If you are a UK tradesperson looking for quoting software, three names keep coming up: QuoteSmith, YourTradebase, and Powered Now. All three promise to help you create professional quotes faster. But they are quite different products at quite different price points.
This comparison covers what each tool actually does, what it costs, and which type of tradesperson it suits best.
| Feature | QuoteSmith | YourTradebase | Powered Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 39 GBP/month | From 15 GBP/month | From 18 GBP/month |
| AI-generated proposals | Yes - full AI writing | No | No |
| Professional PDF output | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trade-specific content | Yes - AI adapts to your trade | Templates only | Templates only |
| VAT calculation | Automatic 20% | Yes | Yes |
| Invoicing | No (quotes only) | Yes | Yes |
| Job scheduling | No | Yes | Yes |
| iOS app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time to create a quote | 2 minutes | 10-15 minutes | 10-15 minutes |
| First proposal | Included | 14 days | 14 days |
| UK focused | UK only | UK only | UK only |
QuoteSmith is the only one of the three that uses AI to actually write your proposals. You type in the job details (what the work is, the line items and costs) and the AI generates a complete professional proposal with a scope of work, timeline, terms and conditions specific to your trade, and automatic VAT calculations.
The result is a branded PDF that looks like it came from a large company, not a sole trader. The whole process takes about two minutes.
QuoteSmith does not do invoicing, scheduling, or job management. It does one thing and does it very well: turning your rough job details into a polished proposal that wins work. If your main problem is that your quotes look scrappy and you are losing jobs to competitors who present better, this is the tool to use.
At 39 GBP per month it is more expensive than the others, but the time saving is significant. If you quote for five jobs a week and each quote takes 30 minutes less to produce, you are saving over 10 hours per month. That time is worth far more than 39 GBP.
YourTradebase is a broader tool that covers quoting, invoicing, job scheduling, and customer management. It is a full business management platform for tradespeople rather than a specialist quoting tool.
The quoting feature uses templates rather than AI. You fill in the fields, choose from pre-built sections, and it generates a quote. It works well but takes longer than QuoteSmith because you are doing more of the writing yourself.
Where YourTradebase shines is if you need everything in one place: quotes, invoices, job tracking, and customer records. It is a solid choice for tradespeople who want to run their admin from a single app.
Powered Now focuses on field service businesses and includes features like digital forms, certificates, and customer signatures on site. It is particularly popular with gas engineers and electricians who need to complete compliance paperwork on the job.
The quoting feature is template-based, similar to YourTradebase. It is functional but not as fast as QuoteSmith's AI approach.
If your business involves a lot of on-site paperwork (gas safety records, electrical certificates, completion forms) Powered Now is worth considering because it handles that alongside the quoting.
If your main goal is to send professional quotes fast and win more work: QuoteSmith. The AI does the heavy lifting and produces results that look better than what most tradespeople could write themselves. Start at quotesmith.co.uk, your first proposal is included.
If you want quoting plus invoicing plus job management in one tool: YourTradebase. It is a good all-rounder at a lower price point.
If you do a lot of on-site compliance paperwork: Powered Now. The forms and certificates feature is genuinely useful for gas and electrical trades.
YourTradebase and Powered Now offer trials, and QuoteSmith includes your first proposal, so the best advice is to try your top pick on a real job and see if it fits how you work.
QuoteSmith turns a few job details into a polished, branded quote your customers can accept in one tap. Built for UK trades.
Get started with QuoteSmith