Is Bludge a ServiceM8 alternative?
ServiceM8 is a ready-made job app for trades that you can set up yourself. Bludge is set up around your business by our team, with your phone, bookings, website and growth plan in one place.
Which one is right for you
Features side by side
Read the note under each symbol to see what you need to use that feature. The plan you choose may limit how much you can use it. See where these facts come from.
| What you need | BludgeBuilt and managed for your business | ServiceM8Job management app for trades and services |
|---|---|---|
| Quotes, jobs and invoicesPrice the work, schedule it and bill for it. | AvailableSend quotes customers can accept, plan jobs on a calendar and issue invoices. |
AvailableQuote, schedule and dispatch jobs, then invoice. |
| Collect payments onlineLet customers pay by card and keep the payment with the job. | AvailableSend a link to pay a deposit or the full amount. |
AvailableTake cards on site with Tap to Pay, or send an online payment link. |
| Online booking and a customer portalLet customers book and follow their work online. | AvailableOffer times based on staff availability. Customers follow progress in a portal. |
AvailableLink to booking forms hosted by ServiceM8. Customers accept quotes and track arrival online. |
| Sync with accounting softwareSend invoices and payments to Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks. | Needs a different plan, extra product, connection or serviceNo built-in sync yet. Ask us about a connection. |
AvailableSync with Xero, QuickBooks Online or MYOB. |
| Answer the phoneHave calls answered when your team is busy. | AvailableAI answers routine calls, checks availability and takes bookings. Other calls go to your team with a call record. |
Needs a different plan, extra product, connection or serviceAdd ServiceM8 Phone. Its AI Phone Agent, on selected phone plans, answers questions, takes messages and can submit a booking. |
| AI help, with reviewHave AI prepare text and records for a person to check. | AvailableDraft replies, turn notes into records and summarise conversations. Staff review before sending or saving. |
AvailableDraft quotes, invoices and replies with AI, then review. Some AI tools are add-ons. |
| Strategy, website and marketingPlan how to win customers, then create the tools to do it. | AvailablePlan your strategy with our team, then create your website, presentations and social posts. |
Needs a different plan, extra product, connection or serviceAsk for reviews and follow up quotes. Connect Mailchimp for email. We found no strategy service. |
| Help with setup and future changesHave someone set up the system and adapt it as your needs change. | AvailableWe agree the setup, support and changes in your quote. |
Needs a different plan, extra product, connection or serviceSet it up yourself with free support, or pay a certified partner. |
| How you payHow each product works out its price. | Quote for your business Pay for setup, ongoing service and usage. No fee per user. | Price per plan, by jobs each month Paid plans have unlimited users. Some features and ServiceM8 Phone cost extra. |
We never list another company’s prices here, because they change. Your Bludge quote confirms which features, setup and support are included, and what usage costs extra. How our pricing works.
The detail behind the symbols
We checked ServiceM8’s own published information. Reviewed 27 October 2026. Features, plans and prices change, so check the current plan before you decide.
We compared ServiceM8’s paid plans, its add-ons and ServiceM8 Phone with its Phone Agent. Several features are add-ons that depend on the plan. ServiceM8 also has a free plan for one person.
Moving from ServiceM8
Export your clients, jobs, quotes, invoices and materials from ServiceM8 as spreadsheets. We import customers and records from spreadsheets, match the columns and check a preview with you first.
Your accounting software, phone number, email and website stay as they are. Bludge works beside Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks until you ask us about a connection.
Staff get one place for enquiries, bookings, jobs and records, on a phone or at a desk. We show each role its own screens, and the rules do the chasing.
We start with one workflow, such as enquiries or bookings, and agree the quote. Then we move the rest in stages. Nothing in ServiceM8 switches off until you say so.
Questions
For some businesses. ServiceM8 is a ready-made job app that you set up yourself, and it suits many trades well. Bludge is set up around your business by our team, and it brings your phone, bookings, customer portal, website and growth plan into one system.
ServiceM8 prices its plans by the number of jobs each month, with unlimited users on paid plans. Some features and ServiceM8 Phone cost extra. Bludge gives you a quote for your business that covers setup, ongoing service and usage.
Yes. ServiceM8’s Phone Agent works with ServiceM8 Phone on selected plans. It answers common questions, takes messages, can submit an online booking for the caller and logs each call with a summary. Bludge’s AI phone answering is part of the system, not a separate phone product. It handles routine calls, checks staff availability and takes bookings, then passes other calls to your team.
Bludge has no built-in sync today, and ServiceM8 syncs with all three. If accounting sync matters to you, ask us what a connection would involve.
ServiceM8 has a free plan for one person and a 14-day free trial. Bludge starts with a conversation. We can set up one workflow first, such as enquiries or bookings, and quote it before you decide.
Yes, in most cases. If you can export your customers and records from ServiceM8 to a spreadsheet, we can import them. You match the columns and check a preview first. We agree the move in your quote.
Built for your kind of business
People comparing ServiceM8 usually run one of these kinds of business. Each setup page shows the forms, records and rules you would start with.
Bring an example of the work you want to improve. We’ll show you how Bludge would handle it, and tell you if the other tool is the better fit.