YourTradeBase and Sendinvo both come from the UK and both serve trades, but they solve different problems. YourTradeBase speeds up quotes and paperwork; Sendinvo is built specifically around the getting-paid chain: CIS deductions, the VAT reverse charge, deposits, stage payments and chasing. Here is how they differ and which fits your business.
- YourTradeBase is a paperwork accelerator: quotes, estimates, letters.
- Sendinvo is a payment engine: CIS, reverse charge, stages, reminders.
- Both are UK-focused. This is not a UK-vs-US comparison.
- YourTradeBase’s strength is document automation, not construction tax.
- Subcontractors under CIS need Sendinvo’s core loop most.
What each tool is
| Sendinvo | YourTradeBase | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Invoicing and payment collection | Trade paperwork: quotes, estimates, letters |
| Core loop | Quote → deposit → stages → invoice → reminder → paid | Template → quote → tweak → send |
| UK construction rules | CIS deductions and VAT reverse charge built in | General trade documents; construction tax specifics are not the focus |
| Chasing money | Automatic reminders, statements, statutory interest | Document-led; chasing is mostly manual |
| Best known for | Getting UK trades paid on construction jobs | Producing professional quotes fast |
Both are UK products aimed at trades: the difference is where in the job each one spends its effort: YourTradeBase on winning and documenting the work, Sendinvo on collecting for it.
Where YourTradeBase wins
- Quote speed. Pre-written trade templates mean a professional quote in minutes: its strongest, longest-standing feature.
- Consistent paperwork. Estimates, invoices and letters from one template library keep a small business looking organised.
- Simplicity. It is deliberately light: little training, little configuration.
For a business whose bottleneck is producing quotes, that focus is worth paying for.
Where Sendinvo wins
- CIS deductions on the labour element after VAT, with payment and deduction statements generated per payment: see the worked example.
- VAT reverse charge wording on invoices between VAT-registered construction businesses: what the invoice must show.
- Deposits, stage payments, valuations and retention as first-class documents: the stage payment template.
- Automatic chasing. Reminders, customer statements and statutory interest run without diary entries: the reminder wording.
- Payment records. Receipts, part payments and the unpaid balance tracked on every invoice.
The structural difference: in YourTradeBase the invoice is a document you produce; in Sendinvo it is a money record the software acts on: due dates, reminders, statements, interest.
How to decide
- Your bottleneck is quoting? YourTradeBase’s template library is its core competence. Start there.
- Your bottleneck is getting paid: especially under CIS? That is Sendinvo’s entire product: the CIS invoicing comparison.
- Domestic customers only, no CIS, no reverse charge? Either works; pick on the chasing features, software that chases pays for itself.
- Both problems? Some firms run a quoting tool and a payment tool; check what each exports and imports before doubling up.
FAQ
What is the difference between Sendinvo and YourTradeBase?
YourTradeBase focuses on producing trade paperwork fast: quotes, estimates, letters and invoices from templates. Sendinvo focuses on the getting-paid chain: CIS deductions, the VAT reverse charge, deposits, stage payments and automatic chasing.
Does YourTradeBase handle CIS deductions?
CIS specifics are not its focus, deduction calculations and payment and deduction statements are jobs you handle manually. If you invoice contractors under CIS, check the current feature list before committing.
Which is better for subcontractors?
Subcontractors’ defining invoice features are the CIS deduction on the labour element after VAT and the reverse charge wording. Sendinvo is built around exactly those.
Can both chase unpaid invoices automatically?
Sendinvo sends automatic reminders, customer statements and can apply statutory interest. YourTradeBase is document-led, so chasing is largely manual.
Are both UK products?
Yes, both are UK-built for UK trades, so this is a comparison of emphasis, not of localisation.
Can I use both together?
Yes, some firms quote in one tool and invoice in another. Check the export path first so quote values do not have to be retyped into invoices.
One last thing
Ask which half of the job leaks money. Quotes lost to slow turnaround cost work; invoices unpaid past terms cost cash. YourTradeBase fixes the first, Sendinvo fixes the second, most small trade firms feel the second one more.