The 6 Best Electrical Certificate Software Tools for UK Electricians in 2026 (Including a Free Option)

Paperwork is the part of the job nobody talks about when they're training. But once you're running your own round, certificates pile up fast. EICRs, installation certificates, minor works, PAT records — each one needs to be accurate, professional-looking, and ideally sent to the client before you've even packed the van

The 6 Best Electrical Certificate Software Tools for UK Electricians in 2026 (Including a Free Option)

The right software makes that straightforward. The wrong one costs you time, money, or both. This guide cuts through the noise and compares the six most-used electrical certificate platforms in the UK right now, including a genuinely free option that's worth your attention.

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What to Look for in Electrical Certificate Software

Before the comparisons, a quick checklist. Good electrical certificate software should:

• Cover all the main certificate types (EICR, EIC, MWC, PAT)

• Produce certificates that comply with BS 7671 and are accepted by building control

• Let you send certificates to clients digitally, ideally with a signature request

• Work on mobile so you can complete paperwork on site

• Integrate with invoicing or at least export cleanly to your existing workflow

• Not charge you a fortune per certificate when you're just starting out

With that in mind, here's how the main players stack up.

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1. Zappy (Free Plan Available)

Zappy is the newest serious contender in this space, and it's the only platform on this list with a genuinely free tier for electricians. The EICR generator is live and functional — you can test it without entering payment details.

The certificate builder covers EICRs, Electrical Installation Certificates, and Minor Works Certificates. Forms follow the current BS 7671 structure, observations are coded correctly, and the output is a clean PDF you'd be happy to hand to a landlord or building control officer.

Where Zappy stands out is the combination of certificates and business tools in one place. The free plan gives you access to the certificate generator alongside quote tools and a client-facing estimate page. For electricians who want to look professional without paying for three separate subscriptions, that's a real advantage.

The platform is web-based and mobile-responsive, so it works on a phone or tablet on site. It's not a native app (yet), but the browser experience is solid.

The paid Pro tier adds more templates, bulk sending, and deeper invoicing features. But for a sole trader or small firm doing a handful of certificates a week, the free plan covers the essentials.

If you want to see how the EICR tool works before committing to anything, the best EICR software guide on the Zappy blog goes into more detail on the certificate side specifically.

Best for: Sole traders and small firms who want certificates and business tools without multiple subscriptions. The free plan is a genuine starting point, not a crippled demo.

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2. Certify (formerly NICEIC Certify)

Certify is probably the most widely recognised name in UK electrical certificates. It's been around for years, it's backed by NICEIC, and a huge number of electricians use it simply because their scheme recommended it.

The platform covers the full range of certificates and has a mobile app that works reasonably well on site. The EICR builder is detailed, observations are pre-coded, and the output is accepted everywhere.

The downside is cost. Certify runs on a subscription model, and pricing has crept up over the years. In 2026 you're looking at around £20 to £30 per month depending on the tier, with limits on the number of certificates or users at lower price points. For a busy firm it's manageable. For someone just starting out or doing electrical work as part of a broader trade, it feels steep.

Customer support has also been a mixed experience in the trade forums. Some electricians swear by it, others have had frustrating waits when something goes wrong mid-job.

Best for: Established electricians who are already NICEIC-registered and want a familiar, scheme-backed platform.

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3. Tradify

Tradify is primarily a job management platform rather than a dedicated certificate tool, but it's worth including because a lot of electricians use it as their main system and want to know how it handles certificates.

The honest answer is: it handles them, but it's not the focus. Tradify integrates with certificate tools rather than building them natively. You can attach PDFs to jobs, manage your schedule, invoice clients, and track time. The job management side is genuinely excellent, and the mobile app is one of the best in the trade software space.

If you're already on Tradify for job management and invoicing, adding a dedicated certificate tool alongside it isn't a huge burden. But if you're looking for one platform to do everything, Tradify alone won't cut it for certificates.

Pricing starts at around £25 per month for a single user. The best electrician invoicing software guide covers Tradify in more depth if invoicing is your main concern.

Best for: Electricians who want strong job management and are happy to use a separate tool for certificates.

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4. Xero + Electrical Certificate Add-ons

Xero is an accounting platform, not a trade tool, but it comes up in conversations because many electricians use it for bookkeeping and wonder if it can handle certificates too.

It can't, not natively. What you'd need is Xero for accounts combined with a separate certificate tool (Certify, Zappy, or similar) and potentially a job management layer on top. That's three subscriptions, three logins, and three systems to keep in sync.

For larger firms with a bookkeeper or office manager, that separation makes sense. For a sole trader, it's overkill. The cost adds up quickly too.

Best for: Larger electrical firms with dedicated admin staff who need proper accounting software and are happy to pay for separate tools.

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5. EasyCert

EasyCert is a dedicated electrical certificate platform that's been quietly popular with smaller firms and sole traders. It's simpler than Certify, cheaper, and does the job without a lot of extra complexity.

