Powered Now vs YourTradebase: UK trade apps compared (2026)

Powered Now and YourTradebase are both British, both aimed at small trade firms, and both do two things not every trade app does: CIS deductions and the domestic reverse charge, natively, on your invoices. So you won't go far wrong with either. The differences are in price structure, VAT filing, certificates and how quotes get accepted.

The short answer. Pick Powered Now if you issue lots of certificates, want your VAT return sent to HMRC from the app, or need a native Android app with offline forms. Pick YourTradebase if you want a business-priced plan with a published extra-user price, a longer trial, a signature on online quote acceptance and a Xero sync that carries CIS across.

And if you're a builder running projects with contracts, variations and stage payments, read the last section, because we couldn't find those tools in either.

Side by side

Prices checked October 2026, as listed on Powered Now's pricing page and YourTradebase's pricing page. Other sources: Powered Now terms, YourTradebase terms, Capterra: Powered Now, Capterra: YourTradebase. "Not found" means we searched the vendor's site and help centre in October 2026 and found nothing. On the Capterra scores: many of YourTradebase's reviews date from around 2020, and Capterra discloses that many reviewers were invited by the vendor and given a small incentive.

What it costs a sole trader, and a team of three

For one person, there's a pound in it. Powered Now Business is £28 a month and YourTradebase is £29, both ex VAT. Paying annually, that's £280 against £290 a year, both plus VAT. But Powered Now's Business plan covers the basics: quotes, invoices, diary, expenses, supplier invoices and MTD for Income Tax. VAT returns, time tracking and the Xero and QuickBooks links need Professional at £32.

For a team, the structures part ways. YourTradebase adds users at £15 a month each, so three people come to £29 + (2 × £15) = £59 a month plus VAT, assuming the plan covers one person. The pricing page doesn't say whether that £15 applies to office users, field staff or both, so check.

Powered Now lists Professional at £32 and Premium at £40 "per user", which at face value makes three people on Professional 3 × £32 = £96 a month plus VAT. But the same pricing page also says "unlimited users", and a help article says those tiers include one user and extra users cost more (Powered Now help). Get a written figure for your team before you compare.

Where Powered Now is ahead

• VAT filing. MTD VAT returns go direct to HMRC on Professional and Premium, and Powered Now says it's on HMRC's software list (Powered Now). It also works out a P&L figure from your expenses and invoices.
• CIS reporting. As well as estimating the deduction on sales invoices, it produces a CIS 300 report for contractors. You still file on HMRC's portal (Powered Now help).
• Certificates and forms. More than 80 digital forms and certificates, gas-heavy, plus a RAMS form (Powered Now, Powered Now help).
• Devices. iOS, Android, PC and Mac, with forms that the vendor says work offline (App Store, Google Play).
• Premium extras. A customer portal, automatic invoice and quote chasing, AI text writing and a drawing and annotation tool (Powered Now pricing).

Where YourTradebase is ahead

• Team pricing. A base plan plus £15 per extra user is simpler to predict than per-user tiers with conflicting multi-user terms.
• Quote acceptance. Customers view, accept or decline online, and a setting asks for a signature on acceptance, with the signature image in the notification email (YourTradebase help). On Powered Now, the customer accepts or rejects the whole quote from a link, and drawn signatures are captured in the mobile app (Powered Now help).
• Xero with CIS. YourTradebase's Xero sync includes CIS deductions (YourTradebase help). Powered Now's Xero sync is manual, through a Sync button, and exported records are locked (Powered Now help).
• Trial and price history. A 30-day trial with no card, and the move from £25 to £29 in September 2025 was its first price change in six years (YourTradebase blog).

If you're new to either tax rule, our explainer on the domestic reverse charge covers what has to be on the invoice.

Where neither fits: the building project

Both apps are built around the job: quote it, schedule it, do it, invoice it. A building project adds layers that we couldn't find in either. Searching both in October 2026, we couldn't find a formal variations workflow, a contract builder, a daily site diary (in both, "diary" means the scheduling calendar) or take-off from drawings. YourTradebase lets you note "changes and extras" on job sheets (YourTradebase); Powered Now's closest is editing and reissuing the quote.

That's where EstiMate comes in. It's quoting, contracts, project management, invoicing and accounting for UK builders, at one price per business:

To be clear on the trade-off: EstiMate doesn't file VAT returns to HMRC, which Powered Now does, and it exports files in Xero and QuickBooks formats rather than syncing live. If those matter more than contracts and variations, that's your answer. Its £15.99 and £39.99 plans are also one office login (on Pro the site team use the Site Crew app from a job link); several office logins with roles mean EstiMate Corp, from £249, and for a small office team both these apps come in cheaper on their listed prices. If projects are your bread and butter, see our project management software and the full pricing.

How to choose

1. Certificates, VAT filing, Android: trial Powered Now.
2. Small team, simple pricing, signed online quotes, Xero with CIS: trial YourTradebase.
3. Extensions, refits and fit-outs with contracts and variations: start on EstiMate's free plan (no card, no time limit, three jobs a month).

We've also done single comparisons: YourTradebase alternative and Powered Now alternative.

Start free and see how a project looks in software built for one.