TradedocComparison
TradeDoc AI vs Commusoft: sole trader vs enterprise FSM
Commusoft is enterprise-grade field service management at ~£40+/user/month, sales-quoted, with a paid implementation. TradeDoc AI is documents only — every UK compliance cert plus AI-generated quotes — free for your first 100 docs a month. Two different tools for two different businesses.
No card required
The 30-second verdict
Pick Commusoft if…
- • You run 5+ engineers with an office scheduling jobs
- • You need parts inventory, customer portals, dispatch
- • You have budget for implementation and ongoing user licences
- • You want one system running your entire trade business
Pick TradeDoc if…
- • You're a sole trader or small team of one-to-three
- • Your real pain is paperwork speed, not scheduling
- • You want to sign up in 60 seconds, not six weeks of onboarding
- • You'd rather pay nothing up front — Free covers 100 docs/month
These are not really competitors. Commusoft is for trade businesses with an office. TradeDoc is for the tradesman on the tools.
Feature-by-feature
Commusoft pricing is sales-quoted; figures here reflect typical published starting tiers. Email josh@tradedoc.co.uk if anything is out of date.
What are you actually paying for?
Commusoft is priced for businesses that run other businesses. TradeDoc is priced for the individual tradesperson.
- Full field service management and engineer dispatch
- Parts / stock / warehouse control
- Customer portal and multi-department workflows
- Deep accounting integrations
- Dedicated implementation + ongoing account management
- Genuinely free tier — no demo call, no card, no sales process
- AI-generated quotes from a one-line job description
- All four trades' compliance docs in one account
- 60-second document generation vs template configuration
Moving from Commusoft to TradeDoc
This migration usually happens when a business downscales — an engineer goes sole trader, or a small crew breaks up. The data transfer itself is simple.
- 1Export your customer list from CommusoftSettings → export customers to CSV. If Commusoft won't export for you, ask support — under UK GDPR you're entitled to your own data.
- 2Download past compliance PDFs you need for recordsCP12s, EICRs, and any other certs. Save to your phone or PC before cancelling.
- 3Sign up to TradeDoc (no card required)Free from day one, all document types unlocked from minute one.
- 4Import your customer listCSV upload, two minutes. No retyping required.
- 5Cancel Commusoft after a complete month in parallelDon't cancel on day one — keep Commusoft active through a billing cycle so you have fallback access to historical data while you confirm TradeDoc covers what you actually use.
Frequently asked questions
Is Commusoft the right software for a sole trader?+
Almost never. Commusoft is enterprise-grade field service management designed for trade businesses running multiple engineers, vans, a scheduling office, and a parts warehouse. The pricing and onboarding cost reflect that. For a one-man band issuing CP12s and quotes, you'd pay £40+/month for 95% of features you never touch. TradeDoc is documents only, free for the first 100 a month, zero setup.
What does Commusoft do that TradeDoc doesn't?+
Full field service management — engineer scheduling and dispatch, live customer portal, parts and stock management, deep accounting integration, multi-department workflows, and custom reporting. If you run a business with 5+ engineers and an office running jobs, Commusoft is genuinely built for that. If you're solo, it's overkill.
What does TradeDoc do that Commusoft doesn't?+
Self-serve signup with no demo call, AI-generated quotes from a one-line job description, and a genuinely free tier (100 docs/month, all doc types, no card required at sign-up). You're up and running in 60 seconds, not six weeks of onboarding.
When should I actually consider Commusoft?+
When you've grown past 3–5 engineers, have an office taking bookings, need engineer scheduling across a team, and can absorb both the monthly cost and the implementation time. If you're still the one answering the phone and turning up on the job, you're not there yet. TradeDoc handles the documents side until you are.
Can I move my Commusoft data into TradeDoc?+
Only the customer list — export as CSV and import into TradeDoc in a couple of minutes. Commusoft-specific data like scheduling, dispatch records, and custom workflows don't have an equivalent in TradeDoc because TradeDoc doesn't do those things. If you need them, you need Commusoft (or a similar FSM). If you don't, TradeDoc does the documents side for £0/month.
Is the free tier sustainable or will you paywall core features later?+
The free tier covers every document type we make — CP12, EIC, EICR, Minor Works, PAT, quotes, CIS invoices. The 100 docs/month cap is genuinely generous for a sole trader; most users send 20–40 a month. Pro at £15/month adds custom branding, one-tap email, and unlimited docs for higher-volume users. We don't plan to move current Free features into Pro — that would break our positioning.
TradeDoc is free. Upgrade only if it earns it.
First 100 documents a month are free — every doc type a UK tradesman sends. Pro at £15/month adds custom branding, one-tap customer email, and unlimited docs. No card at sign-up.