A ServiceM8 alternative without job limits.
ServiceM8 prices its plans by how many jobs you create each month, and syncs with Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks Online for the accounting. Countertop Office has no job limits and keeps the books itself, for $19 a month solo or $49 a month for up to 20 users.
Which one suits your business.
Neither is right for everyone. If the second list describes you, ServiceM8 is probably the better choice.
- Your job count changes month to month and you don't want to watch a limit.
- You'd rather run quotes, jobs, purchasing, stock and the books in one system.
- You buy and hold stock and want purchasing tied to the same books.
- You prepare your own BAS and TPAR from the same records.
- You work alone on a handful of jobs: ServiceM8 has a free plan for one user and 30 jobs a month.
- You need more than 20 users. ServiceM8's paid plans have no user limit.
- You want to take card payments on the spot, or text customers.
- You want to keep Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks for the accounting.
Countertop Office and ServiceM8 compared.
The differences that usually decide it: how you're charged, where the books live, and what each one leaves out.
| Topic | Countertop Office | ServiceM8 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Solo $19 a month for 1 user. Business $49 a month for up to 20 users. No GST added. | Free plan for 1 user and 30 jobs a month. Paid plans from $29 a month for 50 jobs, rising with job volume. Prices include GST. |
| Users | 1 on Solo, up to 20 on Business. | Unlimited on paid plans. |
| Job limits | None on either plan. | 30 a month on the free plan, then from 50 to 1,500 on paid plans. |
| Accounting | Double-entry accounts, bank reconciliation, P&L, balance sheet and cash flow built in. | Syncs with Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks Online. |
| BAS and TPAR | Prepared from your records, with a guided hand-off to ATO Online services. | Done in your accounting software. |
| Card payments | Not built in. Customers pay to the bank details on your invoice. | Built in, with fees from 1.19% + 30c to 1.89% + 30c depending on the plan. |
| Text messages | Email only. | An SMS allowance on paid plans, then 10c a message. |
ServiceM8 details are from ServiceM8's public pricing page, checked on 25 October 2026. Plans and prices change, so check their site before you decide. ServiceM8 is a trademark of its owner, and Countertop Software isn't affiliated with it.
How switching works.
There's no direct import from ServiceM8, but the lists that matter move across as spreadsheets.
- 01
Export your lists
Export your clients, suppliers and price list from ServiceM8, and your chart of accounts from your accounting software, as CSV or Excel files.
- 02
Map and import
Upload each file. Countertop Office suggests which of your columns match its own, and you confirm before anything is imported.
- 03
Fill in the rest
Apply a starter kit for ready-made services, job templates and quote templates, then rename and reprice them.
- 04
Switch at a clean break
Start new jobs in Countertop Office and finish open ones in ServiceM8. Move the books over at the start of a BAS period.
Common questions from ServiceM8 users.
Straight answers on price, accounting and what changes when you move.
Does Countertop Office limit how many jobs I can create?
No. Neither plan limits quotes, jobs or invoices. The only difference between Solo and Business is the number of users.
ServiceM8 has unlimited users. Does Countertop Office?
No. Solo includes 1 user and Business includes up to 20. If you need more than 20, contact us before you switch.
Does Countertop Office sync with Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks?
No. It keeps its own double-entry books and prepares BAS and TPAR from them, so there's nothing to sync.
Can customers pay by card?
Not through Countertop Office. Customers pay to the bank details on your invoice, and you record the payment against it. If taking cards matters to you, that's a reason to stay with a tool that does.
See how Countertop Office fits your trade, or how it compares.
Each page is plain about what the product does and doesn't do, so you can rule it in or out quickly.
Quote one real job and see how it runs.
Solo and Business both include every Countertop Office feature. Choose 1 user or up to 20, with no GST added.