If you've been researching job management software for your NZ tradie business, you've probably come across Fergus, Tradify, and Simpro. They all do broadly the same thing — manage jobs, quotes, invoices, and timesheets — but they're built for very different business sizes.
This comparison cuts through the marketing to help you choose.
Quick Summary
| Fergus | Tradify | Simpro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | 2–20 staff | Sole traders | 10+ staff |
| Starting price | $49/mo + GST | $29/mo + GST | $200+/mo |
| Mobile app | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
| Ease of setup | Medium (3–5 hrs) | Easy (1–2 hrs) | Complex (days) |
| NZ-built | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ (Australia) |
| Xero integration | ✅ Native | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
Fergus — The NZ Standard for Growing Trades
Fergus was built by a NZ plumber for NZ tradies. It shows. The workflow matches how Kiwi businesses actually operate, and the Xero integration is the best in the market.
Pricing (per user/month, + GST)
- 1 user: $49
- 2 users: $89
- 3 users: $119
- 4 users: $149
- 5+ users: call for pricing
Strengths
Job management: Drag-and-drop job board, status tracking, client notes, photos — all excellent.
Quoting: Build professional quotes with your rate cards. Clients can accept online. Convert to invoice with one tap.
Timesheets: Field staff clock in/out on the app. Office staff see live job status. Payroll export to Xero is seamless.
Purchase orders: Send POs to suppliers directly from Fergus. Costs flow through to job profitability.
Customer portal: Clients can see job status, invoices, and documents. Reduces phone calls significantly.
Reporting: Job profitability reports show actual vs. quoted. Identify where you're making and losing money.
Weaknesses
- Gets expensive with larger teams (per-user pricing adds up)
- Some advanced features (like detailed inventory) are basic
- Not ideal for complex multi-stage project management
Verdict
Best all-round option for NZ trade businesses with 2–15 staff. Worth paying the premium over Tradify if you have employees.
Tradify — Fast, Simple, Affordable
Tradify is the easiest option to get running. A sole trader can be operational in an afternoon. The focus is on simplicity — quotes, jobs, invoices, done.
Pricing (+ GST)
- 1 user: $29/mo
- 3 users: $59/mo
- 5 users: $89/mo
- 10 users: $149/mo
- Unlimited: $199/mo
Strengths
Speed: The mobile app is genuinely fast. Quote on site, send while you're still with the client.
Learning curve: Minimal. Most tradies are up and running within a day.
Affordability: The cheapest serious option for sole traders and micro-businesses.
Customer scheduling: Basic scheduling board, good for day-to-day job management.
Xero integration: Solid — invoices sync automatically.
Weaknesses
- Less powerful than Fergus for complex businesses
- Purchase orders and inventory are basic
- Reporting could be deeper
- Not ideal for businesses with many field staff
Verdict
Perfect for sole traders or businesses with 2–4 staff who want to get organised without a steep learning curve.
Simpro — Enterprise Power for Larger Operations
Simpro is the heavy-duty option. If you've outgrown Fergus and need multi-site project management, complex job costing, and detailed WIP reporting, Simpro is worth the investment.
Pricing
Simpro doesn't publish public pricing. Expect: - Small businesses: $200–$400/month - Medium businesses: $400–$800/month - Enterprise: custom
Strengths
Project management: Multi-stage jobs, progress billing, retentions — handles complex construction projects.
WIP tracking: Real-time work-in-progress reporting across all jobs. Critical for larger businesses managing cash flow.
Job costing: Granular tracking of actual costs vs. estimates. Identify profitable and unprofitable work patterns.
Inventory: Built-in stock management for businesses that warehouse materials.
Service + project: Handles both high-volume service work and large project work.
Weaknesses
- Complex to set up (expect 2–4 weeks implementation)
- Expensive (justified for larger businesses, overkill for small ones)
- Steeper learning curve for field staff
Verdict
Right for businesses with 10+ field staff doing complex work. Overkill for anyone smaller.
My Recommendation
Start here: - Sole trader → Tradify (sign up today, running tomorrow) - Growing business 2–10 staff → Fergus (the NZ standard) - Large operation 10+ → Simpro (plan a proper implementation)
All three offer free trials. Start with the one that fits your size, try it for 2 weeks on real jobs, and see how it feels.
Also see: Best Job Management Software for NZ Tradies 2026
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