Choosing software, 29 October 2026
Software that won't connect: integrations to check before you buy
Yes, Tradify integrates with Xero, QuickBooks Online and Sage, but not everything syncs both ways. Its Xero App Store listing shows invoices and items syncing both ways, payments going only from Tradify to Xero, and contacts only from Xero to Tradify. Before you buy any trade software, check what syncs, in which direction, and test it with three real invoices.
Why does "integrates with Xero" not tell you enough?
Because an integration is a list of specific data types, each moving one way or both. A job app that sends invoices to Xero but can't pull payments back will show jobs as unpaid after the customer has paid, and someone ends up ticking them off by hand.
On our sales calls about nine of 28 firms raised frustration with job software, and not connecting to their other tools was a common thread. A job app that doesn't move your supplier bills can end up as one more monthly bill on top of the manual work. Supplier invoices going into Xero on their own, with price-rise checks, is often what saves the most time.
What syncs in each direction for common trade apps?
This table is taken from each app's UK Xero App Store listing as of October 2026. "Both" means two-way; an arrow shows a one-way flow.
| Data | Tradify | ServiceM8 | Fergus | Gas Engineer Software | Dext |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales invoices | Both | Both | Both | Both | Both |
| Payments | App → Xero | Both | Xero → app | App → Xero | App → Xero |
| Contacts | Xero → app | Both | Xero → app | Both | Both |
| Items | Both | Both | Not listed | App → Xero | Not listed |
| Credit notes | Not listed | Not listed | Both | Not listed | Not listed |
| Purchase orders | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Both |
| Tracking categories | Not listed | Xero → app | Not listed | Not listed | Xero → app |
Two cautions. First, a vendor's own page can say more than the listing: Tradify's Xero page describes a "two-way sync" for customer details and says supplier bills can be sent to Xero. Second, "not listed" means the listing doesn't show it, not that it can't be done. Ask the vendor to confirm in writing.
Which integrations matter most for a trade firm?
Your accounts package first, then payments, then supplier bills. Most of the hours lost to software that won't connect sit in those three.
How do you test an integration properly?
Use the free trial and a live accounts file, not a demo company. Most trade apps offer 14 days, which is long enough if you start on day one.
- Read the App Store listing.
Search the app on the Xero App Store, or your accounts package's equivalent, and note the shared data list.
- Connect it to your real accounts.
Ask your bookkeeper first: a bad sync can create duplicate contacts.
- Raise three real invoices.
One standard VAT, one reverse charge if you use it, one with a deposit. Check each arrives with the right codes.
- Record a payment and a credit note.
See whether each shows up on the other side.
- Post a supplier bill against a job.
Then check you can see the job's cost and margin.
- Export your data.
Download customers and jobs to a spreadsheet and open the file.
Do you need the integration at all?
Not always. A two-van firm raising ten invoices a month can type them into Xero in under an hour. Run this check before you pay extra for a plan with integrations.
Retyping that volume costs hours a month and invites errors. Make sure payments sync back too.
If invoices already flow from another tool, adding a second integration can create duplicates.
Job costing depends on purchase bills reaching the right job. That matters more than sales invoice sync.
At low volume, typing invoices into your accounts package is cheaper than a dearer plan. Revisit when you hire.
What happens when your tools don't connect?
The owner becomes the integration. Every receipt, invoice and payment that doesn't sync gets copied by hand, and the pile grows each time you take on another engineer. That time goes on copying numbers between systems.
If you're weighing a job app against an assistant that works across your tools, read do you need job management software if you use AI. For contract terms that stop you leaving a tool that won't connect, see software contracts for trades.
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 connects to Xero, Sage and QuickBooks and works over WhatsApp. Forward a supplier invoice or photo a receipt and Nexley posts the bill against the right job, flags price rises and keeps cost per job up to date. You approve before anything posts. It works alongside the job app you already have.
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.
Does Tradify integrate with Xero?
Yes. Tradify's Xero App Store listing shows invoices and items syncing both ways, payments from Tradify to Xero, and contacts, accounts and tax rates from Xero to Tradify. Tradify says the integration adds no charge to your subscription.
Does Tradify work with QuickBooks and Sage?
Yes. Tradify's pages say invoices, bills, payments, suppliers and customer details are shared with both. They don't name which Sage product, so confirm yours is supported before you buy.
Where can I see what an app syncs with Xero?
On the app's listing in the Xero App Store, under shared data. It shows each data type and the direction it moves.
What if the integration I need isn't listed?
Ask the vendor to confirm in writing whether it exists and which plan includes it. If it isn't there, assume you'll be doing that job by hand.
Sources
- Xero App Store: Tradify
- Xero App Store: ServiceM8
- Xero App Store: Fergus
- Xero App Store: Gas Engineer Software
- Xero App Store: Dext
- Tradify: Xero integration
- Tradify: QuickBooks integration
- Gas Engineer Software: integrations
- QuickBooks UK: construction
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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