Comparing YourTradebase and CMA for your UK trade business?
Both CMA and YourTradebase are UK-built and focus on reducing the paperwork around trade jobs. CMA adds a branded client portal and flat pricing that stops growing with your team.
Aucune carte bancaire requise. La configuration prend 2 minutes.
YourTradebase has quietly served UK tradespeople for years on a "paperwork made easy" promise - quote templates, a visual calendar, and Xero sync. CMA takes the same simplicity instinct further: a self-service portal for your clients, threaded in-app messaging, and a single flat fee that does not climb as you add users.
Why tradespeople switch from YourTradebase to CMA
YourTradebase sends documents out to your clients. CMA gives the end customer a branded login where they view the live quote, accept with one click, pay the invoice by card, share files, book appointments, and message you back - cutting chase-ups and phone tag.
YourTradebase is £29/month base plus £15/month per extra user. A two-person team pays £44, a three-person team £59, a five-person team £89. CMA stays at £49/month regardless of headcount - cheaper from two users up, with the gap widening every time you hire.
YourTradebase replies land back in your email inbox. CMA threads messages against each client so the conversation sits alongside their quotes, jobs, and invoices - searchable months later without digging through Gmail.
CMA includes everything in one £49/month tier: client portal, online payments, messaging, appointments, documents, Xero sync, multi-address clients, multi-contact clients. No add-ons, no Pro tier, no per-feature gates.
Feature comparison
| Fonctionnalité | YourTradebase | CMA |
|---|---|---|
| Flat single-tier pricing | £29 base + £15/user | £49/month all in |
| Branded client portal (quotes, invoices, messaging) | Non | Yes - branded per business |
| In-app client messaging | No - email only | Yes - threaded per client |
| Paiements par carte en ligne | Partial | Yes - Stripe |
| Xero integration | Oui | Oui |
| Multi-address + multi-contact clients | Partial | Yes - unlimited |
| Self-serve signup, no sales call | Oui | Oui |
What YourTradebase users tell us they miss
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YourTradebase has no end-customer portal for one-click quote acceptance, card payment, messaging, and appointment booking.
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YourTradebase pricing is per user above the first seat - a growing team pays more each month, where CMA stays flat.
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YourTradebase client communication flows out to email; CMA threads messages on the client record for easy search later.
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Honest note: for a pure solo trader who never plans to hire, YourTradebase at £29/month is cheaper than CMA at £49/month - CMA wins on value once you bring on a second user or want the client portal.
Questions about switching from YourTradebase
YourTradebase is £29/month and CMA is £49/month - why is CMA worth more?
Two reasons. First, the moment you add a second user YourTradebase costs £44/month and CMA costs £49/month - the difference is within a fiver and you get a client portal, messaging, and everything else unlocked at once. By three users (£59 vs £49) CMA is the cheaper option. Second, the client portal alone typically saves you the price difference by cutting 2-3 chase-up calls per month.
Both tools are UK-built and simple - what is the real difference?
The biggest difference is the client portal. YourTradebase is a tool for the tradesperson; CMA is a tool for the tradesperson AND a self-service portal for the end customer. That reduces inbound email volume and speeds up quote acceptance without any extra work from you.
Can I move my clients and quotes from YourTradebase to CMA?
Yes. CMA accepts a standard clients CSV, which YourTradebase can export. We will help you map fields during your 14-day trial - ping us and we will walk you through it.
Is CMA as simple as YourTradebase?
Yes - both tools are designed for tradespeople who want less admin, not more software. CMA's setup takes 2 minutes, the UI is deliberately un-cluttered, and there are no training calls to sit through. If you liked YourTradebase's "paperwork made easy" spirit, CMA is built in the same lane.
Comparison based on public information from https://www.yourtradebase.com. Last reviewed April 2026.
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