Website vs Checkatrade: Which Gets More Leads for Less?

Checkatrade charges you every single month — whether you're busy or quiet, whether the leads are any good or not. Here's an honest, numbers-based comparison of what you actually get from Checkatrade versus what a properly built website delivers.

What Checkatrade costs

In 2026, Checkatrade membership costs between £500 and £1,200+ per year depending on your trade and subscription level. That's just the membership fee. You're also competing with every other tradesperson in your category for those leads, and you have very little control over how you're presented or ranked within the platform.

The platform has also been moving towards a pay-per-lead model, which means your monthly bill can be unpredictable during busy periods. And every lead you receive through Checkatrade is a lead that Checkatrade owns — not you.

What a website costs

A properly built trades website from Signal Bloom starts at £349 — a one-off payment. No monthly fee. No subscription. No competing with 40 other plumbers on the same page.

After the initial build, you might add an SEO retainer (from £99/month) to grow your rankings over time. But even including ongoing SEO, your total monthly outlay is lower than Checkatrade — and every lead you get is entirely yours. See our full pricing page for the breakdown.

The lead quality difference

This is the part of the comparison that matters most, and it's rarely discussed.

Checkatrade leads come from people who are shopping around. They fill in a form, three or four tradespeople contact them, and they choose based primarily on price and availability. You're commoditised before you've said a word. These customers have been trained by the platform to expect multiple quotes and to negotiate.

Leads from your own website are different. These customers searched for your trade and location on Google, found your website specifically, looked at your reviews and your portfolio, and decided you were who they wanted to call. They've already pre-qualified themselves. They're not shopping around — they're ready to book with someone they've chosen.

Direct website enquiries consistently convert at significantly higher rates than lead platform enquiries, and the customers tend to be considerably less price-sensitive. This is not anecdotal — it's the consistent experience of tradespeople who have made the transition.

The ownership question

With Checkatrade, you're renting access to leads. If you stop paying, you disappear instantly. If the platform changes its algorithm, your visibility drops. Every review you accumulate, every profile you build — it all benefits Checkatrade's asset, not yours.

With a website, you're building an asset that belongs to you permanently. Your Google rankings compound over time. Your reviews stay with your business. Your content accumulates authority. Every pound you invest in your website increases the value of something you own outright.

When Checkatrade does make sense

Checkatrade is genuinely useful when you're starting out and need leads immediately — before your website has had time to rank. It can be a reasonable short-term bridge, particularly for a new business or a tradesperson moving to a new area. The mistake is treating it as a permanent strategy rather than a transitional one.

The smart approach is to build your website properly (Google rankings typically take 3–6 months to develop), use Checkatrade during that period, and progressively reduce your dependence on it as your organic leads increase.

The numbers side by side

• Checkatrade (mid-tier): ~£80/month ongoing, leads shared with competitors, platform owns the asset
• Website + SEO retainer: £349 one-off + £99/month, leads 100% yours, you own the asset

After twelve months: Checkatrade has cost you ~£960 and you own nothing. Your website has cost you £349 + £1,188 (12 months SEO) = ~£1,537 — but you own a permanently ranking asset that will continue generating leads indefinitely at the same cost.

After two years, the website is already cheaper on a per-lead basis. After three, it's not close.