How We Test
Every recommendation on Software Tradies comes from the same process: run the tool on a real trade workflow, check the price at the source, and score it against what a small Australian business actually needs. Here is exactly how, so you can judge the results for yourself.
What we test
We cover the tradie business stack, one category at a time: job management (electricians, plumbers, HVAC, carpenters, landscapers and more), accounting & payroll, insurance, and the tools that win work (your Google listing and the lead platforms).
How we test
- We run each tool through a real trade workflow end-to-end: quote, schedule, job notes, invoice.
- We check Xero/MYOB sync, Australian compliance forms (SWMS, certificates) and offline use on site.
- Prices are taken from the vendor’s own current page, never an affiliate feed or a third-party listicle, and each figure is dated. Where a vendor doesn’t publish pricing, we say so instead of guessing.
- Introductory offers are recorded separately and never shown as the headline price.
- Every page carries the date it was last reviewed, and we re-review on a six-month cadence.
How we score
Software is scored on the same seven criteria, weighted for what matters to a small trade business and normalised to a 0–10 score. Insurance and lead tools use the same principle, judged on fit rather than feature counts.
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Fit for a 1–5 person AU trade business | 25% |
| Quoting, jobs & invoicing | 20% |
| Scheduling & job management | 15% |
| Offline & mobile reliability | 10% |
| Accounting integration (Xero / MYOB) | 10% |
| Compliance (SWMS, certificates, forms) | 10% |
| Price & value | 10% |
Scores are editorial judgements from this rubric and never influenced by commissions.
Our promises
What we don’t do
Questions about the method, or want to suggest a tool we should test?
Email us at support@softwaretradies.com.au.