Comparison
Gaffer vs Fergus — Best Job Management Software for UK Plumbers, Electricians & Trades Compared 2026Gaffer vs
Fergus
Fergus is a New Zealand-built job management tool — clean, simple and focused on job costing. But it has no AI, no UK compliance, no GPS vehicle tracking and prices in NZD. Gaffer is UK-native with OBD-II trackers, RAMS, compliance and Gaffer Pay from £179/month.
F
Fergus
Best for: Small NZ/AU trade businesses (1-10 staff) who want clean job management focused on quoting, job costing and margin tracking.
- Built in New Zealand — strong in NZ/AU
- 4.0★ on Trustpilot
- Strong job costing & margin tracking
- No lock-in contracts
- No AI features at all
- No UK compliance (RAMS, Gas Safe, CIS)
- No GPS vehicle tracking
- NZD/USD pricing — per-user + add-on fees
G
Gaffer
UK-NativeBest for: UK trade businesses who need compliance, AI, UK payments, GPS tracking and the full job lifecycle in one platform.
- From £179/mo — GBP, monthly rolling
- 1,000–10,000 AI credits per plan
- RAMS, Gas Safe, NICEIC, ECS tracking
- Gaffer Pay: cards, Pay by Bank, Apple Pay
- OBD-II GPS trackers (£49.99 + £9.99/mo)
- Voice minutes & SMS included
- Toolbox talks & training modules
- No lock-in — monthly rolling
Gaffer vs Fergus pricing for UK trades
| Item | Gaffer | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| Base plan | £179/mo (3 seats, 6 field team) | $53/mo ≈ £34 |
| Full plan | £349/mo (10 seats, 30 field, 2 trackers) | $75/mo ≈ £48 |
| Extra users | £25/seat, £7/field worker | $22/user/month |
| Price books | Included | $30–$80/mo extra |
| Voice & SMS | 200–1,000 mins + 200–1,500 SMS included | $15/100 texts, no voice |
| Card payments | From 2.2% + 30p (Scale) | 2.95% + $0.30 |
| Pay by Bank | From 0.7% + 30p (Scale) | Not available |
| AI credits | 1,000–10,000/mo included | No AI |
| GPS trackers | OBD-II: £49.99 + £9.99/mo | Not available |
| Time tracking | Included (+ GPS auto-timesheets) | $4/user/day |
Fergus prices from their website. GBP equivalents approximate. Correct as of February 2026.
Gaffer vs Fergus — full feature comparison
| Feature | Gaffer | Fergus | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for UK trades | Gaffer is UK-native (VAT, CIS, Gas Safe). Fergus is NZ-built with a growing UK user base, but features are NZ/AU-first. | ||
| AI receptionist | Add-on | Gaffer AI Receptionist (£150/mo add-on) answers calls 24/7. Fergus has no AI receptionist. | |
| RAMS & safety policy generation | H&S Compliance Suite generates RAMS, policies, method statements. Not available in Fergus. | ||
| AI bid writer & tender watcher | Tender Watcher (free) + AI Bid Writer (add-on/included on Scale). Not in Fergus. | ||
| Pal — autonomous AI agent | Pal chases invoices, follows up quotes, flags certs autonomously. Fergus has no AI features. | ||
| AI quote generation | Describe the job, AI drafts a priced quote using AI credits. Fergus quotes are manual only. | ||
| Certificate tracking (Gas Safe, NICEIC) | Full UK cert tracking with expiry alerts via H&S Compliance Suite. Fergus doesn't track certifications. | ||
| Vehicle compliance (MOT, insurance) | DVLA auto-fill, MOT/tax/insurance expiry alerts via GPS tracker integration. Not in Fergus. | ||
| Toolbox talks & training modules | Video training with quizzes and digital sign-off. Fergus has no training system. | ||
| Pay by Bank (Open Banking) | UK Open Banking from 0.7% + 30p on Scale. Fergus accepts cards at 2.95% + $0.30. | ||
| Apple Pay & Google Pay | One-tap checkout on Gaffer Pay invoices. Not available in Fergus. | ||
| GPS vehicle tracking (OBD-II) | Plug-and-play OBD-II trackers (£49.99 + £9.99/mo). Trips auto-link to jobs, GPS timesheets. Not available in Fergus. | ||
