figrd vs ServiceM8: what each one meters.

Pricing, side by side

ServiceM8 prices from servicem8.com/au/pricing, checked 16 August 2026, where the page states "Prices are in AUD and include GST". figrd prices from our own pricing page, same date, also AUD inc GST - so the figures below are like-for-like.

• figrd Core - A$39/month, 1,000 jobs a month included, unlimited users
• figrd Pro - A$99/month, 3,500 jobs a month included, unlimited users
• ServiceM8 Free - A$0/month, 30 jobs, 1 user
• ServiceM8 Starter - A$29/month, 50 jobs, unlimited users
• ServiceM8 Growing - A$79/month, 150 jobs, unlimited users
• ServiceM8 Premium - A$149/month, 500 jobs, unlimited users
• ServiceM8 Premium Plus - A$349/month, 1,500+ jobs (then 20c per extra job), unlimited users

Both meter SMS beyond a monthly allowance (ServiceM8 10c per message) and both charge a card-payment fee. The structural difference is the plan itself: ServiceM8's price steps up with your job volume; figrd's does not.

What that means as you get busier - the maths, shown

Job volume climbs with your business, which means a job-metered bill climbs exactly when you are busiest. The same growth on figrd changes nothing until you pass 1,000 jobs in a month:

• ~60 jobs a month: past ServiceM8 Starter's 50-job cap, so Growing at A$79. figrd Core stays A$39.
• ~200 jobs a month: ServiceM8 Premium at A$149. figrd Core stays A$39.
• ~600 jobs a month: ServiceM8 Premium Plus at A$349. figrd Core stays A$39 (up to 1,000 jobs).

At the low end ServiceM8 is cheaper: its Free plan (30 jobs, one user) is A$0, and Starter is A$29 for 50 jobs. The lines cross the moment your job count grows.

Where the profit maths happens

This is closer than the pricing. ServiceM8 reports on "job profitability, revenue by job category, and total revenue", and its Job Costing feature shows an estimated profit while you quote and a quoted-versus-actual comparison after the job (ServiceM8 AU pricing and Job Costing Overview, checked 31 July 2026). It is available on Premium and above. ServiceM8 documents the estimate as invoice amount minus material, labour and tracked admin cost. On those plans, it can give you a useful profit estimate before and after the job.

figrd starts one level earlier: what must this business recover for an hour of billable work? Its rate model spreads annual running costs and non-earning weeks across billable hours, then adds owner pay, business margin and job-specific costs. That same basis sits in the quote builder on Core and Pro, works on jobs where a builder sets the price, and carries into quoted-versus-actual reporting afterwards. Both products cost a job. What differs is which costs go into the number: the direct costs of the job, or the full cost of running the business for a year.

Platforms

ServiceM8's full-featured field app runs on iPhone and iPad. A basic companion app, ServiceM8 Lite, is available for Android field staff, and ServiceM8 itself notes it does not have the same feature set as the iPhone and iPad app (servicem8.com/au and ServiceM8 support, checked 1 August 2026). figrd runs in any modern phone browser today, Android included - an Android crew can quote, schedule and invoice from the phone they already have. The native iOS field app is in App Store submission preparation, with a native Android app on the roadmap behind it.

Where ServiceM8 is likely the better fit

Verified from ServiceM8's own pricing page and App Store listing, checked 12-15 July 2026.

• Very low job volume with one user - the Free plan (30 jobs a month) costs nothing, and Starter is A$29.
• Dispatch-heavy service work on iPhones - the field app and its no-sign-up "Try Demo" are polished and proven.
• A live map of staff locations all day - figrd shares location only during active jobs, by consent.
• Payroll-grade timesheets, Tap to Pay, or MYOB and QuickBooks alongside Xero - figrd syncs Xero only.

Where figrd is likely the better fit

• Your job volume is growing and you do not want the software bill climbing tiers with it.
• You want the decision based on the full cost of running the business, including billable capacity and annual overhead, built into Core and Pro.
• You take work at a rate set by a builder or another business and want to check that amount before committing, then review profit and payment speed by payer.
• You want quote to paid in one place, at one price - quote, schedule, invoice, automated reminders, payment.
• You want SWMS and JSA safety forms included on every plan - filled and signed on the phone, emailed as branded PDFs. ServiceM8's advanced form templates are per-form purchases - its add-on directory lists JSA templates at A$199 and A$124 (checked 16 August 2026).
• Your customers get a branded page of their own - accept the quote, pay the invoice, book a time. ServiceM8's customer surfaces are one-off links, with no customer login documented on its site or in its add-on directory (checked 16 August 2026).

ServiceM8 offers a free trial, and every new figrd account starts with a 30-day trial of full Pro. Run your last 5 real jobs through each and see which one tells you something you did not already know.