UK lead platforms vs your own Google Business Profile

1. The short version

• Lead platforms charge a membership fee, a fee per lead, or both. You get customers who are already looking, but you pay whether or not you win the job, and the profile lives on their site.
• Your Google Business Profile is free. Customers who search for your trade in your area on Google Search and Maps can call you, ask for directions or visit your website straight from it, and no one takes a fee.
• They are not either-or. You can use a platform and your own profile. The useful question is what each one costs you per job won, and whether your free profile is doing its share.

We describe each platform from its own public pages, checked on 22 October 2026. Prices and terms change, so read the linked page before you sign anything. SiteDokAI is not affiliated with any of these companies, and we don't earn anything from them. In the US? See the US guide on Angi leads.

2. How each platform charges, in its own words

Checkatrade

Checkatrade's join page says you pick your trade, the postcode areas you want to work in and the number of leads you would like each year, then get a regular flow of leads for a monthly cost. Before a profile goes live, Checkatrade says it completes up to 12 checks, including ID, trading address, qualifications, County Court Judgment checks and reviews on third-party websites.

Rated People (now part of Checkatrade)

Rated People's help page for tradespeople says it is now part of Checkatrade Group and that leads submitted through it are routed to Checkatrade tradespeople. It describes two options: a fixed lead plan, with pricing based on your trade and area, or the Opportunities Board, where creating an account is free and you pay only when you choose to unlock a lead.

MyBuilder

MyBuilder's fees page says you only pay when the homeowner shortlists you, with no joining or membership fees. Its terms say the shortlist fee is shown before you act, is based on the likely size, value and location of the job, and is payable when the customer's contact details are shared with you, whether or not you are awarded the job. The same terms say you must not exchange contact details outside the platform, including by directing a customer to your own website, to avoid the fee. MyBuilder's page on credit requests explains when a fee can be credited, for example when a customer's contact details are wrong.

Bark

Bark's help centre says you spend credits to respond to a lead, and that the credit cost is shown on the lead before you respond. Its page on lead pricing says the cost depends on the service type, the size and scope of the job, the location and how ready the customer is to hire. Bark says credits bought from 1 November 2025 expire 3 months after purchase and unused credits cannot be refunded.

TrustATrader

TrustATrader's join page says it limits memberships per area and that you never pay for your leads. Its trader terms say the subscription fee is paid annually in advance, and that once you are live you cannot cancel before the end of the 12-month period. Its FAQ says it asks new members for at least 5 references and insurance documents.

Google Local Services Ads

Local Services Ads are Google's paid ads for local trades, shown prominently in Google Search results. Google's page on how leads work says you pay for valid leads, such as calls and messages, not clicks, that you set an average weekly budget, and that lead prices vary with your location, the job type, the type of lead and your bidding mode. The same page says lead credits aren't available for advertisers in EMEA, which includes the UK. Google's screening requirements say you need a public and verified Google Business Profile to advertise, and that screening takes 3 to 4 weeks on average after you submit your documents.

3. What your own Google Business Profile gives you

Google says creating a Business Profile and listing your business on Google is free. Customers who search for your trade near them can see your profile on Google Search and Maps, with your reviews, photos, opening hours and a button to call you.

• No fee per lead. A call from your profile costs you nothing, whether or not you win the job.
• It stays yours. Your reviews and photos don't depend on a membership. If you stop paying for a platform, your Google profile is still there.
• It is the base for Google's paid ads too. Local Services Ads require a verified profile, so a profile in good shape helps either way.

The catch is that nobody sends you leads automatically. Google's page on local ranking says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence, and that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. It also says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up, and that more reviews and positive ratings can help. So the work is keeping the profile verified, complete and active, and asking every happy customer for an honest review.

4. Why Google Maps visibility matters for a trade

When someone searches for "electrician near me" or "roofer in Leeds", Google shows a map with a short list of local businesses. Those results come from Business Profiles. If your profile is missing, unverified, in the wrong category or thin on reviews, a customer who never opens a lead platform may still never see you.

A profile that works well also makes the paid routes look better: a customer who finds you on a platform may also search your name on Google before calling, and what they find there is your profile and your reviews.

5. How to check your own Maps visibility in 10 minutes

1. Search like a customer. Open a private window, or use a phone that is not signed in to your account, and search your trade plus your town, for example "plumber Bristol", and "plumber near me". Note whether you appear in the map results and in what position.
2. Try a few places. Distance is part of the ranking, so search from your office, a customer's street and a nearby town. Write down the date, the search and what you saw.
3. Search your exact business name. If the profile appears, it is live and the question is ranking. If it doesn't, read why a business doesn't show up on Google Maps.
4. Check the basics on the profile. Is it verified? Is the main category what a customer would call you? Do the name, phone number and website match your van, invoices and website? Our Google Business Profile checklist covers each point.
5. Look at your reviews. How many do you have, how recent is the newest one, and have you replied? If reviews are missing, see why Google reviews don't show up.
6. Compare the cost per job. For each platform, add up a few months of fees and count the jobs you actually won. Do the same for calls that came from your Google profile. The numbers are yours, and they are the only ones that matter.

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SiteDokAI is not affiliated with Google, Checkatrade, Rated People, MyBuilder, Bark or TrustATrader. We can't change how Google ranks your profile or promise a position or a number of leads.

Common questions

Is Checkatrade, MyBuilder or Bark worth it for my trade?

It depends on your trade, your area and how many jobs you win from the leads you pay for. Each platform publishes how it charges, but none of them can promise you work. Track the cost and the jobs won for each platform for a few months, and compare that with the enquiries your own Google Business Profile brings in.

Does a Google Business Profile cost anything?

No. Google says creating a Business Profile and listing your business on Google is free. Local Services Ads are a separate, paid product.

Can I pay Google to rank higher on Google Maps?

No. Google's help page says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google. Local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence.

Do I have to choose between a lead platform and my Google profile?

No. You can use both. The difference is ownership: a platform profile and the leads it sends depend on your membership, while your Google Business Profile is yours to keep and costs nothing to run.

What happened to Rated People?

Rated People's own help page says it is now part of Checkatrade Group, that leads submitted through it are now routed to Checkatrade tradespeople, and that Rated People closed all memberships before it became part of Checkatrade.