Checkatrade vs MyBuilder vs Rated People vs Bark vs PROS AI for London tradespeople, 2026
- Checked October 2026
- 5 min read
- By PROS AI editorial team
Quick answer
The short version, before the detail.
Five places a London electrician, plumber or heating engineer can buy work, and four different ways of charging for it. This page sets out what each platform publishes about its pricing for tradespeople as of September 2026, with the source for every figure. Where a platform does not publish a figure, we say "not published" rather than guess. PROS AI UK LTD publishes this page: the PROS AI column is our own price list, the others are taken from the platforms' own pages, and all of them change, so check the current terms before you sign anything.
What does each platform charge, at a glance?
All figures as of September 2026. VAT is noted where the platform states it.
| Checkatrade | MyBuilder | Rated People | Bark | PROS AI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charging model | Monthly membership on a 12-month term, plus a pay-per-unlock Opportunities Board | Pay per shortlist, no membership | Part of Checkatrade Group since 17 September 2026; new sign-ups go through Checkatrade's fixed plan or Opportunities Board | Prepaid credit packs, pay per response | Pay per lead, no subscription, no minimum |
| To join | No joining fee. Free £0, Approved £30 a month, Growth from £59 a month, prices ex VAT | No joining or membership fee | Fixed plan priced by phone; an Opportunities Board account is free | No joining or monthly fee; you buy a credit pack | Nothing; first lead free |
| Per lead | Unlock price not published | Set per job by its likely size, value and location, shown ex VAT before you act; range not published | Not published | £1.80 per credit at the standard rate; credits per lead not published | Base price per job type, £12 to £50 in our three trades; 1.4 times if two share, 2 times if exclusive; no VAT added |
| Lead shared with | A board lead is removed once 3 trades unlock it; fixed-plan count not published | Cap not published; a homeowner can invite up to 10 | Historically a maximum of 3 per job; current cap not published | A maximum of 5 professionals contact a customer | A maximum of 3 |
| Cancellation and bad leads | 12-month term, renews for another 12 months unless you say otherwise before the renewal date; bad-lead credit terms not published | No contract; shortlist fee non-refundable, credit at MyBuilder's discretion, credit expires after 12 months | Fixed plan on a 12-month term; earlier memberships ended before the transfer | Credits valid 3 months, unused credits not refunded; credit return for invalid contact details within 14 days (the terms say 7) | No contract; nothing billable until 5 working days after the lead; dispute in the portal |
| Homeowner pays to post? | No | No | No | No | No |
How does Checkatrade charge tradespeople?
Checkatrade's pricing page lists three tiers: Free at £0 a month, Approved at £30 a month and Growth from £59 a month, and states that memberships are for 12 months. Its blog says there is no joining fee and quotes the basic plan as £30 plus VAT. The Growth price is set at sign-up by trade and area. Since summer 2026 there is also an Opportunities Board: leads that three members have not taken go to the board, members browse them free and pay to unlock the ones they want, and a lead comes off the board once three trades have unlocked it. The unlock price is not published. Cancelling partway through the 12-month term is not normally possible, and the membership renews for another 12 months unless you tell Checkatrade before the renewal date.
How does MyBuilder charge?
MyBuilder has no joining or membership fee. You pay a shortlist fee when a homeowner shortlists you and contact details are exchanged, whether or not you win the job. The fee is set per job by its likely size, value and location and is shown ex VAT before you act. The fee is non-refundable; any credit is at MyBuilder's discretion and is issued as account credit that expires after 12 months. An optional paid sponsored placement exists; its price is not published.
What has happened to Rated People?
On 17 September 2026 Rated People announced that it is now part of Checkatrade Group, that its memberships ended before the brand and website changed hands, and that tradespeople who want jobs from the platform sign up with Checkatrade, either on a fixed lead plan on a 12-month term, priced by phone, or on the Opportunities Board. Before the change, Rated People's own material said a maximum of three tradespeople could quote for each lead; whether that cap still applies is not published. Homeowners still post for free.
How does Bark charge?
Bark sells credit packs and charges credits each time you respond to a lead; you then receive the customer's phone number and email. The standard rate is £1.80 a credit, packs are cheaper per credit, and the number of credits a lead costs depends on the service and the size of the job, shown before you respond. There is no commission and no monthly fee. Credits bought on or after 1 November 2025 are valid for three months and unused credits are not refunded. Credits can be returned for a lead with invalid contact details, a duplicate or a test lead; Bark's help centre gives 14 days to ask and its terms say 7. A customer who hires someone else or does not reply is not a valid reason. A customer is contacted by a maximum of five professionals. Elite Pro, an optional subscription, has no published price.
How does PROS AI charge?
PROS AI charges per lead with no subscription and no minimum, and a new tradesperson's first lead is free. Each job type has a base price, £12 to £50 in our three trades; that is what you pay when three tradespeople share a request, 1.4 times it when two share, and 2 times it when the request is yours alone. A request never goes to more than three tradespeople. Nothing is billable until five working days after the lead, fees are charged to your card on the 15th and the last day of the month, a bad lead can be disputed in the portal, and no VAT is added because PROS AI UK LTD is not VAT registered today.
Which charging model suits which tradesperson?
A fixed membership suits a firm that wants a predictable monthly cost and can use a steady flow. Pay per shortlist or per response suits a tradesperson whose workload varies and who wants to choose each job. Prepaid credits are the same idea with money committed in advance. Pay per lead with post-paid billing, the PROS AI model, suits someone who wants nothing committed up front and pays only after a request has arrived. None of these platforms, including PROS AI, promises a number of leads per month.