Rated People vs TrustATrader

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

UK trades directory with postcode-capped membership + text-a-trader feature

TrustATrader is a smaller-scale UK lead-gen platform (~8% market share, 400K tradies) that differentiates through postcode-capped membership (limits competition within an area) and the Text-A-Trader feature (consumers SMS the platform rather than calling). For tradies in specific postcodes where capped slots are available, the lower-competition dynamics can deliver better cost-per-customer-acquired math than larger competitors.

Pros

• + Postcode-capped membership limits in-platform competition for the same job
• + Text-A-Trader feature differentiates from call-only marketplaces
• + Built-in card payment integration removes payment-processing setup overhead

Cons

• − Smaller consumer-side traffic than Checkatrade/MyBuilder/Rated People
• − Postcode availability is hit-or-miss — popular postcodes often capped
• − Less brand recognition outside specific UK regions