Software ยท South Africa ยท Head-to-head

ServiceM8 (ZA) vs Tradify (ZA)

Two South Africa software options, compared side by side for South Africa trades.

Which should you choose?

ServiceM8 (ZA) and Tradify (ZA) are both Tier S: our check found each one's prices published on its own website, so you can compare their costs before talking to sales. The tier is not a quality ranking: weigh the pros, cons, pricing and South Africa-specific notes below against your trade and region.

ServiceM8 (ZA)

Tier S ยท Published prices

Australian job management app for trade and service businesses, priced in rand by jobs per month with unlimited users

ServiceM8 is job management software from ServiceM8 Pty Ltd, an Australian company, built around its iPhone and iPad app, with ServiceM8 Lite for Android field staff. Its South African site lists rand prices per business by jobs per month, from a free one-user plan to R3,695, and every paid plan includes unlimited users. ServiceM8 says it won Xero's Global Innovation App of the Year award.

Pros

  • + Published rand prices, from a free plan up to R3,695 a month
  • + Unlimited users on every paid plan
  • + No lock-ins and a 14-day free trial
  • + Electronic forms, asset management and proposals from the Growing plan

Cons

  • โˆ’ Optimised for iPhone and iPad; Android field staff get ServiceM8 Lite
  • โˆ’ Price rises with monthly job volume, and the Free plan is limited to 1 user and 30 jobs
  • โˆ’ SMS beyond the plan allowance cost R1 each
  • โˆ’ Terms are under Australian law, and the pricing page does not state VAT treatment

South Africa note

ServiceM8 runs a South African site with rand prices and offers setup and training through local partners; its terms are with the Australian company under Australian law. The ZA pricing page does not say whether prices include VAT. The site shows Xero Preferred App and QuickBooks badges.

Typical South Africa pricing: ZAR per business per month (VAT treatment not stated): Free R0 (1 user, 30 jobs), Starter R295 (50 jobs), Growing R845 (150 jobs), Premium R1,595 (500 jobs), Premium Plus R3,695 (1,500 jobs, then R2 per job); unlimited users on paid plans; extra SMS R1 each; ServiceM8 Phone from R295/month; 14-day free trial

Tradify (ZA)

Tier S ยท Published prices

Job management software for trade businesses, founded in NZ and owned by the UK's Access Group, from R480 per user a month

Tradify is job management software for trade businesses, founded in New Zealand and bought by the UK's Access Group under a deal announced in October 2024. It covers enquiries, quoting, scheduling, job tracking, timesheets, invoicing and online card payments, and syncs with Xero and QuickBooks Online. Its South African site lists rand prices per user per month, and Tradify says tens of thousands of contractors and tradespeople use it.

Pros

  • + Published rand prices per user a month, from R480
  • + 14-day free trial with all features and no credit card
  • + Free one-on-one training and phone support
  • + Syncs with Xero and QuickBooks Online, with Stripe for card payments

Cons

  • โˆ’ Per-user pricing adds up as the team grows
  • โˆ’ Timesheets, job photos and progress invoicing need Pro; purchase orders and reporting need Plus
  • โˆ’ No South African office or local phone number listed
  • โˆ’ Pricing page does not state whether prices include VAT

South Africa note

Tradify runs a South African page with rand prices, but the pricing page does not say whether they include VAT, and the site lists no South African office or local number (the footer shows the North American number 1-844-484-6210). Accounting sync covers Xero and QuickBooks Online; Sage is not listed.

Typical South Africa pricing: ZAR per user/month (VAT treatment not stated): Lite R480, Pro R520, Plus R630; Custom by request; Instant Website add-on R190/month; 14-day free trial

More South Africa options

See all South Africa software vendors and the rest of the South Africa directory.