Best Invoicing Apps for Irish Tradespeople in 2026
Why Generic Invoicing Apps Don't Work for Tradespeople
You could use Xero or QuickBooks to send invoices. But if you're a plumber, electrician, or builder, you need more than just invoicing. You need quoting, job tracking, scheduling, material markup, and — if you're in Ireland — VAT and RCT support that actually works.
Generic accounting software wasn't built for tradespeople. You end up with workarounds, spreadsheets on the side, and half your admin still on paper.
Trade-specific apps solve this by combining job management, quoting, invoicing, and scheduling in one place. But which one is right for your business? Let's compare the main contenders.
What We Compared
We evaluated each app on the criteria that matter most to Irish and UK tradespeople:
- Irish VAT support — 13.5%, 23%, two-thirds rule, reverse charge
- RCT support — Relevant Contracts Tax for Irish subcontractors
- Quoting features — speed, templates, package pricing
- Invoicing — professional invoices, online payments, automation
- Job management — scheduling, job costing, team features
- Pricing — monthly cost for a small team
- Ease of use — can a tradesperson use it without training?
- Irish/UK support — local customer service, currency, tax rules
The Contenders
1. TradeTime
Built for: Irish and UK tradespeople Price: From €29/month
TradeTime is the newest entrant, built specifically for the Irish and UK trades market. Everything about it — from VAT calculations to RCT handling — was designed with Irish tradespeople in mind.
Strengths:
- Full Irish VAT support including two-thirds rule and reverse charge
- Built-in RCT calculations and compliant invoicing
- Package pricing (Good/Better/Best) on quotes
- Automatic material markup
- Job costing with real-time profit tracking
- Automatic quote follow-ups
- Fast, mobile-first interface
- Irish-based support team
Weaknesses:
- Newer platform (less established than Tradify or Fergus)
- Smaller user community (but growing rapidly)
- Some integrations still in development
Best for: Any Irish tradesperson who wants an all-in-one solution that handles VAT and RCT without workarounds.
2. Tradify
Built for: Trade businesses (NZ/AU/UK) Price: From £29/user/month
Tradify is a well-established trade management app from New Zealand that has expanded to the UK market. It's popular with plumbers and electricians and has a solid feature set.
Strengths:
- Well-designed quoting and invoicing
- Good job management and scheduling
- Team management features
- Strong integration with Xero and QuickBooks
- Established user community
Weaknesses:
- Limited Irish-specific tax support (no RCT)
- VAT handling is basic — no two-thirds rule automation
- Per-user pricing adds up with a team
- Support is primarily UK/NZ time zones
- No package pricing on quotes
Best for: UK-based trade businesses with a team, especially those already using Xero.
3. Fergus
Built for: Trade businesses (NZ/AU/UK) Price: From £39/user/month
Fergus is another NZ-born platform that's made inroads in the UK. It's strong on job management and has good reporting features.
Strengths:
- Detailed job costing and profitability tracking
- Good scheduling with drag-and-drop calendar
- Purchase order management
- Comprehensive reporting
- Integration with accounting software
Weaknesses:
- No Irish VAT or RCT support
- Higher price point than competitors
- Steeper learning curve
- Can feel over-engineered for small businesses
- Support not tailored to Irish market
Best for: Larger trade businesses (5+ employees) that need detailed job management and reporting.
4. Powered Now
Built for: UK trade businesses Price: From £24/month (single user)
Powered Now is a UK-focused app that covers quoting, invoicing, certificates, and forms. It's particularly popular with gas engineers and electricians.
Strengths:
- Built-in electrical and gas certificates
- Good form builder for industry compliance
- Works offline (important for remote sites)
- UK VAT support
- Customer portal
Weaknesses:
- No RCT support
- Irish VAT specifics (two-thirds rule, reverse charge) not supported
- Interface feels dated compared to newer apps
- Limited job costing features
- No package pricing
Best for: UK gas engineers and electricians who need certificate generation alongside invoicing.
5. YourTradebase
Built for: UK sole traders and small trade businesses Price: From £15/month
YourTradebase is a simple, affordable option for sole traders who need basic quoting and invoicing without the complexity of full job management.
