SoloOp and ServiceM8 · Australia
A ServiceM8 alternative when the job limit is the problem.
ServiceM8’s free plan is real, and it caps you at 30 jobs a month. A mowing round can pass that in a week. SoloOp has no job limit on the free core, and no per-job credits to watch.
Free core tools for Australian businesses. Bank Feeds: A$19 a month for 12 months on one of the first 50 founding spots, then A$39. Save a founding spot →
Recorded in SoloOp.
Start with the fit.
ServiceM8 goes wide: online bookings, forms and certificates, asset management, proposals, an inbox that turns emails into jobs, and accounting integrations, with the bigger pieces on Growing and above. If you issue compliance certificates or need online booking, it has them and SoloOp does not. SoloOp is narrower on purpose: the run, the invoices, the money, with Bank Feeds as the paid piece.
Compare the everyday tools.
ServiceM8 Free is A$0 for one user and 30 jobs a month, with SMS at 10c each and card payments at 1.89% + 30c. Starter is A$29 a month (incl. GST) for 50 jobs and unlimited users, Growing A$79 for 150 jobs, Premium A$149 for 500. Every plan counts each new job card against the monthly limit. See ServiceM8’s Australian plans ↗
Swipe the table to compare both apps →
| What to compare | ServiceM8 | SoloOp |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | A$0: 1 user, 30 jobs a month, 10c per SMS, cards 1.89% + 30c | A$0: no job limit; crews with no per-user fee; cards 1.7% + A$1.30 absorbed by you |
| First paid plan | Starter A$29 a month incl. GST, 50 jobs a month | Bank Feeds A$19 a month for 12 months on one of the first 50 founding spots, then A$39, incl. GST; still no job limit |
| Scheduling and the day | Job cards, scheduling, recurring jobs, auto routing add-on | Gravity scheduling, Optimise route, recurring jobs, Rain Mode, timers; free |
| Getting paid | Card payments in the app or by link; accounting sync | Invoices with BSB and PayID; Pay Now by card, or PayTo and BECS with cards off; AutoPay; Bank Feeds match the transfers |
| Accounting | Syncs with accounting packages | SoloOp has no Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks sync. Your accountant signs into a BAS-ready portal instead: G1, 1A, 1B and the net for each quarter, every sale and purchase behind them, BAS workpapers CSV |
ServiceM8’s prices and plan names were read from its Australian pricing page on 1 November 2026; they exclude introductory offers, and GST treatment is as the vendor states it. Promotions, billing terms, payment fees and add-ons affect the final cost. Check current plans on the ServiceM8 website.
Checked against the app, not the brochure
What SoloOp does for an Australian business.
- Scheduling with Gravity: it suggests the day and slot for a new job, and Optimise route reorders a day as a round trip from home. Recurring jobs run weekly, fortnightly, three-weekly, monthly, six-weekly, bi-monthly, quarterly or six-monthly.
- Rain Mode moves a rained-out day in one go. Auto timers, an offline run sheet and locked start times are all in the free core.
- Quotes with line items and an Accept link, valid for 7, 14 or 30 days if you set it; accepting creates the job. A site visit before the quote is a one-tap $0 visit.
- Invoices carry your BSB and PayID. With a Stripe account connected (free to set up), clients can Pay Now by card, or by PayTo and BECS Direct Debit if you switch cards off, and AutoPay charges the clients who approve it. End of Day sends the day’s invoices in one batch; overdue reminders go out on a schedule.
- Client emails go from your own Gmail or Google Workspace address, invoices with the PDF attached.
- Expense records with a GST toggle, and a CSV bank-statement upload for matching transfers to invoices by hand.
- Mileage in kilometres for the ATO rate, included for Australian businesses today.
- Crews: owner, office and crew logins with no per-user fee; crew never see pay rates or margins.
- A BAS-ready accountant portal. For each quarter, on a cash or accrual basis: G1, 1A, 1B and the net in whole dollars as the form wants them, the full-BAS labels a click away, every paid invoice and every expense with its GST code behind the figures, kilometres at the ATO rate, refunds, and a BAS workpapers CSV. Your accountant can mark the period lodged. They sign in with their email; you can revoke it any time. They still lodge with the ATO.
- A profit and loss in the app that counts crew hours at their pay rate as a cost, with income, expenses and GST by period.
- A client portal for invoices, upcoming jobs, payment history and AutoPay. Clients and their schedules import from CSV, Excel, PDF or photos.
- Bank Feeds (A$19 a month for your first 12 months on one of the first 50 founding spots, then A$39): Osko, PayID and other bank transfers come in from your business account and are matched to your invoices.
Not in SoloOp: online bookings, electronic forms and certificates, asset management, proposals, an accounting sync, or texts sent from SoloOp on the free core. If those are part of how you run, keep them in the decision.
Free core. Bank Feeds when you want them.
Scheduling, invoicing, quotes, client records, expense records with a GST toggle and the bank-statement upload stay free. Australian businesses absorb online payment processing fees: cards 1.7% + A$1.30 (A$0.80 fixed under A$50), PayTo and BECS 1% + A$0.80 capped at A$4.00. See the fee examples →
Bank Feeds, which bring Osko, PayID and other bank transfers in and match them to your invoices, are A$19 a month (incl. GST) for the first 12 months for the first 50 Australian businesses to save a card, then A$39 a month, which is also what new subscribers pay after launch. See the founding offer →
Follow one job through.
Add a client and the next job. See where it fits into your run. Send the invoice and watch how the client pays it, by card, PayTo or a bank transfer. Open your expense records and the accountant portal.
Use that small trial to decide whether SoloOp fits your routine before moving the rest of your work.
Start with your next job.
Free scheduling, invoicing and client tools. Start on iPhone or Android.
