Comparison
Gaffer vs simPRO — Best Job Management Software for UK Plumbers, Electricians & Trades Compared 2026Gaffer vs
simPRO
simPRO is an enterprise-grade field service platform — powerful, deep and complex. But it comes with hidden pricing, long onboarding and contract lock-in. Gaffer gives you AI, RAMS, OBD-II GPS tracking and Gaffer Pay with transparent pricing from £179/month.
sP
simPRO
Best for: Large field service operations (50+ staff) who need deep inventory management, multi-company support and enterprise reporting.
- Australian — large enterprise customer base
- Multi-company management
- Deep inventory & warehouse management
- Simtrac fleet tracking (add-on)
- Hidden pricing — must talk to sales
- 4-12 week onboarding process
- No AI features (no receptionist, RAMS, agents)
- Contract lock-in (annual or multi-year)
G
Gaffer
UK-NativeBest for: UK trade businesses (3-60 field staff) who want powerful features without enterprise complexity or hidden pricing.
- £179–£599/mo — transparent, published pricing
- Go live in days, not weeks
- 1,000–10,000 AI credits per plan
- RAMS, Gas Safe, NICEIC, ECS tracking
- OBD-II GPS trackers (£49.99 + £9.99/mo)
- Gaffer Pay: cards, Pay by Bank, Apple Pay
- Voice minutes & SMS included
- Monthly rolling — no lock-in
Gaffer vs simPRO pricing for UK trades
| Item | Gaffer | simPRO |
|---|---|---|
| Starter plan | £179/mo (3 seats, 6 field) | Contact sales |
| Growth plan | £349/mo (10 seats, 30 field, 2 trackers) | Contact sales |
| Scale plan | £599/mo (20 seats, 60 field, 5 trackers) | Contact sales |
| Annual discount | ~17% (e.g. £149/mo on Starter) | Unknown |
| Implementation fee | £0 (self-service onboarding) | Typically £2,000–£10,000+ |
| Contract | Monthly rolling — cancel anytime | Annual or multi-year |
| GPS trackers | OBD-II: £49.99 + £9.99/mo each | Simtrac: pricing undisclosed |
| AI features | 1,000–10,000 credits/mo included | No AI |
simPRO pricing is not publicly available. Implementation fees and contract terms are from industry reports and user reviews. Correct as of February 2026.
Gaffer vs simPRO — full feature comparison
| Feature | Gaffer | simPRO | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transparent pricing | Gaffer publishes all pricing. simPRO requires a sales call — pricing depends on modules, users and contract length. | ||
| Quick onboarding | Gaffer: sign up, import data, go live in days. simPRO: weeks-long implementation with consultants. | ||
| AI receptionist | Add-on | Gaffer AI Receptionist (£150/mo add-on) answers calls 24/7. simPRO has no AI receptionist. | |
| AI-generated RAMS & safety policies | H&S Compliance Suite generates RAMS, policies, method statements with AI. simPRO has digital forms but no AI generation. | ||
| AI bid writer & tender watcher | Tender Watcher (free) + AI Bid Writer (add-on/included on Scale). Not in simPRO. | ||
| Pal — autonomous AI agent | Pal chases invoices, follows up quotes, flags certs. simPRO has workflow automation but no AI agent. | ||
| Certificate tracking | Gaffer: full UK cert tracking with expiry alerts. simPRO: basic compliance features, less trade-specific. | ||
| GPS vehicle tracking (OBD-II) | Gaffer: plug-and-play OBD-II (£49.99 + £9.99/mo), trips auto-link to jobs. simPRO: Simtrac fleet add-on (pricing undisclosed). | ||
| Pay by Bank (Open Banking) | UK Open Banking from 0.7% + 30p on Scale. simPRO accepts cards only. | ||
| Apple Pay & Google Pay | One-tap checkout on Gaffer Pay invoices. Not available in simPRO. | ||
| Voice minutes & SMS included | 200–1,000 voice mins and 200–1,500 SMS included per plan. simPRO charges separately for SMS. | ||
| WhatsApp Business messaging | Add-on | Two-way WhatsApp (£39/mo add-on). simPRO uses SMS messaging only. | |
| Toolbox talks & training | Video training with quizzes and sign-off. simPRO has no built-in training module. | ||
| Job management & scheduling | Both offer full job lifecycle with scheduling and dispatch. | ||
