Trade job management software priced per user or per job looks affordable month-to-month, but the bill climbs as your business grows. Understanding how these pricing models actually add up over years — not just the headline monthly figure — is the key to knowing what you’re really signing up for.
Per-user pricing: the cost that grows with you
Per-user pricing charges you for each person who uses the software. Solo, it’s cheap. But every apprentice and tradie you add bumps the bill, so the tool gets more expensive precisely as you grow. Over years, a growing crew on per-user pricing pays a substantial and rising sum.
Per-job pricing: the cost that grows with success
Some tools price by job volume. The busier you get, the more you pay. Like per-user pricing, it scales against you — success costs you more — and it can be harder to predict, since your bill moves with your workload.
The trap both models share
Both models share the same underlying feature: the bill is tied to how big or busy you get. The more you grow, the more you pay, and if you leave, check what their export includes. The monthly figure feels small, but multiplied across years and a growing crew, it’s one of your larger business costs.
Flat pricing: a different deal
A flat price with unlimited users breaks the pattern — you pay the same whether you’re solo or a full crew, so growing doesn’t cost you more. That changes the maths: a one-off setup plus the same monthly fee, versus a bill that climbs with every hire.
Do the sums for your business
We make TradieO, so read this as our view. TradieO uses one flat price — $249 a month and a $2,999 one-off setup, both including GST, with unlimited staff, month to month. The cost is the same whatever your staff count, and your data sits on your own install. Whether it works out cheaper for you depends on your team size and timeframe. Compare it against what you’re paying now.
Frequently asked questions
Isn’t a low per-user fee cheaper than a flat price?
When you’re solo, it can be. As you add staff, a per-user bill climbs with every hire while a flat price stays where it is — so the answer depends on your crew size and where it’s heading.
What makes flat pricing better for growing businesses?
Your software cost stays the same as you add staff, instead of rising with every hire. The bigger you grow, the more the flat model saves.
What do I keep if I leave?
Your data. With TradieO the system runs on your own install, so your customers, jobs, invoices and certificates are yours. If you cancel, the website, the system and the server are handed over to you with your data and domain, and from then on you pay for your own hosting.
