Buyer guide for UK and Irish chimney sweeps and stove installers

We Sweep alternative for chimney sweeps

We Sweep is UK chimney sweep software with website bookings, route planning and digital certificates. Public pricing is £0/month with 2% on every paid job, however the customer pays.

Short answer

We Sweep takes 2% of every job, however the customer pays. Sweep Certificates is a fixed monthly fee with website bookings that keep driving distance short, no cut of cash, card or bank transfer, FreeAgent and Sage included on Premium, unlimited photos on the job, and annual billing that brings the monthly price down. 2% does not get cheaper if you pay ahead.

Feature comparison

This table is based on publicly listed positioning and the features Sweep Certificates provides today. Always check the competitor's current website before making a final decision.

Area Sweep Certificates We Sweep
Best fit UK and Irish chimney sweeps and stove installers who want certificates, a diary, website bookings and accounts together UK chimney sweeps wanting website bookings, auto routing and pay-on-the-day or prepaid
Pricing Fixed monthly from £18.50/month Standard. Annual billing is 12 months for the price of 11, so Premium is £22/month equivalent rather than £24 £0/month; 2% per booking on card, cash and bank transfer. Card at booking through Stripe also carries about 1.5% plus 20p. The 2% does not fall if you pay annually
Cut of payments None. Cash, cheque and bank transfer with no penalty 2% on every paid job. Cash and bank-transfer fees invoiced monthly against a saved card or Direct Debit
Website bookings and routing £10/month Premium add-on. Customers book on your site. New online slots only sit next to another job within your travel distance, so the day stays compact. Once booked, the time stays unless you move it Customer picks a date and morning, afternoon or don't mind. Software re-plans the day as jobs come in; confirmed time emailed 24 hours before
Other jobs in summer Book, quote and invoice other work at no extra cost; sweep customers can still book in early or for their regular visit Built for UK chimney sweep bookings. Same 2% on jobs you add yourself
Accounting Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and Sage included in Premium, no extra fee Xero, QuickBooks and Sage included in the 2%. No FreeAgent on the public site
Certificates and photos Sweep certificates, warning notices, association templates, offline app. No cap of 3 photos per appointment Digital certificates with photos, offline app. Booking notes listed with up to 3 customer photos
Reminders Email, SMS and WhatsApp on your schedule Email and free SMS from your own business name. WhatsApp not listed
Teams Premium 3 users; 4–6 at £29/month; unlimited £34/month, no percentage Unlimited technicians, 2% on every booking
Ireland and installers Ireland and stove installer workflows UK chimney sweep businesses on the public site

Pricing comparison

Plan Sweep Certificates We Sweep
Quiet month Same £18.50 or £24/month, or less if you pay annually £0 if nothing is paid. Any cash or transfer job still attracts 2%
Steady month (~£3,000 paid work) £24/month Premium, or £22/month equivalent on annual (£264/year) About £60 in We Sweep fees, plus Stripe (about 1.5% + 20p) on card jobs paid at booking
Busy month (~£5,000) £34/month with Premium and online booking, or less on annual About £100 in We Sweep fees. 2% stays 2%
Free trial 30 days, no card; online booking free for the first calendar month No public trial. Apply to join

Who We Sweep may suit

UK chimney sweeps wanting website bookings, automatic day re-planning and pay-on-the-day or prepaid card jobs.

Who Sweep Certificates may suit

UK and Irish chimney sweeps and stove installers who want certificates, a diary, website bookings and accounts together.

Pricing and setup considerations

We Sweep lists £0/month with 2% per booking on card, cash and bank transfer (2% on net ex-VAT), including jobs you add manually. Cash and bank-transfer fees are invoiced monthly against a saved card or Direct Debit. When a new customer pays by card at booking through Stripe, We Sweep's 2% sits on top of Stripe's typical UK card fee of about 1.5% plus 20p per transaction (check stripe.com for current rates). On a £75 job that is about £1.50 to We Sweep plus about £1.33 to Stripe, roughly £2.83 all-in (about 3.8%), not "just 2%". The 2% does not fall if you pay annually. Sweep Certificates is £18.50/month Standard or £24/month Premium (three users), with online booking a £10/month Premium add-on (first calendar month free) and annual billing at 12 months for the price of 11, so Premium is £22/month equivalent. A 30-day free trial applies. Pricing and features below are based on publicly listed information from we-sweep.co.uk and may change. Check each provider's website before deciding.

Sweep Certificates is designed around the way small UK and Irish sweep and installer businesses work: unlimited jobs per month, trade-specific paperwork, automated reminders, quotes, invoices and accounting sync without a heavy setup project.

Choose We Sweep if...

Choose We Sweep if you want website bookings with day re-planning until 24 hours before, prefer a percentage fee in quiet months over a fixed subscription, and are comfortable with 2% on every paid job including cash and bank transfer.

Choose Sweep Certificates if...

Choose Sweep Certificates if you want fixed monthly pricing, website bookings that keep driving distance short, no cut of cash, cheque, card or bank transfer, FreeAgent and Sage on Premium, WhatsApp reminders, other summer jobs at no extra cost, Ireland and stove installer workflows, and a 30-day trial with no card.

Frequently asked questions

Is We Sweep a good alternative to Sweep Certificates?

We Sweep fits a solo UK sweep who wants website bookings and will pay 2% on every job, including cash and bank transfer. Sweep Certificates fits sweeps and installers who want a fixed monthly fee, website bookings with travel-distance routing, no cut of payments, FreeAgent, WhatsApp, other trades, and Ireland. 30-day trial vs apply-to-join.

Do they still take a cut if the customer pays cash?

Yes. Public pricing says 2% however the customer pays. Cash and bank-transfer fees are invoiced monthly. Sweep Certificates does not take a cut of any payment.

What does a new customer pay when they book by card on We Sweep?

We Sweep takes 2% plus Stripe's typical UK card fee of about 1.5% plus 20p when a new customer pays by card at booking. On a £75 job that is about £1.50 to We Sweep and about £1.33 to Stripe, roughly £2.83 all-in. Cash and bank transfer still attract 2%, invoiced monthly. Sweep Certificates does not take a cut of any payment.

Who has Sage, Xero and FreeAgent?

We Sweep lists Xero, QuickBooks and Sage inside the 2%. Sweep Certificates includes those plus FreeAgent in Premium, with no percentage of takings.

Can I use it for summer work that is not sweeping?

Sweep Certificates can book, quote and invoice other jobs at no extra cost, while sweep customers still book in. We Sweep's public site is for UK chimney sweep businesses and charges 2% on jobs you add yourself.

How does booking time work?

We Sweep lets the customer pick a date, not a time, and re-plans the day until 24 hours out. Sweep Certificates offers website bookings; new online slots only sit next to another job within travel distance, and once booked the time stays unless you change it.

What about SMS and WhatsApp?

We Sweep lists email and free SMS from your own name. Sweep Certificates also has WhatsApp, and SMS and email on a schedule you set.

Does annual billing change the comparison?

Sweep Certificates annual billing is 12 months for the price of 11. We Sweep's 2% does not get cheaper if you pay ahead.

Want software built around sweep and installer admin?

Try Sweep Certificates free and see how certificates, reminders, quotes, invoices and customer records fit together in one place.

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