Fergus vs [[TradeTrack]]: Which Is Better for Australian Trades? (2026)

Quick Verdict

Choose [[TradeTrack]] if: You want a modern, purpose-built Australian platform with strong subcontractor management, clean mobile experience, and a workflow designed around how trade businesses actually operate.

Choose Fergus if: Time tracking and job costing are your top priority, and you prefer a platform with a longer track record in the market.

Background: What Are These Platforms?

[[TradeTrack]] is an Australian-built job management platform designed specifically for trade businesses. It covers the full workflow from quoting through to invoicing, with particular strengths in subcontractor management, scheduling, and digital approvals.

Fergus is a job management platform that originated in New Zealand and has built a solid user base in Australia. It's been on the market longer than many competitors and has developed a reputation for strong time tracking and job costing features.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Quoting

[[TradeTrack]]: Fast, mobile-first quoting that lets you build and send a quote from the job site. Customisable quote templates, digital signature for client approval, and quick conversion from quote to job.

Fergus: Solid quoting functionality with the ability to add materials and labour. Some users find the quoting workflow slower than newer platforms, particularly for complex multi-line quotes.

Edge: [[TradeTrack]] — faster and more intuitive quoting workflow, especially in the field.

Scheduling

[[TradeTrack]]: Clean, visual scheduling board that gives you a real-time overview of all active and upcoming jobs. Easy drag-and-drop rescheduling and calendar views by day, week, or month.

Fergus: Scheduling board covers the basics well. Functional but less visually polished than some newer platforms.

Edge: [[TradeTrack]] — cleaner interface and easier to manage across multiple jobs and team members.

Job Management

[[TradeTrack]]: Customisable job statuses let you define exactly what "in progress" looks like for your business. Task management within jobs means specific actions can be assigned to specific team members. Full job history, notes, and document storage.

Fergus: Strong job management with good visibility across active work. The job board gives a clear picture of where everything is. Less customisable in terms of statuses and workflows.

Edge: Even — both handle core job management well. [[TradeTrack]] has more customisation; Fergus has more established workflows.

Time Tracking

[[TradeTrack]]: Time tracking built into the mobile app for field technicians.

Fergus: Time tracking is one of Fergus's standout features. The mobile app makes it easy for technicians to start and stop timers on jobs, and the reporting shows actual vs. estimated hours clearly.

Edge: Fergus — time tracking and the reporting around it is more mature and detailed.

Job Costing

[[TradeTrack]]: Job costing visibility across labour and materials, with clear reporting on actual vs. estimated costs.

Fergus: Job costing is a core strength. Detailed visibility into labour costs, materials costs, and overall job profitability. One of the primary reasons trade businesses choose Fergus.

Edge: Fergus — more detailed job costing and profitability reporting.

Subcontractor Management

[[TradeTrack]]: Dedicated subcontractor portal — you can invite subbies to specific jobs, give them access to the relevant job details, and track their progress — all without giving them access to your broader account, client list, or pricing.

Fergus: Subcontractor management is more limited. Fergus is primarily designed around an employed team rather than a mixed employed/subcontractor model.

Edge: [[TradeTrack]] — significantly stronger subcontractor functionality.

Invoicing

[[TradeTrack]]: Convert a completed job to an invoice in one click. Progress invoicing for multi-stage projects. Send directly from the mobile app on site.

Fergus: Solid invoicing that integrates with the job workflow. Some users report the invoicing interface is less streamlined than newer platforms.

Edge: [[TradeTrack]] — faster invoicing workflow, especially for on-site invoicing.

Variations Management

[[TradeTrack]]: Digital variations workflow — quote the variation, send for client approval, get a digital signature, convert to invoice. Clean paper trail for every change.

Fergus: Variations can be managed within jobs but the process is less formalised.

Edge: [[TradeTrack]] — better variations workflow, particularly important for builders and renovation businesses.

Mobile App

[[TradeTrack]]: Built mobile-first. The iOS and Android apps provide full functionality — quoting, scheduling, job management, invoicing — not a stripped-down version of the desktop product.

Fergus: iOS and Android apps available. Works well for time tracking and job updates in the field. Some features are more limited on mobile than desktop.

Edge: [[TradeTrack]] — more complete mobile experience.

Xero Integration

[[TradeTrack]]: Full two-way Xero integration. Invoices sync automatically.

Fergus: Xero integration available. Invoices and job costs sync to Xero.

Edge: Even — both integrate with Xero.

Pricing

Both platforms offer subscription-based pricing that scales with team size. Fergus has been on the market longer and its pricing is well-established. [[TradeTrack]]'s pricing is competitive and offers a free trial.

Check both platforms' current pricing directly — software pricing changes regularly and specific figures in a blog post go stale quickly.

Edge: Even — similar pricing models; test both to see which delivers more value for your specific team size.

Summary Comparison

Which Should You Choose?

[[TradeTrack]] is the better fit if: - You use subcontractors alongside (or instead of) employed staff - You do renovation or project-based work where variations are common - You want to send quotes and invoices from the field on your phone - You want a modern, clean interface that your team will actually use - You're a growing business that needs a platform that scales well

Fergus is the better fit if: - Detailed time tracking for your employed team is your #1 priority - Job costing and profitability reporting are more important than quoting speed - You're an established business that values a platform with a long track record - Your business model is primarily employed technicians (not subbies)

The Honest Recommendation

Both are solid platforms — better than spreadsheets and text messages by a significant margin.

If you're starting fresh or outgrowing your current setup, [[TradeTrack]]'s modern interface, stronger mobile experience, and subcontractor management make it the better starting point for most Australian trade businesses in 2026.

If time tracking and job costing depth are your specific pain points, Fergus earns its reputation in those areas.

The best way to decide: trial both with real jobs. Both offer free trials — run your own work through each platform for a week and you'll know which one fits.