If you’re a plumber, sparky, chippy or tiler running a small Australian trade business, you’ve probably realised that paper job cards, text-message scheduling and chasing invoices in a spreadsheet aren’t scaling. Job management software is the cure: one place to quote, dispatch, track and bill every job from your phone.

The catch? There are at least a dozen platforms fighting for the Aussie tradie dollar, and they price very differently. This 2026 comparison breaks down what the software does, what to look for, and which of the six leading platforms suits which trade.

What does job management software actually do?

At its core, job management software replaces five or six separate tools (job book, calendar, quote pad, invoice book, timesheets) with one mobile-first system. A typical workflow looks like this:

• Quote: Build branded quotes from price lists or templates and send via email or SMS. The customer accepts with one tap.
• Schedule: Drag the accepted job onto a calendar, assigned to you or a team member.
• Dispatch: The job pushes to the assigned tradie’s phone with address, scope, materials list and customer notes.
• Track: Tradie clocks on, photos and notes attach to the job, materials are added as used.
• Invoice: One tap converts the completed job into a Xero or MYOB invoice with all labour and materials prefilled.
• Get paid: Customer pays via card link, payment syncs back, job is closed.

Done well, it removes 5-10 hours of admin a week from a sole-trader subbie and roughly doubles that for a 5-person crew. For a deeper dive on quoting specifically, see our guide to construction quoting software in Australia.

The 7 must-have features for Australian trades

Not every platform ticks every box. Before you compare prices, make sure your shortlist has these:

• Native iOS and Android apps that work offline (vital in basements, regional jobs and new builds without Wi-Fi).
• GST-correct quoting and invoicing with ABN on every document and proper tax rounding.
• Two-way Xero or MYOB sync for invoices, payments and contacts.
• Job tracking with photo capture, signed sign-offs and material log.
• Scheduling and dispatch with drag-and-drop calendar and SMS notifications.
• Time tracking with GPS-stamped clock-in (read more in our guide to time tracking software for construction).
• Recurring or maintenance jobs if you do servicing work (test-and-tag, gas compliance, AC servicing).

Bonus features worth paying for: customer portal, asset history, supplier price lists, automated review requests and SafeWork-compliant SWMS storage.

Top 6 job management platforms for Australian trades (2026)

1. Built Simple – $79/month flat

Built Simple is a Brisbane-built job management platform priced for sole-trader subbies and crews up to 10. The differentiator is flat-rate pricing – $79/month covers unlimited jobs, unlimited users and unlimited quotes. No per-seat creep as you grow. It includes Xero and MYOB sync, a native mobile app, GPS time tracking, branded quoting, automated payment reminders and SWMS storage. Best fit: growing sole traders and 2-10 person crews who don’t want to be punished for hiring an apprentice. See how Built Simple works.

2. Tradify – $44/user/month

NZ-built, very popular with Australian sole traders, especially electricians and plumbers. Clean app, solid quoting, decent Xero integration. Per-user pricing means a 4-person crew is $176/month. Best fit: solo subbies and 2-3 person teams who want a polished, no-frills tool.

3. ServiceM8 – from $29/month (job-volume capped)

Aussie-built, iOS-first (the Android app is now usable but historically lagged). Pricing is based on job volume rather than users, so it’s cheap for low-volume sparkies and HVAC techs but expensive once you cross 100+ jobs/month. Excellent for service work, weak for project-based trades like carpentry. Best fit: service-heavy trades (electrical, plumbing, locksmiths, appliance repair).

4. simPRO – $80-150/user/month (enterprise)

The 800-pound gorilla of Australian field service. Powerful but heavy – expect a 4-6 week implementation, not a 1-day setup. Per-user pricing makes it expensive: a 5-person crew is $400-750/month before add-ons. Best fit: 10+ person commercial mechanical, electrical, fire and security companies. Overkill for a residential subbie.

5. AroFlo – $120-200/month base

Melbourne-built, particularly strong in commercial HVAC, refrigeration and fire. Good asset management, strong reporting. Pricing is bundled rather than per-user but starts higher than Tradify or ServiceM8. Best fit: 5-15 person commercial trades doing scheduled maintenance.

6. Fergus – $45-95/user/month

Another NZ-built platform, similar feel to Tradify but with stronger workflow visualisation (the “status board” view is loved by plumbers). Per-user pricing tiers up with feature sets. Best fit: plumbers and gas fitters who like a visual job pipeline.

Pricing comparison at a glance

Platform	Starting price	Cost for 1 user	Cost for 5 users	Free trial
Built Simple	$79/mo flat	$79	$79	14 days
Tradify	$44/user/mo	$44	$220	14 days
ServiceM8	$29/mo (volume)	$29-$149	$149-$349	Free starter
simPRO	~$80/user/mo	$80+	$400-$750	Demo only
AroFlo	$120/mo base	$120	$200-$400	Demo only
Fergus	$45/user/mo	$45	$225-$475	14 days

The pattern: per-user platforms punish you as you grow. A 5-person team on Tradify or simPRO can spend $2,500-$9,000 a year more than the same team on a flat-rate platform.

By trade: which platform suits which trade?

