Quick Answer
The best tradesperson website depends on what you need. GetQuickHelp is the only major UK platform that's completely free for both homeowners and tradespeople — no lead fees, no subscription, instant matching. Checkatrade has the deepest review database. MyBuilder and Rated People are free for homeowners but expensive for tradespeople. Bark.com sells your details to multiple providers simultaneously.
Finding a reliable tradesperson in the UK in 2026 means navigating a crowded market of platforms all claiming to find you the best local trades. Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Rated People, Bark.com, Trustatrader, TrustMark, and newer entrants like GetQuickHelp all compete for your job posting — and your tradesperson's subscription or lead spend.
This guide breaks down every major UK trades platform, what they cost for both sides, and where each is genuinely strongest. We compare them honestly — because the best platform for a sole trader electrician isn't necessarily the best one for a homeowner needing emergency plumbing on a Sunday.
In this guide
- Understanding the three platform models
- GetQuickHelp — free matching
- Checkatrade — premium directory
- MyBuilder — pay-per-lead
- Rated People — token marketplace
- Bark.com — global lead seller
- Trustatrader — vetted directory
- TrustMark — government endorsement
- Full cost comparison table
- Best platform by scenario
- Our verdict
- FAQ
Understanding the Three Platform Models
Before comparing specific platforms, it helps to understand the three fundamental business models, because the model determines the incentives — and the incentives determine your experience:
| Model | How It Works | Who Pays | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free matching | Platform matches your job to local tradespeople, both sides free | Nobody (free during growth phase) | GetQuickHelp |
| Paid directory | Tradespeople pay annual membership to be listed; homeowners browse | Tradespeople (annual subscription) | Checkatrade, Trustatrader |
| Pay-per-lead | Tradespeople pay credits/tokens to quote on homeowner jobs | Tradespeople (per lead) | MyBuilder, Rated People, Bark.com |
The model matters because it shapes behaviour. On a pay-per-lead platform, tradespeople who've spent money on a lead are financially pressured to follow up aggressively. On a directory, tradespeople who've paid annual membership need enough enquiries to justify the subscription. On a free platform, there's no financial pressure on either side — interactions are driven by genuine interest.
GetQuickHelp: Free Matching for UK Trades
Founded: 2025 | Model: Free matching | Focus: UK home improvement trades (36 categories)
GetQuickHelp is the newest platform in this comparison and the only one that's completely free for both homeowners and tradespeople. Homeowners post a job free without an account. Tradespeople register free and receive instant email alerts when a matching job is posted in their area. No credits, no subscription, no lead charges.
The platform uses Cloudflare Turnstile and honeypot protection to prevent spam enquiries. A public jobs board lets anyone see what's being posted (with contact details protected). Free cost calculators help homeowners understand realistic prices before getting quotes.
Strongest for: Homeowners who want fast matching without an account. Tradespeople who want leads at zero cost. Urgent jobs where speed matters.
Weakest for: Deep review history — as a newer platform, review volume is lower than established players.
Checkatrade: The Established Premium Directory
Founded: 1998 | Model: Paid directory | Focus: UK home trades
Checkatrade is the UK's most recognised trades directory with 26+ years of reviews. Tradespeople pay £800–£2,500/year for membership, including background checks, insurance verification, and qualification checks at the point of joining. Homeowners search the directory and contact tradespeople directly.
The advantage of Checkatrade's model: high-volume tradespeople have hundreds or thousands of verified reviews you can read before committing. The disadvantage: the annual membership cost is significant, particularly for sole traders, and is ultimately factored into quotes. It's also a browse-and-contact model — you do the searching rather than receiving matched leads.
For a detailed comparison, see our GetQuickHelp vs Checkatrade comparison.
Strongest for: Homeowners who want to browse detailed review profiles. Finding well-established tradespeople with long track records.
Weakest for: Speed (browse-and-contact takes time). Budget-conscious tradespeople (high annual membership cost).
