Hipages Alternatives for Tradies: What Melbourne Tradies Really Pay Per Job
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Lead platforms such as hipages can fill a diary quickly, but you pay for each opportunity and often compete with other tradies for the same job. Your own website and Google Business Profile take longer to build momentum, but the enquiries come to you alone and the asset stays yours. The fair comparison is not "which is cheaper" but what each won job costs you, and what you own at the end of the year.
This article explains how to work that out with your own numbers, and when each approach makes sense.
The short answer
Lead platform (such as hipages) | Your own website and Google profile | |
How enquiries arrive | The platform matches homeowner jobs to tradies | Customers find you on Google and contact you directly |
Competition per enquiry | Often shared with other businesses | Usually yours alone |
Cost model | Subscription and credits or fees per lead | Build cost (or monthly plan) plus upkeep |
Speed to first enquiry | Fast, once you join | Slower; depends on local visibility |
What you own | Your profile and reviews on the platform | Your website, domain, Google profile and reviews |
If you stop paying | Leads stop | The website keeps working, though it needs upkeep |
Hipages alternatives at a glance
Option | How you pay | Speed | Control |
Hipages | Membership plus a charge per lead | Fast | Low |
Airtasker | A service fee taken from the task price once you are assigned (Airtasker lists 12.5% to 20%, depending on your tier) | Fast | Low |
ServiceSeeking | Check the current business sign-up page | Fast | Low |
Google Business Profile | Free to set up; costs your time | Medium | High |
Your own website and local SEO | A build cost, then a monthly fee or your time | Slow | High |
Google Ads | Pay per click | Fast | Medium |
Referrals | Nothing per lead | Varies | High |
Oneflare is no longer a separate option: Airtasker announced it was buying Oneflare in May 2022, and the Oneflare web address now redirects to Airtasker. Platform pricing changes often, so confirm current terms on each platform before you commit.
How shared-lead platforms work
The details change over time and differ between platforms, so always check the current terms in the platform's own app or contract. In broad terms:
You pay a subscription that includes credits, and jobs cost credits to accept.
A job may be offered to several businesses, so you may be racing others to call first.
Contracts may have a minimum term.
As an indication only, an Australian cost guide updated in October 2026 reported hipages plans priced in the low to mid hundreds of dollars a month plus GST, said up to three businesses can receive each job, and noted that hipages does not publish a fixed dollar price per lead (What's The Damage). That guide is published by a lead-generation business, so treat these figures as a starting point and confirm them with hipages before deciding anything.
How your own website and Google profile generate enquiries
A customer searches for your trade and suburb, sees your Google Business Profile in the map results or your website in the search results, and calls or fills in your form. Nobody else receives that enquiry.
The costs are different in shape: an upfront build (or a monthly website plan), ongoing hosting and maintenance, and your time or someone else's to keep the Google profile active and collect reviews. Results build over months rather than days, and they depend on your trade, suburb and competition.
Cost per won job: work it out with your own numbers
The number that matters is cost per job you actually win, not cost per lead. Use this simple calculation for each channel:
Cost per won job = total monthly spend ÷ jobs won that month
For a lead platform, include the subscription and any extra credits. For your own website, include the monthly plan or a share of the build cost spread over its expected life, plus hosting, maintenance and any local SEO you pay for.
Illustrative example (hypothetical figures, not quotes):
Lead platform | Own website and Google profile | |
Monthly spend | $400 | $300 (website plan and profile management) |
Enquiries per month | 20 | 8 |
Win rate | 15% (shared leads, price-shopping) | 40% (direct enquiries) |
Jobs won | 3 | 3.2 on average |
Cost per won job | about $133 | about $94 |
Change any number and the answer can flip. A new business with no Google presence may win far more through a platform in its first months. An established business with good reviews may find direct enquiries cheaper and better quality. The point is to measure your own figures for three months rather than rely on anyone's averages, including these.
What you own versus what you rent
Reviews and history built on a platform stay on that platform. If you leave, you start again. Reviews on your Google Business Profile, your domain and your website stay with you, and they keep bringing enquiries while you are on the tools.
That is the strongest argument for building your own channel, even if you keep using a platform for now.
When a lead platform makes sense
You are starting out and need work this month
You want to fill quiet periods or test a new service area
You have spare capacity and a fast response routine
You do not yet have reviews or a website
When your own website should take priority
Most of your current leads are shared and price-driven
You have happy customers but few Google reviews
You want to be found for specific, higher-value jobs
You plan to stay in the same area for years
Running both
Many tradies use a platform while building their own channel, then reduce platform spend as direct enquiries grow. To do that well:
Set up and verify your Google Business Profile now.
Ask every satisfied customer, including platform customers, for a Google review.
Build service and suburb pages for the jobs you want more of.
Record where every enquiry came from, each month.
Review the cost per won job for each channel every quarter.
Next step
If you want to build your own source of direct calls, see Morphic's websites for tradies and Google Business Profile management, or get a free quote.
Related services: website design and development in Ardeer and local SEO for Melbourne businesses.
Related reading: How to Get More Google Reviews (Without Breaking ACCC or Google Rules), Local SEO vs Google Ads: Which Should a Small Business Start With? and What Should a Tradie Website Include? A 15-Point Checklist.
Key Takeaways
Compare channels on cost per job won, not cost per lead.
Shared-lead platforms can bring work quickly, but a job may be offered to several businesses.
Your own website and Google profile take longer to build, but enquiries come to you alone and the assets stay yours.
Confirm current hipages plans and contract terms directly with hipages before deciding.
Many tradies use a platform while building their own channel, and review both every quarter.
Emon Datta
Founder, Morphic Agency
Morphic Agency is a Melbourne-based UX design agency. We've shipped 50+ products across 15+ countries.
