- Switching directories changes the logo, not the model — leads stay shared and you still do the chasing.
- Agencies move you to paying for activity (ads, SEO) rather than outcomes; results depend heavily on who runs it.
- Outcome-priced models charge per booked appointment instead of per lead — the risk shifts from you to the provider.
Why trades go looking for an alternative
The complaints that push trade businesses off directories are consistent: fees that rise at renewal, the same homeowner sold to several firms, time wasted on enquiries that never answer, and the feeling of renting visibility you never own.
Any alternative should be judged against those four complaints — and on the one metric that matters, cost per booked job, rather than the headline price.
Alternative 1: other directories (TrustATrader, MyBuilder, Rated People, Bark)
Every major directory works on a variation of the same model: you pay for membership or per lead, and compete with other members for the same homeowners. Some differ usefully — fee structures, how many firms can contact one lead, review systems — and switching can genuinely lower costs for some trades.
But switching directory changes the supplier, not the economics. Leads remain shared or contestable, response speed still decides who wins, and you still carry the risk: you pay whether or not anything books.
Alternative 2: build your own channel (agency or DIY)
The second route is owning your demand: Google Business Profile, reviews, local SEO, a proper website, and paid ads run for your business alone. Done well, it compounds — every review and ranking is an asset you keep.
The trade-offs are time and risk allocation. Agencies charge retainers for activity, not outcomes; results vary enormously with the operator; and someone still has to answer every call and chase every enquiry the marketing produces. The marketing bill arrives whether or not the diary fills.
Alternative 3: pay for the outcome — booked surveys, not leads
The third model prices the thing you actually want: a qualified homeowner with a confirmed appointment in your calendar. MyTradeBuddy works this way for UK trade businesses: exclusive local demand (one business per area), AI qualification on area, timing, job type and intent, and follow-up by phone, SMS and email until the enquiry books or says no.
The honest limits: it is not a fit for every trade or every volume level, it is a partnership rather than a self-serve listing, and you should expect to be qualified as much as you qualify us — exclusivity means saying no to your competitors.
The comparison that matters
Directories: low commitment, shared leads, you carry the risk and the chasing. Agencies: owned assets and compounding upside, but you pay for activity and results depend on execution. Outcome-priced systems: you pay only when a survey books, exclusivity is built in, and the provider carries the follow-up burden.
A sensible stack for many established firms is a hybrid: keep the review profile that gives you credibility, build the owned assets that compound, and put outcome-priced demand underneath so the diary does not depend on winning races to answer shared leads.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on what you are solving. If fees are the issue, another directory may quote lower — but leads stay shared. If you want owned, compounding channels, invest in Google Business Profile, reviews and local SEO. If you want predictable cost per outcome, an exclusive pay-per-booked-survey model like MyTradeBuddy removes the sharing and the chasing entirely.
Pricing varies by trade and area on every platform, and all of them work on shared or contestable leads. Compare them on cost per booked job for your own numbers, not the headline membership fee.
You pay when a qualified homeowner has a confirmed appointment in your calendar — not per lead, click or call. Leads are the input; the booked survey is the product. If nothing books, you do not pay for it.
Yes. Many firms keep a directory profile for its reviews and brand credibility while running exclusive booked-survey demand alongside it. The two models do not conflict — they just price risk differently.
Only your own numbers can answer that. Work out your cost per booked job: membership fees plus lead fees, divided by jobs actually won. If shared leads mean you win one quote in four, the real cost is four times the lead price. Expensive is not the fee — it is the cost per job it produces.
Three routes: build owned channels (Google Business Profile, reviews, local SEO), run your own ads or hire an agency, or use an outcome-priced model where you pay per booked survey rather than per shared lead. Most firms that leave directories combine an owned channel with one paid channel they can measure.
Checkatrade, TrustATrader, MyBuilder, Rated People and Bark differ mainly in how they charge — annual or monthly membership, pay-per-lead credits, or a mix of both. What they share matters more: enquiries are contestable, so the same homeowner can reach several member firms. Compare them on cost per booked job rather than membership price, because that sharing multiplier is what decides your real cost.