Looking for a Sweep Certificates alternative?
Sweep Certificates is a well-established tool, and for some businesses it's the right one — we say so below. But if you want software that wins you bookings rather than just recording them, or you'd rather not pay a subscription in the months you're quiet, We Sweep takes a different approach. Here's the honest side-by-side. (We build We Sweep, so read accordingly — facts checked against public information in August 2026.)
Sweep Certificates vs We Sweep
Monthly cost
From £18.50/month
£0/month — 2% per booking
Customers book online themselves
Optional add-on at £10/month — slot booking from reminder and website links*
Yes, included — booking widget on your own website, built from real availability
Payment options
Not advertised as part of online booking*
Card at booking, card at the door (QR/link), cash or bank transfer — unpaid jobs chased automatically
Digital sweep certificates
Yes
Yes — with pre/post photos, completed on-site, one per flue
Works offline in the field
Yes
Yes
Reminders
Email, SMS and WhatsApp
Email and free SMS confirmations, 24-hour reminders and annual re-sweep prompts
Route optimisation
Not a headline feature*
Yes — each day's jobs ordered to minimise driving
Accounting integrations
Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and Sage
Xero, QuickBooks and Sage sync included in the 2% — paid jobs post as itemised, VAT-correct invoices, and full refunds become credit notes
Customer self-service portal
Not a headline feature*
Yes — customers view certificates, photos and manage bookings
Technicians included
Priced by plan/users
Unlimited
| Sweep Certificates | We Sweep | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | From £18.50/month | £0/month — 2% per booking |
| Customers book online themselves | Optional add-on at £10/month — slot booking from reminder and website links* | Yes, included — booking widget on your own website, built from real availability |
| Payment options | Not advertised as part of online booking* | Card at booking, card at the door (QR/link), cash or bank transfer — unpaid jobs chased automatically |
| Digital sweep certificates | Yes | Yes — with pre/post photos, completed on-site, one per flue |
| Works offline in the field | Yes | Yes |
| Reminders | Email, SMS and WhatsApp | Email and free SMS confirmations, 24-hour reminders and annual re-sweep prompts |
| Route optimisation | Not a headline feature* | Yes — each day's jobs ordered to minimise driving |
| Accounting integrations | Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and Sage | Xero, QuickBooks and Sage sync included in the 2% — paid jobs post as itemised, VAT-correct invoices, and full refunds become credit notes |
| Customer self-service portal | Not a headline feature* | Yes — customers view certificates, photos and manage bookings |
| Technicians included | Priced by plan/users | Unlimited |
*Based on the vendor's public website in August 2026. Features and prices change — always confirm on their site.
When to stay with Sweep Certificates
Genuinely: if you keep your books in FreeAgent (We Sweep syncs with Xero, QuickBooks and Sage, but not FreeAgent), or WhatsApp reminders matter to you, Sweep Certificates does those things today and does them well. It's associated with the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps and APICS, and plenty of sweeps are happy on it.
When We Sweep is the better fit
- You want customers to book and pay on your website 24/7 — card at booking so the job lands already paid, or cash, card at the door or bank transfer on the day, with unpaid jobs chased automatically.
- You'd rather pay 2% per booking than a fixed monthly fee — a snowed-off January costs you nothing.
- You spend too long planning drive routes — route optimisation orders each day's jobs automatically.
- You want certificates to bring next year's work back — every certificate feeds an automatic annual re-sweep reminder.
- You want the books to keep themselves — every paid job posts to Xero, QuickBooks or Sage as an itemised, VAT-correct invoice, included in the 2%.
Frequently asked questions
Why do sweeps look for a Sweep Certificates alternative?
The two most common reasons we hear: wanting customers to book and pay online themselves rather than managing a diary by hand, and preferring to avoid a fixed monthly subscription in a seasonal trade. We Sweep addresses both — customers self-book and pay, at booking or on the day, and there's no monthly fee at all.
Is We Sweep cheaper than Sweep Certificates?
It depends on your volume. Sweep Certificates starts at around £18.50/month regardless of workload. We Sweep charges £0/month and 2% per booking — so a quiet month costs nothing, and you'd need roughly £925+ of bookings in a month before the 2% exceeds an £18.50 subscription — and at that point the software is winning you the work it's charging on.
When is Sweep Certificates the better choice?
If you keep your books in FreeAgent — We Sweep syncs with Xero, QuickBooks and Sage, but not FreeAgent — or you rely on WhatsApp reminders, Sweep Certificates has the edge there today. It's an established, well-regarded product associated with the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps and APICS.
Is it risky to switch?
We Sweep is free to join with no contract and no monthly fee, so you can set it up and run it alongside your current tool — nothing to cancel until you're sure.
Weighing more options? See the full UK chimney sweep software comparison or the SmartSweep alternative guide.