Choosing software, 29 October 2026
Fergus alternatives
The main Fergus alternatives for UK trades are Tradify, ServiceM8 and Powered Now for domestic work, and Simpro or Joblogic for larger service and project firms. ServiceM8 is cheaper for bigger teams because users are unlimited on paid plans. If what you want is less admin rather than a better diary, an AI back office may suit better than another job app.
Why do people look for Fergus alternatives?
Mostly cost as the team grows, or the feeling that the app is another bill rather than less work. Fergus is a well-built job app. Both plans include quoting, price books, job cards, timesheets, invoicing, certificates and Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB integration. Professional adds automatic supplier integrations, purchase orders, tasks, hazards and phone support. It has a public API, AI assistants that confirm before acting, and a takeoff link with Groundplan.
A job app organises the work, but you may still be doing the quotes, bills and chasing by hand. If that's your situation, the alternative may not be another job app. Read do you need job management software if you use AI? first.
Paid plans have unlimited users and charge by jobs a month. Compare a full year at normal rates.
Another job app won't take the quoting off you. An AI tool can, alongside Fergus.
Built for planned maintenance and assets. Expect longer contracts and paid onboarding.
It's month to month, so there's no contract pushing you. Check your plan matches what you use.
What are the best alternatives to Fergus?
Prices and terms from each vendor's page as of October 2026.
| Alternative | Price | Charged by | Contract | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tradify | £34, £37 or £44 a user a month | User | Month to month | Domestic trades, close to Fergus in scope |
| ServiceM8 | Free, then £25, £59, £119, £269 a month | Jobs a month | No contracts | Bigger teams, reactive jobs |
| Powered Now | £28 a month for one user, or £32 or £40 a user a month, ex VAT | Plan or user | No contract | Sole traders, VAT-registered small teams |
| Simpro | Quote on request | Custom | Ask | Growing firms with projects and service |
| Joblogic | From £49 a user a month, billed annually | User | 24 or 36 months typical | Maintenance and compliance |
| AI back office (Nexley) | £799 a month | Firm | Month to month | Owners stuck on quotes and admin |
The difference. These apps hold the jobs; you still do the office work. Nexley does that work for you: quotes, invoices, chasing, supplier bills and tenders, drafted overnight from your own prices and your Xero, waiting for your yes in WhatsApp. It works alongside the app you already have.
Tradify. The closest like-for-like. Pro adds branding, quote options with online acceptance, costing and certificates; Plus adds AI bill reading, purchase orders and service reminders. Syncs with Xero, Sage and QuickBooks Online. Free training. See Tradify alternatives.
ServiceM8. Unlimited users on paid plans and priced by jobs, so a five-engineer firm doing 100 jobs a month pays £59 on Growing. Two-way Xero sync. Job costing and markup billing need Premium at £119. 14-day trial.
Powered Now. A one-user Business plan for sole traders. Professional files VAT returns under Making Tax Digital, handles CIS and includes gas, oil and electrical certificates.
Simpro. For growing firms with service and project work, live job costing, inventory and multi-stage projects. Quote on request; onboarding takes longer than lighter apps. Simpro also integrates with Groundplan for takeoffs.
If you use Fergus with Groundplan for takeoffs, check the replacement connects to a takeoff tool, or see best takeoff software for small UK firms.
What will you pay after the offer ends?
Price a full year at normal rates. Fergus's UK pricing page showed 90% off until December when we checked, which makes the first months cheap but says little about year two.
A three-person team: Fergus at full price against two alternatives
Owner plus two engineers, about 60 jobs a month. Fergus base prices before the offer, as listed on its UK page in October 2026.
| Fergus Essentials at full price£39 × 3 users × 12 | £1,404 |
| Fergus Professional at full price£45 × 3 users × 12 | £1,620 |
| Tradify Pro£37 × 3 users × 12 | £1,332 |
| ServiceM8 Growing, up to 150 jobs£59 × 12 | £708 |
Run the numbers for your team at full price, ex and inc VAT, and add any SMS or card fees you'll pay on each. See best job management software for UK trades for the wider comparison.
How do you leave Fergus cleanly?
Fergus says you can cancel any time from the billing section, with the final bill at the end of the current billing period. Do the export before that date, and run the new system alongside for a few weeks.
Data lock-in worries came up on about 5 of the 28 sales calls we had this year. A Northern Ireland heating firm with about 700 gas customers was afraid to lose six or seven years of records in software with no open API. Fergus has a public API, which helps, but ask your new vendor whether they'll do the import for you. Read software contracts for trades before you sign anything new.
Where Nexley fits
Nexley is the AI back office for UK trade firms: five AI assistants run your tenders, quotes, buying, scheduling and invoicing. It connects to the tools you already work in, you run it all from WhatsApp, and you approve everything. £799 a month.
Nexley works alongside Fergus or instead of it. It drafts quotes from voice notes using your price list, reads supplier bills against each job, chases invoices and answers enquiries, and updates your job software when a quote is accepted. You approve each step on WhatsApp.
Common questions
How is Nexley different from a job management app?
A job app is a better filing system: it holds your jobs, and you still do the quoting, invoicing and chasing. Nexley does that work. Five AI assistants draft your quotes, invoices, supplier orders, replies and tenders overnight from your own prices and your Xero, and you approve each one in WhatsApp. It's the office help you'd otherwise hire, for £799 a month against about £2,358 a month for a full-time admin.
What is the cheapest alternative to Fergus?
For one person, ServiceM8's free plan or Powered Now's £28-a-month Business plan, as of October 2026. For three or more people, ServiceM8 is often cheapest because paid plans include unlimited users.
Does Fergus have a contract?
No. Fergus says it bills monthly with no lock-in contracts, and you can cancel from the billing section any time, as of October 2026.
Is Tradify or ServiceM8 better than Fergus?
Neither is better outright. Tradify is closest in features and charges per user. ServiceM8 charges by jobs with unlimited users. Trial each on live jobs for a fortnight and compare a year's cost at full price.
Can I keep Fergus and add AI instead?
Yes. Fergus has its own AI assistants, and outside AI tools can connect through its API or Zapier. Keep the job app for the schedule and job cards, and add AI for quoting, bills and chasing if those are what take your evenings.
Sources
- Fergus: UK pricing
- Fergus: UK home page, billing FAQ
- Fergus: official information about Fergus
- Fergus: estimating software and Groundplan integration
- Tradify: UK pricing and plans
- ServiceM8: UK pricing
- Powered Now: pricing
- Simpro: plumbing job management software compared
Every rule, rate and date above was checked against these sources on the date shown at the top.
Topic: Choosing software
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