hipages vs Airtasker vs TradelTop for tradies

Step 2

Check eligibility and who will hold the account

hipages requires a valid ABN and says it checks required trade licences before a business can accept leads. Airtasker accounts belong to individuals aged 18 or older with legal working rights. Its terms allow an individual to identify that they represent a business, with authority to do so, but prohibit sharing or transferring the account. This matters if several staff need to respond to work.

TradelTop is set up for Trade Companies to maintain business profiles, services, service areas and availability. Its terms require accurate ABN, licence and insurance information and services the company is legally permitted and competent to perform. At launch, TradelTop verifies email access where supported, but does not verify ABN ownership, licences, insurance or other credentials.

Platform membership does not replace your obligations for the job location and trade. Airtasker also requires the rights, licences and skills needed for the work. Confirm any crew or subcontractor arrangements with the provider before using an account to offer jobs for other people.

Step 3

Understand lead visibility and competition

hipages sends leads matched to your selected trade category and location. You spend credits to accept a lead and contact the customer. Its FAQ says no more than three tradies can accept a lead unless the customer and tradie agree to waitlisting. Check the job details and credit requirement on the invitation.

Airtasker lets Taskers browse posted tasks and submit offers. The customer selects an offer; private messaging follows assignment. Some offer details may be public. This is a competing-offer process, and the official sources reviewed do not establish a fixed three-provider limit. Allow for the time spent on offers that are not accepted.

TradelTop shows matched lead details and the Credit cost before unlock. Contact purchases are not exclusive. Its terms allow up to three active purchase windows at a time, each lasting 72 hours; an expired window can allow another company to buy access, while earlier purchasers retain contact access. Rare simultaneous purchases can exceed the active limit. It is therefore not a lifetime cap of three competitors.

Compare the scope, travel, timing and customer readiness you can see before committing. A restricted contact count does not tell you whether a customer has also approached businesses elsewhere, or whether the work will proceed.

Step 4

Check job tools, fees and exit terms together

hipages includes estimates, quotes, scheduling and invoicing, including for jobs sourced elsewhere. Its published subscription starts with a six-month introductory term and automatically renews for 12 months. Current business terms provide a seven-day cooling-off period if no leads have been accepted; cancellation outside it may incur the remaining term’s subscription fees. Check the terms that apply to your joining or renewal date, credit expiry, payment-processing charges and any add-ons.

Airtasker holds the agreed task payment through its payment process and releases the Tasker payment after completion and customer release, subject to its terms. Offers must cover the total task, rather than an hourly or partial quote. Read cancellation and payment-dispute rules before committing to work that may change after inspection.

The Airtasker customer Connection Fee is separate from your Tasker service fee. In Australia it is $9.95 to $59.95 including GST, depending on task price, and is waived for eligible customer memberships. It affects what the customer pays, but is not an extra deduction from your Tasker payout. Confirm the current offer breakdown rather than adding the two fees together as your business cost.

TradelTop supports profiles, availability, lead review, customer messages and quotes. Customers pay the Trade Company directly for the work; TradelTop does not collect trade-work payments. Check whether its tools cover your invoicing, scheduling and record-keeping needs before replacing existing software. Credit pack and unlock prices shown at checkout or before unlock apply; one Credit does not always equal one lead.

Step 5

Decide from your own completed jobs

Before buying, ask each provider what relevant work you can currently see for your service area and category. Choose a spending limit and review date compatible with the contract you would accept. A subscription cannot necessarily be stopped at the end of a short test.

Record platform spend, suitable opportunities, quoting or offer time, wins and completed jobs. For hipages include the subscription and top-ups; for Airtasker use your actual service-fee deductions; for TradelTop record Credits consumed and the cash cost of the packs used. Keep unused prepaid Credits visible separately so buying a pack does not make the first job appear to bear every future lead cost.

Divide the period’s platform costs by completed jobs won through that platform, then add acquisition time valued consistently. Compare that cost with job revenue less materials, labour, travel and other delivery costs. If there are no completed jobs, record the spend and zero wins rather than calculating a cost per win. Keep pending jobs separate and avoid treating hoped-for repeat work as revenue.

A platform may suit a business with capacity for small defined tasks and disappoint one seeking larger projects in a different area. Expand spending only when your own results and available capacity justify it. Recheck this comparison after material pricing, contract or product changes.