Why NZ Tradies Are Ditching Expensive Booking Apps in 2026
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Kiwi tradies are paying $50-100/month for booking software they barely use. Here's what smart tradies are switching to instead, and it's completely free.
Here's a conversation happening in smoko rooms across New Zealand right now:
"How much are you paying for that booking thing on your phone?" "Sixty-nine bucks a month." "What does it actually do?" "Lets people book a time. Sends them a reminder." "Sixty-nine bucks. For a calendar." "... yeah."
If that hits close to home, you're not alone. Thousands of NZ tradies are paying $50-100+ per month for booking software that does what a shared calendar could do. The apps look slick. The features sound impressive. But most tradies use about 10% of what they're paying for.
What Tradies Actually Need
Talk to any plumber, sparky, builder, or painter about their booking needs and the list is short:
- A way for customers to see when you're free
- A way for them to book a time
- A reminder so nobody forgets
- Maybe a place to list your services and prices
That's it. You don't need CRM integration. You don't need automated marketing funnels. You don't need staff scheduling for your team of one. You need people to book you and show up.
What Tradies Are Currently Paying
The most popular booking platforms for NZ tradies charge monthly subscriptions:
| Platform | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Timely | $25-79 | $300-948 |
| Fresha | $0-129 + transaction fees | $0-1,548+ |
| Setmore | $25-89 | $300-1,068 |
| ServiceM8 | $49-149 | $588-1,788 |
| Jobber | $49-249 | $588-2,988 |
Even the cheapest paid option is $300/year. The popular ones run $600-1,000+. And that's just for bookings. Add website hosting ($30/month), Google Ads ($200/month), and a TradeMe professional listing ($59/month), and you're spending $3,000-5,000 a year just to be findable and bookable.
For a sole trader, that's a week or two of income gone to software subscriptions.
What Smart Tradies Are Switching To
The tradies who've done the maths are moving to free alternatives that include everything they need: a professional business profile, online bookings, service listings, and customer reviews. All for $0/month.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
Kev, electrician, Rotorua. Was paying $69/month for Timely plus $59/month for a TradeMe listing. Switched to a free Business Page with built-in bookings. Saves $1,536/year. "I bought a new multimeter and took the missus out for dinner with what I saved in the first month."
Sam, landscaper, New Plymouth. Was paying $89/month for ServiceM8. Most of the features were designed for bigger companies with staff. She needed bookings and quotes. Switched to a free platform. Saves $1,068/year. "I was paying for a Ferrari when I needed a ute."
The Catch (There Isn't One)
The free options don't have every feature that Jobber or ServiceM8 offer. If you run a team of 15 tradies with complex job scheduling and inventory management, you might genuinely need enterprise software.
But if you're a sole trader or small team and your main need is "let customers book me online," paying $50-100/month is like hiring a helicopter to cross the road.
What To Do This Week
- Check what you're paying. Add up all your monthly subscriptions for booking, website, listings, and ads. The total might shock you.
- Try a free alternative. Set up a free Business Page with bookings. Takes about 5 minutes. Run it alongside your paid tools for a month.
- Compare the results. If the free option handles your booking needs, cancel the paid one and put that money back in your pocket.
The best tool for the job is the one that does what you need without charging you for what you don't. For most NZ tradies, that tool is free.