TL;DR
Fergus is a well-built job-management app from New Zealand, designed for service-based trade businesses — electricians, plumbers, drainage, HVAC — running callouts and maintenance work with mature Xero/MYOB invoicing. Built Simple is an Australian-built alternative for tradies and builders running project-based work — multi-day jobs with sequenced trades, defects, and team-and-equipment tracking. Built Simple uses flat per-business pricing (Freemium to $399 AUD/mo) instead of Fergus’s per-user model, which gets expensive fast as crews grow.
Fergus vs Built Simple: at a glance
| Feature | Built Simple | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Australian (Melbourne, 2025) | New Zealand (Auckland, 2013) |
| Best for | Tradies + builders running multi-day projects | Service-based trade businesses (callouts, maintenance) |
| Workflow shape | Project-based — multi-stage, sequenced trades | Job-based — single visit, quote-to-invoice |
| Pricing model | Flat-rate per business (Freemium to $399/mo) | Per-user (~$45-95 AUD/user/mo) |
| Free tier | Yes — Freemium | No — trial only |
| Project scheduling (multi-day, dependencies) | Yes — weather-aware, drag-to-reschedule | Limited — day-level job dispatch |
| Quoting / invoicing | Quotes included; invoicing via roadmap integrations | Mature — native quoting + Xero/MYOB sync |
| Xero / MYOB integration | Not yet — on roadmap | Yes — native, mature |
| Defects management | Yes — photo-based, location-pinned | Not a core feature |
| Team & equipment tracking | Yes — unified cross-project view | Limited to job assignments |
| Trade calculators | 50+ free | Not included |
| Owner-builder tier | Yes — $39/mo Home Projects | No |
| Mobile-first | Yes | Yes — strong field-tech app |
The key difference: service jobs vs project work
Both Fergus and Built Simple are good mobile tools — but they’re built around two different shapes of work, and the right pick depends on which shape your business runs.
Fergus is built for service-based trade businesses. A customer calls, you book the job, send a quote, do the work, send an invoice via Xero, get paid. That cycle is usually a few hours to a day or two. Electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, drainage crews running callouts and maintenance contracts are Fergus’s home turf. They’ve spent over a decade polishing that quote-to-invoice loop, and the Xero/MYOB integration is genuinely strong.
Built Simple is built for project work. Multi-stage jobs that run for days, weeks, or months — where you sequence multiple trades, track defects after handover, and need to know which crew member and which piece of equipment is on which site. The “job” isn’t one visit, it’s a whole project plan.
If you’re a plumbing business doing 15 callouts a week with Xero as your invoicing backbone, Fergus is built for you. If you’re a builder coordinating frame, plumbing, electrical, and plaster across a renovation, or a tradie running multi-day jobs with a crew, Built Simple is purpose-built for that.
When Fergus is the right choice
- You run a service-trade business. Electrical callouts, plumbing maintenance, HVAC servicing, drainage emergencies — short jobs that wrap in one visit. Fergus’s job dispatch and quote-to-invoice flow are purpose-built for that pattern.
- Xero or MYOB integration is non-negotiable. Fergus’s accounting integrations are mature and battle-tested. If your bookkeeper insists on tight sync, Fergus delivers it today.
- You’re a New Zealand business. Fergus is NZ-headquartered, NZ pricing, NZ support hours. There’s a home-market fit for Kiwi tradies.
- You need a strong field-tech mobile app for dispatched jobs. Fergus’s app is well-loved by field staff for clocking on, capturing job notes, and signing off work.
- You charge per-tech and per-user pricing maps to your model. If you’ve got a clean cost-per-tech equation in your business, Fergus’s per-user pricing slots in cleanly.
When Built Simple is the better fit
- You run multi-day jobs with sequenced trades. Built Simple’s scheduling is project-aware. Push a slab pour by two days because of weather, and dependent trades shift automatically.
- You manage defects after work is complete. Snap-photo defects pinned to a location on site, assigned to the relevant trade for close-out. Fergus doesn’t have a defects workflow.
- You need to track equipment across multiple sites. Where’s the excavator today? Who’s got the laser level? Built Simple’s team-and-equipment view answers that in real time. Fergus doesn’t.
- You want one flat price for your whole crew. Built Simple Tradie is $79/mo flat — that covers a 5-person crew. On Fergus per-user pricing, 5 users at ~$45 each is $225/mo — nearly 3x more, for less project-management depth.
- You want free trade calculators. 50+ calculators (concrete, framing, brick, gutter, fall, retaining walls). Fergus has none.
- You’re an owner-builder. Built Simple has a dedicated tier at $39/mo for owner-builders running their own project. Fergus is built for service trade businesses, not project owners.
- You want an Australian-built product on AU pricing. Melbourne-based, AUD pricing, AU support hours, AU compliance considerations.
Pricing comparison
Fergus uses per-user pricing; Built Simple uses flat per-business pricing. The math changes significantly as your crew grows.
| Crew size | Built Simple Tradie ($79 flat) | Fergus (~$45 AUD per user) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | $79/mo | $45/mo |
| 3 users | $79/mo | $135/mo |
| 5 users | $79/mo | $225/mo |
| 10 users | $199/mo (Builder tier) | $450/mo |
| 15 users | $199/mo (Builder tier) | $675/mo |
For a sole trader, Fergus is cheaper. From 2 users up, Built Simple’s flat pricing pulls ahead. By a 5-person crew you’re paying nearly 3x more on Fergus than on Built Simple. At 15 users on the Builder tier, the gap is $476/mo — roughly $5,700/year, enough to cover a decent chunk of materials on a job.