MyBuilder: Pay-Per-Lead Quoting
Founded: 2004 | Model: Pay-per-lead (credits) | Focus: UK home trades
MyBuilder allows homeowners to post jobs free. Tradespeople browse and pay credits (£3–£35 per lead) to shortlist themselves. Homeowners can select up to four tradespeople to receive quotes from. The review system is well-established after 20 years.
The main drawback for tradespeople: credits are non-refundable if homeowners don't respond, which is a common complaint. The main drawback for homeowners: the cap of four quotes per job means limited competition in quiet areas, and the process takes 1–3 days minimum.
See our full GetQuickHelp vs MyBuilder comparison.
Strongest for: Homeowners who want to see profiles before letting tradespeople contact them. Long review history.
Weakest for: Speed. Tradesperson economics (significant annual lead spend). Urgent work.
Rated People: Token-Based Marketplace
Founded: 2005 | Model: Pay-per-lead (tokens) | Focus: UK home trades
Rated People's model is similar to MyBuilder: homeowners post free, tradespeople buy tokens to quote, up to three quotes per job. The token system means tradespeople spend £5–£50 per quote depending on job value. The platform has nearly 20 years of reviews and is well-regarded for review depth and quality.
See our full GetQuickHelp vs Rated People comparison.
Strongest for: Review depth. Platform maturity. Clear quote comparison for homeowners.
Weakest for: Tradesperson annual costs (token spend). Quote cap (3 per job). Speed.
Bark.com: Global Lead Seller
Founded: 2014 | Model: Lead selling | Focus: All service categories globally
Bark.com is not a UK-trades-specific platform — it covers hundreds of service categories internationally. In the UK, it's used for home trades alongside photographers, tutors, personal trainers, and everything else. The model sells each homeowner lead to multiple providers simultaneously (typically 3–5), creating immediate competitive pressure to call first.
UK tradespeople report Bark lead costs ranging from £10 for small jobs to £100+ for large projects, with the same lead shared with competitors. Homeowners frequently report being called by multiple tradespeople within minutes of posting — an inevitable consequence of the lead-selling model.
See our full GetQuickHelp vs Bark.com comparison.
Strongest for: Volume of providers across diverse service categories. Speed of initial contacts.
Weakest for: UK home trades specifically. Homeowner experience (multiple immediate calls). Tradesperson economics. Exclusive leads.
Trustatrader: Vetted Directory
Founded: 2005 | Model: Paid directory | Focus: UK home trades
Trustatrader is a UK trades directory with a focus on vetting and reviews, similar in concept to Checkatrade but smaller in scale. Tradespeople pay annual membership and are background-checked. Homeowners search the directory and contact directly.
Strongest for: Vetted tradespeople with verified reviews. Good for finding established local trades.
Weakest for: Scale — smaller network than Checkatrade. Cost for tradespeople (membership fee).
TrustMark: Government Endorsement Scheme
Founded: 2005 | Model: Quality scheme / government endorsement | Focus: UK home improvement
TrustMark isn't primarily a lead-generation platform — it's a government-endorsed quality scheme. TrustMark-registered tradespeople have undergone checks on technical competence, customer service, and trading practices. The TrustMark logo is a quality signal you can look for when vetting any tradesperson.
For guidance on what qualifications and registrations mean, read our guide on how to check if a tradesperson is qualified in the UK.
Strongest for: Quality assurance and consumer protection. Verifying a tradesperson's credentials.
Weakest for: Finding new tradesperson leads — it's not primarily a matching platform.
