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Checkatrade vs MyBuilder: Which Is Better for Tradespeople?

Checkatrade charges a monthly membership on a 12-month contract. MyBuilder charges a fee each time you're shortlisted. How they compare on cost, leads and risk.

By Sachin Shah · 17 October 2026 · 6 min read

Quick answer: Checkatrade is a monthly membership, usually on a 12-month contract that renews automatically, and customers contact you directly. MyBuilder is free to join, but you pay a fee each time a customer shortlists you, whether or not you win the job. Checkatrade suits trades who want a steady presence and a trust badge. MyBuilder suits trades who want to pay only when there's a real job to quote for.

Checkatrade and MyBuilder both help customers find trades, but they charge you in completely different ways. That changes how much risk you take on and what kind of jobs make sense.

We checked Checkatrade’s pricing page and terms on 17 October 2026. MyBuilder doesn’t publish a price list for its shortlist fees, so ask before you take your first job.

The short version

	Checkatrade	MyBuilder
How you pay	Monthly membership	A fee each time you’re shortlisted
Price	Free profile, Approved £30 a month, Growth from £59 a month	Free to join. Fee varies by size and type of job
Contract	12 months for paid plans, renews automatically	No fixed term
How customers reach you	They find you and contact you	They post a job, you show interest, they shortlist
Pay if you don’t win?	Yes, the monthly fee is the same	Yes, the shortlist fee is still due
Competing for the job	Sometimes	Usually, with a handful of other trades

How Checkatrade works

You’re vetted, then listed in your trade and area. Customers search, read your reviews and contact you. On the Growth plan, Checkatrade sends you leads and you can pay for better placement in its search results.

The upside: a well-known badge, and customers who choose you before they call.

The catch: you’re committed for the year. To stop the renewal, the business owner has to phone, no earlier than 35 days before the renewal date. Our Checkatrade cost guide explains the contract in full.

How MyBuilder works

A homeowner posts a job. You read it and say you’re interested. If they shortlist you, you pay a fee and get their contact details. Then it’s up to you to win the job.

The upside: no monthly bill. In a busy month you can stop taking jobs and pay nothing.

The catch: you pay for the shortlist even if the customer goes with someone else or never replies. The fee is higher for bigger jobs, so a run of lost quotes can get expensive.

Which one suits you?

Checkatrade may suit you if:

• You want a steady flow of enquiries all year
• Customers in your area recognise and trust the badge
• You’re happy to commit for 12 months

MyBuilder may suit you if:

• Your work comes in bursts and you want to fill gaps
• You’re quick to reply and good at winning quotes
• You don’t want a long contract

Whichever you pick, track the cost per job

1. Add up what you paid over three to six months.
2. Count the jobs you won from it.
3. Divide one by the other.

Compare that with your average profit per job. And on both platforms, speed wins. The trade who calls back first, and follows up the quote, usually gets the work.

The option with no lead fees

Both platforms keep your reviews and profile when you leave. Your own website and Google Business Profile don’t. Once they’re working, enquiries come straight to you and you’re not paying for each one. See all the Checkatrade alternatives for more.

Our trade websites start at £99, and a site of up to 10 pages is £249. We’re salespeople first, so we’ll also help you win more of the quotes you send. See our prices or get a free website check.

Sachin Shah, founder of SS Consultancy Group. Sachin started his career making cold calls and has spent more than ten years helping businesses grow their sales. He now builds websites and sales systems for small businesses in London and across the UK.