Lots of tradespeople get some or all of their work through trade directories and lead sites. Checkatrade is one of the best known, alongside names like MyBuilder, TrustATrader and Bark. Rated People, another familiar name, is now part of the Checkatrade group. They can work, especially for a new business with no reviews or website yet.
But many trades reach a point where the monthly fees or per-lead costs start to feel heavy, or where they're tired of competing with three other firms for every job. That's usually when people start searching for a Checkatrade alternative.
This guide sets out the options fairly, including the ones we don't sell.
How the main lead sources work
Fee structures change, so check each provider's current terms before you sign up or cancel anything. The descriptions below were checked against each provider's own pages on 8 November 2026 and are kept general on purpose: prices vary by trade, area and plan.
Membership directories
Checkatrade and TrustATrader are membership directories. You pay a regular fee to be listed, go through checks, and customers find you by searching the directory for a trade in their area. Reviews are collected on the platform.
As of November 2026, Checkatrade's fixed plans are monthly memberships on a 12-month term, priced by plan, trade and area, and it also runs a pay-as-you-go Opportunities Board where you pay only for the leads you choose to unlock. Its vetting covers identity, company history, county court judgments and insolvency, with qualifications checked where your trade needs them. TrustATrader asks for photo ID, proof of address, public liability insurance, relevant qualifications and references from past customers, which it contacts to confirm.
The upside is the trust badge and the traffic the directory already has. The downside is that you're one of several trades on the same results page, the fee keeps running, and the reviews stay with the platform.
Pay-per-lead sites
MyBuilder works on a lead model: customers post a job, and as of November 2026 you create a free profile and pay a fee only when a customer shortlists you, set by the likely size of the job and shown on the lead. Rated People used a similar pay-per-lead model, but it closed its own trade memberships before becoming part of the Checkatrade group, and its job leads now go to Checkatrade members. Bark sells credits: each lead shows its credit cost up front, varying with the service and the size of the job, and credits are spent only when you choose to contact that customer.
The upside is you only pay when there's a specific job. The downside is that several trades usually see the same job, you can pay without winning it, and the cost per job won can climb.
Free and low-cost alternatives
Google Business Profile is free and puts you in the map results when people search for your trade nearby. For many trades it's the single biggest source of direct calls. It needs proper set-up: the right categories, services, service area, photos and a steady flow of reviews.
Word of mouth and repeat customers are still the best leads most trades get. Making it easy for happy customers to recommend you, with a business card, a review link or a simple website to point people to, multiplies them.
Local social media groups can bring enquiries, especially for visual trades like landscaping and building. Follow each group's rules on advertising.
Your own website
Your own website is the alternative that you own outright. There's no per-lead fee, no competing with other trades on the same page, and the reviews and content stay yours. Customers who find you through Google come to you alone.
The trade-off is time. A new website doesn't rank overnight, and it needs to be built properly, with a page for each service and the areas you cover, to have a real chance. That's why many trades run their own site alongside a directory for a while, then reduce what they pay for leads as direct enquiries grow.
How to choose
Ask yourself three questions:
- How quickly do you need work? If the diary's empty next month, a lead site may help bridge the gap. If you're busy, it's the right time to build channels you own.
- What does a job actually cost you through each source? Add up a few months of fees and lead costs, then divide by the jobs you won. Compare that with what you'd pay for a website and local SEO over the same period.
- Who owns the relationship? Reviews and customer contact on your own profile and website stay with you if you change direction.
A practical plan for cutting lead costs
- Set up or tidy your Google Business Profile, and start asking every happy customer for a review there.
- Get a straightforward website with a page for each main service and your areas covered. See web design for tradesmen.
- Keep your directory or lead site going while you track how many enquiries come from each source.
- Once direct enquiries are steady, cut back the paid lead sources that cost the most per job won.
If you'd like help with steps one and two, SEO for tradesmen covers the Google side, and you can get in touch for a straight answer on what would help your trade.