Fergus has built a loyal following among tradespeople, particularly in New Zealand and Australia where it originated. It has expanded into the UK market and offers job management, quoting, invoicing, and scheduling. But if you are comparing options, here is why UK contractors are choosing HiveSuite instead.
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How HiveSuite Compares to Fergus
| Category | HiveSuite | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Flat-fee by team size. From £34.99/month inc. VAT. WINNER | Per-user pricing. From £9.75/user/month. Costs scale with every hire. |
| Feature Gating | All features on all plans WINNER | GPS tracking and purchase orders are Pro-tier only |
| Free Trial | 30 days, no credit card WINNER | 14 days |
| Customer Portal | Full self-service portal on ALL plans WINNER | Not prominently featured |
| AI Features | HiveIntel - natural language queries, dashboards, scheduled reports WINNER | No AI reporting layer |
| Compliance Documents | Certificates, RAMS, checklists, method statements with UK templates WINNER | Health and safety tools (SWMS, hazards) - NZ/AU-oriented |
| Built For | UK trade businesses WINNER | New Zealand and Australian trades, expanded to UK |
| Supplier Integrations | Supplier directory with purchase orders | Screwfix, Wolseley, CEF, City Plumbing integrations WINNER |
The Pricing Difference
Fergus charges per user per month. At first glance, £9.75/user looks cheap - but the cost scales directly with your team. A 5-person team on Fergus Pro costs roughly £56/month. A 10-person team costs over £110/month. And that is before you factor in that GPS tracking and purchase orders are locked behind the Pro tier.
HiveSuite uses flat-fee pricing by team size:
- Solo: £34.99/month - 1 admin + 2 team members
- Small Team: £89.99/month - 5 admins + 5 team members
- Growing Team: £149.99/month - 10 admins + 10 team members
- Professional: £249.99/month - 20 admins + unlimited team members
- Enterprise: £499.99/month - 50 admins + unlimited team members
All prices include VAT. All features on all plans. No per-user calculations, no feature locks.
Customer Portal
HiveSuite includes a branded customer portal on every plan. Customers log in to approve quotes, pay invoices, view job history, upload files, and message your business. It works like a receptionist you do not have to pay.
Fergus does not prominently feature a customer-facing portal. If customer self-service is important to your business, this is a significant gap.
AI Business Intelligence
HiveIntel lets you ask your business questions in plain English - "who owes me money", "what did I earn this quarter", "which job types are most profitable". It includes a visual query builder, custom dashboards, and scheduled report delivery.
Fergus does not offer an AI reporting layer. You get standard reports, but nothing that lets you interrogate your data conversationally.
Compliance Documents
Fergus includes health and safety tools (SWMS and hazard management), which reflect its New Zealand and Australian roots. HiveSuite's compliance document builder is designed for UK standards - generating certificates, RAMS, checklists, and method statements from preloaded UK templates with numbered PDFs, expiry tracking, and customer portal sharing.
If you work on UK commercial sites where RAMS are required, HiveSuite's compliance tools are purpose-built for that workflow.
Built for the UK
Fergus was founded in New Zealand and has expanded to the UK. It works - but HiveSuite was built in the UK from day one. That means:
- Native UK VAT calculations and VAT number handling
- GBP pricing with no exchange rate concerns
- UK compliance document templates
- UK support hours
- UK terminology throughout
When to Choose Each
Choose HiveSuite if...
- You want a UK-built platform with UK compliance templates
- Flat-fee pricing matters more than per-user
- A customer portal is important to your workflow
- AI business reporting would save you time
- You want all features from day one with no upsells
- You want a longer trial period (30 days vs 14)
Choose Fergus if...
- You need direct supplier integrations (Screwfix, Wolseley)
- You are a very small team and per-user pricing works out cheaper
- NZ/AU health and safety tools (SWMS) suit your workflow
- Tap-to-pay on-site payments are essential
The Bottom Line
Fergus is a capable tool that has done well in the NZ and Australian markets. But for UK contractors, HiveSuite offers more features, better UK-specific tooling, and predictable flat-fee pricing. The customer portal, AI reporting, and UK compliance documents are all included on every plan - no upgrades, no add-ons.
Still comparing options?
See our full ranked reviews: Best UK Job Management Software 2026 (10 platforms compared) and Best Sole Trader Software UK 2026 (6 platforms for one-person businesses). Also see: HiveSuite vs Fergus, Tradify Alternative.
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