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ServiceM8 is excellent at getting field work done and taking a card on-site. Stagex goes one step further on the paperwork: milestones are tracked to sign-off and invoiced the moment each stage is approved, so nothing sits half-recorded.
Invite-only while we onboard our first builders. No lock-in. The client pays you directly on sign-off.
The row no job-management app can tick
Most tradie apps help you send the invoice faster. Stagex goes one step further: you and your client agree the milestones up front, they sign off each stage from their own portal, and the invoice for that stage is generated immediately — no manual re-entry, no delay. The client pays you directly; Stagex does not collect or hold the payment. See /product-status.
ServiceM8 is a smart job-management app for tradies and service businesses, known for strong field-service workflows and on-site payments. Here is where each genuinely fits — no spin.
ServiceM8 shines on field-service workflow and on-site card payments. Stagex’s difference is the paper trail — every stage is signed off and invoiced immediately, not requested after the fact.
| Feature | Stagex | ServiceM8 |
|---|---|---|
| Does it hold customer funds before work starts? | Not yet. Milestone escrow is not available — Stagex does not hold customer funds and is not licensed to. It is the product we are building; see /product-status. | No. ServiceM8 is job-management software — it sends the invoice, it does not hold or guarantee the customer's money. |
| How you actually get paid | Invoice with a Stripe payment link, and the money reaches your bank on your Stripe payout schedule. Milestone escrow — the client funding each stage before you start it — is what we are building, and it is not available yet. | Invoice + online payment links. Faster to send, but the customer still chooses whether and when to pay. Same as Stagex today — ServiceM8 is mature at it.[1] |
| Field-service workflow | Solid job pipeline — quotes, scheduling, evidence capture, invoicing. | Deep, polished field-service features: dispatch, on-site forms, job diary. A genuine ServiceM8 strength.[1] |
| On-site card payment | No on-site collection needed — the milestone is signed off in the client’s portal and invoiced immediately; they pay you directly. | Take a card payment on the spot when the job is done — fast and convenient for smaller call-outs.[1] |
| If a client won’t pay | Every milestone and sign-off is timestamped, giving you a clear record to back a payment claim. Stagex does not hold or guarantee the money. | If the customer doesn’t pay the invoice, recovery is on you — same as Stagex today. |
| Best-suited job size | Shines on staged work over days or weeks — renos, fit-offs, builds. | Excels at high volumes of shorter service and maintenance jobs. |
| Accounting integration | Two-way Xero sync. | Integrates with Xero and MYOB.[1] |
Does it hold customer funds before work starts?
Not yet. Milestone escrow is not available — Stagex does not hold customer funds and is not licensed to. It is the product we are building; see /product-status.
No. ServiceM8 is job-management software — it sends the invoice, it does not hold or guarantee the customer's money.
How you actually get paid
Invoice with a Stripe payment link, and the money reaches your bank on your Stripe payout schedule. Milestone escrow — the client funding each stage before you start it — is what we are building, and it is not available yet.
Invoice + online payment links. Faster to send, but the customer still chooses whether and when to pay. Same as Stagex today — ServiceM8 is mature at it.[1]
Field-service workflow
Solid job pipeline — quotes, scheduling, evidence capture, invoicing.
Deep, polished field-service features: dispatch, on-site forms, job diary. A genuine ServiceM8 strength.[1]
On-site card payment
No on-site collection needed — the milestone is signed off in the client’s portal and invoiced immediately; they pay you directly.
Take a card payment on the spot when the job is done — fast and convenient for smaller call-outs.[1]
If a client won’t pay
Every milestone and sign-off is timestamped, giving you a clear record to back a payment claim. Stagex does not hold or guarantee the money.
If the customer doesn’t pay the invoice, recovery is on you — same as Stagex today.
Best-suited job size
Shines on staged work over days or weeks — renos, fit-offs, builds.
Excels at high volumes of shorter service and maintenance jobs.
Accounting integration
Two-way Xero sync.
Integrates with Xero and MYOB.[1]
A tick in the ServiceM8 column means ServiceM8 genuinely leads on that row. We call it where they do.
Sources
Claims about ServiceM8 reflect its own public product and pricing pages as at 2026. Feature sets change — confirm current details on servicem8.com. Stagex is not affiliated with or endorsed by ServiceM8.
Milestone tracking
Signed off, stage by stage
Invoice on sign-off
No manual re-entry, no delay
No lock-in
Month-to-month, cancel anytime
Dispute evidence
A timestamped record for both sides
It depends on your work. If you run high volumes of short service call-outs, ServiceM8’s field workflow is hard to beat. If you run staged jobs where keeping track of what’s owed at each stage is the real risk — renos, fit-offs, builds — Stagex is built for exactly that: milestone tracking with client sign-off at every step.
No — and neither does Stagex today. Milestone escrow is not available; Stagex does not hold customer funds and is not licensed to (see /product-status). What Stagex does is track each milestone to sign-off and generate the invoice the moment it’s approved.
Yes — Stagex is a web platform that runs in any modern browser on any device, so there is no Apple-only or Android-only restriction.
The moment the client signs off, Stagex generates the invoice for that stage — no manual re-entry. They pay you directly, on whatever method you’ve agreed; Stagex does not collect or hold the payment itself.
Stagex Professional is $59/mo, or $49/mo billed annually (GST inclusive) — a flat subscription, no transaction fee. ServiceM8 prices by job volume — check servicem8.com for current plans.
No card to start, and the trial simply ends if you don’t add one — we never bill you by surprise. Bring one staged job through Stagex this week and see what chase-free payment feels like.
Stage by stage. Always paid.