Checkatrade vs Rated People

The UK's largest vetted trades directory — annual subscription model with verification + reviews

Checkatrade is the most recognizable UK trades-directory brand among consumers — 22% market share and 850K+ vetted member businesses. The vetting process (DBS check, insurance verification, reference checks) is the trust mechanism that makes UK homeowners willing to call a stranger from the directory. Annual subscription pricing (£950-£2,000+/year) is meaningfully different from US pay-per-lead models — once you're in, you pay flat regardless of lead volume.

Pros

• + Strongest consumer-side brand recognition in UK trades — homeowners actively search Checkatrade by name
• + Annual subscription means cost predictability vs pay-per-lead variance
• + Vetting + review process keeps the competitive pool curated (lower-quality competitors filtered out)
• + Postcode-based exclusivity caps prevent endless dilution within a service area

Cons

• − £950-£2,000+/year annual subscription is significant up-front commitment for new businesses
• − Annual contract structure means low flexibility if the leads don't materialize at expected volume
• − Heavy reliance on customer-leaving-reviews — bad early reviews can damage long-term profile
• − No formal affiliate program for publishers means most third-party reviews are either marketing puff or anonymous complaints

Pay-per-lead UK trades marketplace — 900K registered tradies

Rated People is the third major UK lead-gen platform after Checkatrade (subscription) and MyBuilder (shortlist-pay). The pay-per-lead model is most similar to US Thumbtack/HomeAdvisor — tradies pay when they decide to pursue a job posting. 900K registered tradies, ~28% UK market share.

Pros

• + Pay-per-lead means no annual commitment like Checkatrade
• + Strong consumer-side traffic from organic search
• + Tradie can choose which leads to pursue — selectivity is structurally available

Cons

• − Pay-per-lead means tradies eat cost on leads that don't convert — same problem as US Thumbtack/HomeAdvisor
• − Some forum sentiment around lead quality variance — better in major metros than rural areas
• − Lighter vetting than Checkatrade means consumer-trust depends on reviews accumulated over time