NI Trades vs Checkatrade: which works for NI tradespeople?
Side-by-side comparison
| NI Trades | Checkatrade | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat monthly fee | Membership subscription + paid plan tiers |
| Annual cost (typical) | £360 (Listed) or £660 (Featured) | Around £1,000 to £1,500/yr on standard plans |
| Per-lead charges | None, ever | None on top of the plan, but plans are tiered by lead volume |
| Geographic focus | Northern Ireland only | UK-wide |
| Trades per job | Capped at 3 | Multiple trades shown, no cap |
| Contract / lock-in | No tie-in, cancel any time | 12-month minimum contract on every plan |
| Cancellation | Self-serve, any time | Written notice; retention agent on phone calls |
| Reviews source | Verified reviews from real NI customers | Checkatrade-collected reviews from members |
| Vetting at application | ID, public liability insurance, statutory credentials, references | Background and credential checks at signup |
| Best for | Established NI trades who want predictable cost and local reach | High-volume trades in dense English regions with marketing budget |
Figures above reflect publicly-reported Checkatrade pricing in 2026 and the current NI Trades plans. Both can change. For the detail behind every row, see the full review.
When Checkatrade still makes sense
If you are a high-volume trade in a dense English population centre, or you want the recognised Checkatrade badge on your van and your website and the fee is small relative to your marketing budget, Checkatrade can earn its membership. It also carries some search-demand weight in categories where homeowners type the brand name directly.
When NI Trades is the better fit
For most Northern Ireland trades the maths is cleaner on NI Trades. The cost is flat and predictable, there is no 12-month tie-in, and a maximum of three tradespeople are shown on any one job, so you are never one of a dozen chasing the same enquiry. The audience and search demand are local rather than a slice of a UK-wide platform, which matters most for NI-specific trades like oil-fired heating where homeowner search goes to specialists. Cancellation is self-serve and immediate, not a retention call.
The bottom line for NI tradespeople
Checkatrade can work for trades who can absorb a four-figure annual fee and a 12-month commitment across high job volume. For an established NI sole trader or small firm, NI Trades is the cheaper, more flexible, locally-focused option, with no per-lead charges and no surprise renewal hikes.
Frequently asked questions
Pricing and terms on third-party platforms named here change frequently and vary by trade and region. Figures quoted were validated against publicly-reported sources in May 2026. Always confirm current pricing directly with each provider before you sign anything.
Aoife covers the trade-side platform, registration and admin content for NI Trades. She writes the platform reviews (Checkatrade, Bark, MyBuilder, Rated People) and the credential and insurance guides aimed at working tradespeople in Northern Ireland. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Business Management from Queen’s University Belfast.