows.
Pricing: UK Essentials starts at £39/month and Professional at £45/month. User types, SMS and payment costs affect the total.
Field work: Quoting, job cards, calendar, recurring jobs, forms and accounting integrations.
Check: Fergus separates full users and timesheet users. SMS alerts, certificates and payment charges are listed separately.
Tradify
Trade teams comparing per-user job management with quoting, costing and scheduling.
Pricing: UK Lite is £34 per user/month and Plus is £44 per user/month, excluding VAT. SMS is charged separately.
Field work: Jobs, scheduling, quoting, invoicing, timesheets and cost tracking.
Check: Certificate coverage and SmartTools availability vary by plan. SMS is charged separately.
Match the FSM platform to the way you work.
Sole traders
You need quick quotes, a simple diary and invoices that get paid. Avoid paying for modules you will not use, and check the plan still works if you add a second person. See the best FSM software for sole traders.
Small teams (2 to 10 people)
Scheduling, a reliable field app and job costing matter most. Per-user pricing adds up quickly here, so price the plan for your whole team. See FSM software for small businesses.
Planned maintenance and compliance contractors
Look for recurring service intervals, site history, certificates issued on site and next-check-due follow-ups. On some platforms these sit in higher tiers. See planned maintenance (PPM) software.
Larger and multi-branch operations
Dispatch at volume, permissions, reporting and integrations come first. Expect quoted pricing, onboarding fees and longer contracts from enterprise-focused platforms.
By trade
Compare FSM software for electricians, plumbers and heating engineers, HVAC engineers and cleaning businesses.
Count users, VAT and add-ons.
HiveSuite monthly subscriptions include VAT and every feature. The published plan allowances are:
| Plan | Monthly, inc. VAT | Included users |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | £34.99 | 1 admin/staff + 2 crew |
| Small Team | £89.99 | 5 admin/staff + 5 crew |
| Growing Team | £149.99 | 10 admin/staff + 10 crew |
| Professional | £249.99 | 20 admin/staff + unlimited crew |
| Enterprise | £499.99 | 50 admin/staff + unlimited crew |
When you compare FSM platforms, check:
- whether the price includes or excludes VAT, and whether it is per user or per business;
- which user types are included, and whether field users cost the same as office users;
- SMS, payment processing, onboarding, data migration and add-on modules;
- annual billing versus a flexible monthly plan.
For a side-by-side look at monthly costs, read the cheapest FSM software in the UK.
Before you decide
What is FSM software?
Field service management (FSM) software runs the work your team carries out at customer sites. It usually covers customer records, quotes, scheduling and dispatch, a mobile app for engineers, job sheets and certificates, invoicing and payment collection, with reporting across all of it.
What is the best field service management software in the UK?
It depends on your team and your work. Larger maintenance contractors often shortlist Commusoft, Joblogic or Simpro for planned maintenance and assets. Smaller trade teams often compare Tradify, Fergus, ServiceM8 and Jobber. HiveSuite is built for UK contractors and mobile service businesses, includes every feature on every plan and publishes prices that include VAT. Trial your shortlist on a real job before deciding.
Is there a difference between FSM software, an FSM platform and an FSM system?
Not in practice. Vendors use the terms interchangeably. "Platform" usually signals that scheduling, the field app, invoicing and reporting are connected in one product rather than sold as separate tools. A field service app is the mobile part your engineers use on site.
How much does FSM software cost in the UK?
Published UK prices for smaller teams run from about £25 to £45 a month, often per user and excluding VAT, while larger platforms quote for each business. HiveSuite plans start at £34.99/month including VAT for 1 admin/staff and 2 crew. Add SMS, payment processing, onboarding and add-on modules when comparing totals.
Does FSM software work without a mobile signal?
Some platforms do and some do not, and it often depends on the device. The HiveSuite Android app has offline mode on by default, so engineers can complete jobs, add photos and issue certificates with no signal and everything syncs when they reconnect. On iPhone, HiveSuite currently runs as an installable web app that needs a connection while the native iOS app awaits App Store approval.
Can I switch FSM platform without losing my data?
Usually, yes. Export customers, open jobs and outstanding invoices from your current system, confirm what the new platform can import, and keep access to historical documents. Run both side by side for a short period and agree a handover date once your team is comfortable.
Compare FSM software for your type of business.
- Best FSM Software for Small Businesses - For teams of 2 to 10 office and field staff.
- Best FSM Software for Sole Traders - For one-person trade and service businesses.
- Best FSM Software for Electricians - EICRs, minor works and testing on site.
- Best FSM Software for Plumbers and Heating Engineers - Callouts, boiler servicing and gas safety records.
- Best FSM Software for HVAC - Maintenance contracts, parts and commissioning.
- Best FSM Software for Cleaning Businesses - Recurring cleans, teams and regular billing.
- Best FSM App UK - Field service apps compared on mobile and offline working.
- Best Planned Maintenance (PPM) Software UK - Recurring servicing, assets and next-check-due dates.
- Cheapest FSM Software UK - Real monthly costs, VAT and free options compared.
See also HiveSuite's field service management software and every software comparison.
Run one real job through each platform.
Raise a quote, get it approved, schedule the job, complete it on a phone in a spot with poor signal, issue the paperwork and send the invoice. The FSM software that makes that easiest for your office and your field team is the right one.
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