Honest comparison
FairCost vs ServiceSeeking
Quote comparison platform owned by Seek.
Last reviewed by Delah, Founder
| FairCost | ServiceSeeking | |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | Pricing intelligence platform. No lead selling. | Tradies pay subscription + per-lead fees. |
| Consumer cost | Free forever. No fees. | Monthly subscription for trades, free for consumers. |
| Pricing data | Evidence-weighted from 179+ verified consumer submissions. Scope-normalised. | Basic price guides, not evidence-weighted. |
| Materials flaggedFairCost only | Every submission tagged Yes / No / Not sure. Quote Check adjusts the fair range based on the answer. | Not flagged. |
| GST flaggedFairCost only | Every submission tagged. Sole-operator quotes excl. GST are surfaced, not blended into the median. | Not flagged. |
| Named founderFairCost only | Delah Gomasi (Sydney). Signs every pricing change. Person schema with LinkedIn sameAs. | Part of Seek (ASX-listed). |
| Editorial independence policyFairCost only | Published. Signed. Conflicts named (MaidForYou disclosure). | Standard marketplace T&Cs. |
| Last-reviewed timestamp | Every pricing page shows when last reviewed and by whom. Auto-flags stale data >90 days. | Not surfaced. |
| Your contact info | Never shared. Never sold. | Sells leads to multiple tradies. |
| Quote Check tool | Free 5-tier verdict with tailored questions and CTAs. | Not available. |
| Quote comparison tool | Compares multiple quotes including materials/GST adjustments. | Not available. |
Comparison reflects publicly available information as of May 2026. Run by Delah Gomasi, independently. Have a correction? Tell us and we'll review within 7 days.
The honest bit
When ServiceSeeking might be a better fit
Established player with strong tradie verification on the premium tier.
FairCost solves a different problem: is the quote I just got fair? If you already have a quote and want a verdict, we're the right tool. If you want to start from scratch and get providers to bid for your job, ServiceSeeking or similar marketplaces may suit better.
FAQ
Common questions
Is FairCost free like ServiceSeeking?+
Yes. FairCost is free for consumers forever — no signup required, no fees, no lead selling. We earn revenue from Featured Provider listings (clearly marked, never affect pricing data) and from API/data licensing for property managers and journalists.
How is FairCost's data more reliable than ServiceSeeking's?+
FairCost is built on real submissions from Australians who actually paid for the service. 179+ verified entries so far, growing weekly. Every submission is evidence-weighted (self-reported, written quote, invoice, receipt, bank-verified) and reviewed by a human before it affects the displayed median. We also flag materials and GST per submission so apples-to-apples comparisons stay honest.
Why does FairCost name its founder when ServiceSeeking doesn't need to?+
Because we're asking you to trust our pricing data, and accountability for that data starts with a human who can be held to it. Delah Gomasi (founder) signs every pricing change, publishes a methodology, and discloses the MaidForYou conflict openly. That's not theatre — it's how a serious independent platform earns trust.
Should I use FairCost OR ServiceSeeking?+
Use FairCost to check whether your quote is fair before you book. Established player with strong tradie verification on the premium tier. The two tools solve different problems.
Got a tradie quote? Check it first.
Free, no signup, no lead selling. Verdict in 30 seconds against verified pricing data.