Choosing software for a UK cleaning company.

When you need it

Most owners start looking at about 3 cleaners. That's when the rota no longer fits in your head, invoices go out late, and you spend evenings matching bank payments to customers.

If you have one cleaner and a handful of regulars, a calendar and a simple invoicing app are enough. Past that, the hours you spend on admin cost more than the software.

What it should do

• Bookings and regular cleans. Weekly, fortnightly and monthly visits that repeat on their own, plus one-offs, deep cleans and end of tenancy.
• A cleaner app on any phone. Their own jobs, in order, with the address, access notes and what the customer asked for. If cleaners must download and update an app, some won't.
• Photos and damage reports. Proof the clean was done, and a way to tell the office about a broken item before the customer does.
• Invoices with UK VAT. Numbered invoices from finished cleans, credit notes instead of deleted invoices, and statements for late payers.
• The accounts. Expenses, bank reconciliation, profit and loss and VAT figures. Most job apps leave this to Xero or QuickBooks, which means a second bill and a sync to fix.
• An easy way in. Import from a spreadsheet or calendar, ideally with someone who does it for you.

Per user or flat price?

This is the biggest difference in cost. Many apps charge for each person who logs in, often in US dollars. A cleaning company has many people, so the bill grows with every cleaner and office helper you add.

A flat price per company costs the same whether 4 or 14 people use it. Check whether office staff and your accountant count as users, and whether text messages cost extra.

Questions to ask before you choose

1. Is the price in pounds, and does it go up when I add cleaners?
2. Do my cleaners need to install anything?
3. Does it do UK VAT, and will my accountant get a login?
4. Do I still need Xero or QuickBooks on top?
5. Will you import my customers and regular cleans for me?
6. Where is my data stored, and can I export it if I leave?

The main options in 2026

Jobber and Housecall Pro are general apps for home service trades, priced in dollars. ZenMaid and Launch27 are built for US maid services. Powered Now is a UK app for tradespeople, charged per user. Spick HQ is built only for cleaning companies, priced flat in pounds, with the accounts included.

See the side-by-side pages: Spick HQ vs Jobber, vs ZenMaid and vs Powered Now.

How to switch without chaos

Export a customer list and an invoice report from what you use now. Book next week's cleans in the new system while the old one is still running, then switch the old one off. Most companies are done within a week. How switching to Spick HQ works.