Checkatrade vs MyBuilder vs Bark for UK Tradespeople

If you're a UK tradesperson looking to generate more work through online platforms, three names come up more than any others — Checkatrade, MyBuilder, and Bark. Each works differently, costs differently, and suits different types of trade business. Picking the wrong one is an expensive mistake.

This guide compares all three honestly — how they work, what they cost, what tradespeople actually say about them, and which is the best fit depending on where you are in your business.

How Each Platform Works

Checkatrade — Membership Directory

Checkatrade is a vetted directory. You pay a monthly or annual subscription to be listed after passing identity, insurance, and qualification checks. Customers find your profile by searching on the Checkatrade website or via Google, then contact you directly. You don't bid on jobs — customers come to you if your profile appears in their search results.

The model works well when you have a strong review count and limited local competition. It works poorly when you're new with no reviews or when your trade category is already saturated with established members.

MyBuilder — Pay Per Lead

MyBuilder is a lead generation platform. Customers post jobs, and tradespeople pay a fee to express interest and access the customer's contact details. You only pay when you choose to pursue a lead — there's no upfront subscription. If a lead looks like a timewaster, you can skip it and pay nothing.

Registration is free. You build a profile with qualifications, photos, and reviews from past jobs. Customers can also search for tradespeople directly, similar to Checkatrade, but the pay-per-lead model is the core mechanic.

Bark — Credits-Based Lead Generation

Bark is a broader platform covering trades, professional services, events, and more. Customers submit a job request and Bark matches it to relevant tradespeople in the area. You purchase credits upfront and spend them to contact customers who have requested your type of work.

Unlike Checkatrade and MyBuilder, Bark is not trade-specific — it covers everything from electricians to wedding photographers. This affects lead quality. The customers are real but the platform wasn't built specifically with tradespeople in mind, which shows in how jobs are categorised and matched.

What Each Platform Costs

Checkatrade

Subscription-based, typically £100–£200 per month plus VAT for a full membership with lead visibility. Locked into a 12-month contract in most cases. Prices vary significantly by trade and location. Price increases at renewal are a common complaint — some tradespeople have reported fees jumping from £52/month to £150/month at renewal.

MyBuilder

Free to register and build a profile. You pay per lead when you choose to respond to a job — typically £3–£20 per lead depending on job size and trade. You're only charged when you actively pursue a lead, so costs scale with usage. A tradesperson doing modest volume might spend £50–£150 per month. A busy business pursuing more leads could spend significantly more.

Bark

Credits-based. You purchase credits in bundles — typically starting around £30–£50 for a starter pack. Each lead costs a set number of credits depending on job type and value. The issue is that credits are spent whether or not the customer responds, which makes it easy to burn through money on non-converting leads. Many tradespeople report spending significant credits on customers who never reply.

What Tradespeople Actually Say

On Checkatrade

Mixed to negative in recent years, particularly around price increases and lead quality in saturated areas. Common complaints include expensive renewals, difficult cancellation processes, and leads that don't convert. Positive experiences tend to come from established tradespeople with high review counts in less competitive areas. One electrician on a trade forum: "I tried Checkatrade and never received a call even with five-star feedback — just use Rated People and MyBuilder now."

On MyBuilder

Generally more positive than Checkatrade, particularly for the flexibility of the pay-per-lead model. The ability to assess a lead before paying for it is valued by tradespeople who have been burned by Checkatrade's subscription model. The quality of enquiries varies — customers sometimes post vague jobs without a clear budget — but the risk per lead is lower. A common observation: "I pay combined £100/month across Rated People and MyBuilder and get a good return from both."

On Bark

More polarising. Some tradespeople find it delivers a useful volume of enquiries, particularly in niches where competition on Checkatrade and MyBuilder is high. Others find the lead quality poor — customers submitting requests without serious intent, or leads going to five or six competing tradespeople simultaneously. The credits model is particularly frustrating when credits are spent on customers who don't respond. "The customer is usually looking for the cheapest quote — it attracts price shoppers" is a recurring theme in trade discussions.

Head to Head Comparison

	Checkatrade	MyBuilder	Bark
Model	Subscription	Pay per lead	Credits
Monthly cost	£100–£200+	£50–£150 typical	Variable
Contract	12 months	None	None
Consumer trust	High	Medium	Lower
Lead control	Low — customers find you	High — you choose leads	Medium
Trade specific	Yes	Yes	No
Best for	Established trades with strong reviews	Most tradespeople	Higher volume niches

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Checkatrade if:

• You already have 30+ verified reviews to bring to the platform
• You've checked your area and there's limited competition in your trade category
• You're in a safety-critical trade where the vetting credibility adds genuine value — gas engineers, electricians, roofers
• You or someone in your business can respond to enquiries within minutes during working hours

Choose MyBuilder if:

• You're newer to online lead generation and want to test the water without a 12-month commitment
• You want control over which leads you pursue rather than paying a flat fee regardless of volume
• You're building your review base — MyBuilder lets you collect reviews that improve your profile over time
• You want the most flexible and lowest-risk starting point

Try Bark if:

• You're in a trade or specialism where Checkatrade and MyBuilder competition is already high
• You want to supplement rather than replace other lead sources
• You're willing to experiment with a starter pack of credits before committing significant spend

The Honest Alternative to All Three

The tradespeople who are least dependent on paid lead platforms — and spending least on marketing — tend to have invested in their own Google presence instead. A well-optimised Google Business Profile with 20+ genuine reviews and a basic website can generate a consistent flow of direct enquiries at zero ongoing cost.

All three of these platforms get their traffic primarily from Google. A tradesperson's own website can rank above Checkatrade listings for local searches in many areas. That visibility is permanent, costs nothing per lead, and builds over time rather than depending on a subscription renewal.

The practical approach for most tradespeople is to start with Google — free profile, genuine reviews — then add MyBuilder for incremental paid leads if needed, and evaluate Checkatrade only once you have the review base to make it work.

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The Bottom Line

Of the three, MyBuilder offers the lowest risk and most flexibility for most UK tradespeople — you pay per lead, there's no contract, and you control what you spend. Checkatrade can deliver strong results but requires an established review base and careful area research before committing to a 12-month subscription. Bark is worth a small experiment but the credits model and non-trade-specific nature of the platform makes it the weakest of the three for most trade businesses.

None of them should be the first place you invest your marketing budget. That honour belongs to your Google Business Profile. For more on building your online presence without paid platforms, read our guides on whether you need a website as a UK tradesperson, our full Checkatrade review, and how to get more 5-star reviews.

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