Trame vs Powered Now
The Powered Now alternative with nothing gated
Both handle the UK tax side properly. Only one of us charges £29 total for the whole business, with every feature on the one plan.
30 days free. No card, no commitment.
A team of three, per month
One line, enquiry to paid
The enquiry becomes the quote, the quote becomes the job, the job becomes the invoice. Nothing re-typed, nothing copied between apps. Everyone else sells you the middle.
Quote in minutes
Your rates load from the price book. Adjust, send, get one-tap sign-off.
Every job, one screen
Enquiry to paid invoice, the whole business at a glance.
Built for the van
Send from site, and your customer accepts with one tap on their phone.
What you get with Trame
Everyone else runs quote to paid. Trame runs enquiry to year end.
Three people or ten, £29. Adding a person never changes the bill.
CIS, reverse charge, exports, payments: all of it on the one plan. No £32 step to unlock the tax features.
Invoicing a contractor? The 20 per cent comes off the labour, not your materials, and the invoice shows what they will actually pay.
Enquiry, price book, send. One coherent flow on your phone, not a desktop tool squeezed small.
Card and Pay by Bank through your own Stripe account. The amount invoiced is the amount owed to you.
You write in, the founder answers. No ticket queue, no tier-gated support.
Side by side
| Trame | Powered Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | £29 flat, everyone | £28 to £40 per user |
| Yearly | £290, two months free | £280 to £400 per user, two months free |
| VAT on the price | None. £29 is the total | Not included, 20% on top |
| Free trial | 30 days, no card | 14 days, no card |
| Commission on invoices | 0% | Unlisted |
| CIS deductions | ||
| Reverse charge VAT | ||
| VAT returns filed from the app | Not yet, on the 2026 roadmap | Yes, from the £32 tier |
| Tier gating | None, one plan | VAT filing and Xero from the £32 tier |
| Accounting | FreeAgent, Xero and QuickBooks exports | Xero, from the £32 tier |
| Gas and electrical certificates |
Powered Now details from their own pricing page, checked 25 August 2026. Their pricing page states “per user, VAT excluded”. CIS and reverse charge rows reflect features advertised on their site.
Which should you pick
When Trame is the better pick
Your week is quoting, doing the work and getting paid, and that is the whole line Trame runs. The tax handling Powered Now sells at the £32 tier is Trame's baseline: CIS off the labour line, reverse-charge wording, HMRC expense categories. £29 total, everything on one plan, and adding people costs nothing.
When Powered Now is the better pick
You need VAT returns filed from inside the app today, or you send gas and electrical certificates from site. Powered Now does both, and it handles CIS and the reverse charge properly, same as we do. It charges per user, VAT excluded, and VAT filing and Xero start at the £32 tier.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trame a good alternative to Powered Now?
For a sole trader or a small team, yes. Both handle CIS and the reverse charge on the invoice. The differences are the bill (£29 total against £28 to £40 per user plus VAT) and the gating (Trame has one plan; Powered Now puts VAT filing and Xero on the £32 tier). If you need VAT returns filed from inside the app today, or certificates sent from site, Powered Now is the better fit.
Can I bring my customers over from Powered Now?
Yes. Import a CSV of your customers into Trame, build your price book from the rates you already charge, and your first quote goes out the same day.
How long does it take to get started?
One sitting. Add your company details, import your customers, build your price book, and your first quote is out the same day. The 30-day trial means you can run it next to Powered Now while you decide, without a card.
What does Trame not do?
Trame does not file VAT returns to HMRC today (Making Tax Digital support is in progress on the 2026 roadmap) and does not send gas or electrical certificates. Powered Now does both.
What happens if I stop paying?
You cancel from settings, no notice period, and the downside is one month. Your data exports to CSV whenever you want it, and the quote and invoice links your customers already have keep working even after you stop.
Less admin.
Get paid.
One price, whole business. 30 days free, no card.