TaskRabbit alternatives in the UK (2026): fixed price, fees shown first
Most people looking for a TaskRabbit alternative in the UK want one of three things: a fixed price instead of an hourly meter, a total they can see before they commit, or their money held until the job is done.
Taskerama does all three. Here is how it works, and how the other UK options compare.
Why people move off TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit is a booking tool. You pick a person and an hourly rate and book their time. As published in September 2026, taskers pay a one-off registration fee and the platform's other fees are charged to the customer.
The things that push customers away are structural:
- A one-hour minimum on small jobs.
- A meter. If the job overruns, you pay for the extra time.
- A mark-up you cannot see in advance. TaskRabbit does not publish its percentages. 2026 third-party reviews report an all-in customer mark-up of roughly 20% to 25% on top of the hourly rate.
- No negotiation. You take the listed rate.
- No escrow. Your card is charged after the task rather than held until you confirm it is done.
The options
| Platform | Price basis | Who pays | Money held until done? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taskerama | Fixed-price offers | Booking fee shown on the offer before you accept; service fee from the tasker when the job is won | Yes, refunds to card |
| Airtasker | Fixed price, you set a budget and receive offers | Both sides | Yes, refunds sometimes issued as credits |
| MyBuilder | Trade quotes, arranged directly | Tradesperson, per shortlist | No |
| Checkatrade | Trade quotes, arranged directly | Tradesperson, monthly | No |
| Rated People | Trade quotes, arranged directly | Tradesperson, monthly plus per lead | No |
| Bark | Quotes, arranged directly | Professional, per lead, win or lose | No |
| Fantastic Services / Handy | Managed fixed-price bookings | Customer | Handled by the company |
| Nextdoor, Facebook groups, Gumtree | Whatever you agree | Nobody | No |
1. Taskerama
You post a task free, taskers send fixed-price offers, and you accept the one you want. The price is for the whole job, so there is no meter and no one-hour minimum.
- Every fee is on the offer before you accept. The booking fee runs from £4.95 to £39.95 by task price, and a £49.90 yearly membership removes it.
- Talk before you hire. Ask public questions, or message anyone who offers privately, so the scope is agreed before the price is.
- Your money is held and released only when you confirm the job is done.
- Refunds go back to your card, never to platform credits.
- No fee to either side for cancelling before the task starts. If a tasker does not turn up, cancel and you are refunded in full.
- Checked taskers. ID is verified with a live selfie, and DBS, trade licence, waste carrier and insurance badges are checked by a person against the public register.
- If something goes wrong, either side can open a dispute and payment stays on hold while it is reviewed.
Full figures are on our fees page.
2. Airtasker
The same fixed-price shape: you post a budget and people bid a fixed price. It launched in the UK in October 2023.
As published September 2026, it charges both sides: the tasker pays 12.5% to 20% plus VAT, tiered by their earnings over the previous 30 days, and the poster pays a connection fee of £4.95 to £39.95 at the moment they assign, waived by a £49.90 yearly membership. Details in Airtasker fees explained.
Worth knowing: the connection fee is charged at assignment rather than shown when you post. You cannot message a tasker privately until you have hired them. For tasks under a threshold, refunds default to Airtasker credits.
3. MyBuilder, Checkatrade and Rated People
Three different ways of charging tradespeople for the same thing: an introduction. None of them holds your money, and none of them is a task marketplace. You arrange and pay the trade directly.
As gathered from 2026 third-party price trackers in September 2026: MyBuilder charges no monthly fee and takes a fee when a trade is shortlisted, from about £7 and typically £5 to £35, more on large jobs. Checkatrade is a membership, published from £30 a month plus VAT for the entry tier and from £59 a month for the tier that includes leads, with the price depending on trade and postcode. Rated People combines the two: roughly £35 plus VAT a month billed annually, plus roughly £15 plus VAT per lead.
Worth knowing: no fixed price is agreed through the platform and no payment is held. See MyBuilder vs Checkatrade for the full comparison.
4. Bark
Not a marketplace but a lead-generation business: you describe what you need, and professionals pay to unlock your contact details, reported at £7 to £40 plus VAT per lead in 2026, whether or not they win the work.
Worth knowing: several professionals may each have paid for your details, so expect several calls. There is no payment protection, and everything after the introduction is between you and the professional.
