Get Off The Tools vs Checkatrade
Right, let's be straight. Checkatrade is not a con. For a lot of sparks it brought in work when they had nowt else. But here's the thing most people only work out after a year of paying: you are renting. You pay every month, you compete for the same lead as three other trades, and the customer belongs to the platform, not you.
Get Off The Tools does the opposite. We build you your own website, your own 24/7 AI receptionist and your own lead system, so the work comes to you and only you. You own it. Here is the honest side by side.
The quick version
| What matters | Checkatrade | Get Off The Tools |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Monthly membership, often with per lead costs on top | One flat monthly plan from £99, no per lead fees |
| Who gets the lead | Shared with other trades who all chase it | Only you. It is your website and your number |
| Who owns the customer | The platform | You. Name, number and history in your own system |
| Missed calls | You lose the job to whoever rings back first | AI answers and texts back 24/7 so you keep it |
| Your reviews | Live on their site, helping their brand | Stack up on your own Google profile, helping yours |
| If you stop paying | You vanish, the work was never yours | You still own the site, the brand and the customers |
| Contract | Often tied in for a year | No contract, cancel any time |
Where Checkatrade can still make sense
Being fair: if you are brand new, have no reviews and no website, Checkatrade can get a few jobs in the door while you build something better. It also gives nervous customers a badge they recognise. That is a real thing.
Where Get Off The Tools wins
The moment you want work that is yours, that does not get shared, and that keeps coming whether or not you keep paying a membership, you want your own setup. Your own website ranking on Google, your own reviews stacking up, an AI catching every call, and missed call text back so a job never walks to the next spark. That is an asset you build, not rent.
And it is never just a website. Every plan comes with the training to use it and straight business advice from a working electrician who has done it. More on that on the pricing page, and there is a full breakdown in our guide to getting electrician leads without Checkatrade.
Stop renting. Start owning.
Your own website, AI receptionist and lead system. Live in 7 days. From £99 a month, no contract.
Speak to Jamie →Common questions
Is Get Off The Tools cheaper than Checkatrade?
It starts at £99 a month for your own website and lead system, with no per lead fees. With Checkatrade you pay a membership and still compete for shared leads. With us the work comes to you and only you.
Do I own the customers?
Yes. Every enquiry comes through your own website and number into your own system. You own the customer and the data. On Checkatrade the lead is shared and the relationship sits on their platform.
Can I use both at once?
You can. Most sparks move their money off Checkatrade once their own site and lead system start bringing in work they do not have to share or pay per lead for.