Lead generation marketplace
Why TradeBooked over Checkatrade
Checkatrade is a directory marketplace. You pay a monthly membership to be listed, then you pay again every time a lead comes in. Customers find Checkatrade, not you. The repeat customer comes back to Checkatrade, not to your brand. Costs go up the busier you get.
The three reasons trades switch
You own the customer, not Checkatrade
TradeBooked customers come back to your booking page. Checkatrade customers come back to Checkatrade and re-cost you per lead.
Flat £29 a month, no per-lead tax
TradeBooked bill stays the same whether you take 5 bookings or 500. Checkatrade bills grow every time someone enquires.
Bookings, not leads
Checkatrade hands you a phone number and a guess. TradeBooked hands you a confirmed slot with deposit paid.
Where TradeBooked wins
Head-to-head on the things sole UK trades actually ask about.
You own the customer, not the marketplace
Checkatrade
The customer found Checkatrade, not you. Next time they need a tradesperson they go back to Checkatrade, and you pay for that lead too. You are renting access to a relationship you never owned.
TradeBooked
The customer found your booking page. They booked with you. The repeat job lands directly on your calendar with no middleman to pay. You own the relationship and the brand.
Flat fee, not pay-per-lead
Checkatrade
Membership plus per-lead or per-job fees. The busier you get, the bigger your Checkatrade bill. You are paying a tax on your own success.
TradeBooked
£29/month flat. Take 10 bookings, take 200, the bill does not move. No commission, no per-booking charge, ever.
A booking, not a name and number
Checkatrade
You buy a lead. Then you ring the customer. Then you try to convert them. Three trades got the same lead. Hope you got there first.
TradeBooked
You get a confirmed booking. Slot picked, intake filled in, deposit paid. No conversion call required. No competing trades. The decision is already made.
Trade-specific job detail at booking
Checkatrade
Customer fills a generic request form. You get a one-liner and a name. You ring to ask the obvious follow-ups.
TradeBooked
Customer fills trade-specific intake. Boiler model, vehicle reg, EICR scope, room counts. You leave the house knowing exactly what you are walking into.
Deposits at the moment of booking
Checkatrade
No deposit mechanism. Customer can ghost you with zero consequence.
TradeBooked
Optional deposit at the moment of booking via Stripe. Skin in the game means they show up.
Feature by feature
The short version. Tick what you need, see who has it.
What is Checkatrade?
Checkatrade lists tradespeople in a directory and sells leads to the trade. Customers submit job requests. Multiple trades compete for the same request. The trade pays a monthly membership plus per-lead or per-job fees.
Checkatrade buys you leads on a meter. TradeBooked builds you a brand you own. Many trades use both for a while: Checkatrade to top up the funnel, TradeBooked to turn enquiries from any source into actual confirmed bookings. Most trades drop the Checkatrade bill once the TradeBooked side is bringing in repeat work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use TradeBooked instead of Checkatrade?
Are TradeBooked bookings hidden behind a paywall like Checkatrade leads?
Does TradeBooked help me get found like Checkatrade does?
Ready to try TradeBooked?
10-day free trial. No credit card. No commission. UK trades only... for now.
Outside the UK? Get in touch and we'll let you know when we're in your market.
Other comparisons
Comparison reviewed 2026-05-16. Spot something wrong? Tell us.