Checkatrade vs MyBuilder vs Rated People: Which Is Worth It?

You need work coming in, and the big directories all promise it. But the membership fees, pay-per-lead charges and shared leads add up fast, and it's hard to tell which one actually pays for itself. Here's a straight comparison of Checkatrade, MyBuilder and Rated People so you can decide where your money goes — and where it doesn't.

How the three platforms actually work

They look similar from the outside but the business models differ, and that's the bit that decides whether you make money.

• Checkatrade runs mainly on a membership model. You pay a monthly or annual fee to be listed and vetted, and customers contact you directly. You're paying for visibility and the trust the badge carries, not per lead.
• MyBuilder is pay-per-lead. Homeowners post a job, and you "shortlist" yourself by paying a fee to make contact. The fee varies with the size and type of job.
• Rated People is also broadly pay-per-lead or credit-based. You buy leads (or a subscription that includes a lead allowance) and contact homeowners who've posted jobs in your area.

The practical difference: with Checkatrade you pay a fixed cost and hope enough enquiries come in. With MyBuilder and Rated People you pay for each opportunity, whether or not it turns into a paid job.

What they actually cost

Prices change and depend on your trade, area and how many categories you list under, so treat these as a rough guide and check each site's current pricing before you commit.

• Checkatrade: an annual membership, often billed monthly, typically running into several hundred to over a thousand pounds a year depending on your package and location.
• MyBuilder: no membership in the standard model — you pay per lead, with fees commonly ranging from a few pounds for small jobs up to a higher fee for larger ones.
• Rated People: usually a subscription tier plus lead costs, or a credit system where each lead is deducted from your balance.

Tip: before signing anything, work out your cost per won job, not your cost per lead. A £20 lead is cheap if you win one job in three, and expensive if you win one in ten.

The headline fee is never the real number. What matters is how many leads convert, and that depends as much on how fast you respond as on the platform itself.

Lead quality and the shared-lead problem

The biggest complaint across all three is the same: leads get sent to several trades at once, so you're racing to respond — and the homeowner may already have three quotes by the time you call.

A few things to weigh up:

• Tyre-kickers. Some posted jobs are people price-checking with no intention of booking. Pay-per-lead models hurt most here, because you pay to find that out.
• Competition on every lead. Because leads are shared, the trade who replies first usually gets the conversation. If you're on site all day and reply at 7pm, you've often lost.
• Vetting and reviews. Checkatrade leans hard on its vetting and review system, which can mean better-quality enquiries but a higher cost of entry.

This is where being organised wins. The first responder gets the job far more often than the cheapest quote — we cover why in speed to lead. If you can reply within minutes with a clear, professional message, you'll convert a higher share of every lead you pay for.

Which one is worth it for your trade?

There's no single winner — it depends on your situation.

• If you're established with good reviews and want a steady trickle of enquiries without chasing each one, Checkatrade's membership model can work, because the badge does some selling for you.
• If you want to control spend and only pay when you choose to pursue a job, MyBuilder suits trades who can respond fast and write a quick, convincing pitch.
• If you cover a busy area with lots of posted jobs, Rated People's volume can be useful — but only if your conversion rate justifies the lead costs.

For larger or specialist work (full bathrooms, rewires, boiler swaps), the directories can deliver decent jobs. For low-value call-outs, the lead fee often eats too much of the margin.

The reviews trap

All three platforms own your reviews. Build up 200 five-star reviews on Checkatrade and they live on Checkatrade — not on your own Google profile, where they'd help you for free forever. Treat directory reviews as a bonus, and put real effort into getting reviews on Google that you actually control.

Should you rely on them at all?

Directories are fine as one lead source. The trap is letting them become your only source, because then you're renting your customer base and competing on price every single time.

The stronger long-term play is to build channels you own:

• A Google Business Profile that ranks locally.
• A simple website that turns visitors into enquiries.
• Repeat work and referrals from customers you've already impressed.

These cost time rather than per-lead fees, and they compound. If directories make you reliant on shared, price-driven leads, it's worth reading how to get more electrical work without Checkatrade — the principles apply to any trade.

Whichever route you take, the deciding factor is how quickly and professionally you handle the enquiry. A job-management system like Gaffer helps you reply the moment a lead lands, send a tidy quote in minutes rather than days, and chase it automatically if the customer goes quiet — so the leads you do pay for are far more likely to turn into paid work.

FAQs

Is Checkatrade worth it for tradespeople?

It can be if you're established and value the vetting and review badge, since you pay a fixed membership rather than per lead. Work out your likely enquiries-to-jobs rate against the annual fee before committing, and check current pricing for your trade and area.

Which is cheaper, MyBuilder or Rated People?

Both are broadly pay-per-lead, so the cheaper option depends on lead prices in your category and how often you convert. The real cost is per won job, not per lead — track that for a month before judging which works for you.

Why are my directory leads such poor quality?

Most directories share each lead with several trades at once, so you're competing on speed and price, and some posters are only price-checking. Responding fast and professionally is the single biggest thing that improves your conversion on any platform.

Can I get trade leads without paying for directories?

Yes. A ranking Google Business Profile, a converting website, strong reviews and a referral habit bring in leads you own outright, with no per-lead fee — they take longer to build but pay off for years.