ServiceM8 if you want to pay little or nothing and your jobs fit its allowance: free for one person with 30 new jobs a month and AI helpers 10 times a day, or Starter at £25 a month for 50 jobs.
Tools Down if you’d rather talk than fill in job cards: one app that knows your jobs, customers and money, with CIS and gas safety records built in, and every morning who owes you and which quotes have gone quiet.
ServiceM8:Source: servicem8.comservicem8.com(2)
iPhone. First month free, no card.
Facts about ServiceM8 checked 27 September 2026 on ServiceM8’s own pages, linked beside each one. Written by Tools Down, the app we make.
The price, like for like
Including VAT. The price excluding VAT, if you reclaim it, follows each one.
With VAT, as you pay if you’re not VAT registered: £29.99 a month for Tools Down Pro, against £25 for ServiceM8 Starter direct, with no VAT added, or £24.99 through the UK App Store. So if you’re not VAT registered, ServiceM8 costs about £5 a month less.Before VAT, as you count it if you’re VAT registered and reclaim it: £24.99 a month for Tools Down Pro, against £25.00 for ServiceM8 Starter direct, where the reverse charge nets off, or £20.83 through the UK App Store, where it’s £24.99 (our calculation). About the same.
What differs is what you get. You talk to Tools Down instead of filling in job cards. Starter includes 50 new jobs a month; Tools Down’s fair use limits sit far above what one person books in a month. CIS and gas safety records are built in.
ServiceM8:Source: servicem8.comapps.apple.com
For one person
Tools Down includes landlord and homeowner records, with the next check in your Diary and a tenant copy only with the landlord’s agreement. ServiceM8’s CP12 is a partner’s form, bought separately from its Form Store.
ServiceM8:Source: servicem8.com
Tools Down puts both on the invoice for the customers you mark. ServiceM8 documents a reverse-charge setup with a 0% tax rate and a custom template; we found no CIS documented.
ServiceM8:Source: support.servicem8.comsupport.servicem8.com(2)
Each morning Tools Down tells you what’s overdue and which quotes have gone quiet, with a Follow up button, on every plan. ServiceM8’s Office Agent can run scheduled reviews, such as its Action Required list every weekday at 9am, with Office Agent Pro at £29 a month on top.
ServiceM8:Source: support.servicem8.comsupport.servicem8.com(2)
Like for like
What one person pays and gets, with the prices in the VAT view chosen above. “Our calculation” adds VAT at 20% to a price shown before VAT, or takes it off an App Store price, which includes it; fees are as ServiceM8 publishes them. “Not documented” means we couldn’t find it on ServiceM8’s own pages.
| Tools Down | ServiceM8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Least one person pays a month | Free plan, or Pro at £29.99 inc VAT, through Apple. One person, one price.Free plan, or Pro at £24.99 ex VAT, through Apple. One person, one price. | Free plan (1 user, 30 new jobs a month). Starter £25 a month for 50 jobs, with no VAT added: ServiceM8 issues reverse-charge invoices. Starter is £24.99 through the UK App Store.Free plan (1 user, 30 new jobs a month). Starter £25.00 a month for 50 jobs, as its reverse-charge VAT nets off, or £20.83 ex VAT through the UK App Store, where it’s £24.99 (our calculation).Source: servicem8.comapps.apple.com |
| Free option | First month free, no card. Then 50 messages a month free, with every screen still working. | Yes: a free plan for one person, 30 new jobs a month, with its AI helpers up to 10 times a day. 14-day trial, no card.Source: servicem8.comservicem8.com(2)support.servicem8.com |
| Admin done by asking | Yes, on every plan. Say what you need, typed or out loud: customers, jobs, the Diary, quotes, invoices, reminders and expenses. | Yes. On every plan, AI helpers draft quotes, invoices and messages and a voice helper actions tasks (10 times a day on Free). From Starter, Office Agent: typed on the web or spoken from a job, with a daily allowance; you approve each action.Source: servicem8.comservicem8.com(2)support.servicem8.comsupport.servicem8.com(2) |
