ServiceM8 for NZ tradies: features, the free plan and how pricing works

ServiceM8 is a job management app from Australia, used by trade and service businesses across NZ and Australia. It’s known for its slick iPhone app and for pricing by how many jobs you do, not how many staff you have.

What ServiceM8 does

• Job cards: every job has its own card with the customer’s details, notes, photos, videos, forms and full history
• Scheduling: assign jobs to staff, who get notified on their phones
• Quotes and invoices: add materials and labour, then send quotes and invoices by email or text for the customer to view online
• Payments: take card payments on site from your phone, or let customers pay their invoice online
• Online bookings: customers can book a service from your website
• Checklists and forms: make sure jobs are done right, with digital sign-off
• Recurring jobs: set up maintenance work to schedule itself automatically
• GPS time tracking: staff check in and out of jobs, including travel time
• ServiceM8 Phone: an optional add-on phone system that shows who’s calling and their active jobs

It started iPhone-first and now has an Android app too.

Accounting integrations

ServiceM8 syncs clients, items, invoices and payments with accounting software including Xero and MYOB, so you’re not entering anything twice. See our Xero guide.

How the pricing works

This is where ServiceM8 is different. Instead of charging per user:

• Paid plans are priced by the number of new jobs per month, and include unlimited users
• There’s a free plan for one user, covering a set number of jobs each month (30 when we checked), with the same core features
• Text messages and some add-ons can cost extra depending on your plan

That makes it very good value for a busy team doing lots of smaller jobs, and for a sole trader who fits on the free plan. If you do a small number of big jobs with lots of staff, the maths also usually works out well. Check ServiceM8’s pricing page for current NZ prices.

Who it suits

Good fit if you:

• Do lots of service and maintenance jobs: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, cleaning, pest control, appliance repair
• Have a team and don’t want to pay per user
• Are a sole trader who wants a free, professional quote-and-invoice system
• Like a very polished mobile app

Maybe look elsewhere if you:

• Run long construction projects with stages and variations
• Want detailed supplier price-file integrations (see Fergus)

Getting started

1. Sign up for the trial (or the free plan if you’re solo).
2. Connect Xero and import your customers and price list.
3. Set up job templates for the jobs you do most often, with standard checklists and items.
4. Add your branding to quotes and invoices, plus your Google review link (here’s why).
5. Turn on card payments so customers can pay on the spot.

The bottom line

ServiceM8 is a strong choice for service-based trades with a steady stream of jobs, and its free plan is hard to beat for sole traders getting started. Compare it with the others in Tradify vs Fergus vs ServiceM8.

Readysite isn’t affiliated with ServiceM8. Features and pricing change, so check ServiceM8’s website for the latest.