UK Trade Platform Fee Index
An open, plain-English comparison of how every major UK trade and services platform charges tradespeople - subscription, pay per lead, or commission on completed work. Free to read, free to quote, free to link to.
Last reviewed: September 2026
How each platform charges traders
| Platform | Charging model | Published headline cost | Pay before you win work? | If the job never happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TaapCraft | Commission on completed job | 12.5% to 5.5% inc VAT, completed jobs only (5% for goods-only retailers) | No | Nothing is charged - no job, no fee |
| Checkatrade | Subscription | Around £400 per month, charged per trade category | Yes | No - the subscription is charged regardless of work won |
| Bark | Pay per lead | Roughly £22 per lead, paid in credit packs | Yes | Only in limited circumstances under Bark's own guarantee |
| MyBuilder | Pay per lead | Charged per shortlist or lead, typically around £20 | Yes | No general refund for jobs that do not proceed |
| Rated People | Lead credits | Credit packs bought upfront and spent per job lead | Yes | Credits are generally not returned once a lead is opened |
| Trustatrader | Subscription | Annual or monthly membership | Yes | No - membership runs for the term |
| TaskRabbit | Commission | Service fee taken on bookings, plus a registration fee | Yes | Registration is not refunded |
| Airtasker | Commission | Service fee deducted from each completed task | No | Nothing charged if no task is completed |
| Houzz | Subscription | Pro membership plus advertising spend | Yes | No |
| Fresha | Commission | Commission on new-client bookings, plus card processing | No | Nothing charged without a booking |
No setup fee, no listing fee, no monthly charge, no subscription. Commission tapers as job value rises: 12.5% up to £1,000, 8.5% from £1,001 to £5,000, 5.5% above £5,000.
Membership is billed whether or not any customer contacts you, and a trader listed in more than one category can be charged for each.
You pay to contact the customer, not to win the job. Several traders can buy the same lead.
Cost per lead varies by trade and job size.
Effective cost per won job depends entirely on your quote-to-win rate.
Fixed cost regardless of how much work comes through.
Rates and coverage are limited to a narrower set of tasks than full trades.
Task-based rather than trade-verified; fee percentage steps down with volume.
Aimed at design-led renovation work rather than everyday callouts.
Beauty and wellness only, so most trades are not covered.
What a year actually costs
Costed using each platform's own published headline figure. Lead-based platforms assume four leads bought per job won, which is a stated assumption, not a measured average.
| Platform | Basis | Cost for the year |
|---|---|---|
| TaapCraft | Commission on completed jobs only | £5,625 |
| Checkatrade | £400 per month, one trade category | £4,800 |
| Bark | £22 per lead, 4 leads bought per job won | £5,280 |
| MyBuilder | £20 per lead, 4 leads bought per job won | £4,800 |
Scenario: 60 jobs won in the year at an average job value of £750.
Methodology
Every figure in this index comes from the platform's own published pricing or its publicly stated charging model. Where a platform does not publish a public number, the model is described in words rather than estimated.
Fees change and vary by trade, category and region, so this page is reviewed and re-dated when a published price changes. If you spot a figure that is out of date, tell us at our contact page and we will correct it.
TaapCraft is included in this index and is one of the platforms compared. Our own commission structure is published in full on the commission calculator.
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