NI Trades vs MyBuilder for NI tradespeople
Side-by-side comparison
| NI Trades | MyBuilder | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat monthly fee | Pay-per-shortlist (per won customer contact) |
| Annual cost (typical) | £360 (Listed) or £660 (Featured) | Variable; trades report £400 to £2,000+/yr depending on bid volume |
| Per-lead charges | None, ever | Around £2 to £35 per shortlist, set by job size |
| Geographic focus | Northern Ireland only | UK-wide |
| Trades per job | Capped at 3 | Up to ~5 quoting per job (bidding-war dynamic) |
| Contract / lock-in | No tie-in, cancel any time | No contract; account credit expires 12 months from issue |
| Cancellation | Self-serve, any time | Stop responding; request closure in writing for full removal |
| Reviews source | Verified reviews from real NI customers | MyBuilder-collected reviews from completed jobs |
| Vetting at application | ID, public liability insurance, statutory credentials, references | ID, insurance and credential review at signup |
| Best for | Established NI trades who want predictable cost and local reach | Trades with capacity to bid high volume and absorb misses |
Figures above reflect publicly-reported MyBuilder pricing in 2026 and the current NI Trades plans. Both can change. For the detail behind every row, see the full review.
When MyBuilder still makes sense
The no-monthly-fee model is genuinely useful for trades who want to test paid lead generation without committing to a subscription. If you have capacity to write thoughtful job responses at speed and can compete on more than price, MyBuilder will produce work.
When NI Trades is the better fit
The bidding-war dynamic is the issue for most NI trades. Quoting against four or five other trades on the same job pushes the price down to whoever needs the work most, which undercuts the established local trade who is busy enough to charge fairly. NI Trades caps the number of tradespeople on a job at three, the cost is flat and predictable, and there are no per-shortlist fees that get billed even when a homeowner ghosts. The audience is local rather than a slice of a UK-wide platform.
The bottom line for NI tradespeople
MyBuilder works for trades who can absorb misses, bid on volume, and accept the race-to-the-bottom dynamic. For an established NI tradesperson who wants predictable monthly cost and a smaller pool of competitors on each job, NI Trades is the more sustainable fit.
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 commit.
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.