Comparison
AIMC Lead Machine vs Checkatrade
Side-by-side: what you get, what you pay for, and who owns the leads.
The core difference
Checkatrade is a directory: you pay to be listed alongside other trades, and customers compare you on their platform. The AIMC Lead Machine is your own system: a website on your own domain, an AI receptionist, missed-call text-back and review requests, all sending leads straight to you. One rents visibility on someone else's platform; the other builds something you own.
Side by side
| Feature | AIMC Lead Machine | Checkatrade |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Your own website on your own domain | A profile page on the Checkatrade directory |
| Whose brand customers see | Yours | Checkatrade first, then yours |
| Who the leads belong to | You — they come straight to your phone | Customers can contact several trades from the same search |
| Missed calls | Instant text-back to every caller you miss | Not part of the service |
| Answering enquiries | AI receptionist from the Online plan | You reply yourself |
| Reviews | Automatic review requests after each job | A mature, widely trusted verified-review system |
| Contract | No contract — cancel with one email | Check their current membership terms |
| If you leave | Website ownership transfers after 24 monthly payments | Your profile and its reviews stay on their platform |
Where Checkatrade wins
Brand recognition
Checkatrade is a household name, and many homeowners search there first.
Verified reviews
Their review system is established and trusted by consumers.
National advertising
TV and national campaigns bring a steady flow of people to the platform.
Which is right for you?
If you are brand new and need work this week, a directory listing can help while you build your own presence. If you already get enquiries but lose some to missed calls, slow replies or competitors on the same page, your own Lead Machine usually makes more sense.
Plenty of trades use both. Your website and Google profile bring in people searching for you by name or by area, and every lead that lands there is yours alone.
See what your own system looks like
We build a free demo of your website before you pay anything.