By Tan Somkiat (LinkedIn), Co-founder, Security & Automation · Co-authored with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant
Published 11 October 2026 · Prices checked 11 October 2026
Why tradies move off paper and spreadsheets
Quotes typed up at night, jobs scheduled by text message, timesheets on scraps of paper, and invoices that go out a week after the job. Job management software (also called field service management software) puts quoting, scheduling, job cards, photos, timesheets and invoicing in one app, on your phone, and sends the invoices straight to your accounting software.
- Solo tradies and small teams on a budget: ServiceM8, from free (30 jobs a month) to $79/month for 150 jobs.
- Growing teams that want costing and timesheets: Tradify or Fergus, both priced per user.
- Larger contractors with complex job costing and stock: simPRO, quoted on request.
- All four sync invoices to Xero; ServiceM8, Fergus and simPRO also list MYOB.
- Or build your own: custom job management software that connects straight to Xero or MYOB, with no per-user subscription.
Job management software in Australia at a glance
| ServiceM8 | Tradify | Fergus | simPRO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per business, by jobs per month | Per user per month | Per plan, plus timesheet users | Quoted on request |
| Starting price | Free; Starter $29/month (AUD inc GST) | Lite $47 USD per user/month | Essentials from $53/month (90% off until December) | Not published |
| Users | 1 on Free; unlimited on paid plans | Priced per user | Plan plus timesheet users | Priced per user |
| Quoting and invoicing | All plans | All plans | All plans | Yes |
| Job costing | Premium and above | Costing and bill tracking from Pro | Not listed as a named feature | A core strength |
| Accounting | Xero, QuickBooks, MYOB | Xero, QuickBooks | Xero, QuickBooks, MYOB | Xero, MYOB |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | Yes |
ServiceM8
ServiceM8 suits plumbers, electricians, cleaning businesses and other small service teams. Every plan includes job cards, scheduling, quoting and invoicing, checklists, photos, online bookings and card payments; it's priced by how many jobs you do, not how many staff you have.
| Plan (AUD inc GST) | Price | Jobs/month | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 30 | 1 user |
| Starter | $29/month | 50 | Unlimited users, progress invoicing, supplier invoice import |
| Growing | $79/month | 150 | Electronic forms, asset management, proposals |
| Premium | $149/month | 500 | Job costing, markup billing |
| Premium Plus | $349/month | 1,500+ | Higher limits and lower card fees |
Tradify
Tradify is built for trade teams that want quoting, scheduling, timesheets and job costing in one place. Its published prices are in US dollars, per user per month: Lite $47, Pro $51 (adds timesheets, recurring jobs, costing and bill tracking, automatic quote and invoice reminders) and Plus $61 (adds purchase orders, service reminders and job reporting). It lists Xero and QuickBooks Online sync.
Fergus
Fergus covers quoting with price books, job management with GPS tracking and timesheets, scheduling, invoicing and supplier integrations. Essentials starts from $53/month and Professional from $77/month, with timesheet users from $26; a 90% introductory discount runs until December. Professional adds automatic supplier integrations, purchase orders, safety forms and advanced reporting. It lists Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB, and syncs GST-compliant invoices.
simPRO
simPRO is a field service management platform for larger contractors (HVAC, electrical, solar and plumbing) with deep job costing, inventory and project tracking. It doesn't publish prices; third-party sites estimate roughly $60 to $140 per user per month, and reviewers mention a steep learning curve and minimum contract terms. Ask for a quote, and confirm what the Xero or MYOB integration syncs.
Custom job management software: one less subscription
Off-the-shelf apps suit most tradies, but they're priced per user or per job, and you pay every month for as long as you use them. Ten users on Tradify Pro, for example, is $510 USD a month at its published price, every month.
The alternative is custom job management software built around how your business already works and connected directly to your accounting software. Quotes, jobs and timesheets live in your own system, and invoices go straight into Xero or MYOB, so there's no separate job management subscription to pay.
| Off-the-shelf app | Custom software | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Monthly subscription, rising with users or jobs | Upfront build, then hosting and support; no per-user fees |
| Fit | Your process adapts to the app | Built around your existing process |
| Accounting | Syncs through the app's integration | Connects directly to Xero or MYOB |
| Time to start | Days | Weeks, depending on scope |
| Ownership | The vendor controls features and prices | You own it and decide what changes |
Custom software tends to make sense once a growing team's subscription fees add up, or when your workflow doesn't fit the way the apps work. For a small team just starting out, an off-the-shelf app is usually the quicker, cheaper choice. See our custom software development service.
How to choose job management software
- Count jobs or people? High job volumes with a small team favour per-user pricing; a bigger team doing fewer jobs favours ServiceM8's per-job plans.
- Do you need job costing? If you quote big jobs and need to know your margin on each, look at ServiceM8 Premium, Tradify Pro or simPRO.
- Which accounting software do you use? Check the sync with your accountant's choice before you commit, especially if you use MYOB.
- Try it on a real week. Run the free trial on live jobs with the people who'll use the app on site.
Workflows to automate around your job management app
- Enquiry arrives from your website or Google
- Job created in your job management app
- Customer sent a booking or quote link
- Scheduled once they accept
- Job marked complete on site
- Invoice synced to Xero or MYOB
- Reminders sent when it's overdue
- Payment reconciled
- Quote sent
- Reminder if there's no response
- Second follow-up, then flagged to the owner
- Won or lost recorded
- Invoice paid
- Short satisfaction check sent
- Happy customers asked for a Google review
- Unhappy replies sent to the owner
We connect job management software to your accounting, enquiries and reviews, or build you custom software that talks straight to Xero or MYOB, so every job flows from first call to paid invoice.
Speak to our automation experts →Related automation services
We connect job management apps to your accounts, or build custom job software that replaces a subscription.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best job management software for tradies in Australia?
For small teams on a budget, ServiceM8. For growing teams that want costing and timesheets, Tradify or Fergus. For larger contractors with complex costing and stock, simPRO. Trial two before deciding.
Is there free job management software?
ServiceM8 has a free plan for one user and up to 30 jobs a month. The others offer 14-day free trials.
Can you build custom job management software instead?
Yes. We build job management software that connects directly to Xero or MYOB, so you don't pay a separate per-user subscription. It costs more upfront and needs ongoing support, so it suits growing teams and workflows the off-the-shelf apps don't fit.
Does job management software replace Xero or MYOB?
No. It handles quotes, jobs and invoices, then syncs them to your accounting software, where your bookkeeper and accountant do the rest. See our MYOB vs Xero vs QuickBooks guide.
Sources
- ServiceM8 pricing, Tradify pricing and Fergus pricing, checked 11 October 2026
- Field Service Software: simPRO (price estimate), Software Advice: simPRO and Capterra: simPRO reviews
How this guide was made: Tan Somkiat wrote this guide with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant, which helped research and draft it. Prices and features come from each vendor's own pages, linked above, and were checked on the dates shown.
This guide is general information. R&T Automation isn't paid by any of these vendors.