What Tradespeople Pay for Online Booking — And What You'd Pay With Me
The software nobody told you was optional.
If you're a tradesperson who wants customers to book online, the industry assumes you'll sign up for field service management software. That's the category — platforms like Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceM8, and dozens of others. They all promise to streamline your business, reduce no-shows, and get you paid faster.
What they don't tell you upfront is the cost. Not just the headline price — the real cost, once you've added the features you actually need and the extras they don't mention until you're already signed up.
Let's lay it all out.
What the Big Platforms Actually Cost
Jobber
Jobber is one of the most popular platforms for tradespeople. The entry-level Core plan starts at £29/month — but that only covers basic scheduling and invoicing for a single user. To get online booking, automated reminders, and quoting, you need the Connect plan at around £89/month. Want two-way text messaging and job costing? That's the Grow plan at around £149/month. Add extra users at £22/month each.
Then there are payment processing fees on top — 2.9% + 30p per card transaction.
A sole trader who just wants online booking with reminders is realistically looking at £89–£149/month before processing fees.
Housecall Pro
Housecall Pro's Basic plan starts at around £49/month — for one user. But that plan doesn't include QuickBooks integration, GPS tracking, or the estimate builder most tradespeople need. The Essentials plan, which is where most users actually end up, costs around £119–£149/month.
Then come the add-ons. Sales proposals? Extra. Vehicle GPS? £16 per vehicle per month. Price book feature? Up to £119/month on its own. SMS messages for customer reminders? Additional charges.
Real-world cost for a small operation: £150–£250/month once you've added what you actually need.
Standalone Booking Software
If you skip the full field service platforms and just want booking and reminders, you're looking at tools like SimplyBook.me (£11–£48/month), Acuity Scheduling (£19+/month), or SuperSaaS (£7+/month). These handle appointments but don't integrate with your website properly — they embed as a widget that looks like it belongs on someone else's site.
SMS reminders are usually extra or capped. Prepaid bookings require connecting a separate payment processor yourself. And you still need a website on top of all this.
What You're Actually Paying For
Let's add it up for a typical sole trader who wants:
- A professional website
- Online booking
- SMS and email confirmations
- Prepaid booking capability
- Ongoing website hosting and maintenance
The DIY stack: Website (£15–£30/month hosting + domain) + booking software (£20–£50/month) + SMS service (£10–£20/month) + your time maintaining all of it. Total: £45–£100/month plus hours of your time and a website that looks like three different tools gaffer-taped together.
Field service platform: Jobber Connect or Housecall Pro Essentials (£89–£149/month) + a website you've still got to pay for separately (£15–£50/month hosting, or a subscription designer at £149–£199/month). Total: £100–£350/month and you're managing two separate systems.
An agency-built website + third-party booking: Website build (£2,000–£5,000 upfront) + booking software (£20–£50/month) + hosting and maintenance (£30–£100/month). Total: £2,000–£5,000 upfront then £50–£150/month ongoing.
What It Costs With Me
Everything. One price. Built in.
With the Pro plan, your website includes a fully integrated booking system — not a bolted-on widget, not a third-party embed, not a separate login to a separate platform. It's built into your site, matches your branding, and works exactly how you want it to.
Online booking with customisable time slots. Automatic SMS and email confirmations. Prepaid bookings on any service you choose. Customer reminders the day before. Your notifications however you want them — calendar, email, SMS, or all three.
What you pay on top of your Pro subscription:
- SMS messages: 6p each. Paid to me, used as needed. No monthly minimum, no package to buy. Send 20 texts a month? That's £1.20.
- Stripe processing fees: passed through at cost. Stripe charges 1.4% + 20p per UK card transaction. That goes to Stripe, not to me. If a customer prepays £85 for a boiler service, the Stripe fee is about £1.39.
That's it. No add-on fees. No per-feature charges. No surprise costs at month three when you realise the thing you actually need is locked behind a higher tier.
No upfront build cost. No 12-month contract. I build your website with the booking system included, you approve it, and your subscription starts only when you're happy. Cancel anytime with 30 days' notice. T&Cs apply.
Side by Side
| Jobber Connect | Housecall Pro Essentials | DIY Stack | Sitethreesixty Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | ~£89 | ~£149 | ~£45–£100 | Pro plan |
| Website included | No | No | Basic only | Yes — professional, SEO-optimised |
| Online booking | Yes | Yes | Via third party | Yes — built into your site |
| SMS confirmations | Limited / extra | Extra charges | Separate service | 6p per message |
| Email confirmations | Yes | Yes | Depends on tool | Yes — fully customisable |
| Prepaid bookings | Via Stripe (extra) | Via processing fees | Manual setup | Yes — toggle on/off per service |
| Branding match | Generic interface | Generic interface | Embedded widget | Matches your site exactly |
| Website hosting | Not included | Not included | Separate cost | Included |
| Website maintenance | Not included | Not included | You do it | Included |
| SEO | Not included | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Calendar sync | Not included | Basic | Manual setup | Google, Apple & Outlook — free |
| QuickBooks sync | Paid tier only | Paid tier only | Not included | Included if you use it — free |
| "On my way" customer text | Not available | £16/vehicle/month + SMS | Not available | Available — enquire for details |
| Contract | Monthly (good) | Monthly (good) | Varies | Monthly — no lock-in |
Let Your Customers Know You're on the Way
The number one complaint people have about tradespeople? Not knowing when they're going to show up. The vague "between 1 and 4" window with nothing in between. The missed calls because you're driving. The customer ringing you while you're halfway there.
As an optional add-on, your booking system can send your customer a text to let them know you're heading their way. Simple, professional, and the kind of small touch that makes people recommend you to their neighbours. No awkward phone calls from the van, no texting while driving — just a quick, branded message that tells them you'll be there soon.
It's a small thing that makes a big difference to how your customers feel about your service. Enquire about "on my way" messaging and I'll walk you through how it works.
You Shouldn't Need a Software Degree to Take Bookings
The field service software industry has convinced tradespeople that they need a £100–£300/month platform to do what should be simple: let customers pick a time, confirm the booking, and optionally pay upfront.
You don't need job costing dashboards. You don't need fleet GPS tracking. You don't need pipeline management. You need a booking system that works, on a website that ranks, for a price that doesn't eat into your margins.
Every booking syncs straight to your Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook — whichever you already use on your phone. No app to install, no extra login. It just appears. And if you use QuickBooks, your booking and payment data can be sent straight into your accounts automatically. No charge for either — it's just part of how the system works.
That's what this is.
Try the booking system yourself