| WhatsApp Business messaging | Add-on | Two-way WhatsApp (£39/mo add-on). Fergus uses SMS ($15/100 texts). | |
| Voice minutes & SMS included | 200–1,000 voice mins and 200–1,500 SMS included per plan. Fergus charges $15/100 SMS. | ||
| GBP pricing | Gaffer is priced in £. Fergus prices in NZD/USD. | ||
| Job management & scheduling | Both offer job management with scheduling and dispatch. | ||
| Quoting & invoicing | Both offer quotes and invoices. Fergus has good margin tracking on quotes. | ||
| Mobile worker app | Both have iOS and Android apps for field workers. | ||
| Price books | Both offer saved materials/labour rate libraries. Fergus charges $30-$80/mo extra for price books. | ||
| Xero & QuickBooks integration | Both integrate with major accounting packages. | ||
| No lock-in contract | Both offer monthly rolling billing — no long-term commitment. |
Fergus or Gaffer — which is right for your trade business?
Choose Fergus if you…
- Are based in New Zealand or Australia
- Are a small team (1-10 staff) focused on job costing
- Want a simple, clean UI without AI complexity
- Don't need UK compliance or GPS vehicle tracking
- Use Xero heavily and want tight integration
Choose Gaffer if you…
- Are a UK trade business of any size
- Need RAMS, safety policies and certificate tracking
- Want OBD-II GPS trackers tied into jobs and timesheets
- Need Pay by Bank for cheaper payment processing
- Want voice & SMS included, not charged per message
- Want AI to help with quotes, RAMS and admin
Gaffer vs Fergus — frequently asked questions
Is Fergus available in the UK?
Yes, Fergus has a growing UK customer base. It's originally from New Zealand and expanding internationally. However, pricing is in NZD/USD, there's no UK-specific compliance module (RAMS, Gas Safe tracking), no UK Open Banking payments, no OBD-II GPS vehicle tracking, and support is primarily NZ/AU time zones.
How does Fergus pricing compare to Gaffer?
Fergus starts at $53/month (≈£34) for their base plan and $75/month (≈£48) for the full plan. But extras add up: $22/user/month, $30-$80/month for price books, $15/100 SMS, $4/user/day for time tracking. Gaffer Starter is £179/month with 3 dashboard seats, 6 field team, 200 voice minutes, 200 SMS, 1,000 AI credits and unlimited jobs — everything included.
Does Fergus have any AI features?
No. As of February 2026, Fergus has no AI features — no AI receptionist, no AI document generation, no AI quoting and no autonomous agents. Everything in Fergus is manual. Gaffer includes 1,000–10,000 AI credits per plan for quote generation, RAMS creation, email drafts and more.
What's Fergus best at?
Fergus is strong on job costing and margin tracking. If you're a small NZ/AU trade business focused on understanding your profitability per job, Fergus does that well. It has a clean UI, good quoting features and solid Xero integration. It has 4.0 stars on Trustpilot.
Does Fergus handle UK compliance?
No. Fergus doesn't generate RAMS, track Gas Safe or NICEIC certificates, offer toolbox talks, manage training modules or generate safety policies. These are critical requirements for UK trade businesses. Gaffer's H&S Compliance Suite (£99/month add-on, included on Scale) handles all of this.
Can I migrate from Fergus to Gaffer?
Yes. Gaffer's onboarding team can help import your clients, jobs, quotes and price books from Fergus. We'll also set up your compliance tracking, configure AI features and get your team trained. Book a demo to discuss your migration.
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Built for UK trades. Not adapted for them.
Book a demo and see how Gaffer handles RAMS, compliance, GPS tracking and payments — everything Fergus doesn't.