TradedocComparison
TradeDoc AI vs Gas Engineer Software: do you need the full FSM?
GES is the UK's established job-management tool for gas engineers — scheduling, CRM, accounting sync, £19–25/month per user. TradeDoc AI is documents only, with AI-generated quotes and every UK compliance cert across all four trades — free for your first 100 docs a month. Here's the honest side-by-side.
No card required
The 30-second verdict
Pick Gas Engineer Software if…
- • You run a heating business with multiple engineers
- • You need a shared diary, CRM, and parts inventory
- • You want Xero or Sage sync running today
- • Your paperwork is only CP12s and landlord records (nothing else)
Pick TradeDoc if…
- • You're Gas Safe registered and working solo or with one mate
- • You also do any electrical (EICR, MW, EIC) or plumbing work
- • You'd rather pay nothing up front — Free covers 100 docs/month
- • You want AI-generated quotes, not manual line entry
Rule of thumb: if you've got engineers to schedule, GES earns its price. If it's just you and your van, you're paying for weight you won't use.
Feature-by-feature
Pricing is taken from GES' public pricing page. Features may have changed — email josh@tradedoc.co.uk if anything here is wrong and we'll fix it.
What are you actually paying for?
GES is a full job-management suite. TradeDoc is documents only. The price difference mostly reflects scope, not capability.
- Engineer diary + shared job scheduling
- Full customer CRM with job history and service intervals
- Parts and stock inventory tracking
- Live Xero and Sage sync
- Multi-engineer business features
- AI-generated quotes from a one-line job description
- Electrical certs (EIC, EICR, Minor Works, PAT) in the same account as your CP12s
- Plumbing and building job completion certs
- 100 docs a month at zero cost, no card required at sign-up
- Pro is ~£108–228/year saved at the single-user level vs GES
GES is built for gas engineering businesses. TradeDoc is built for the individual tradesperson who wants the paperwork side sorted.
Moving from Gas Engineer Software to TradeDoc
Most sole traders don't fully leave GES — they add TradeDoc alongside for a month to see if the document side fits, then cancel GES once they've confirmed. Here's the usual sequence.
- 1Sign up to TradeDoc (no card needed)Free from day one. Full access to CP12, EIC, EICR, Minor Works, PAT, quotes, and job completion certs from minute one.
- 2Generate your next CP12 in TradeDocFill in the landlord details, appliance readings, and your Gas Safe number. The PDF comes out with every Regulation 36 field. Send to the landlord as you normally would.
- 3Run a fortnight of new CP12s in parallelKeep GES active. Issue new certs in TradeDoc, keep the old job history in GES. This gives you real-world feedback on whether TradeDoc fits your workflow.
- 4Export your GES customer listSettings → export customers to CSV. Import into TradeDoc in two minutes. This is the data worth bringing over.
- 5Cancel GES once TradeDoc is confirmedDon't cancel on day one. Run them in parallel for a full month — one complete billing cycle — then cancel GES if TradeDoc is covering what you actually use.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gas Engineer Software (GES) the right tool for a one-man band gas engineer?+
GES is genuinely good software — it's been the market leader for UK gas engineers for years. But its pricing and feature set are built around multi-engineer businesses with fleets, schedules, and office staff. If you're a one-man band whose paperwork pain is CP12s and the occasional boiler quote, a full FSM costing £19–25 a month is a lot of kit you never touch. TradeDoc does the documents side only, at free for the first 100 a month.
Does TradeDoc generate a proper CP12 that's Regulation 36 compliant?+
Yes. The CP12 template in TradeDoc captures every field required under Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998: appliance details, flue checks, safety device operation, gas tightness testing, and the engineer's Gas Safe registration number. The PDF format is familiar to landlords and letting agents and is legally acceptable as a landlord gas safety record.
What does Gas Engineer Software do that TradeDoc doesn't?+
Diary and job scheduling across multiple engineers, full customer CRM with job history, parts and inventory tracking, live Xero/Sage accounting sync, and integrated job-costing. If you run a heating business with 3–10 engineers and office staff, GES is genuinely useful. If you're on the tools solo, most of that is weight you don't need.
Can I use both?+
You can, but it's rarely worth the cost stack. A few sole traders use GES purely for scheduling and TradeDoc for the documents (especially if they also issue electrical certs TradeDoc covers but GES doesn't). Most people pick one — GES if their pain is managing engineers and invoicing, TradeDoc if their pain is paperwork speed.
What if I'm Gas Safe registered and also do minor electrical?+
This is TradeDoc's sweet spot. GES is gas-only, so if you do any electrical (Minor Works, EICRs, EIC) you'd need a second tool. TradeDoc covers gas, electrical, plumbing, and building in one account. One login, one free tier, one PDF style across all your certs.
How do I move from Gas Engineer Software to TradeDoc?+
Most sole traders who move do it in stages. Start by generating new CP12s in TradeDoc for a fortnight — you'll see instantly whether the format works for your landlords. Export your customer list from GES (settings → export). Keep GES running in parallel for a month if you want your historical job diary and invoices accessible. Cancel only when you've confirmed your workflow fits TradeDoc.
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.