Ascora vs ServiceM8
Prices checked · AUD
The short answer
Ascora for one or two busy people, ServiceM8 for crews
- Solo ServiceM8 up to 10 jobs a week, Ascora from 20.
- 3 people ServiceM8 up to 20 jobs a week, Ascora from 35.
- 8 people ServiceM8 at every volume we price, 5 to 120 jobs a week.
Pick Ascora if… You're one or two people with a big weekly job count, or you want purchase orders, stock and progress claims without moving up a plan.Pick ServiceM8 if… Three or more people need logins at a moderate workload, you run recurring maintenance, or you want to start on a free plan.
Who pays us: ServiceM8 runs a referral programme that can pay us if you sign up through our links; none has paid us anything yet. Ascora pays us nothing. The order is always cheapest fit first and never changes for commission. How we rank
Price your own team on both
Updated 3 Oct 2026 · every figure links to its source · No provider pays us to be listed.
Every plan, GST basis and setup fee is on the Ascora and ServiceM8 price lists.
At a glance
Ascora and ServiceM8: how they charge
| App | Charged | From, ex GST | Setup fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascora | per user, ex GST | $45 per user (Essentials) | Yes, amount not published |
| ServiceM8 | per account by jobs a month, inc GST | Free plan, then $26.36 (Starter) | None (paid help optional) |
Ascora cheaperServiceM8 cheaper
| Users ↓ · jobs a week → | 5 | 10 | 20 | 35 | 60 | 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ServiceM8by $45 | ServiceM8by $19 | Ascoraby $27 | Ascoraby $90 | Ascoraby $90 | Ascoraby $272 |
| 2 | ServiceM8by $64 | ServiceM8by $64 | ServiceM8by $18 | Ascoraby $45 | Ascoraby $45 | Ascoraby $227 |
| 3 | ServiceM8by $109 | ServiceM8by $109 | ServiceM8by $63 | Ascoraby $0 | Ascoraby $0 | Ascoraby $182 |
| 5 | ServiceM8by $199 | ServiceM8by $199 | ServiceM8by $153 | ServiceM8by $90 | ServiceM8by $90 | Ascoraby $92 |
| 8 | ServiceM8by $334 | ServiceM8by $334 | ServiceM8by $288 | ServiceM8by $225 | ServiceM8by $225 | ServiceM8by $43 |
| 12 | ServiceM8by $514 | ServiceM8by $514 | ServiceM8by $468 | ServiceM8by $405 | ServiceM8by $405 | ServiceM8by $223 |
Make recurring jobs a must-have and Ascora moves to Elite, which hands ServiceM8 more of the grid:
Ascora cheaperServiceM8 cheaper
| Users ↓ · jobs a week → | 5 | 10 | 20 | 35 | 60 | 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ServiceM8by $59 | ServiceM8by $33 | Ascoraby $13 | Ascoraby $76 | Ascoraby $76 | Ascoraby $258 |
| 2 | ServiceM8by $92 | ServiceM8by $92 | ServiceM8by $46 | Ascoraby $17 | Ascoraby $17 | Ascoraby $199 |
| 3 | ServiceM8by $151 | ServiceM8by $151 | ServiceM8by $105 | ServiceM8by $42 | ServiceM8by $42 | Ascoraby $140 |
| 5 | ServiceM8by $269 | ServiceM8by $269 | ServiceM8by $223 | ServiceM8by $160 | ServiceM8by $160 | Ascoraby $22 |
| 8 | ServiceM8by $446 | ServiceM8by $446 | ServiceM8by $400 | ServiceM8by $337 | ServiceM8by $337 | ServiceM8by $155 |
| 12 | ServiceM8by $682 | ServiceM8by $682 | ServiceM8by $636 | ServiceM8by $573 | ServiceM8by $573 | ServiceM8by $391 |
Two Australian-made apps with opposite pricing. Ascora costs $45 per user ex GST for each person, so it suits one or two people with a heavy workload, and its first plan already handles purchase orders, stock and progress claims. ServiceM8 charges the business by jobs and ignores head count, so it suits a crew with a moderate workload. A pair doing 60 jobs a week is $90 on Ascora and $135 on ServiceM8; a crew of six doing 30 is $270 against $72.
Where they really differ
Where the crossover sits
On ServiceM8, about 35 new jobs a week is the line between Growing and Premium. A two-person business below that line pays less on ServiceM8; above it, two Ascora seats cost less than Premium. By three people the two are within a dollar of each other at Premium volumes, and from four people up ServiceM8 wins until the job count reaches Premium Plus territory. (ServiceM8 pricing, checked )
Ordering materials
Ascora's entry plan raises customisable purchase orders, tracks stock with reorder levels and builds kits and assemblies. On ServiceM8's plan table there is no purchase-order or stock-control line; it handles supplier price lists and supplier invoices instead. (Ascora pricing, checked )
Recurring servicing
Recurring jobs are on every ServiceM8 plan, including Free, and asset records start on Growing. Ascora reserves automatic recurring jobs and equipment tracking for Elite at $59 per user ex GST, which narrows its price advantage for maintenance contractors. (ServiceM8 pricing, checked )
Day one
ServiceM8 can be free for a sole trader running up to 30 jobs a month and needs no setup fee. Ascora runs a 14-day card-free trial too, then a one-time implementation fee for setup, training and go-live support whose size it doesn't publish, so ask before you compare first-year totals. (Ascora pricing, checked )
Talking to customers
Ascora sells SMS credits at 10c per message frame and lists customer portal access on every plan. ServiceM8 bundles 100 to 3,000 texts a month by plan, then 10c each, and on every plan can send a client one live link to all their unpaid invoices. (Ascora pricing, checked )
Both built here
Ascora says it is designed, built and supported from Perth. ServiceM8 dates itself to 2009 as a private Australian company. (Ascora, checked )
Features that differ by plan
Features that sit on different plans at Ascora and ServiceM8
| Feature | Ascora | ServiceM8 |
|---|---|---|
| Progress invoicing | All plans | Starter and up |
| Recurring jobs | Elite and up | All plans |
| Custom forms and certificates | Elite and up | Growing and up |
| Purchase orders | All plans | Not listed |
| Asset and maintenance tracking | Elite and up | Growing and up |
Not sure admin time justifies either? Check your true hourly rate.