Gaffer vs
BigChange
BigChange is a powerful fleet and job management platform — but it locks you into a 5-year contract with hidden pricing that's hard to downgrade. Gaffer gives you AI-first job management with compliance, training and FM built in. From £179/month, monthly rolling.
BigChange
Best for: Large field service companies (50+ staff) who prioritise fleet management over trade-specific workflows.
- Strong vehicle tracking with bundled hardware
- Job management & scheduling
- Complex setup, steep learning curve
- 5-year contracts, hidden pricing, hard to cancel
Gaffer
Best for: UK trade crews (3–60+ people) who need AI, compliance, training and FM — without the complexity or contract lock-in.
- AI receptionist, bid writer, call intelligence
- RAMS, training, CIS, cert tracking built-in
- From £179/month, monthly rolling, transparent pricing
Feature comparison
Side-by-side breakdown across 19 key capabilities.
AI receptionist & call recording
24/7 AI call answering, transcription, and auto-created follow-ups
AI Bid Writer & Tender Watcher
Auto-find public sector tenders and generate bid responses from your data
Built-in RAMS generation
AI-generated risk assessments vs manual forms
Worker training & toolbox talks
Videos, quizzes, certifications tracked per worker — not just certs
Pay by Bank (Open Banking)
From 0.7% + 30p — much cheaper than card processing
Apple Pay & Google Pay on invoices
One-tap checkout for customers — not just card forms
GPS vehicle tracking
Both offer vehicle tracking — BigChange bundles hardware, Gaffer uses OBD-II plug-in
Job management & scheduling
Both offer full job lifecycle management
Quoting & invoicing
Both offer quotes and invoices — Gaffer adds AI quote generation
Mobile worker app
Both have field worker apps with GPS and photos
Customer portal
Gaffer's is passwordless (code login) — no signup friction
FM capabilities (SLAs, POs, multi-site)
Both handle FM — Gaffer includes it from Starter, BigChange may charge extra
Asset management
Both offer asset tracking — BigChange recently added this (labelled 'New')
WhatsApp Business messaging
Two-way customer messaging with job updates via WhatsApp
Workflow automation builder
Visual React Flow builder with 14 templates vs basic rules
CIS compliance & subcontractors
Full CIS verification, self-billing invoices, monthly returns
No long-term contract
Gaffer is monthly rolling — BigChange typically requires 5-year commitment
Transparent pricing
Gaffer publishes all pricing — BigChange requires a sales call
Xero & QuickBooks integration
Both integrate with major accounting packages
Pricing
Transparent vs “call for a quote”
Gaffer publishes every price online. BigChange requires a sales call and locks you into a 5-year contract that reviewers say is difficult to downgrade or cancel.
BC BigChange
Based on publicly available Trustpilot reviews — BigChange does not publish pricing.
Gaffer
Common frustrations
When BigChange doesn't fit
BigChange has been around since 2013 and does a lot. But “does a lot” often means “takes a lot to set up and costs a lot to run.”
5-year contracts
One of the longest lock-ins in the industry. Multiple Trustpilot reviewers report being unable to downgrade or cancel. You're committed before you've finished onboarding.
Hidden pricing that creeps up
No public pricing — you only find out costs after a sales call. Reviewers report unclear pricing changes, extra charges not explained during the sale, and features locked behind paywalls.
Complex and slow to set up
One customer reported 13 months of onboarding without finishing. "Everything is manual or difficult" — editing worksheets, reporting, managing crew, filtering data.
No AI capabilities
No AI receptionist, no bid writer, no call transcription. They have an AI dashcam add-on, but no AI in the core platform. Still relies on manual processes.
Payments only recently added
Payments is labelled "New" on their site. No Apple Pay, no Pay by Bank. Gaffer has had branded checkout with Open Banking since day one.
Training and compliance gaps
No toolbox talks, video courses, or quiz tracking for your field team. No built-in RAMS generation. RAMS and training are core to Gaffer, not an afterthought.
Gaffer's approach
Same power for trade businesses, without the complexity or commitment.
Honest take: who should use what
We're not the right fit for everyone. Here's our honest view.
BigChange might be better if you…
- Run 100+ vehicles and fleet management is your main concern
- Need deep customisation and have dedicated IT staff to manage setup
- Are happy committing to a 5-year contract upfront
- Need ISO 27001 certified infrastructure (BigChange has this)
Gaffer is better if you…
- Want AI to answer calls, write bids, and automate admin
- Need RAMS, training, toolbox talks and compliance built-in
- Want transparent pricing and no 5-year lock-in
- Run a UK trade business (3–60 crew) and need to scale without complexity
- Want customers to pay via Apple Pay, Pay by Bank, or branded checkout
Switching is painless
We'll move you over in 2 weeks
No data left behind. Run both systems side-by-side while your team gets comfortable.
Data import
Customers, sites, jobs, price lists — all migrated from your BigChange export.
Run side-by-side
Keep BigChange running while your team gets familiar — switch when ready.
Hands-on onboarding
Dedicated onboarding specialist — not just a video library and a support ticket.
Ready to leave the long contract behind?
Book a 30-minute call. We'll show you Gaffer live and explain exactly how the switch from BigChange works.