TrustATrader review (2026): the unpublished annual fee, the vetting, the waiting lists, and a simpler alternative
TrustATrader is the Stevenage directory founded in 2005 that charges a yearly membership fee it does not publish, never charges per lead, vets traders with five references and two years' experience, and caps the number of traders per trade in each area. It has 8,692 Trustpilot reviews at 4.6. Growth Bull is £69 a month for the Google review and ranking part, with no vetting queue.
Written by Tom Riley, founder of Growth Bull
8 min read Prices checked October 2026
TrustATrader is the UK directory with the yearly fee and the TV adverts. Founded in Stevenage in 2005, it charges traders an annual membership it does not publish on its website, never charges per lead, and limits the number of traders it lists in each trade and area. On Trustpilot it has 8,692 reviews at 4.6, the strongest ratio of the directories we looked at.
Growth Bull is not a directory. It is £69 a month of software that gets Google reviews from every paid invoice and shows where you rank. This review is for the tradesperson weighing a flat-fee listing against building their own Google presence, and for the TrustATrader member wondering what to run alongside it.
Written by Tom Riley, founder of Growth Bull. Where TrustATrader is the better choice, we say so. Facts checked 1 October 2026.
For the subscription-and-leads model, see our Checkatrade review; for the other vetting badge, our Which? Trusted Traders review; and for all the platforms side by side, the best lead generation for tradesmen in the UK.
Growth Bull vs TrustATrader
TrustATrader is the directory to consider if you want a flat yearly fee with no lead charges and a vetting badge backed by TV advertising, while Growth Bull is a £69 a month tool that builds the Google reviews homeowners read before they trust anyone, directory or not.
Choose Growth Bull if
you want more Google reviews and a clear view of your map and search rankings for a fixed monthly price you can cancel any month.
Starting price: £69/mo, no contract
Choose TrustATrader if
you want a listing with no per-lead fees, you can pass its references check, there is a place free in your trade and area, and the yearly price you are quoted makes sense against the jobs it brings.
Starting price: Yearly fee, quoted by phone
Side by side
What each company says about itself, on its own website, next to ours.
Both screenshots show the public websites as they looked on 1 October 2026. The TrustATrader screenshot belongs to TrustATrader and is shown here for a fair, like-for-like comparison.
At a glance
Growth Bull ahead: 4TrustATrader ahead: 2Level: 2
| What you get | Growth Bull | TrustATrader |
|---|---|---|
| What you are buying | Software: review requests, Rank Map, Keyword Tracker, AI Visibility | A vetted directory listing; homeowners contact you directly |
| Gets new Google reviews automatically | Yes, one text and one email after every paid invoice | No; reviews are collected on TrustATrader |
| Sends you leads | No; it grows the free enquiries from Google | Yes, enquiries from the directory; no charge per lead |
| Map and search rank tracking | Yes, Rank Map and Keyword Tracker on Complete Growth | Not offered |
| Published price | Review Builder £69 a month, Complete Growth £129 a month | Yearly membership fee; amount not published |
| Commitment | None, 7-day free trial, cancel any month | Annual membership |
| Public reviews | Growth Bull is new; see the live examples on our site | Trustpilot 4.6 from 8,692 reviews |
| Company | UK, prices in pounds and dollars | TrustATrader.com Limited, Stevenage, incorporated 2005 |
The tick marks the stronger option on that row. Prices per month, checked 1 October 2026.
Who are TrustATrader and what do they sell?
TrustATrader.com Limited (company number 05489753) was incorporated on 23 June 2005, is registered at 5 Meadway Court in Stevenage and is active, with an advertising agency SIC code. A related company, TrustATrader Group Limited, was incorporated in 2011. The about page describes the site as the UK's trusted online trade directory, set up to connect consumers with vetted tradespeople, and the homepage carries a 2005 to 2026 copyright.
What a trader buys is a vetted listing:
- A profile with reviews that homeowners contact directly, with no per-lead charge, which the homepage puts as "No commission rates - Never pay for your leads".
- A vetting badge that depends on the joining checks: a minimum of five references, insurance, two or more years' experience and the relevant qualifications for the trade.
- Advertising on your behalf: the homepage claims sponsorship across ITV2, ITV3, ITV Movies and ITV4 daytime, and advertising on more than 60 radio stations, plus help managing your profile and uploading photographs.
The distinctive rule is scarcity. TrustATrader's FAQ says membership numbers are limited for each trade within an area, so that listed traders get enough work, and that many areas have waiting lists. It also pays £50 for referring a new trader who joins.
What does TrustATrader cost and what is the commitment?
TrustATrader charges a yearly membership fee and does not publish the amount. The FAQ says only that it charges a yearly fee, and the figure for your trade and area is given when you apply. Third-party guides quote figures, but they disagree with one another, so we treat the price as not published. The commitment is annual.