Note: Fergus prices in NZD on their website; the figures above are approximate AUD conversions and may vary with exchange rates and current plan tiers. Always check Fergus directly for live pricing.
Features: where each one wins
Quoting & invoicing
Fergus wins. Over a decade of polish on the quote-to-invoice cycle for service businesses. Native Xero/MYOB sync means quotes turn into invoices and into paid revenue without rekeying. If 80% of your day is quoting and invoicing service work, Fergus will feel native.
Accounting integrations
Fergus wins today. Mature Xero, MYOB, and QuickBooks integrations. Built Simple doesn’t integrate with accounting platforms yet — it’s on our roadmap. If Xero/MYOB sync is a hard requirement, Fergus wins.
Project scheduling
Built Simple wins clearly. Fergus dispatches jobs at day level — when to send which tech, where. Built Simple schedules multi-day projects with trade dependencies, weather-aware planning, and trade-by-trade sequencing. If your jobs run for weeks not hours, the scheduling engines are in different categories.
Defects management
Built Simple has it; Fergus doesn’t. Photo, location pin, trade assignment, close-out workflow. Built specifically for builders and trades handling defects after handover or on long jobs.
Team & equipment tracking
Built Simple wins. Cross-project view of where every person and every piece of equipment is allocated. Fergus tracks team via job assignments but doesn’t have a real-time “who and what is on which site right now” dashboard.
Mobile field app
Roughly even — different focus. Both products have strong mobile apps. Fergus’s mobile is tuned for dispatched field techs (clock on, capture job notes, sign off). Built Simple’s mobile is tuned for builders and crew leaders running multi-trade jobs (timeline, defects, team view).
Pricing model
Depends on crew size. Fergus’s per-user pricing is cheaper for sole traders. Built Simple’s flat pricing is cheaper from 2+ users and gets dramatically cheaper as crews grow.
Trade calculators
Only Built Simple has these. 50+ free trade calculators for concrete, framing, brick, mortar, gutter, fall, retaining walls. Free without an account.
Where Fergus clearly wins
Direct honesty:
- Service-trade businesses. If your work is callouts and maintenance, Fergus is purpose-built for that and has had a decade to refine it.
- Xero / MYOB / QuickBooks integration. Available today on Fergus. On our roadmap.
- Mature quote-to-invoice workflow. Years of iteration. Built Simple handles quoting, but accounting-integrated invoicing is where Fergus wins today.
- NZ market fit. If you’re a Kiwi business, Fergus is the home-market option with NZ support and pricing.
- Dispatched field-tech workflows. The “send tech to site, capture work, get sign-off” loop is Fergus’s bread and butter.
If your business fits one of those shapes and stays there, Fergus is the right tool. If you’re a tradie growing into project work, or a builder coordinating multi-trade jobs, Built Simple gives you scheduling, defects, team-and-equipment tracking, and calculators that Fergus doesn’t — for a flat fee regardless of crew size.
Who should pick which
| Your situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Service trade (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drainage), callout work | Fergus |
| Xero / MYOB sync is non-negotiable today | Fergus |
| New Zealand business | Fergus |
| Tradie running 2-5 person crew, multi-day jobs | Built Simple Tradie $79/mo |
| Small builder coordinating multiple trades | Built Simple Builder $199/mo |
| Owner-builder running own project | Built Simple Home Projects $39/mo |
| Trade business that needs defects management | Built Simple |
| 5+ user crew where per-user pricing hurts | Built Simple |
| Need to track equipment across sites | Built Simple |
| Australian business wanting AUD pricing and AU support | Built Simple |
Try Built Simple free
No credit card. Run your next project through it and decide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fergus cheaper than Built Simple?
For sole traders, yes — Fergus starts at around $45 AUD per user. From 2 users up, Built Simple’s flat $79/mo pricing is cheaper. By a 5-person crew, Built Simple is nearly 3x cheaper than Fergus, and the gap widens further as your team grows.
Does Built Simple integrate with Xero or MYOB?
Not currently — accounting integration is on our roadmap. If Xero or MYOB sync is a hard requirement today, Fergus is the better choice. If you handle accounting separately, the lack of integration isn’t usually a blocker for project-based builders.
Can I run service callout work in Built Simple?
You can, but it’s not where we shine. Built Simple is designed for multi-day project work with sequenced trades. If your average job is a callout that wraps in a few hours and you live in Xero for invoicing, Fergus is a more focused tool for that pattern.
Does Fergus have scheduling like Built Simple’s?
Fergus has day-level job dispatch — when to send a tech, where. Built Simple’s scheduling handles multi-day projects with trade dependencies and weather-aware planning. They’re built for different shapes of work: Fergus for “dispatch a tech today”, Built Simple for “sequence trades across the next three weeks”.
Is Built Simple Australian?
Yes — Melbourne-based, founded in 2025 by Calum Buchanan. Fergus is New Zealand-based (Auckland, founded 2013). Both work fine in the AU market, but Built Simple is AU-built with AUD pricing and AU support hours.
Can I switch from Fergus to Built Simple?
Yes. We don’t have a one-click import, but we’ll help you migrate contacts, templates, and project data manually. Get in touch and we’ll walk you through it.
Bottom line
Fergus is built for service-based trade businesses — electricians, plumbers, HVAC, drainage crews running callouts and maintenance with Xero as their invoicing backbone. They’ve had a decade to polish that workflow and they’ve done it well. Built Simple is built for project-based builders and tradies — anyone running multi-day jobs where sequencing trades, tracking defects, and managing equipment across sites are what matter, on flat per-business pricing instead of per-user.
If your work fits one shape more than the other, the choice is straightforward. If you’re not sure, the cheapest way to find out is to try Built Simple free on your next project — no credit card, no time pressure.