| Customer accepts a quote online | Yes: a quote page the customer accepts in one tap. | Yes: customers accept online from a link. No setting for how long a quote stays open.Source: servicem8.comsupport.servicem8.com |
| Invoice chasing | Free on every plan: reminders at 3, 7 and 14 days, emailed once you’ve said so, or ready to send from your phone. | Yes, on every plan, once you switch it on and set the timings. Texts use plan credits, then 5p each.Source: support.servicem8.comsupport.servicem8.com(2)servicem8.com |
| How the customer pays | Bank transfer, with your bank details on every invoice, its page and its PDF. | Cards at 1.65% + 20p, Tap to Pay, and PayByBank at 0.75% + 20p on online invoices.Source: support.servicem8.comservicem8.comsupport.servicem8.com(2) |
| Gas safety records | Built in, landlord and homeowner. Issue with no signal; the next check shows in your Diary; tenant copy only with the landlord’s agreement. | Through a partner’s CP12 form, bought separately from its Form Store.Source: servicem8.com |
| CIS and reverse charge | Built in, set by customer: the CIS deduction on labour, extras included unless they’re materials, and the reverse-charge wording on the invoice. | CIS: not documented. Reverse charge: a documented setup with a 0% tax rate and a custom template.Source: support.servicem8.com |
| Accounting and export | Expenses export in Xero and FreeAgent layouts, or as a plain CSV for QuickBooks and Sage. Export everything, any time. | Live sync with Xero and QuickBooks Online. No Sage integration.Source: support.servicem8.comsupport.servicem8.com(2) |
| Works with no signal | Gas safety records issue with no signal. | Yes for jobs already synced; final PDFs and sending wait for signal.Source: support.servicem8.com |
| Quotes that go quiet | A quote with no answer for a week is in your evening wrap, and shows with a Follow up button when you ask what’s on. | Yes, once set up: up to five follow-ups by email or text.Source: support.servicem8.com |
| Deposits | Ask for a deposit as a percentage or an amount, and bill each stage the same way, with what’s left to bill shown. The final invoice takes every deposit and stage off and asks for the balance. | Yes: a default deposit that customers pay when they accept online, through ServiceM8 Pay.Source: support.servicem8.com |
Switching
ServiceM8 says cancelling removes all your data for good. Export first. Source: support.servicem8.com
Straight answers
About the same. ServiceM8 Starter is £25 a month with no VAT added, as ServiceM8 issues reverse-charge invoices, or £24.99 through the UK App Store (checked 27 September 2026). Tools Down Pro is £29.99 a month including VAT, or £24.99 if you reclaim VAT. So if you’re VAT registered, it’s £24.99 against £25.00 direct or £20.83 through the App Store; if you’re not, £29.99 against £25 or £24.99. ServiceM8’s free plan covers 30 new jobs a month; Tools Down’s covers 50 messages a month with every screen working.
Both do admin when you ask. ServiceM8’s AI helpers draft quotes, invoices and messages on every plan, and from Starter its Office Agent prepares actions for you to approve. Tools Down is made for one person and built around the conversation: it knows your jobs, customers and photos, and each morning it tells you who owes you and which quotes have gone quiet.
Yes, built in, for landlords and homeowners. The next check goes in your Diary with the landlord’s message drafted, and a tenant copy goes only with the landlord’s agreement.
Say it the way you’d say it on site: “Quote Mrs Jones for the board, £650.” Type it or say it. Tools Down shows you the quote or invoice it made, and you share it when you’re happy.
Price and the free plan
£29.99 a month including VAT, or £24.99 if you reclaim VAT. One person, no minimum, no setup fee, no training.
Tools Down for iPhone
Coming soon on the App StoreFirst month free, no card.
