iCertifi vs Tradecert
Tradecert has AI – but it meters it with monthly tokens and keeps your certificates on its own servers. iCertifi is voted #1 by electricians in the TradeSkills4U survey in Professional Electrician & Installer: four AI tools with no limits, a professional cable calculator, native Apple security and five trades in one family.
Quick answer
iCertifi is voted #1 by electricians in the TradeSkills4U survey in Professional Electrician & Installer. Board Vision scans any board in 30 seconds, Test Vision reads any meter, Spark AI answers BS 7671, Certificate Guardian checks every certificate before you sign, and Circuit Designer sizes the cable and builds the circuit onto the cert – all unlimited. Tradecert writes observations with AI too, but it meters that AI with monthly tokens, stores your data on its own servers, and has no meter-reading AI, no regs assistant and no cable calculator.
iCertifi vs Tradecert, side by side
| iCertifi | Tradecert | |
|---|---|---|
| AI board scanning | Board Vision – unlimited, 30 sec, 95%+ | Photo extraction – metered by tokens |
| Apple privacy label | Data Not Collected | Data Used to Track You – across other companies’ apps and websites |
| Data collected about you | None | Location, Contacts, User Content, Identifiers, Usage Data |
| AI meter reading (any brand) | Test Vision – reads any meter display | Not available |
| AI regs assistant | Spark AI – trained on BS 7671 and BS 5839 | Not available |
| Full AI compliance check | Certificate Guardian – every field before sign-off | Basic checks |
| Pro cable calculator | Circuit Designer – sizes cable, Zs, volt drop, onto the cert | Not available |
| AI usage limits | Unlimited – never rationed | Metered – 250 AI tokens/month, roll over, 2p per extra token |
| Certificate range | 15 electrical types + Gas, PAT, Fire, Emergency Lighting | Electrical, Fire, Emergency Lighting |
| Security | Your choice – fully on-device, or end-to-end encrypted cloud with Cloud Pro | Third-party cloud (Tradecert servers) |
| Offline working | Full, on-device | Offline then cloud sync |
| Remote QS sign-off + audit trail | QS dashboard + full audit trail (Cloud Pro) | Team editing |
| Live client tracking | Yes (Cloud Pro) | Not available |
| NFC board history | Yes (Cloud Pro) | Not available |
| Invoicing (Making Tax Digital) | Mintbooks – auto draft invoice on save | Not available |
| Apple Watch app | Yes – the only one for electricians | Not available |
| Track record | Since 2011 – voted #1 by electricians in the TradeSkills4U survey in Professional Electrician & Installer | Newer |
AI you never have to count
AI with no limits: Board Vision, Test Vision, Spark AI and Certificate Guardian, all unlimited. Tradecert meters its AI with monthly tokens, so heavy use means watching a counter or paying for top-ups.
A professional cable calculator built in: Circuit Designer sizes the cable, calculates volt drop and Zs, and builds the finished circuit straight onto your certificate. Tradecert has nothing like it.
Native Apple security: your data stays on your device, protected by Apple encryption and the iOS Keychain – not on a third-party cloud.
One app for every trade, and it invoices: 15 electrical certificate types plus gas (CP12), PAT, fire and emergency lighting – with Mintbooks turning each saved certificate into a Making Tax Digital draft invoice. Tradecert is electrical-focused and does not invoice.
The cost of metered AI
Your AI is metered: Tradecert meters AI with monthly tokens (250 included on the £18/month ex VAT plan, plus £7 per additional user). Unused tokens roll over and extras cost 2p each, but you are still counting them. iCertifi never makes you count.
No on-device-only option: Tradecert works offline, but your certificates and client data sync to a third-party server.
Thin toolkit: no meter-reading AI, no regs assistant, no cable calculator, no gas or PAT, no invoicing and no Apple Watch app.
Which one fits your platform
If you need Android or a browser and can live with rationed AI, Tradecert is a capable cross-platform option. For the deepest AI with no limits, a real cable calculator, native Apple security, invoicing and five trades in one app, iCertifi wins comfortably – and never makes you count your AI. It is the app voted #1 by electricians in the TradeSkills4U survey in Professional Electrician & Installer and Elec Training.
Tradecert questions electricians ask
Is Tradecert better than iCertifi?
No. Tradecert is cross-platform but meters its AI with tokens, syncs everything to its own cloud, and has no meter-reading AI, no regs assistant, no cable calculator, no gas or PAT and no invoicing. iCertifi has a full unlimited AI engine, Circuit Designer, native Apple security and five trades in one app.
Does iCertifi limit its AI?
No – Board Vision, Test Vision, Spark AI and Certificate Guardian are unlimited. Tradecert meters its AI with monthly tokens.
Does Tradecert work on Android?
Yes – Tradecert runs on iOS, Android and the web, working offline and syncing to its cloud. iCertifi is native to iPhone, iPad and Mac for Apple-grade speed and security, with a far deeper toolkit.
How do Tradecert’s AI tokens work?
Tradecert includes 250 AI tokens a month on its £18 per month ex VAT plan, plus £7 per additional user. Unused tokens roll over and extra tokens cost 2p each, so you are not cut off – but you are counting. iCertifi does not meter its AI at all.
Does Tradecert work offline?
Yes – Tradecert lets you create and edit certificates without a connection and syncs when the device reconnects. Your data still lives on Tradecert’s servers. iCertifi can stay entirely on your device, with cloud as an option rather than a requirement.
Compare iCertifi with other tools
Still weighing up your options? See the full breakdown on the Why Electricians Choose iCertifi hub, or compare iCertifi directly with another tool:
Try the UK’s #1 electrical app
Scan the board, read the meter, size the cable, check compliance and invoice the job – all in one native Apple app, with no AI limits.
The full range of BS 7671 electrical certificates. EIC, EICR and Minor Works, with the calculators built in – Zs verification, R1+R2, PFC and cable sizing.