The Moneypenny alternative built for UK tradespeople
Moneypenny is built for solicitors and accountants. TextBack Pro is built for plumbers, electricians and gas engineers. Same result (no missed lead), at a fraction of the cost.
Moneypenny vs TextBack Pro, side by side
Both services help you recover missed calls. Here is how they compare for a typical UK tradesperson.
| Feature | Moneypenny | TextBack Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Starting monthly price | £100–£300+ | £47/month |
| Setup fee | Yes (varies) | None |
| Per-minute / per-call charges | Yes | No |
| Free trial | Limited | 14 days free |
| Instant response to missed calls | Yes (human answers) | Yes (auto SMS in seconds) |
| Works while you're on site | Yes | Yes |
| SMS auto-reply | No | Yes, instant |
| AI follow-up sequences | No | Yes (Pro + Scale) |
| Google Calendar booking | No | Yes (Pro + Scale) |
| UK phone number included | Yes (at extra cost) | Yes, included |
| Built for UK tradespeople | No (general purpose) | Yes, trades-first |
| Human receptionist | Yes | No (automated) |
Moneypenny alternative: real cost over 12 months
Moneypenny's per-minute charges make the bill unpredictable. TextBack Pro is a flat monthly fee, every month.
| Scenario | Moneypenny (est.) | TextBack Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Sole trader, ~50 missed calls/month | £1,320–£1,800/yr | £564/yr (Starter) |
| Small team, ~150 missed calls/month | £2,400–£3,600/yr | £1,164/yr (Pro) |
| Growing business, 300+ missed calls/month | £4,000+/yr | £2,964/yr (Scale, unlimited) |
| Setup fee | £50–£150 one-off | £0 |
| Per-minute charges | Yes, variable | Never |
| Minimum contract | Typically 3–12 months | None, cancel anytime |
Moneypenny estimates based on publicly available pricing information. Actual costs vary by plan and call volume.
Which one is right for you?
Moneypenny and TextBack Pro solve the same problem differently. Here is an honest breakdown.
- You need someone to take detailed messages by voice
- Callers expect to speak to a person immediately
- You run a professional services firm (solicitor, accountant)
- Budget is not a constraint (£150–£300+/month is fine)
- You miss calls while working and need leads recovered fast
- You want an instant SMS sent within seconds of a missed call
- Budget matters, you want results without a £150+/month bill
- You want AI follow-ups and Google Calendar booking included
Why tradespeople are switching from Moneypenny
Moneypenny is one of the UK's leading telephone answering services. They have trained receptionists who answer your calls in your business name, take messages and transfer calls. It's a genuinely good service, but it was built for office-based businesses with professional services clients.
For a plumber in Birmingham or an electrician in Manchester, the economics rarely stack up. Most tradespeople who contact us after leaving Moneypenny mention two things: the cost, and the fact that callers don't really want to speak to a receptionist. They want to know when you'll call them back.
That's why TextBack Pro is the most popular Moneypenny alternative for UK trades. It doesn't replace the human element with another human. It removes the need for one entirely, by replying instantly via SMS.
Moneypenny pricing: what does it actually cost?
Moneypenny does not publish pricing on their website: you have to request a quote. Based on publicly available information and user reports, small business pricing typically includes:
- A monthly retainer of £100–£300+ depending on call volume
- Per-minute or per-call handling charges on top
- A one-off setup fee to configure your account
- Additional charges for out-of-hours or overflow coverage
- A minimum contract period (typically 3–12 months)
For a sole trader or small team, this adds up quickly, especially in busy months when call volume is high. TextBack Pro charges a flat monthly fee with no per-call or per-minute charges and no minimum contract.
How much can you save with a Moneypenny alternative?
The savings depend on your current Moneypenny plan, but here are three typical scenarios for UK tradespeople:
- Basic plan (£120/month): Switch to TextBack Pro Starter (£47/month) and save £876/year
- Mid-tier plan (£180/month + per-minute charges): Switch to TextBack Pro Pro (£97/month) and save over £1,000/year
- High-volume plan (£300+/month): TextBack Pro Scale (£247/month, unlimited SMS) saves £600–£700+ per year with no per-minute surprises
For a tradesperson earning £400–£600/day on the tools, those savings alone justify the switch, even before you count the leads recovered.
What TextBack Pro does instead
Rather than having a human answer your calls, TextBack Pro monitors for missed calls on your UK phone number and fires an automatic SMS to the caller within seconds. That SMS includes your business name, a message explaining you're on a job, and a clear call to action: book online, reply to this message, or wait for a callback.
For most tradespeople, this is exactly what callers want. They don't need to speak to a receptionist. They need to know you've seen their call and you'll be in touch. The instant SMS does that job at a fraction of the cost, and the conversion rate is comparable to a live answer.
Moneypenny alternative for specific trades
TextBack Pro works as a Moneypenny alternative across all UK trade sectors. Here's how it applies by trade:
- Plumbers: Miss a call on a boiler job, your customer gets an SMS in seconds: "Hi, it's [Your Name] from [Business]. I'm on a job right now. I'll call you back within the hour. Or tap here to book a slot." No lost lead.
- Electricians: On a consumer unit job with no signal? TextBack Pro monitors the number and fires the SMS the moment the call registers, even if you're underground or on-site.
- Gas engineers: Compliance work means you can't take calls mid-service. TextBack Pro covers every missed call automatically, so you stay compliant and your customers feel looked after.
- Builders: Managing a team on site means calls constantly go unanswered. TextBack Pro sends an instant reply with your callback promise, keeping quotes flowing.
- Roofers and landscapers: Seasonal businesses need lead capture year-round. TextBack Pro's AI follow-up sequences chase callers who don't reply, so no lead goes cold.
When Moneypenny is still the better choice
TextBack Pro is not the right fit for every business. If your callers genuinely need to speak to a human, to describe a complex problem, provide sensitive information or make a detailed booking that requires back-and-forth, then Moneypenny's trained receptionists are the better option. Law firms, medical practices and financial advisers often fall into this category.
For tradespeople: plumbers, electricians, gas engineers, builders, roofers. The SMS-first approach tends to convert just as well, at a much lower cost.