5. Managed services: Fantastic Services, Handy
Not marketplaces. You book a fixed-price job with a company and the company sends someone. Pricing is not fully published for either in the sources we checked, and both run subscription plans for recurring cleaning.
Worth knowing: you do not choose the individual or see their reviews before booking.
6. Nextdoor, Facebook groups and Gumtree
Free, immediate and unprotected. No ID checks, no money held, no recourse. Nextdoor at least verifies addresses. If you use them, meet in person before agreeing anything and never pay up front.
Also announced
TaapCraft is a UK entrant advertising a trader-side commission of 5% to 12.5% including VAT with no consumer fees, escrow, and insurance and verified profiles marked as coming soon. As of September 2026 it is a waitlist, describing itself as launching late 2026.
Hourly or fixed price: the real trade-off
- Hourly puts the overrun risk on you. You find out the total at the end.
- Fixed price puts the overrun risk on the person quoting, and you know the total before you agree.
If you are moving from TaskRabbit because a job overran, you want fixed price. The way to keep a fixed price sharp is a clear description. Vague tasks get padded offers on every marketplace, because the person quoting is insuring themselves against the unknown. On Taskerama you can add photos, answer public questions and message taskers privately before you accept, so the offer reflects the real job.
If you are a tasker rather than a customer
Ask what a platform costs you when you do not win, what it costs you when you do, and whether it holds the customer's money.
Pay-per-lead sites charge you either way. Subscriptions charge you in quiet months. Taskerama charges you nothing to join, nothing to quote and nothing in a quiet month. The service fee starts at 20% plus VAT and falls to 12.5% as you earn more, and customers you bring yourself cost 0% commission. Tips go to you in full. Bark alternatives for tradespeople has the arithmetic, and you can join as a tasker free.
Post your task free and get fixed-price offers with every fee shown before you accept. You pay nothing until you hire.
Airtasker figures verified from its published UK pages on 5 September 2026. TaskRabbit does not publish its fee percentages; figures are from its own help pages and 2026 third-party reviews. Bark, MyBuilder, Checkatrade and Rated People prices are from 2026 third-party trackers with stated verification dates, gathered September 2026, and vary by trade and postcode. Taskerama figures are from our fees page. Fees change frequently, so check each company's current page.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a UK version of TaskRabbit?
TaskRabbit itself operates in the UK, on an hourly booking model. If you want a fixed price instead of an hourly meter, Taskerama is a UK task marketplace where taskers send fixed-price offers, every fee is shown on the offer before you accept, and your payment is held until you confirm the job is done.
What is the cheapest alternative to TaskRabbit in the UK?
Compare the total, not the headline rate. On Taskerama the total is on the offer before you accept: the agreed fixed price plus a booking fee of £4.95 to £39.95 by task price, which a £49.90 yearly membership removes. There is no hourly meter and no one-hour minimum. Bark, MyBuilder and Checkatrade charge the customer nothing, but none of them holds your payment. For a worker, Taskerama charges 0% commission on customers you bring yourself, and a service fee falling from 20% to 12.5% plus VAT on marketplace work. Competitor figures checked September 2026.
Why is TaskRabbit more expensive than the hourly rate quoted?
Because two fees are added on top of the rate, per hour worked: a Service Fee and a Trust and Support Fee. TaskRabbit does not publish the percentages; its own blog describes the Trust and Support Fee as 5% to 15%, and 2026 third-party reviews report an all-in mark-up of roughly 20% to 25%. On Taskerama the booking fee is shown on every offer before you accept, so the price you agree is the price you pay.
Next steps
Related guides
- Best handyman apps in the UK (2026): 9 options ranked on price and protectionThe UK apps and sites for odd jobs, ranked on whether you see the full price first, whether your money is protected and whether you can check the person. What each costs. Fees verified September 2026.
- How to make money doing odd jobs in the UK: a practical starter guideThe odd jobs that need no qualification and no van, the tools that pay for themselves fastest, what to charge in your first month, and how to start earning on Taskerama this week.
- Is Bark worth it for tradespeople? The lead-fee maths (2026)Bark charges tradespeople per lead, win or lose. Here is the break-even maths, what pros report about lead quality, and a model where quoting is free.
- Airbnb turnover cleaning: what it costs and how to set it upChangeover cleaning rates for short lets in the UK, what should be in the scope, linen options, and how to rebook the same cleaner without paying commission every time.
Prices and rules change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it. How we research and check these guides.