Electricians

Sparkies need test-and-tag scheduling, certificate of compliance generation and SafeWork SWMS. ServiceM8 and Built Simple are strongest for residential service work; simPRO dominates commercial. See our deeper breakdown of software for electricians.

Plumbers and gas fitters

Plumbers value gas compliance certificates, recurring service reminders and quick on-site quoting. Fergus and Built Simple lead here, with Tradify a close third. More detail in our software for plumbers guide.

Carpenters and builders

Project-based trades need progress claims, variations and longer job timelines rather than service-style ticketing. Built Simple and AroFlo handle progress claims natively; ServiceM8 and Tradify struggle. Read our software for carpenters overview.

Painters, tilers and renderers

Finish trades typically run 2-5 day jobs with materials variations. Built Simple, Tradify and Fergus all suit; ServiceM8 is too service-ticketed and simPRO is overkill.

HVAC, refrigeration and fire

If you do scheduled maintenance contracts and asset history, AroFlo and simPRO are purpose-built. Built Simple covers basic recurring jobs but isn’t an asset-management platform.

Mobile app quality – the real dealbreaker

The platform you choose lives or dies on whether your team will actually use it on site. A few honest observations from talking to hundreds of Aussie tradies in 2025-2026:

• ServiceM8‘s iOS app is the gold standard – fast, slick, native. Android caught up in 2024.
• Tradify has a clean, simple app that apprentices pick up in minutes.
• Built Simple ships a native app on both platforms with offline mode – jobs sync once you’re back in signal.
• simPRO and AroFlo apps are more functional than friendly – expect a learning curve.
• Fergus sits between Tradify and simPRO on the polish-vs-power scale.

If your crew won’t open the app daily, the rest of the comparison doesn’t matter.

Xero and MYOB integration depth

Every platform claims to “integrate with Xero”. The depth varies enormously:

• Built Simple, Tradify, Fergus, simPRO, AroFlo: two-way Xero sync (invoices push, payments pull, contacts both ways).
• ServiceM8: two-way Xero, one-way MYOB.
• MYOB AccountRight: Built Simple, Tradify, simPRO and AroFlo all sync. Fergus is Xero-only as of 2026.
• MYOB Business (cloud): Built Simple and Tradify lead; others are catching up.

If your bookkeeper has a strong preference, confirm the sync depth (not just “yes we integrate”) before you commit.

Common mistakes when choosing job management software

• Buying for the team you wish you had. A 1-person plumber doesn’t need simPRO. Start with what fits today; migrate when you outgrow.
• Ignoring per-user pricing creep. $44/user looks cheap until you hire two apprentices and a 2IC.
• Not testing the mobile app on a real job. Run a 14-day trial on a live job site, not at the kitchen table.
• Skipping the Xero sync test. Push 3 test invoices through and check the GST, account codes and tracking categories land correctly.
• Underestimating data migration. Price lists, customer lists and open jobs all need to move.

How to migrate without losing data

Switching platforms is the part most tradies put off for years. The honest version is it takes one focused weekend if you do it in this order:

• Friday: export customers and price list from your current system as CSV.
• Saturday morning: import customers and price lists to the new platform; reconnect Xero/MYOB.
• Saturday afternoon: recreate any open quotes and active jobs (don’t try to migrate completed history – leave that in the old system as read-only).
• Sunday: run the new system in parallel for one week with a hard cutover date.
• Following Monday: cancel the old subscription. Done.

Most modern platforms (Built Simple included) will do the import for you free of charge if you ask.

Frequently asked questions

Is job management software worth it for a sole trader?

Yes, if you’re doing more than 5-10 jobs a week. Below that, a spreadsheet plus Xero may still suffice. Above that, the admin time saved (typically 5-8 hours a week) pays for any of the platforms above several times over.

What’s the cheapest job management software in Australia?

ServiceM8’s starter plan at $29/month is the cheapest entry point, but it caps at very low job volume. For unlimited jobs, Built Simple at $79/month flat is the most economical for any team larger than one user.

Do I need separate software for quoting and invoicing?

No. Every platform in this comparison handles quoting, invoicing and job tracking in one system. Xero or MYOB then handles the accounting side.

Can I use job management software offline?

Built Simple, Tradify and ServiceM8 all have proper offline modes that sync when reconnected. simPRO and AroFlo require a connection for most actions.

How long does setup take?

For Built Simple, Tradify, ServiceM8 and Fergus, expect 1-3 days for a small business. simPRO and AroFlo typically need 4-6 weeks of guided implementation.

Will it integrate with my supplier (Reece, Tradelink, Middys)?

simPRO and AroFlo have direct supplier catalogue integrations for the larger merchants. Built Simple, Tradify and Fergus support price-list import via CSV – simpler, but no live pricing.

The bottom line

For most Australian sole traders and 2-10 person crews in 2026, the choice comes down to three platforms: Built Simple if you want flat-rate pricing that doesn’t punish growth, Tradify if you want polished simplicity for a 1-3 person team, or ServiceM8 if you do high-frequency service work on iOS. simPRO and AroFlo are excellent but built for larger commercial operations – don’t pay enterprise prices for residential workloads.

Whatever you pick, run a real 14-day trial on a real job before you commit. The right platform should feel obvious by day 5. Try Built Simple free for 14 days.