hipages alternative for tradies

hipages sells you leads.
BackOnTools runs the business.

The average Australian tradie paid hipages $2,381 last financial year, on a 12-month contract, for leads other tradies also bought. The same money runs the whole trade business on BackOnTools for two years, and the phone gets answered.

Sources at the bottom of the page. Every number is dated.

What hipages costs, in their own numbers and their tradies' words

hipages is an ASX-listed company, so the average is public. The rest is what tradies wrote on ProductReview.

$2,381

Average revenue per Australian tradie, FY25

hipages Group results, ASX, 22 Aug 2025. Up 8% on the year.

12 months

Subscription term, auto-renewing

ACCC: misleading conduct over renewal and exit fees, Oct 2018 to Jan 2022.

$900

“now they want to charge me $900 to cancel”

Brad, ProductReview, September 2026.

“They charge up to $200 per lead, and many of these leads turn out to be a complete waste of time.”
Iman C., ProductReview, 2026
“Last year average lead cost was 42 credits... now it's gone to 75 credits.”
Harmanpreet S., ProductReview, 2026

None of this makes hipages a bad business. It is a very good business, for hipages. The question is what the same $2,381 does elsewhere.

The same $2,381 on BackOnTools

Prices from our live pricing page, 11 September 2026. Month to month, 30 days free, no contract.

Tools

$59/mo

= 40 months

Jobs, quotes, invoices, crew, compliance. You still answer the phone.

Receptionist

$99/mo

= 24 months

Everything in Tools, plus the AI answers, quotes and books your calls.

Pro

$197/mo

= 12 months

Adds dispatch, payment chasing, campaigns, Foreman AI.

Premium

$349/mo

= 6.8 months

Unlimited calls, multi-trade lines, white-glove setup.

Months shown are $2,381 divided by the monthly price. Yearly billing is twelve months for the price of ten.

Side by side

BackOnToolshipages
What you are buyingThe business run for you: phone, quotes, jobs, invoices, crew, complianceLeads, sold to more than one tradie
Average cost, FY25$708 to $4,188 a year, plan of your choice$2,381 a year per Australian tradie (ASX)
ContractMonth to month, cancel in the app12 months, auto-renews
ExitNoneEarly termination fee (ACCC finding; a reviewer reports $900)
Who else gets the leadNobody. It is your phone ringingOther tradies on the platform
Answers your phoneYes, as your business, 24/7, from your price bookNo
Quotes and invoicesYes, with a pay link, chased when lateNo
Crew, dispatch, timesheetsYesNo
Safety forms, certificatesYes, kept with the jobNo
Marketplace leadsIncluded, bid free, keep 100%That is the product
Free trial30 days, nothing chargedNo

Straight answer on who should switch

Stay on hipages if

  • -You are new, have no customer base, and need volume this month
  • -Your hipages leads actually close and the maths works for you
  • -You have an office person who answers every call already

Move to BackOnTools if

  • +Your phone already rings and you miss calls because you are on the tools
  • +You are paying for leads four other tradies also bought
  • +Quotes, invoices and chasing happen at the kitchen table at 9pm
  • +You want out of a 12-month contract and never want another one

Both is fine too: keep the leads that work, and let BackOnTools answer, quote and invoice them.

Questions tradies ask before leaving hipages

How much does hipages cost a tradie?

hipages does not publish a single price. Its FY25 results (ASX, 22 August 2025) report an average of $2,381 in revenue per Australian tradie for the year, up 8%, on 12-month subscription products. Tradies on ProductReview describe lead prices of up to $200 for larger jobs and a lead price that moved from about 42 to 75 credits in a year.

Can I cancel hipages?

Not freely mid-contract. hipages subscriptions run 12 months and renew automatically. The ACCC found hipages engaged in misleading conduct between October 2018 and January 2022 over how it disclosed auto-renewal and early termination fees. A recent ProductReview review reports a $900 charge to cancel.

Is BackOnTools a lead marketplace like hipages?

No. BackOnTools runs the trade business you already have: it answers the phone as your business, quotes from your price book, books the job, sends the invoice with a pay link, chases it, plans the crew's day and keeps the safety paperwork with the job. There is a free marketplace inside it where homeowners post jobs and you bid free, but the product is the operating system, not the leads.

What does BackOnTools cost?

Tools is $59 a month (jobs, quotes, invoices, crew, no AI phone line). Receptionist is $99 a month and adds the AI answering your calls. Pro is $197 and Premium is $349. Every plan is 30 days free, month to month, no contract. Pay yearly and you get twelve months for the price of ten.

Should I use both?

Plenty do. If hipages leads make you money, keep them and let BackOnTools answer the phone, quote and invoice them. If you are paying for leads that four other tradies also bought, and a $900 exit fee to stop, run the numbers on this page first.

Try the thing hipages cannot do.

Ring one of our demo lines and hear the AI answer as a business in your trade, quote a job and book it. Then start free. Nothing is charged for 30 days and there is no contract at the end of it.

Sources