Jobber
Pros
- Excellent client portal
- Online booking system
- Route optimisation
- Scales to 50+ employees
- AI quote assistant
- Professional appearance
Cons
- Most expensive option
- North American support hours
- Overkill for sole traders
- Steeper learning curve
Jobber is the most feature-rich job management software available for UK tradespeople. The client portal, online booking, and AI features are genuinely impressive. However, at £99-149/month for the best features, it's only worth it for established businesses with 5+ employees. Sole traders and small teams should look at Tradify or ServiceM8 first.
What is Jobber?
Jobber is Canadian-made job management software that's become popular with UK trade businesses — particularly those in growth mode. It handles the full job lifecycle: enquiries, quotes, scheduling, job tracking, invoicing, and follow-ups.
What sets Jobber apart is its focus on customer experience. The client portal lets your customers view quotes, approve work, pay invoices, and request new jobs — all without calling you. For busy trade businesses, this self-service approach can dramatically reduce admin time.
Client Portal: Jobber's Killer Feature
This is where Jobber genuinely excels. Every customer gets access to their own portal where they can:
- View and approve quotes — No chasing required
- See scheduled appointments — Reduces "when are you coming?" calls
- Pay invoices online — Faster payments, less chasing
- Request new work — Leads come directly into your system
- View job history — See all past work at their property
- Download invoices and receipts — Self-service accounts
For maintenance contracts and repeat customers, this is transformative. Your best customers can book their annual boiler service without you lifting a finger.
Online Booking
Jobber's online booking lets customers book appointments directly from your website. You set your availability, service types, and pricing — customers pick a slot and book instantly.
This works brilliantly for:
- Boiler services and maintenance contracts
- EICR inspections
- Regular cleaning or garden maintenance
- Any service with predictable duration and pricing
For reactive repairs where you need to assess the job first, it's less useful. But for scheduled work, it's a genuine time-saver.
Quoting & Estimating
Jobber's quoting is solid but not exceptional. You can create professional quotes with line items, photos, and terms. The AI assistant can suggest descriptions based on job type — helpful for consistency across a team.
However, the quoting speed doesn't match Tradify. More clicks, more screens, more thinking required. If you're sending 10+ quotes a day, this adds up.
Quote Features:
- Line item pricing with materials and labour
- Optional items (customer can select)
- Quote templates for common jobs
- AI description suggestions
- Online approval with signature
- Automatic follow-up reminders
Scheduling & Dispatch
Jobber's scheduling is powerful and includes route optimisation — a feature that can save serious fuel costs for businesses covering large areas.
Key Scheduling Features:
- Drag-and-drop calendar — Assign and move jobs easily
- Route optimisation — Automatically suggests efficient job ordering
- Team availability — See who's free when
- Recurring jobs — Perfect for maintenance contracts
- Customer notifications — Automatic reminders and "on the way" texts
The route optimisation alone can justify the price for businesses with multiple vans covering wide areas. One user reported saving £400/month in fuel after implementing it.
Jobber Pricing (UK)
| Plan | Price | Users | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | £29/mo | 1 | Basic quoting, invoicing, scheduling |
| Connect | £99/mo | Up to 5 | + Client portal, online booking, automations |
| Grow | £149/mo | Up to 15 | + Route optimisation, job costing, reporting |
Important: Jobber pricing is per company, not per user. This makes it more affordable for teams than it first appears. A team of 5 on Jobber Connect (£99/month) costs less than 5 Tradify licenses (£170/month).
Jobber vs Tradify vs ServiceM8
| Feature | Jobber | Tradify | ServiceM8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | £29/mo | £34/mo | Free |
| Best For | Growing teams | Sole traders | Small teams |
| Client Portal | ✓ Excellent | ✗ Basic | ✗ Basic |
| Online Booking | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Route Optimisation | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Quoting Speed | Good | Excellent | Good |
| Scheduling | Excellent | Basic | Excellent |
| UK Focus | Good | Excellent | Good |
| Learning Curve | Moderate | Easy | Moderate |
Who Should Use Jobber?
Jobber is Perfect For:
- Trade businesses with 5-50 employees
- Companies offering maintenance contracts
- Businesses wanting online booking capabilities
- Teams covering large geographic areas (route optimisation)
- Companies prioritising customer self-service
- Businesses ready to invest in growth
Consider Alternatives If:
- You're a sole trader (try Tradify)
- Budget is tight (try ServiceM8 free tier)
- You need UK-based support (Tradify has UK team)
- You value quoting speed above all else (Tradify wins)
- You don't need client portal features
Final Verdict
Jobber is the most feature-rich job management software for UK tradespeople. The client portal and online booking are genuinely impressive and can transform how you interact with customers.
But it's not for everyone. The premium price only makes sense if you'll actually use the advanced features. A sole trader paying £99/month for Jobber Connect is wasting money — they'd be better served by Tradify at £34/month.
For established trade businesses ready to scale, Jobber is excellent. For everyone else, start with something simpler and upgrade when you've outgrown it.
Rating: 4.5/5 — Excellent for growing businesses, overkill for sole traders.