| Quoting & invoicing | Both offer quotes and invoices. simPRO has strong estimating with takeoffs. | ||
| Mobile worker app | Both have field mobile apps. | ||
| Inventory management | simPRO has a full inventory/warehouse module. Gaffer has materials tracking but not warehouse management. | ||
| Multi-company management | simPRO supports multiple companies under one account. Gaffer is single-company. | ||
| Xero & QuickBooks integration | Both integrate with major accounting packages. | ||
| Maintenance planning | Both offer recurring maintenance scheduling. simPRO has a dedicated maintenance planner. | ||
| No long-term contract | Gaffer is monthly rolling. simPRO typically requires annual or multi-year contracts. | ||
| GBP pricing | Gaffer is priced in £. simPRO is Australian but has UK pricing — however it's not published. |
simPRO or Gaffer — which is right for your trade business?
Choose simPRO if you…
- Have 50+ field staff and need enterprise features
- Need deep inventory/warehouse management
- Run multiple companies under one platform
- Have dedicated admin staff to manage the system
- Are comfortable with long implementation timelines
Choose Gaffer if you…
- Have 3-60 field staff and want to go live quickly
- Want transparent pricing with no sales calls
- Need AI to handle admin (RAMS, quotes, chase payments)
- Want OBD-II GPS trackers that tie into jobs and timesheets
- Need UK compliance (RAMS, Gas Safe, CIS)
- Want monthly rolling — no long-term commitment
Gaffer vs simPRO — frequently asked questions
How much does simPRO cost?
simPRO doesn't publish pricing. You need to contact their sales team for a quote. Pricing depends on which modules you need, how many users, and the contract length. Industry reports suggest it starts from around £100-200/user/month, with implementation fees on top. Gaffer publishes all pricing: Starter £179/month, Growth £349/month, Scale £599/month — no hidden fees.
How long does simPRO take to set up?
simPRO is an enterprise product that typically requires a formal implementation process with dedicated consultants. Onboarding can take 4-12 weeks depending on complexity. Gaffer is designed for self-service onboarding — sign up, import your data, and go live in days. Scale plan includes dedicated onboarding support.
Does simPRO have AI features?
simPRO has data automation and workflow features, but no AI in the generative sense — no AI receptionist, no AI RAMS generation, no AI bid writing, no AI quoting and no autonomous AI agent. Gaffer includes 1,000–10,000 AI credits per plan for document generation, quoting and more.
What's simPRO best at?
simPRO is excellent for large, complex field service operations (50+ staff) that need deep inventory management, multi-company support, takeoff estimating and enterprise reporting. It's particularly strong in the HVAC, electrical and plumbing sectors in Australia. If you're a large operation with dedicated admin staff to manage the system, simPRO is powerful.
Is simPRO overkill for my business?
If you have fewer than 20 field staff, simPRO is likely overkill. The implementation time, training requirements and cost structure are designed for larger operations. Gaffer is built for trade businesses running 3-60 field staff — powerful enough for complex operations but simple enough that you don't need a consultant to set it up.
Can I migrate from simPRO to Gaffer?
Yes. Gaffer's onboarding team can help import your clients, jobs, quotes and historical data from simPRO. We'll map your existing workflows to Gaffer's system and get your team trained. Scale plan includes full onboarding and training. Book a demo to discuss your migration.
Explore Gaffer features
Compare Gaffer with other platforms
Powerful without the complexity.
Book a demo and see how Gaffer delivers enterprise features — AI, GPS tracking, compliance — without enterprise pricing or implementation timelines.