hipages can fill a quiet calendar, especially when you're starting out. But plenty of tradies find the bills climb faster than the jobs. Here's what it really costs in 2026, why shared leads are hard to win, and when your own website makes more sense.
- hipages plans run from $139 to $649 a month plus GST, and each lead costs a varying number of credits.
- Leads are shared with other tradies, so you're often quoting against two or more competitors on price.
- Work out your cost per booked job, not your cost per lead. That's the number that matters.
- hipages suits new businesses and quiet periods. Your own website suits building enquiries that only come to you.
What hipages costs in 2026
hipages runs on monthly subscriptions that give you credits. You spend credits to accept leads, and the number of credits a lead costs changes with demand in your trade and area.
| Plan | Monthly price (plus GST) | Credits | Postcodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $139 | 155 | 1 |
| Advanced | $249 | 310 | 3 |
| Premium | $449 | 595 | 5 |
| Platinum | $649 | 850 | 10 |
Plans start on a 6-month introductory term and then renew for 12 months. Tradies on review sites report a single lead costing anywhere from about 75 to 120 credits, depending on the job.
These are the plans published by independent reviewers in September 2026. hipages changes its pricing, so check the current figures and contract terms on hipages before you commit.
Why shared leads are hard to win
When a customer posts a job, it doesn't just go to you. Each lead is shared with several tradies, and some report five or more businesses receiving the same job.
That changes the game. The customer gets several quotes at once, so the conversation quickly turns to price. Whoever replies first, or quotes lowest, usually wins.
Cost per lead vs cost per booked job
The lead price is the number on the screen. The number that matters is what each booked job costs you.
That's an example, not a promise, but the maths is worth doing with your own numbers. If you win one in three leads, every job you book has to cover the two you didn't win, plus the subscription.
When hipages is worth it
hipages isn't a bad deal for everyone. It's often worth it when:
- You're new and need work coming in while you build a reputation and reviews.
- You have quiet months and want to top up the calendar for a while.
- Your jobs are high-value, so one win covers a lot of lost leads.
- You're fast: you can reply within minutes, even on the tools.
It's usually not worth it when you already get steady referral work, your jobs are small, or you can't reply quickly enough to beat the other quotes.
What tradies say
Reviews are mixed. Tradies who do well on hipages tend to reply fast, quote clearly and use it as one source of work among several. The common complaints are paying for leads that never answer, customers who were only collecting prices, and costs that creep up as credit prices change.
The alternative: enquiries that only come to you
A lead platform rents you access to customers. Your own website builds an asset you keep. When a customer finds you on Google and enquires through your site, nobody else gets that enquiry, and you don't pay per lead.
The catch is that a website only works if people can find it and it's built to turn visitors into enquiries. That means:
- Showing up on Google and Google Maps for your trade and suburbs
- A tap-to-call button and a short quote form on every page
- Your licence number, reviews and real job photos, so people trust you
- Replying fast, even when you're on a job
Read our guide to what a tradie website needs for the full list.
You don't have to choose one or the other
Plenty of tradies use both: hipages for top-ups while their website builds up its own enquiries. Over time, as more work comes through your site and Google listing, you can drop to a smaller plan or stop paying for leads altogether.
The key is tracking where every job comes from. If you know what each booked job cost from hipages and from your website, the decision makes itself.
Whichever source a job comes from, reply fast. The tradie who replies first usually wins, on hipages and on your own site. Read why the fastest reply wins the job.
Get enquiries that only come to you
We build websites for tradies that turn Google searches into calls and quote requests, with every enquiry sent straight to your phone.
Frequently asked questions
Plans range from $139 to $649 a month plus GST, depending on credits and how many postcodes you cover. Each lead then costs a varying number of credits.
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Rhys builds and looks after every Reactive Web website himself, from Redwood Park in Adelaide, for local service businesses that want more calls, bookings and enquiries.
