Simpro charges per-module, makes you buy a setup consultant, and runs on Aussie business hours. Fieldlink is flat-priced, set up the same day, and built in NZ for NZ civil contractors.
Honest comparison from NZ contractors who've used both.
| Simpro | Fieldlink | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Mostly AU/UK trades, retrofitted for NZ | NZ civil construction, from day one |
| Pricing | Per-module + setup consultant fees | Flat per-user, no setup fees |
| Support hours | AU business hours (often UK-overflow) | NZ-based, 9am–6pm NZT |
| Holidays Act 2003 timesheets | Manual workarounds | Built-in, public holidays auto-applied |
| SSSP generator | Document upload only | AI-generated draft in 90 seconds |
| Live fleet tracking | $$$ add-on | Cartrack integration included |
| Setup time | 6–12 weeks with a consultant | Day 1: sign up, invite crew, log a timesheet |
| Free trial | Demo call required | 14 days, no card, instant access |
Three reasons we hear most: 1) Simpro's per-module pricing balloons fast — every extra feature is another invoice. 2) Setup is a 6-12 week consultant engagement, not a day-1 thing. 3) Holidays Act 2003 timesheet maths is manual or BYO add-on. Fieldlink is flat-priced, set up the same day, with NZ payroll rules built in.
Yes — Simpro lets you export jobs, customers and invoices as CSV. Fieldlink imports CSVs directly so a typical migration takes a few hours, not weeks.
Yes — full quote → variation → invoice → payment chain, plus rate libraries, supplier bills and Xero export. The bits Simpro charges extra for.
Tradify and ServiceM8 are great for sparkies and plumbers but were never built for civil. No SSSPs, no plant/RUC tracking, no dispatch board. Fieldlink fits civil/groundworks/roading crews much better.