Airtasker alternatives in the UK (2026): 7 options compared on fees

Airtasker works, and for many people it works well. But it takes money from both sides of every job: a service fee of 12.5% to 20% plus VAT from the tasker, tiered by how much they earned in the previous 30 days, and a connection fee of £4.95 to £39.95 from the poster, unless the poster buys a £49.90 yearly membership.

On a £150 job that is roughly £36 from the tasker and £29.95 from the poster. About £66 of a £150 job goes somewhere other than the person doing the work.

That is the reason most people go looking for an alternative. Here is the honest landscape.

The quick answer

Platform	Customer pays	Provider pays	Payment protected?
Taskerama	Booking fee by price band, shown on every offer before you accept; waived by membership	Tiered service fee, falling as you earn more. 0% on your own clients	Yes, released on completion
Airtasker	£4.95, £39.95 connection fee	12.5%, 20% + VAT	Yes, refunds sometimes as credits
TaskRabbit	Trust & support fee on top of the hourly bill	Service fee on the hourly rate	Charged after the task
Bark	Nothing	£5, £40 per lead, win or lose	No
MyBuilder	Nothing	Fee when shortlisted	No
Checkatrade	Nothing	£30, £60+ a month	No
Facebook groups / Gumtree	Nothing	Nothing	No, and no recourse

1. Taskerama

The same marketplace shape as Airtasker, post a task, compare fixed-price offers, pay when it is done, with the parts people complain about rebuilt.

The fee structure is comparable: a service fee from the tasker that falls as they earn more, and a booking fee from the customer that a yearly membership removes. The difference is that every fee is shown on the offer before you accept it, so the total you see is the total you pay, and work a tasker brings themselves carries no commission at all.

The operational differences matter more than the price. Payment auto-releases seven days after the tasker requests it, so nobody is left chasing money. Refunds go back to your card, never to platform credits. Nobody is charged a cancellation fee. You can message any tasker who has made an offer, before you hire. And no account is restricted without a written reason and an appeal to a person.

See our fees in full.

Best for: people who want Airtasker's model with the surprises taken out. Not for you if: you need someone in a town where the platform is not yet live. It is London-first.

2. Airtasker

The biggest in the UK by volume, with a genuine mobile app and years of reviews behind most taskers. If you need something done in a smaller town tomorrow, it usually has the supply.

Watch for: the connection fee is not shown until you assign; refunds can be issued as platform credits rather than to your card; and taskers cannot message you privately until you hire them, so scoping happens in public comments.

3. TaskRabbit

Hourly rather than fixed price, and stronger for standard jobs, flat-pack assembly, moving help, mounting, in central London and a handful of cities. The IKEA relationship means assembly bookings are smooth.

Watch for: an hourly meter means you carry the risk if a job runs long, and a "trust and support fee" is added on top of the hourly bill.

4. Bark

Bark is not really a marketplace, it is a lead-generation business. You post what you need, and professionals pay to unlock your contact details, typically £5 to £40 per lead, whether or not they win the work.

That model has consequences you will notice. Professionals who have paid for your details will call you persistently, because they have already spent money. And because there is no payment protection, everything after the introduction is between you and them.

For tradespeople, this is the single most complained-about model in the category: you pay for leads that never answer.

5. MyBuilder

Trades only, building, plumbing, electrics, roofing. Tradespeople pay when they are shortlisted rather than per lead, which filters out some of the noise. There is no payment protection and no small tasks or remote work.

6. Checkatrade

A directory rather than a marketplace: trades pay a monthly membership, customers browse and call. Good for established trades who want a steady trickle. No payment protection, and nothing at all for one-off odd jobs.

7. Facebook groups, Nextdoor and Gumtree

Free, immediate and completely unprotected. No ID checks, no payment held, no recourse and no insurance. Plenty of people use them successfully and a few get badly burned. If you use them, meet in person before agreeing anything and never pay in advance.

How to choose

• Posting a one-off job and want it protected? A fixed-price marketplace with payment held on completion, Taskerama or Airtasker.
• Booking a standard job by the hour in central London? TaskRabbit.
• Large building project? MyBuilder or Checkatrade, and get three quotes in person.
• A tradesperson choosing where to spend your time? Avoid pay-per-lead unless your close rate is high and you can answer within minutes.