In our view the model has a real advantage: because there is no charge per lead, every enquiry after the fee is covered costs you nothing, and there is no incentive for the directory to send you poor leads. The thing to weigh is the yearly figure against the searches in your area, and the number of traders already listed in your trade there, which TrustATrader caps. Ask for both before you pay.
What do customers say about TrustATrader?
TrustATrader has 8,692 reviews on Trustpilot with a TrustScore of 4.6: 85 percent five-star, 9 percent four-star and 3 percent one-star. Most are homeowners reviewing the traders they found. A recent one reads "Easy to use great company for trustworthy companies and services" (Brett, Trustpilot, September 2026).
Trustpilot's summary of the reviews mentions some concerns about the thoroughness of the vetting and about availability in specific areas, which is the flip side of the capped listings. We could not retrieve Google or Facebook review counts from public pages, so they are not published here.
Who does TrustATrader suit?
TrustATrader suits an established tradesperson with references to hand and two years behind them, in an area where a place is free, who prefers a known annual cost to a running meter. The vetting badge carries weight with the homeowners who watch the ITV channels it sponsors, and the no-per-lead model rewards traders who convert well.
It suits a new business less well, because the two-year rule and the references rule out the first years of trading, and it suits a trade in a full area not at all until a place comes up. As with every directory, the reviews you collect stay on TrustATrader and do nothing for your Google listing.
Where Growth Bull fits instead
Growth Bull works on the reviews that are yours. Growth Bull's Review Builder connects to Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent, HubSpot or Pipedrive and sends one text and one email asking for a Google review after every paid invoice. Those reviews sit on your Google Business Profile and lift you into the map pack (the box of three businesses with a map at the top of Google), where a homeowner rings you directly. It is £69 a month, with a 7-day free trial, no contract and no waiting list.
Complete Growth at £129 a month adds Rank Map, which scans a grid of points around your town and names who holds number one for your trade; Keyword Tracker, which follows your search positions; and AI Visibility, which asks ChatGPT, Claude and Google's AI who they recommend in your town and shows whether you are named.
Growth Bull does not run a directory and makes no claim about TV reach. If you want a vetted listing that homeowners already search, TrustATrader is a fair choice with a fairer pricing model than most, and the two run well together: the listing for the badge and the enquiries, the tool for the Google reviews.
Verdict
In our view, TrustATrader is the best-structured of the paid directories, because a flat yearly fee with no lead charges keeps its interests and yours in line. The gaps are the unpublished price, the annual commitment and the waiting lists. Get the yearly figure and the count of traders in your trade and area before you sign.
If you are earlier than that, or your area is full, start with the Google reviews. Growth Bull's Review Builder is £69 a month with a 7-day free trial at growthbull.io/signup, or book a call with Tom.
Questions people ask
How much does TrustATrader cost?
TrustATrader does not publish its membership price. Its FAQ says it charges a yearly fee for membership, and its homepage says there are no commission rates and you never pay for your leads. The figure depends on your trade and area and is given when you apply. Third-party guides quote a range of figures but they disagree with each other, so we treat the price as not published (checked October 2026).
How do you join TrustATrader?
According to its FAQ you need a minimum of five references, proof of insurance, proof of at least two years' experience, the relevant qualifications for your trade (NICEIC, Part P or Gas Safe registration where applicable) and a signed agreement to its terms. Membership numbers are limited for each trade in each area, and TrustATrader says many areas have waiting lists.
Is TrustATrader worth it?
It depends on the yearly figure you are quoted and the number of homeowners searching in your area. TrustATrader's homepage reports 498,815 searches in the last 30 days across the whole site and claims sponsorship on ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 plus more than 60 radio stations. With no per-lead fees, every enquiry beyond the ones that cover the fee is free, which is the model's strength. Ask how many traders in your trade are already listed in your area before you pay.
Who owns TrustATrader?
TrustATrader.com Limited, company number 05489753, was incorporated on 23 June 2005 and is registered at Meadway Court in Stevenage. A related company, TrustATrader Group Limited, was incorporated in 2011. The site's footer carries a 2005 to 2026 copyright and its about page gives 2005 as the founding year.
What are TrustATrader's reviews like?
TrustATrader has 8,692 reviews on Trustpilot with a 4.6 TrustScore: 85 percent five-star and 3 percent one-star, which is the strongest ratio among the UK directories we reviewed. Most reviewers are homeowners. Trustpilot's summary notes some concerns about how thorough the vetting is and about availability in certain areas.
What is a simpler alternative to TrustATrader?
If you cannot get a place in your area, or you want something with no annual fee, Growth Bull's Review Builder is £69 a month with a 7-day free trial and no contract. It asks every customer for a Google review after their invoice is paid, so the free enquiries from Google grow. Complete Growth at £129 a month adds map, keyword and AI visibility tracking. The two can run together.