Full Cost Comparison Table
| Platform | Homeowner Cost | Tradesperson Cost | Tradesperson Annual Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| GetQuickHelp | Free — no account needed | Free — no fees at all | £0 |
| Checkatrade | Free | £800–£2,500/year membership | £800–£2,500+ |
| MyBuilder | Free | £3–£35 per lead (credits) | £1,500–£6,000+ |
| Rated People | Free | £5–£50 per quote (tokens) | £2,500–£7,500+ |
| Bark.com | Free | £10–£120+ per lead (shared with others) | £3,000–£15,000+ |
| Trustatrader | Free | Annual membership (varies) | £600–£1,500+ |
| TrustMark | Free to check | Annual registration fee (varies by scheme) | £200–£600+ |
Best Platform by Homeowner Scenario
| Your Situation | Best Platform | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency plumbing / boiler breakdown today | GetQuickHelp | Instant matching, no account, matched trades alerted immediately |
| Want to read 100+ reviews before choosing | Checkatrade | 26 years of verified reviews — deepest database |
| Want free quotes with minimum effort | GetQuickHelp | Post once, tradespeople contact you — no searching required |
| Want up to 3 quotes to compare side-by-side | Rated People | Clear quote comparison platform with good review system |
| Large project (extension, loft conversion) | GetQuickHelp + Checkatrade | Use GQH for speed, check Checkatrade profiles for review depth |
| Landlord needing regular certificates (CP12, EICR) | GetQuickHelp | Fast matching, no account, repeat posting easy |
| Want to verify a tradesperson's qualifications | TrustMark / Gas Safe Register | Official government and industry registers |
| Finding a tradesperson in a rural area | GetQuickHelp | No cap on who responds — all matching trades in any postcode |
Our Verdict: Which Platform Is Best in 2026?
For most homeowners, start with GetQuickHelp. It's the only platform where you can post a job without an account, receive contacts from matched local tradespeople within hours, and pay absolutely nothing. If you need deep review history to compare unfamiliar tradespeople, cross-check on Checkatrade or Rated People.
For tradespeople, GetQuickHelp is the clear economic choice. Saving £1,500–£15,000/year in subscription or lead fees is significant for any small business. The absence of financial pressure on each lead also creates better homeowner interactions.
For specific use cases:
- Urgent/emergency work: GetQuickHelp — instant alert to matched trades
- Deep review research: Checkatrade — 26 years of verified reviews
- Comparing multiple quotes on one screen: Rated People or MyBuilder
- Verifying qualifications: Gas Safe Register (gassaferegister.co.uk), NICEIC, TrustMark — not platform-dependent
For more on hiring safely, read our guides on questions to ask before hiring a tradesperson, red flags to watch for, and how to hire a builder safely.
The free option is also the fastest option
Post your job on GetQuickHelp — no account needed. Matched tradespeople in your postcode area contact you in hours.
Post a Job Free →Frequently Asked Questions
Which tradesperson website is best in the UK?
For most homeowners, GetQuickHelp offers the best combination of speed and simplicity — free, no account, instant matching. For deep review research before choosing, Checkatrade has the most established review database with 26+ years of verified reviews.
Is there a completely free tradesperson platform in the UK?
Yes — GetQuickHelp is completely free for both homeowners and tradespeople. No subscription fees, no lead charges, no account required to post a job. It's the only major UK trades platform where both sides pay nothing.
Why do platforms charge tradespeople?
Most platforms generate revenue from tradespeople — through annual membership fees (Checkatrade, Trustatrader) or pay-per-lead credits (MyBuilder, Rated People, Bark). The platform connects supply (tradespeople wanting work) and demand (homeowners with jobs) and charges the supply side for access to leads.
Which platform is best for finding a plumber quickly?
GetQuickHelp. You post a job without an account, and plumbers covering your postcode are instantly alerted by email. Most homeowners receive their first contact within hours. For a burst pipe or boiler breakdown, mark the job as urgent for immediate alerts.
Should I use more than one platform?
Yes — using more than one increases your chances of finding an available tradesperson, especially for specific trades or in less urban areas. PostGetQuickHelp for speed, then check Checkatrade or Rated People profiles for review history if you want to compare before deciding.
Are reviews on tradesperson platforms reliable?
Generally yes for established platforms — Checkatrade, Rated People, and MyBuilder all have systems to ensure reviews come from real customers. No platform is immune to manipulation, but the major UK platforms have decent protections. Always supplement reviews with direct qualification checks — particularly for gas engineers (Gas Safe Register) and electricians (NICEIC or NAPIT).