Last updated 23 September 2026
Is Rated People worth it? It's Checkatrade now.
Short answer: you can't buy Rated People any more. On 17 September 2026 it became part of Checkatrade Group. It closed all its trade memberships first, and jobs homeowners post on it now go to Checkatrade tradespeople.
So the real question is whether Checkatrade is worth it for you. Below is what changed, what happened to your old account, and how to decide on the offer.
Everything here about Rated People's contract comes from its own published terms and conditions, last read on 23 September 2026. Terms get revised, so check yours against the current version before you act on anything.
What happened
Checkatrade bought the brand, not the memberships.
In Rated People's own words, Checkatrade Group "has completed the acquisition of selected Rated People assets, including the brand and website." The trade side didn't come across with it. What that means in practice:
- Rated People "closed all memberships before it became part of Checkatrade"
- Jobs posted on Rated People are now "routed to Checkatrade tradespeople"
- The only way to buy those leads is to join Checkatrade, which gets you leads from both sites
- Homeowners who posted a job before 18 September have to post it again
If you were a member
Your account, your leads and your reviews.
Your membership
Closed. For any question about a past membership, Rated People says to contact the liquidators it names, S&W, rather than Checkatrade.
Your old leads
No longer available in your Rated People account. If you are eligible, Checkatrade says it has emailed you instructions for getting your old jobs, contacts and invoices.
Your reviews
They stay on Rated People. If you join Checkatrade, it says you will "soon" be able to show them on your Checkatrade profile as well.
The offer
Trades who were on Rated People before 18 September get "special Rated People offers" to join Checkatrade. Ask what it is in writing before you commit.
Your options now
Two ways to buy the leads, and what each ties you to.
Checkatrade offers former Rated People trades two routes. Membership starts at £30 a month.
| Route | How it works | What you pay | Tied in? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Plan | Checkatrade sends you matched leads automatically all year, "similar to how Rated People worked" | A price quoted for your trade and area. Not published | Yes, a 12-month term |
| Opportunities Board | You browse live jobs in your area and unlock the ones you want | Free account. You pay for each lead you unlock | No subscription needed |
The Fixed Plan small print
Checkatrade's terms say the number of leads it quotes you "is only an estimate and is not binding", and a lead includes "clicks from the Platform to Your website". So a plan sold on a lead count can count things you wouldn't call a lead, and it can fall short of the estimate while you're still 12 months in.
The Opportunities Board small print
Its terms say "multiple trades may unlock the same Opportunity", with no limit given, and there's no refund "if a customer does not respond, cancels the job or chooses another trade". Rated People used to say no more than three trades could buy one lead. That stated limit has gone with it.
Everything here about Checkatrade's contract comes from its own published terms and conditions, last read on 23 September 2026. Terms get revised, so check yours against the current version before you act on anything.
The decision
Should you take the Checkatrade offer?
It's the same sum as any lead site. Work out what one lead costs you, times how many it takes to win a job, and compare that with what the job is worth. On a lead several trades unlock, only one of you can win it, and every one of you paid.
Worth a look if
- Rated People was paying its way for you
- Your jobs are big enough to carry lost quotes
- You can ring leads back fast
- The joining offer is in writing
Think twice if
- You can't commit to 12 months
- Your jobs are small and low-margin
- You were already losing on shared leads
- You want customers nobody else was sold
We go through Checkatrade in full in is Checkatrade worth it and how much Checkatrade costs. The other places trades moved to are covered in is MyBuilder worth it, is Bark worth it and Checkatrade vs MyBuilder vs Bark. For the sum itself, see the shared-lead trap.
The bigger picture
Your leads went with somebody else's platform.
If you were on Rated People, your lead supply, your old leads and the page your reviews sit on all changed hands in one announcement, and none of it was your decision. That's the risk of renting your work from a platform. A website and ads that bring customers straight to you don't get sold on with somebody else's brand. Lead sites can still be a useful top-up, but it's worth having something of your own underneath them. See how to get more leads for the order to do it in.
Why us
Why take our word for it?
We build websites and run ads for trades, so we'd rather you had leads of your own. That's exactly why everything here comes from Rated People's and Checkatrade's own pages and terms, not from anyone's opinion of them, and why we've told you when the Checkatrade offer is worth a look.
Straight answers
Questions trades actually ask.
- Is Rated People still going?
- The website and the brand are, but they belong to Checkatrade Group now. Rated People closed all its trade memberships before the takeover, and jobs homeowners post on it are routed to Checkatrade tradespeople.
- What happened to my Rated People membership?
- It was closed. Rated People says it "closed all memberships before it became part of Checkatrade". Questions about a past membership go to the liquidators it names, S&W, not to Checkatrade.
- Can I still get Rated People leads?
- Only by joining Checkatrade. Rated People says "you can only buy Rated People leads by becoming a Checkatrade member", which gives you leads from both sites.
- How much does Rated People cost per month now?
- Rated People itself sells nothing now. A Checkatrade membership starts at £30 a month. The Fixed Plan, which sends you leads automatically, runs for 12 months and is priced by Checkatrade for your trade and area. The Opportunities Board is free to join and you pay for each lead you unlock.
- What happens to my Rated People reviews?
- They stay on Rated People. If you join Checkatrade, it says you will "soon" be able to show them on your Checkatrade profile too.
- Can I get my old Rated People leads and invoices back?
- Not through your Rated People account any more. If you are eligible, Checkatrade says it has emailed you instructions for getting your old jobs, contacts and invoices.
- Which is better, Checkatrade or Rated People?
- That is no longer a choice: buying Rated People leads now means joining Checkatrade. The real question is whether Checkatrade is worth it for your trade, and that comes down to what a lead costs you, how many trades get it, and how many it takes you to win a job.
- Is Rated People worth it for tradesmen now?
- You cannot buy it on its own. If you are weighing up the Checkatrade offer, do the cost-per-won-job sum on your own numbers first, and remember the Fixed Plan ties you in for 12 months.
Keep reading
More straight answers for trades.
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