Simpro is job management for large trade businesses: quoting, scheduling, job costing, inventory and invoicing in one system, priced and staffed accordingly. Sendinvo is the opposite bet: the getting-paid half only, built around UK construction’s payment rules. Here is where each wins, and how to tell which one your business actually needs.
- Simpro runs the whole job: schedule, cost, stock, invoice.
- Sendinvo runs the money: CIS, reverse charge, deposits, reminders.
- Simpro’s depth costs money, training time and a real rollout.
- One-man and small teams usually need invoicing, not an ERP.
- Mid-size trades with field teams and stock are Simpro’s home ground.
What each tool is
The comparison only makes sense once the category is clear:
| Sendinvo | Simpro | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Invoicing and payment collection | Full field service / job management |
| Core loop | Quote → deposit → stages → invoice → reminder → paid | Lead → schedule → job → cost → invoice → report |
| Built for | UK trades and subcontractors | Medium-to-large trade and service businesses |
| UK construction rules | CIS deductions and VAT reverse charge built in | Configurable; construction tax specifics are not the centre of the product |
| Setup | Self-serve, minutes | Onboarding project: data migration, training, rollout |
| Price shape | Low monthly subscription | Quoted pricing scaled to users and modules |
Simpro does invoicing as one module among many; Sendinvo does invoicing as the whole product. That is the honest shape of the comparison: it is not two invoicing tools side by side.
Where Simpro wins
- Scheduling and job management. Technicians, calendars, job status, asset history: if you run a field team, this is the system of record, not the invoice.
- Job costing. Labour hours and materials against each job, with margin visibility per job, invoicing tools do not do this.
- Inventory. Stock levels, purchase orders and van stock tied to jobs.
- Scale. Multi-user, multi-branch businesses run on Simpro; the product is built for that weight.
For a business of that shape, an invoicing-only tool is a downgrade no matter how good its templates are.
Where Sendinvo wins
- CIS deductions on the labour line after VAT, with payment and deduction statements generated: the core daily job of a UK subcontractor, not a configuration task.
- VAT reverse charge wording on construction invoices between registered businesses: see what the invoice must show.
- Deposits, stage payments, valuations and retention as first-class invoice types: the stage payment template shows the shape.
- Automatic reminders and statements that collect the money without you chasing: the reminder wording.
- Cost and time. No rollout, no training weeks, no per-module quoting. A sole trader or three-man firm is invoicing the same afternoon.
How to decide
- Do you schedule a field team and cost jobs? Yes → Simpro’s territory; invoicing alone will not run the business.
- Are CIS deductions or the reverse charge on most invoices? Yes → that is Sendinvo’s core loop; Simpro handles it as configuration you must build and maintain.
- Under ~10 people, no stock, no dispatch? Invoicing-first is the right-sized answer: see the 2026 trades shortlist.
- Mid-size and both needs? They are not mutually exclusive: job management for operations, a focused tool for the getting-paid chain, many mid-size contractors run exactly that split.
The honest failure mode for each: buying Simpro for a one-man band (paying ERP money to send invoices), or buying an invoicing tool for a 20-technician business (scheduling on whiteboards anyway). Size the tool to the business, not to the feature list.
FAQ
What is the difference between Sendinvo and Simpro?
Simpro is full job management (scheduling, job costing, inventory and invoicing) for medium-to-large trade businesses. Sendinvo is invoicing only, built around UK construction rules: CIS deductions, the VAT reverse charge, deposits, stage payments and automatic reminders.
Does Simpro handle CIS deductions?
Simpro is configurable and can be set up for subcontractor payments, but UK CIS specifics (deduction rates on the labour element after VAT, payment and deduction statements, monthly return support) are not the product’s centre of gravity. Expect a setup and maintenance burden.
Which is cheaper, Sendinvo or Simpro?
Sendinvo runs on a low monthly subscription. Simpro uses quoted pricing that scales with users and modules, plus onboarding: the total cost of ownership is in a different league, which is fair for what it replaces.
Is Simpro good for small businesses?
It is built for medium-to-large operations. A sole trader or small firm without field teams and stock pays for capacity it will not use, an invoicing-first tool is the better fit.
Can Sendinvo replace job management software?
No, deliberately. Sendinvo is the getting-paid half: quotes into deposits, stages, invoices, reminders and payment records. There is no diary, no timesheets, no stock.
Can I use both together?
Yes, a common mid-size pattern is Simpro for operations and a focused invoicing tool for the payment chain. Check the export/import path before committing.
One last thing
Simpro is a business system; Sendinvo is a payment system. If your unpaid-invoice list is the thing keeping you up at night, you need the second one, and if your technician roster is the thing keeping you up at night, you already know you need the first.