HomeWorkBee vs TradeMore

Honest comparison · Updated July 2026

WorkBee vs TradeMore

A straightforward comparison of both platforms for UK trade businesses. We're honest about what TradeMore does well — and where we think WorkBee is the better fit.

WorkBee wins — 10 featuresTied — 11 featuresTradeMore wins — 1 feature
⚠️

TradeMore requires access to your Gmail or Outlook inbox

To auto-extract enquiries, TradeMore connects via OAuth to your email account — giving it access to read your inbox. Many trade businesses are uncomfortable with a third-party app having this level of access. WorkBee never requires email account access. Our alternative is Buzz AI Receptionist, which handles inbound calls instead of emails.

Full feature comparison

Feature
WorkBee
TradeMore

Free plan

Free forever (solo trader)

No free plan

Starting price

£25/month (Starter)

£49/month (entry tier)

Job management

Full job lifecycle — create, dispatch, complete, invoice

Full job lifecycle

Recurring rounds

Critical for window cleaners, gardeners, domestic cleaners.

Dedicated rounds module — route-based, GoCardless per stop

No rounds module

Inbox access required

TradeMore reads your inbox to auto-extract enquiries. Many businesses are uncomfortable giving a third party full inbox access.

No — WorkBee never touches your email account

Yes — connects your Gmail/Outlook inbox

Customer portal

Branded portal per tenant — jobs, invoices, certificate downloads, online payment

Customer-facing portal

Mobile app (iOS + Android)

WorkBee Field — offline-first, voice notes, photo capture, signature

Mobile app available

Offline mode

Full offline queue — all actions sync when reconnected

Limited offline support

AI receptionist

Buzz AI — answers inbound calls, logs transcript, creates enquiry (Pro plan)

No AI receptionist

AI voice notes

Hold-to-record → Whisper transcription → Claude structures notes + parts

No AI voice notes

Compliance certificate generator

Generate CP12, EICR, PAT, Fire Alarm, Legionella, EPC PDFs on-device

No PDF generator

Compliance expiry alerts

Automated alerts at 90 / 60 / 30 days before expiry

Limited

GoCardless direct debit

Native GoCardless integration — collect per job or per round stop

GoCardless via invoice only

Stripe card payments

Stripe Connect — customer pays invoice via portal

Stripe available

Accounting integrations

Xero + QuickBooks OAuth (live)

Xero + QuickBooks

Quotes

Full quote builder with AI assist (Growth+ plan)

Quote builder

Email-to-quote automation

TradeMore's inbox feature is clever but requires OAuth access to your full email account. Our alternative (AI receptionist handles the call instead) is already live on Pro.

In pipeline (requires inbox access — we're building an alternative)

Yes — reads inbox to create draft quotes

Dispatch board

Drag-and-drop kanban by engineer with Mapbox map view

Dispatch scheduling

Realtime job updates

Supabase Realtime — status changes appear instantly on dispatch board

Updates available

Reporting

Revenue, jobs, engineers, payments reports (Growth+ plan)

Reporting available

RBAC / user roles

Admin, Manager, Dispatcher, Technician, Accountant

Role-based access

Custom service types

Full custom type management with default rates + durations

Service types

Trade directory / marketplace

Coming to WorkBee: a public directory where WorkBee businesses are listed with real availability and verified reviews.

~

In pipeline — WorkBee Directory (businesses visible to customers nearby)

No marketplace

API access

~

In pipeline (Pro plan)

API available

Last updated July 2026. TradeMore pricing and features based on publicly available information. Contact us if anything is out of date.

Why most UK trades choose WorkBee

These are the factors that come up most often when businesses switch.

🔒

Your inbox stays yours

WorkBee never asks for access to your Gmail or Outlook. We handle inbound enquiries through Buzz AI Receptionist (phone), not by reading your email.

🔄

Rounds built in

If you run window cleaning, domestic cleaning, or gardening rounds — WorkBee is the only platform with a dedicated recurring round module and per-stop GoCardless collection.

💷

Starts free. Stays cheap.

Solo traders use WorkBee free forever. Starter at £25/month covers 3 engineers. TradeMore starts at roughly double our price with no free option.

🤖

AI that actually works in the field

Voice notes → Whisper transcription → Claude structures the job notes automatically. Buzz AI Receptionist answers calls 24/7. Both built for trade workflows.

Where TradeMore has an edge (being honest)

We think WorkBee is the better platform for most UK trades — but there are a couple of things TradeMore does today that we're still building.

Email-to-quote automation

TradeMore can read your inbox and auto-generate a quote draft from customer emails. It's a genuinely useful feature if you're comfortable with the inbox access trade-off. We're building an equivalent that works through AI phone calls instead — Buzz logs the enquiry details without touching your email.

WorkBee AI Receptionist (Pro) is available now as an alternative approach.

API access

TradeMore has a developer API. WorkBee's API is in development and will be available on the Pro plan. If you need API access today, TradeMore has it.

Planned for WorkBee Pro — expected Q4 2026.

Pricing at a glance

WorkBee

FreeSolo trader, 1 module
£0/mo
Starter3 engineers, 2 modules
£25/mo
Growth10 engineers, 5 modules, AI
£59/mo
ProUnlimited, Buzz AI Receptionist
£119/mo
Start free →

TradeMore

No free planTrial only
EntryLimited engineers
~£49/mo
ProMore engineers
~£89/mo
EnterpriseContact sales
Custom

TradeMore pricing is approximate — based on publicly available information at July 2026. Check their website for current pricing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I import my data from TradeMore into WorkBee?

Yes — you can import customers via CSV from the Customers section. Jobs and history can be imported manually or we can help. Contact us at hello@getworkbee.com.

Does WorkBee work for window cleaners switching from TradeMore?

Yes, and especially well — WorkBee's Rounds module is specifically designed for recurring route-based work. It supports weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly, and monthly schedules with per-stop GoCardless collection.

Is WorkBee's AI receptionist comparable to TradeMore's inbox feature?

They solve a similar problem differently. TradeMore reads emails and extracts enquiries. WorkBee's Buzz AI Receptionist answers inbound phone calls and logs the enquiry. Neither approach is better for all businesses — it depends on whether your customers call or email.

What if I need features WorkBee doesn't have yet?

Sign up for free, use what's there, and tell us what you need. We ship fast — most features in the pipeline above are in active development. Email hello@getworkbee.com or use the in-app feedback.

See for yourself

Try WorkBee free — no card needed

30 days free on any paid plan. Solo traders stay free forever.

Start free