Part of our guide: What is the best CRM for a trades business in the UK?.
Written by Dan Sagar, FoundationsAI. Updated October 2026.
ServiceM8 is better for running jobs, especially if you have lots of staff, because it charges by the number of jobs rather than per user and has forms and certificates on every plan. GoHighLevel is better for winning jobs: one inbox for every enquiry, automatic follow-up, missed call text back and review requests. Many trades businesses use both.
Side by side
Prices are from each provider's website, checked on 11 October 2026, before VAT.
| ServiceM8 | GoHighLevel (through FoundationsAI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Running jobs, especially for bigger teams | Winning work: enquiries, follow-up, missed calls, reviews |
| Price | Free up to 30 jobs a month. Starter £25 (50 jobs), Growing £59 (150), Premium £119 (500), Premium Plus £269 (1,500) | £49 (Starter) or £149 (Pro) + VAT a month |
| How it's priced | By jobs a month, unlimited users | Per business |
| Scheduling, job sheets, forms, certificates | Yes, on every plan | Basic. Forms and certificates can be set up with some work |
| Quotes, invoices and payments | Yes | Yes, on Pro |
| Follow-up of enquiries and quotes | Some automated reminders | Yes, unlimited automations on Pro |
| Phone | ServiceM8 Phone from £15 a month. Connect Plus (£25) adds an AI agent that answers and takes messages | Business phone number included |
| Missed call text back | Not a listed feature | Yes, on Pro |
| Review requests | Feedback requests on every plan | Google review requests on Pro |
| One inbox | No | Calls, texts, email, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in one place |
| Accounting sync | Xero, QuickBooks | QuickBooks, others through Zapier |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days on Starter and Pro |
Where ServiceM8 is better
- Bigger teams. Unlimited users, so adding engineers doesn't add cost.
- Job management. Scheduling, job cards, forms and certificates are built in.
- Starting free. The free plan covers a sole trader doing up to 30 jobs a month.
Where GoHighLevel is better
- Missed calls. Every missed call gets a text back within seconds.
- Follow-up. New enquiries and quotes get chased automatically until they reply.
- Google reviews. Requests go out after every job, by text and email.
- One inbox. Every channel in one place, so nothing sits on one person's phone.
What it costs together
ServiceM8 Growing (£59 a month) plus FoundationsAI Pro (£149 a month) is about £208 a month before VAT. See how much a CRM costs for a UK trades business.
Common questions
Is ServiceM8 free?
Yes, for one user and up to 30 jobs a month. Paid plans start at £25 a month for 50 jobs.
Does ServiceM8 do missed call text back?
Not as a listed feature. ServiceM8 Phone handles calls, and its AI agent can answer and take messages, but we couldn't find an automatic text to callers you miss.
Is ServiceM8 cheaper than GoHighLevel?
For job management on its own, usually yes. They do different jobs, so the fair comparison is ServiceM8 on its own against ServiceM8 plus GoHighLevel.
Can GoHighLevel replace ServiceM8?
For enquiries, follow-up, quotes, invoices and reviews, yes. For running lots of jobs with forms and certificates, ServiceM8 is still better.
Do ServiceM8 and GoHighLevel work together?
Yes, usually through Zapier, so won jobs pass across automatically.
Not sure which fits?
Book a 45-minute demo. We'll tell you honestly whether you need ServiceM8, GoHighLevel or both. See also GoHighLevel vs Tradify.