Strengths:
- Very easy to use
- Affordable pricing
- Clean, simple quotes and invoices
- Good for sole traders
- UK-focused
Weaknesses:
- Very limited job management features
- No RCT support
- Basic VAT support only
- No job costing
- No scheduling
- Limited team features
Best for: UK sole traders who just need quick quotes and invoices and don't need job management.
6. Jobber
Built for: Home service businesses (North American focus) Price: From $49/month (approximately €46)
Jobber is a large North American platform that has expanded internationally. It's feature-rich but built primarily for the US and Canadian markets.
Strengths:
- Comprehensive feature set
- Good customer communication tools
- Online booking and customer portal
- Strong scheduling features
- Large user community
Weaknesses:
- Built for North American market — currency, tax, and compliance don't translate well
- No RCT support
- No Irish VAT support
- Pricing in USD
- Support is North American hours
- Over-featured for most Irish trade businesses
Best for: Large service businesses that operate more like franchises. Not ideal for typical Irish or UK tradespeople.
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | TradeTime | Tradify | Fergus | Powered Now | YourTradebase | Jobber | |---------|-----------|---------|--------|-------------|---------------|--------| | Irish VAT (13.5%/23%) | ✅ Full | ⚠️ Basic | ❌ | ⚠️ UK only | ⚠️ UK only | ❌ | | Two-thirds rule | ✅ Auto | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Reverse charge VAT | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | RCT support | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Quoting | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Package pricing | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Material markup | ✅ Auto | ⚠️ Manual | ⚠️ Manual | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Job costing | ✅ | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ | ⚠️ Basic | ❌ | ✅ | | Scheduling | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | | Online payments | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Team management | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ | | Mobile app | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Offline mode | ✅ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ❌ | ⚠️ | | Irish support | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Starting price | €29/mo | £29/user | £39/user | £24/mo | £15/mo | $49/mo |
The Verdict: Which App Should You Choose?
If You're an Irish Tradesperson
TradeTime is the clear winner for the Irish market. No other app handles Irish VAT (including the two-thirds rule and reverse charge) and RCT together. If you're a subcontractor doing construction work in Ireland, you need RCT on your invoices — and only TradeTime does this out of the box.
You could use Tradify and handle RCT manually, or use a separate accounting package for tax compliance. But that defeats the purpose of having an all-in-one app. TradeTime was built from the ground up for Irish tradespeople, and it shows.
If You're a UK Tradesperson
TradeTime and Tradify are your best options. TradeTime's UK VAT support is comprehensive, and features like package pricing and automatic markup give it an edge for profitability. Tradify is a solid choice if you value its Xero integration and established ecosystem.
If you're a gas engineer or electrician who needs certificate generation, Powered Now is worth a look for that specific use case.
If You're a Sole Trader on a Budget
YourTradebase is the cheapest option for basic quoting and invoicing. But if you want to grow your business and improve your profitability, investing in a more capable platform will pay for itself quickly.
If You Have a Large Team (10+)
Fergus has the most detailed reporting and project management features. But it comes at a premium price and doesn't support Irish tax requirements.
How to Choose
Ask yourself these questions:
- Am I based in Ireland? → You need RCT and Irish VAT support. TradeTime is your best option.
- Do I work as a subcontractor? → You need RCT. TradeTime.
- Do I want to increase my average job value? → Package pricing helps. TradeTime.
- Is my priority just simple invoicing? → YourTradebase is cheap and cheerful.
- Do I have a large team with complex projects? → Fergus has the depth.
- Am I already deep in the Xero ecosystem? → Tradify integrates well.
One More Thing: The True Cost
Don't just look at the monthly subscription. Consider:
- Per-user pricing — Tradify and Fergus charge per user, which adds up fast. A team of 4 on Fergus costs £156/month.
- Missed revenue — An app without markup automation or package pricing costs you money in lost profit every single job.
- Tax compliance — Getting RCT or VAT wrong can cost you penalties. An app that handles this correctly saves you money (and stress).
- Time saved — If an app saves you 5 hours of admin per week, that's 5 hours you could be on the tools earning money.
The cheapest app isn't always the cheapest choice.
See TradeTime in Action
Try TradeTime free — built for Irish & UK tradespeople. Full VAT and RCT support, package pricing, automatic markup, job costing, and scheduling — everything you need to run a profitable trade business, all in one app.