There is no reliable universal winner between Checkatrade, MyBuilder and Bark. The right choice depends on the jobs you want, the charging model you prefer, your area and what your own results show.
The useful comparison is: “What did I pay to win suitable, profitable work?” The facts below come from the platforms' official pages and terms, checked on 7 September 2026.
The three models at a glance
| Platform | How a trade business pays | When contact happens | Published price information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkatrade | Free and monthly membership options; separate fixed-plan and PAYG lead products | Customers can call, request a quote or make an eligible booking through the profile | Free £0/month, Approved £30/month, Growth from £59/month; PAYG lead fees vary |
| MyBuilder | A shortlist fee when customer contact details are shared after you express interest | The customer selects from interested tradespeople, then details are shared | Exact shortlist fee is shown before the charge; it excludes VAT and varies by likely job size, value and location |
| Bark | Credits are used to contact selected leads; optional subscriptions also exist | You review a matched request and decide whether to spend credits to respond | Standard price published as £1.80 per credit; packs can change the unit cost and each lead requires a variable number of credits |
Checkatrade: profile, membership and lead options
Checkatrade's current pricing page lists a Free profile, Approved at £30 per month and Growth from £59 per month. Growth asks you to choose categories, postcode areas and a desired annual lead level, then provides a fixed monthly cost. Checkatrade also publishes separate PAYG terms, under which lead fees vary and are shown in the Members Area.
The public pricing page says fixed-plan memberships are for 12 months. Checkatrade's master terms say the confirmation email controls the exact services, fee and contract period. Its Fixed Plan terms say lead estimates are not binding and depend on factors such as location, seasonality, demand, reviews and profile quality.
Check the full commitment, exact coverage and whether you are buying fixed-plan or PAYG leads. Our separate Checkatrade cost guide walks through those calculations.
MyBuilder: pay when contact details are shared
On MyBuilder, homeowners post jobs and tradespeople can express interest. According to MyBuilder's current terms for tradespeople, a shortlist fee becomes payable when the customer's contact details are shared following that expression of interest.
The fee must be displayed before you take the action that may result in contact details being shared. It excludes VAT and is calculated using the likely size, value and location of the job. MyBuilder also states that paying the fee does not guarantee that you will quote for or win the work.
Bark: buy credits to contact selected leads
Bark lets professionals create an account without charge and sends matching requests. You spend credits only when you decide to contact a customer. Bark's credit guide, updated 10 June 2026, publishes a standard price of £1.80 per credit while noting that packs can change the unit price. The credits required for a lead vary with service type and job scope and are displayed before you respond.
Bark's terms say a general request may be submitted to up to five professionals. They also say VAT is payable in addition to fees and that credits are not returned merely because a customer does not respond or you do not win the work. General credits bought on or after 1 November 2025 expire after three months.
Worked 90-day comparison
Use actual invoices and outcomes. These figures are illustrations, not platform averages or forecasts.
Checkatrade example: suppose a business pays the advertised Growth starting price of £59 for each of three months, receives 12 suitable enquiries and wins three jobs.
- Spend: £59 × 3 = £177
- Cost per enquiry: £177 ÷ 12 = £14.75
- Cost per won job: £177 ÷ 3 = £59
A 12-month plan starting at £59 per month represents at least £708, so the full contract still matters.
MyBuilder example: suppose the account shows a £20 shortlist fee excluding VAT for each of nine selected jobs, and two become paid work.
- Shortlist fees: £20 × 9 = £180 excluding VAT
- Cost per won job: £180 ÷ 2 = £90 excluding VAT
The £20 is hypothetical; replace it with the fee shown before each shortlist.
Bark example: suppose a lead costs 12 credits and your credits cost Bark's published standard £1.80 each. You buy eight leads and win two jobs.
- Cost per lead: 12 × £1.80 = £21.60, plus VAT under Bark's terms
- Total: £21.60 × 8 = £172.80, plus VAT
- Cost per won job: £172.80 ÷ 2 = £86.40, plus VAT
The 12-credit lead is hypothetical. Use each lead's displayed credits and your pack price. Profit also depends on job value and direct costs.
What to measure before choosing
For each enquiry, record the platform, whether it was suitable, whether you quoted and won, revenue and estimated contribution.
Then calculate:
- Cost per suitable enquiry: total channel spend ÷ suitable enquiries
- Cost per quote: total channel spend ÷ quotes issued
- Cost per won job: total channel spend ÷ paid jobs won
- Contribution after acquisition: contribution from won jobs − channel spend
Compare at least a representative buying cycle and keep each platform's contract or credit-expiry dates visible.
Where your own website and Google fit
Trade platforms can fill seasonal gaps or test a service. Your own website and Google Business Profile provide another route for discovery. That route still has costs and competition: Google hosts the profile, rankings can change, and SEO and advertising do not guarantee leads. A website on your domain gives you more control over service information, project evidence and enquiry tracking. The goal is a healthier mix of sources, not cancelling every platform on principle.
SwiftLead's current standard managed offer costs £199 setup plus £129 per month, with a three-month minimum. That is £586 over the minimum term and £1,747 over the first 12 months. It pays for a managed website and marketing service rather than a fixed number of introductions, and it carries no ranking, lead or revenue guarantee. Confirm the final payable amount and VAT treatment in your written quote before comparing it with platform invoices.
A sensible buying approach
Set a test budget your margins can carry, choose the services and areas you want, and decide what would justify continuing. Ask new enquiries how they found you and reconcile the source with the paid job.
If the numbers are unclear, request a free visibility audit. We can identify what is measurable now and what tracking is missing, without promising a ranking, number of leads or revenue result.
Official sources checked
- Checkatrade pricing — accessed 7 September 2026
- Checkatrade Master Service Terms — accessed 7 September 2026
- Checkatrade Fixed Plan Product Terms — last updated 19 December 2024; accessed 7 September 2026
- Checkatrade Pay As You Go Product Terms — last updated 20 February 2026; accessed 7 September 2026
- MyBuilder terms and conditions — accessed 7 September 2026
- Bark credit guide — updated 10 June 2026; accessed 7 September 2026
- Bark terms and conditions — accessed 7 September 2026