Last Updated on September 4, 2026
Finding
Job management software for a UK painting business runs £28 to £44 per user per month across the tools that publish UK prices in pounds, while entry accounting starts at £18 to £19 a month, in prices Whito read on 4 September 2026.
Source: Whito, whito.co.uk/for/painters-decorators/best-software-for-uk-painters, September 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page.
Software lists for trades are usually commission lists: whoever pays the affiliate fee tops the table. This one is by stage, and none of the links below pays Whito anything. Prices were read on each vendor’s UK pricing page on 4 September 2026 and exclude VAT unless stated.
Sole trader, just starting
You need three things: a diary, a way to quote and invoice, and records HMRC accepts. A free Google Business Profile, your phone’s calendar and a simple invoice template cover the first months. For accounts, FreeAgent is £19 a month for sole traders at its regular price and free with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle business account, which makes it the cheapest credible route for most sole traders. Xero’s entry Ignite plan is £18 a month.
A few staff, steady pipeline
| Tool | Published UK price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Powered Now | £28 to £40 per user a month | built for UK trades, read 4 Sep 2026 |
| YourTradebase | £29 a month flat, extra users £15 | quoting and job tracking, 30 day trial |
| Tradify | £34 to £44 per user a month | jobs, quotes, invoicing, 14 day trial |
All three publish UK prices in pounds, which is why they are the three named. Jobber publishes prices in US dollars only, so we leave it out rather than guess a conversion. QuickBooks publishes UK plans behind an interactive table our checks could not read on the day, so check its page directly. Only 9 of 27 business software vendors published a genuine pound price when we read every live pricing page in August 2026, so a vendor that shows you a real number is already ahead.
Multi-crew
At two or more crews the diary is the business. Tradify’s Plus tier at £44 per user or Powered Now’s Premium at £40 add scheduling across teams and job costing. Move your accounting up a tier only when payroll forces it: Xero Grow is £39 a month. The rule at every stage: one job tool, one accounts tool, and nothing that duplicates either. A five person service business already pays about £2,635 a year including VAT for a standard stack, per Whito’s software price index, and most of the excess is overlap.
Common questions
What is the best job management software for a UK painter and decorator?
Of the tools that publish UK prices, Powered Now runs £28 to £40 per user a month, YourTradebase £29 flat, and Tradify £34 to £44 per user, all read 4 September 2026. Pick by trial, not by feature list, and pay for one job tool only.
What accounting software should a sole trader painter use?
FreeAgent is £19 a month at regular price and free with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle business account. Xero’s entry plan is £18 a month. Both are Making Tax Digital ready at published rates read 4 September 2026.
Does Whito earn commission on these recommendations?
No. None of the links on this page is an affiliate link and no vendor has paid to appear. Tools are listed only if their UK pricing page publishes a price in pounds that we could read and date.
Before you spend any of this, check what the machines can read
Before buying any software, see what your own website already tells the machines. Free, seventeen checks, no email needed.
The structural checks behind this research run on any website in about twenty seconds. Enter yours and read the full result on the page. Free, and we do not ask for your email.
Run the free Visibility Check