The certificate range covers EICRs, EICs, MWCs, and PAT. The interface is functional rather than polished, and the mobile experience is passable rather than great. But the output is clean, the pricing is fair (around £10 to £15 per month in 2026), and it's straightforward to learn.

The main limitation is that EasyCert is purely a certificate tool. There's no invoicing, no quoting, no job management. If you want those things, you're adding another subscription.

Best for: Electricians who want a simple, affordable, dedicated certificate tool and manage the rest of their business elsewhere.

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6. Google Forms / Manual PDF Templates

This isn't a software product, but it's what a surprising number of electricians are still using in 2026, so it deserves a mention. Homemade PDF templates, Google Forms, or Word documents that get printed, filled in by hand, and scanned.

The honest assessment: it works, barely, and it costs you more than you think. Time spent formatting, printing, scanning, and emailing is time you're not billing. Clients increasingly expect digital certificates. And if you ever get audited by your scheme or need to pull up a certificate from two years ago, a folder of scanned PDFs is not where you want to be.

If cost is the barrier, Zappy's free plan removes that argument entirely.

Best for: Nobody, really. If you're still doing this, it's time to move on.

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Side-by-Side Comparison

| Platform | Certificate Types | Mobile App | Invoicing | Starting Price (2026) | Free Plan | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Zappy | EICR, EIC, MWC | Mobile-responsive | Yes | £0 | Yes | | Certify | EICR, EIC, MWC, PAT | Yes | No | ~£20/month | No | | Tradify | Via integrations | Yes | Yes | ~£25/month | No | | Xero + add-ons | Via add-ons | Via add-ons | Yes | £15+/month (Xero only) | No | | EasyCert | EICR, EIC, MWC, PAT | Partial | No | ~£10/month | No | | Manual/PDF | Limited | No | No | £0 | N/A |

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The Case for Zappy's Free Plan

Most free plans in trade software are traps. You sign up, get halfway through setting up your workflow, and then hit a paywall on the one feature you actually need.

Zappy's free plan is different in that the core certificate functionality is genuinely available without payment. You can generate an EICR, fill in observations, add your company details, and produce a PDF that you'd be comfortable sending to a client or a landlord. That's not a teaser — it's the actual product.

The reason Zappy can offer this is that the business model is built around the broader platform. Certificates are one part of a wider set of tools that includes quoting, instant estimates for homeowners, and lead generation for electricians. The /for-electricians page explains the full picture if you want to understand how the commercial side works.

For an electrician who's just gone self-employed, or who's been getting by with manual PDFs and wants to upgrade without committing to a monthly subscription, the free plan is a sensible starting point. You can always upgrade to Pro when the volume justifies it.

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Choosing the Right Tool for Your Situation

The right choice depends on where you are in your business.

If you're a sole trader doing mainly domestic work, a combination of Zappy (free) for certificates and something lightweight for invoicing covers most of what you need without a significant monthly outlay.

If you're running a team of three or more electricians and doing commercial work, Certify's scheme backing and multi-user features probably justify the cost. Pair it with Tradify or Xero if you need job management and accounts.

If you're somewhere in between, EasyCert is a reasonable middle ground on certificates, though you'll still need to sort invoicing separately.

The one thing that's hard to justify in 2026 is carrying on with manual PDFs. The free options are good enough that there's no financial argument for it anymore.

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FAQ

Do electrical certificates produced by software have the same legal standing as paper ones? Yes, provided they contain all the required information under BS 7671 and are signed (digitally or physically) by a competent person. Building control and scheme auditors accept digital certificates from reputable platforms without issue.

Can I use Zappy's free plan for commercial as well as domestic certificates? Yes. The certificate types available on the free plan aren't restricted to domestic work. You can use them for commercial installations provided the forms are completed correctly and you're competent to carry out the work.

How do I know if a certificate platform is up to date with the latest BS 7671 edition? Check the platform's changelog or release notes, and look at the observation codes and form structure. Any reputable platform will update to reflect new amendments. If you're unsure, the Zappy blog covers regulatory updates alongside software comparisons.

Is it worth paying for Certify if I'm already paying for NICEIC registration? Certify is a separate commercial product from NICEIC registration. Your scheme fees don't include software. Whether it's worth the additional cost depends on your volume and whether you need the specific features. If you're doing fewer than 20 to 30 certificates a month, a cheaper or free alternative may serve you just as well.

What happens to my certificates if I stop paying for a subscription service? This varies by platform. Most will let you export or download your existing certificates before cancelling. Always check the data export policy before you commit to any paid platform, and keep local copies of completed certificates regardless of which tool you use.

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Ready to cut down your certificate paperwork?

Zappy Pro Tools has a free tier for electricians. Register as an electrician to fill in EICRs, EICs and Minor Works on site, scan a board with AI, and email a branded certificate before you leave the job.

• Zappy Pro Tools: certificates. EICRs, EICs and Minor Works with an AI board scan.

• The best EICR software for electricians in 2026

• The best electrician invoicing software in 2026

• Quotes, invoices and payment links from one tool