The evidence
Free £ 0 /mo 1 User 30 Jobs per month 5p per SMSservicem8.com/uk/pricing
Starter £ 25 /mo Unlimited Users 50 Jobs per month 100+ SMS per monthservicem8.com/uk/pricing
Due to the nature of ServiceM8's services, prices do not include VAT. ServiceM8 will issue you reverse charge invoices for you to account for VAT to HMRC, which in most cases you'll be able to reclaim, resulting in no net additional cost.servicem8.com/uk/pricing
Starter £24.99apps.apple.com/gb/app/servicem8/id378062736
The free plan is made for sole trader businesses.servicem8.com/uk/pricing-free-plan
Free £ 0 /mo 1 User 30 Jobs per month 5p per SMSservicem8.com/uk/pricing
Use ServiceM8's powerful AI helpers up to 10 times per day.servicem8.com/uk/pricing-free-plan
Yes. ServiceM8 offers a 14-day free trial, and you do not need a credit card to start the trial.support.servicem8.com/questions/general/does-servicem8-offer-a-free-trial-and-do-i-need-a-credit-card
Take your productivity & professionalism to the next level with your own Smart Helper, who can draft emails & texts to clients, revise messages, generate full quotes & invoices, summarise jobs & action tasks — in seconds.servicem8.com/uk/pricing
Get your own voice assistant to action tasks & get answers.servicem8.com/uk/pricing
Use ServiceM8's powerful AI helpers up to 10 times per day.servicem8.com/uk/pricing-free-plan
Office Agent Standard includes chat in the ServiceM8 app and Online Dashboard with a daily usage allowance on current Starter, Growing, Premium and Premium Plus ServiceM8 plans.support.servicem8.com/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/office-agent/office-agent-plans-and-daily-usage
Office Agent prepares supported actions for your approval. Approving carries out the action.support.servicem8.com/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/office-agent/introducing-office-agent
Email or TXT clients a special link to view and accept your quotes online. A built-in question form gives clients an easy way to ask any questions they have before proceeding.servicem8.com/uk/features-quoting-invoicing
No, ServiceM8 does not have a feature in which you can set the period of time for which your quotes are valid, and can be accepted, before they expire and are no longer possible for the client to accept.support.servicem8.com/questions/quotes/include-specific-date-pdf-quotes-quote-valid-til
With the Automation Add-on, you can set ServiceM8 to automatically follow up clients with outstanding invoicessupport.servicem8.com/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/automation/payment-follow-up-automation
The Automation add-on is available on all ServiceM8 plans. Each SMS (text) sent will consume a text credit under your plan.support.servicem8.com/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/automation/quote-follow-up-automation
Additional SMS 5p per SMS 5p per SMS 5p per SMS 5p per SMS 5p per SMSservicem8.com/uk/pricing
Standard Domestic 1.65% + 20psupport.servicem8.com/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/servicem8-pay/servicem8-pay-card-processing-fees-payout-speed
Tap to Pay on iPhone Accept credit & debit card payment on site, with nothing but your iPhone.servicem8.com/uk/pricing
The PayByBank processing fee is 0.75% + 20psupport.servicem8.com/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/servicem8-pay/how-to-use-paybybank-with-servicem8-pay-uk
Issue compliant CP12 Gas Safety Certificates from ServiceM8 in minutes. Professional and fully editable for Gas Safe engineers, suitable for landlord checks or homeowner inspections.servicem8.com/uk/form_store_install?uuid=063335f7-e9b7-469e-b44c-1626946e569b
If you’re in the United Kingdom, you may need to generate invoices for some jobs/customers on a Domestic Reverse Charge basissupport.servicem8.com/help-center/advanced-setup/invoice-quote-templates/how-to-invoice-with-domestic-reverse-charge-drc-vat-in-the-uk
Xero (worldwide)support.servicem8.com/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/faq/which-accounting-packages-does-servicem8-connect-to
QuickBooks Online (worldwide)support.servicem8.com/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/faq/which-accounting-packages-does-servicem8-connect-to
ServiceM8 does not have an integration with Sage.support.servicem8.com/questions/general/servicem8-connect-integrate-sage-accounting-software
However, tasks that need a live connection still will not work offline. For example, you cannot produce final PDF quotes, invoices, or Forms, or send emails or text messages until the device has coverage or internet again.support.servicem8.com/questions/mobile/does-servicem8-work-offline-without-mobile-coverage-or-internet
TIP: with a maximum of 5 follow ups, you can build a great sequencesupport.servicem8.com/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/automation/quote-follow-up-automation
You set a percentage of a job’s value as your default deposit requirement, and customers are automatically prompted to pay it when accepting a quote.support.servicem8.com/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/servicem8-pay/how-to-use-deposits-with-servicem8-pay
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