Written by Dan Sagar, FoundationsAI. Updated October 2026.
The best CRM for a UK trades business depends on where you're losing time or money. If your problem is running the jobs (scheduling engineers, job sheets, certificates, timesheets), a trade job management tool like Tradify or ServiceM8 is the better fit. If your problem is winning the jobs (enquiries going cold, missed calls, quotes not chased, too few reviews), an all-in-one system like GoHighLevel is the better fit. Plenty of trades businesses end up using one of each, connected together.
The main options side by side
Prices are from each provider's website, checked on 11 October 2026, before VAT. Jobber shows its prices in US dollars. Prices change often, so check before you buy.
| Tradify | ServiceM8 | Jobber | HubSpot | GoHighLevel (through FoundationsAI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Running jobs, quotes and invoices | Running jobs, especially smaller teams | Running jobs, with some follow-up built in | A free general CRM | Winning work: enquiries, follow-up, missed calls and reviews |
| Price | From £34 per user a month | Free for 1 user and 30 jobs a month, then from £25 a month | From $29 a month billed yearly, or $49 monthly, for 1 user | Free CRM, paid plans per seat | £49 a month (Starter), £149 a month (Pro) |
| How it's priced | Per user | By number of jobs | Per plan, with user limits | Per seat | Per business, unlimited contacts |
| Scheduling and job sheets | Yes | Yes, with forms and certificates on every plan | Yes | No | Basic, with project management on the way |
| Automated follow-up of new enquiries and quotes | Reminders, at 10p a text | Reminders, with some texts included | Quote and invoice follow-ups on Connect | Simple sequences on paid plans | Yes, unlimited on Pro, plus missed call text back and review requests |
| Accounting sync | Xero, Sage, QuickBooks | Xero, QuickBooks | QuickBooks | Through integrations | QuickBooks, others through Zapier |
Which one fits you
You're a sole trader with a few jobs a month. You may not need a paid CRM yet. ServiceM8's free plan or a well-kept spreadsheet is fine to start.
Your biggest headache is running the jobs. Scheduling engineers, job sheets, certificates and timesheets. Choose a trade job management tool like Tradify or ServiceM8. They're built for exactly that.
Your biggest headache is winning the jobs. Calls you miss on site, enquiries nobody replies to, quotes nobody chases and not enough reviews. Choose GoHighLevel. That's where it's strongest.
You have both problems. Use both. For example, GoHighLevel handles enquiries, follow-up and reviews, and passes won jobs to Tradify or ServiceM8 to run. ServiceM8's Growing plan (£59 a month) plus FoundationsAI Pro (£149 a month) is about £208 a month before VAT.
Why most CRMs fail in trades businesses
Most CRMs were built for office sales teams, not people on a roof or under a sink. They fail in trades businesses for the same few reasons:
- Nobody fills them in. If adding a lead takes ten taps on site, it doesn't happen, and the CRM is out of date within a week.
- They don't catch enquiries automatically. Calls, texts, WhatsApps and Facebook messages still live on someone's phone.
- They're too complicated. Hundreds of features you'll never use, and the ones you need are hidden.
- Nobody sets them up properly. The software gets bought, half set up and forgotten.
The CRM that works is the one that fills itself in (every enquiry lands in it automatically) and is simple enough to use from your phone.
Stop running the business from memory
If your pipeline lives in your head, it works until you get busy, go on holiday or take on a second van. Then things slip: a quote not chased, a callback forgotten, a customer who never hears back. A CRM's real job is to take that load off your memory.
What a trades pipeline looks like
Whatever system you use, track every enquiry through clear stages:
| Stage | What happens automatically |
|---|---|
| New enquiry | Instant text and email reply. Missed calls get a text back |
| Survey or visit booked | Reminder the day before |
| Quote sent | Follow-up after 2 days if there's no reply |
| Won | Job passed to your scheduling or job management |
| Job done | Invoice sent with a payment link |
| Paid | Thank-you and a Google review request |
More on this in what a sales pipeline is and why your business needs one.
One inbox, one pipeline
Most trades businesses have enquiries scattered across a mobile, a landline, an email inbox, WhatsApp and Facebook. Putting them all into one inbox, feeding one pipeline, is often the single biggest improvement you can make. See GoHighLevel's unified inbox vs WhatsApp Business.
Go deeper
- How much does a CRM cost for a UK trades business?
- GoHighLevel vs Jobber for UK trades
- GoHighLevel vs Tradify for UK trades
- GoHighLevel vs ServiceM8 for UK trades
- What is a CRM workflow and how does it save time?
- What is an all-in-one CRM, and do you need one?
- How to use GoHighLevel for trades invoicing
- What GoHighLevel is bad at, and who shouldn't use it
Common questions
What's the best CRM for a small trades business in the UK?
It depends on your biggest problem. For running jobs, Tradify or ServiceM8. For winning work and following up enquiries, GoHighLevel. Many businesses use one of each.
Is there a free CRM for tradespeople?
Yes. ServiceM8 has a free plan for one user and up to 30 jobs a month, and HubSpot has a free general CRM.
Do I need a CRM as a sole trader?
Not always. If you get a few enquiries a month and never forget to follow up, a spreadsheet may do. Once you're missing calls or forgetting quotes, it's time.
Can GoHighLevel do job sheets and certificates?
Forms and certificates can be set up with some work, and project management features are on the way. For heavy day-to-day job management, a trade tool is still better.
Can I use Tradify or ServiceM8 with GoHighLevel?
Yes. They can be connected, usually through Zapier, so won jobs pass from one to the other.
Not sure which fits?
Book a 45-minute demo. We'll look at where you're losing time or work and tell you honestly which tool, or which mix, makes sense for you.