When you are the engineer, the estimator and the accounts department, software has one job: give you your evenings back. That means quotes from your phone, a diary that does not double-book you, and invoices that go out the moment the job is done.
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 a sole trader actually needs.
- Everything on your phone. Quote, schedule, complete and invoice from one app, because you are rarely at a desk.
- A fair one-person price. Check what a single user really costs once VAT, SMS and payment fees are added, and what happens to the price if you take on help.
- Quotes customers can accept online. A link the customer can approve or decline, with an optional deposit, beats chasing a reply by text.
- Getting paid on the day. Card payment links on invoices, plus automatic reminders for anyone who forgets.
- Paperwork done on site. Certificates, job sheets and photos completed and signed before you leave.
- Room to grow. Adding a second person should be a plan change, not a migration to new software.
The full platform at a one-person price.
HiveSuite's Solo plan is £34.99/month and covers 1 admin/staff and 2 crew, so you can add an apprentice or labourer as crew without changing plan. It is the same product larger teams use: there are no locked features.
- Quotes, jobs and invoices linked in HiveCRM, with optional Stripe card payments, recurring invoices and an invoice reminder board.
- Customer Portal where customers approve quotes, view jobs and pay invoices from their browser.
- HivePlanner for your diary, with recurring jobs and clash warnings.
- Compliance documents issued from jobs with signatures, from templates designed around common UK trade and compliance workflows.
- Android and iPhone apps with offline mode on by default.
Software UK sole traders 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.
Tradify
Well known among UK trades. A single user pays the per-user price plus VAT, with SMS charged separately.
Pricing: UK Lite is £34, Pro £37 and Plus £44 per user/month, month to month (VAT treatment not stated on the pricing page). Texts are 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.
ServiceM8
Priced by job volume, which can suit a sole trader with a steady number of jobs. Apps on iOS and Android.
Pricing: UK paid plans start at £25/month for Starter. Plans have job-volume and SMS allowances; check VAT and extra usage.
Field work: iOS and Android apps, with Android covering almost all iOS functionality. Check offline behaviour on the device and plan you would use.
Check: ServiceM8 says its Android app has almost all the same functionality as iOS. A few tools, such as Room Scan, AR measurement and diagram drawing, are iOS-only.
Powered Now
Has a flat single-user Business plan. Forms, certificates and the customer portal sit in higher plans.
Pricing: Business is a flat £28/month for one user. Professional is £32 and Premium £40 per user/month. All prices exclude VAT.
Field work: Quotes, invoices, expenses and purchase orders; forms and certificates depend on plan.
Check: Powered Now Business is capped at one user; the per-user model starts at Professional. Forms and certificates are listed in Professional, and the customer portal and automatic quote and invoice chasing in Premium.
Jobber
Strong on customer self-service and follow-ups. Prices are in US dollars and vary by billing term.
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.
Joist
Focused on estimates and invoices. Job organisation and scheduling come with the Run plan.
Pricing: Basics, Pro, Elite and Run have separate prices. Check the billing period and any introductory discount.
Field work: Estimates and invoices; Run adds job organisation and visit scheduling.
Check: Joist Run includes job organisation and visit scheduling. Payment and accounting availability can vary by region and plan.
YourTradebase
UK-focused quoting and paperwork. Pricing is provided by quote.
Pricing: Pricing is provided by quote; a current public price was not available.
Field work: Appointments, work dates and team assignments are documented.
Check: YourTradebase gives admins and field users different permissions; field users see assigned job sheets and schedules without pricing.
Match the software to your work.
Mostly one-off jobs
Fast quoting and same-day invoicing matter most. Look for quote templates, line items you can reuse and card payment links. See how job management software links the quote, the job and the invoice.
Regular customers and servicing
Recurring jobs and recurring invoices do the remembering for you, and next-check-due dates bring the work back each year.
Certificate-heavy trades
If you issue EICRs or gas safety records, check that the templates you need are on the plan you would buy. See the guides for electricians and plumbers and heating engineers, or see HiveSuite's electrician software and plumbing software.
Planning to hire
Price the plan for two or three people now. See FSM software for small businesses.
What one person really pays.
HiveSuite monthly subscriptions include every feature, with no VAT to add. The published plan allowances are:
| Plan | Monthly | 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 |
For a sole trader, compare the Solo plan with each vendor's single-user price. Check whether that price includes VAT, how many jobs or texts it allows, and what card payments cost per transaction.
See the cheapest FSM software in the UK for a wider cost comparison.
Before you decide
What is the best software for a sole trader in the UK?
The best software for a UK sole trader lets you quote, schedule, invoice and take payment from your phone at a fair single-user price. Tradify, ServiceM8, Powered Now, Jobber, Joist and YourTradebase are common choices. HiveSuite's Solo plan is £34.99/month, covers 1 admin/staff and 2 crew, and includes every feature.
Do sole traders need job management software?
Not on day one, but most find it pays for itself once they are juggling more than a handful of jobs a week. The main gains are faster quotes, fewer missed appointments and invoices that go out, and get paid, sooner.
Can I use FSM software on my phone only?
Yes. Most job management software for sole traders works on a phone. HiveSuite has native Android and iPhone apps with offline mode.
Is there free job management software for sole traders?
Some vendors offer free plans with limits on jobs, users or features. HiveSuite does not have a free plan, but every plan includes a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.
Will the software handle VAT on my quotes?
Check each platform. In HiveSuite, quotes and invoices show the subtotal, VAT and total, with VAT added on top of your prices.
Compare FSM software for your type of business.
- Best FSM Software UK - Field service management platforms compared for UK businesses.
- Best Job Management Software UK - Ten job management platforms compared on price, VAT and features.
- Best FSM Software for Small Businesses - For teams of 2 to 10 office and field staff.
- 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 next week's jobs through it.
Send your next three quotes from the trial, book the work into the diary and invoice from your phone when each job is finished. If your evenings get shorter, you have found your software.
HiveSuite offers a 30-day free trial with every feature and no credit card required.