Comparison · Updated April 2026
GeraHome vs Checkatrade — honest comparison (2026)
Checkatrade is one of the UK's most recognised directories of vetted tradespeople, with tens of thousands of members and more than two decades of review data. GeraHome is a newer booking-first platform that runs in the UK plus 20 other countries where directory-style products are thin on the ground. Both help you find a plumber, electrician, cleaner, or builder — but they work very differently under the hood. This page lays it out without spin.
TL;DR
- Pick Checkatrade if you are in the UK, want maximum trade choice, and prefer the familiar “get three quotes, pick one” flow backed by 5M+ reviews.
- Pick GeraHome if you want instant booking with a real calendar, you need coverage outside the UK, or you'd rather pay a trade only when the job completes (not per lead).
- For recurring jobs (cleaner, gardener, window cleaner) GeraHome's subscription model is the better fit.
Feature comparison
| Feature | GeraHome | Checkatrade |
|---|---|---|
| UK coverage | Yes: UK + 20 countries | Yes: UK-only (national network, ~50,000 trades) |
| Pay per lead for trades | Yes: Commission on completed job (no wasted leads) | Partial: Annual membership + lead fees |
| Trade vetting (ID, insurance, reference checks) | Yes: Documented checks + rating history | Yes: 12 background checks including ID, address, insurance |
| Consumer guarantee / dispute fund | Yes: GeraCover deposit protection up to £1,000 | Yes: Checkatrade Guarantee (up to £1,000 where work meets criteria) |
| Verified reviews | Yes: Reviews tied to completed bookings only | Yes: Over 5 million reviews accumulated over 20 years |
| Instant booking with calendar | Yes: Yes — real-time availability | Partial: Request a quote, then call-back model |
| In-app chat + photo sharing | Yes: Yes | No: Phone/email handoff after match |
| Recurring jobs (cleaner, gardener) | Yes: Subscription bookings supported | No: Not a core product |
| GeraCoins loyalty rewards | Yes: Earn on every job | No: No equivalent |
| Trade mobile app | Yes: iOS + Android | Yes: Trade app available |
Based on each vendor's public product pages as of April 2026.
Pricing compared
Checkatrade is free for homeowners. Its revenue comes from tradespeople who pay an annual membership (Checkatrade publishes tiered plans from roughly £25–£80+ per month, plus VAT, depending on the region and trade category) and in some cases additional lead fees. GeraHome is also free for homeowners, but trades pay only when a job completes — a commission in the 10–15% range on the completed job value. For a trade doing two large jobs a month, Checkatrade's flat fee may be cheaper; for a trade doing high-volume, low-ticket work, GeraHome's commission typically comes out lower. Always check Checkatrade's current published membership pricing before deciding.
When to pick GeraHome
- You want to pick a time slot and confirm instantly, not wait for callbacks.
- You need a recurring service (cleaner, gardener, window cleaner) with automated rebooking.
- You live outside the UK or move between countries.
- You are a trade who only wants to pay when the job closes.
When to pick Checkatrade
- You are a UK homeowner and want the largest directory of rated trades.
- You're doing a one-off, high-value job (extension, rewire, roofing) and want multiple bids.
- You want brand recognition — Checkatrade has huge consumer trust in the UK.
- You are a trade doing mostly large jobs where a flat membership fee is cheaper than commission.
Switching costs and migration path
For homeowners there is effectively no switching cost — neither platform charges you to sign up, and nothing you did on Checkatrade is locked to that app. For trades, the cost to switch is the unexpired portion of your Checkatrade annual membership (non-refundable in most cases) and the effort of importing existing reviews. GeraHome supports review imports: trades can submit up to 50 verified Checkatrade reviews during onboarding and we will re-verify them against the public Checkatrade profile before publishing. We recommend running in parallel for a full calendar quarter so you can compare lead quality and payout timing before cancelling your Checkatrade renewal.
Fair caveats
Checkatrade has a 20-year head start on review volume, household brand recognition in the UK, and a battle-tested dispute process. For a homeowner who has heard of Checkatrade and wants the safe choice for a major job, it remains an excellent pick — we will not pretend otherwise. GeraHome's advantages are booking speed, international coverage, subscription bookings, and the commission-on-completion model that aligns our incentives with trades.
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