ServiceM8 vs Tradify vs Simpro vs AroFlo: what they cost and who each one suits.

How do ServiceM8, Tradify, Simpro and AroFlo compare on price?

ServiceM8 charges by jobs, not users: A$29 to A$349 a month including GST, with unlimited users on paid plans. Tradify charges A$48 to A$62 per user a month plus GST. AroFlo starts at A$80 per user a month with a three-user minimum. Simpro does not publish prices, you get a quote.

That difference in how they charge matters more than the headline number. A five-person crew doing 120 jobs a month pays one flat fee on ServiceM8, but five seats on Tradify or AroFlo. A two-person business doing lots of small jobs can flip that maths the other way. Every figure below comes from the vendor's own Australian pricing page on the day we checked.

Sources: ServiceM8 pricing, Tradify pricing, Fergus pricing, AroFlo pricing. Fergus and AroFlo do not say on the page whether GST is included, so ask before you sign.

Which one suits a business my size?

Sole traders and small crews doing quick service jobs usually fit ServiceM8 or Tradify. Plumbers and electricians who live on supplier price lists often like Fergus. Once you have project work, stock, multiple stages and an office team of three or more, AroFlo and Simpro are built for that weight.

• On your own, or owner plus an apprentice. ServiceM8's Starter or Tradify Lite. Both handle quotes, job cards, invoices and the Xero sync. Pick the one whose phone app you prefer after the free trial; both give you 14 days.
• Three to fifteen people, mostly service work. ServiceM8 gets cheaper per head as the team grows, because you pay for jobs, not seats. Tradify Pro adds online quote acceptance, recurring jobs and automatic quote reminders, which is where most small teams lose money.
• Ten or more, with projects that run for months. AroFlo or Simpro. Progress claims, stock, Gantt charts, compliance forms and multiple business units. Expect a setup project, training, and a contract, not a sign-up form.

A common mistake is buying the big system too early. A six-person electrical business does not need the stock control and project modules of Simpro, and will pay for them in setup time long after the subscription.

Tradify vs ServiceM8: which is better?

Neither is better across the board. ServiceM8 is cheaper for a team doing a steady flow of jobs because users are unlimited. Tradify is simpler to price for a small, stable team and has strong quoting on its Pro plan. Both sync with Xero. Trial both on real jobs for a week each.

Where they differ in practice: ServiceM8 limits how many jobs you create each month, so a busy maintenance crew can outgrow a plan fast. Tradify charges per person, so adding an apprentice or a part-time admin adds a seat. Both now ship some AI: ServiceM8 lists an AI writing helper, an AI report builder and an "Office Agent" on its plans, and Tradify's Plus plan adds AI bill capture and AI job descriptions.

How well does each one sync with Xero?

All five connect to Xero. ServiceM8, Tradify and Fergus include the Xero sync on every plan, so invoices are not keyed in twice. AroFlo also connects to MYOB, QuickBooks and Reckon. Simpro syncs invoices, payments and contacts both ways, with timesheets going one way into Xero. The sync is rarely the weak point; multiple Xero entities are.

Simpro's own Xero page and its listing in the Xero App Store show what flows in which direction. Check that before you buy anything: if your accountant relies on timesheets or tracking categories landing a certain way, test it in the trial with your real chart of accounts. Our guide to Xero integrations worth having covers what usually breaks.

Where does AI fit on top of job management software?

AI does the work around the job app: drafting quotes from your notes and price lists, chasing unanswered quotes, reading supplier invoices, and answering "where is this job at" questions. The job app stays the record. Built-in AI features help, but the bigger wins come from connecting the app to your email, Xero and suppliers.

The jobs we see tradies want first are the same every week:

• Quotes. Turning site notes, photos and your price list into a draft quote in the job app, so the customer gets it the same day instead of booking someone else. We go deeper on automating quotes with AI, and our construction quote template covers what a winning quote needs either way.
• Supplier pricing. Comparing price files from more than one supplier and flagging which one to buy from.
• Admin. En-route texts, quote follow-ups, bills into Xero, review requests. This is the evening work. Our page on automating admin with AI shows what that looks like.

When should you switch, and when should you build your own?

Switch when your work has changed shape, such as moving from service calls to long commercial projects. Build your own only when no off-the-shelf app fits how you work and you have someone to own it. For most trades businesses, keeping the app and adding AI around it is cheaper and faster than either.

The hidden cost of switching is your history. Check, before you sign anything, how you will get every past job, quote and photo out of the old system. Some businesses find out too late that years of records do not export cleanly.

Building your own is real now, but it is not free. A building inspector in one of our workshops started an operations system to replace ServiceM8, then could not find what had been built a few weeks later. It stalled because nobody owned it. A system you rent comes with support and updates; one you build needs someone looking after it.