An honest, side-by-side comparison of Trustatrader and Try Review Bloom — costs, what you own, and which builds a better long-term business.
Trustatrader is often chosen by tradespeople looking for a less competitive alternative to Checkatrade. It offers genuine vetting, capped membership per area, and a solid reputation in certain regions. But the model is structurally identical to Checkatrade — you're building a reputation on their platform, not on Google.
The critical distinction is where customers discover you. Trustatrader has its own traffic and consumer base. Google has 8 billion searches per day. Building your reputation on Google through Try Review Bloom means you're visible to every single person searching for your trade in your area — not just the fraction who think to visit Trustatrader.
One platform you rent. One reputation you own.
| What matters | Try Review Bloom | Trustatrader |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | ✓ £297 flat | ✗ £50–£150 annual subscription |
| Contract | ✓ None | ✗ Annual — lock-in applies |
| Consumer reach | ✓ Google — 8 billion searches/day | ✗ Trustatrader platform — regional traffic |
| What you own | ✓ Google reviews — permanent | ✗ Trustatrader reviews — on their platform |
| Google Maps impact | ✓ Direct — builds your ranking | ✗ None |
| Area competition | ✓ Depends on local Google pack | ✗ Capped — but fewer total customers |
| Long-term value | ✓ Compounding — more reviews = higher rank | ✗ Static — depends on Trustatrader traffic |
Instead of paying to appear on someone else's platform, Try Review Bloom builds your Google presence permanently — automated review requests after every job, AI replies to every review, full GBP management, and citation management.
Every completed job triggers a personalised SMS and email to your customer. No chasing. No forgetting.
Every Google review gets a professional, personalised response automatically. Keeps your GBP active 24/7.
Weekly posts, photos, category optimisation, heatmap tracking. Your Google profile working for you constantly.
Your business listed consistently across 50+ directories. Google uses this to verify who you are and where you work.
In some areas and for some trades, yes — lower fees and less competition per area. But both suffer the same fundamental problem: reviews and reputation built on their platforms don't transfer to Google and disappear when you cancel.
Your Trustatrader profile may rank for your business name in Google. But Trustatrader reviews don't improve your Google Maps ranking — only Google reviews do. This is the core limitation of any third-party directory.
Yes. Many tradespeople run a directory for broad visibility while building their Google presence in parallel. As your Google ranking grows, you'll typically find the directory delivers less incremental value relative to its cost.
£297/month. No contract. First reviews arrive within 24 hours. Every review lives on your Google profile permanently.