EasyCert and Clik alternatives for electricians who want EICRs on their phone
A lot of electrical certificate software still assumes a Windows desk: finish the job, drive back, type the cert up later. If you want an EICR app that works on site — with no signal, on your phone, with a branded PDF — this page compares that shift calmly.
Disclosure: ZipCert is made by ClearDeck Limited (us). We describe rivals from public materials and third-party roundups; prices and features change — verify with each vendor before you buy.
The problem: desktop-first certs vs finishing on site
EasyCert-style and Clik / NICEIC Cert Software-style tools have served firms for years. Many electricians still like a full keyboard and a big screen. The friction shows up when the board is in a loft with no signal, or when you want the certificate PDF out before you leave site.
Phone-first apps (including ZipCert, iCertifi, Tradecert and others) aim at that gap: capture readings where you stand, keep working with no signal, sync later, send a PDF from the van. None of them remove your duty as a competent person — software does not replace judgement on C1–C3 or the extent of inspection.
What EasyCert-style users usually want next
When people search for an EasyCert alternative, the wishlist is often practical rather than ideological:
- Mobile-first forms that are usable with wet fingers on a phone, not only on a laptop.
- No-signal EICR so a dead basement does not mean starting again later.
- Clearer ongoing cost — subscription vs perpetual desktop licence, with VAT stated honestly.
- Less Windows dependency for engineers who live on Android or iPhone all day.
EasyCert Pro is £174.95 for one PC, then £49.95 a year for Customer Care after the first year, so about £225 over two years for one PC. ZipCert Solo is £150 a year with no VAT added (£300 over two years), and it runs on your phone. The one-off licence is cheaper over time if you're happy finishing certificates at a desk. ZipCert is for finishing them on site. (EasyCert prices per tysoft.co.uk, checked 10 Nov 2026; VAT not stated.)
What Clik / NICEIC Cert Software users weigh
Clik (NICEIC Cert Software) sits in a scheme-branded path. Firms often weigh:
- Scheme-branded forms and workflows tied to membership expectations.
- Upfront licence cost — public shop figures have sat around the £280 ex VAT band for the desktop product; confirm current pricing on the vendor site.
- Subscription phone apps that issue model-form style PDFs without claiming to be “the scheme’s software”.
Important: ZipCert is not NICEIC software and is not NAPIT software. We do not claim approval, partnership, accreditation or endorsement. Schemes assess certificate content. If you need scheme-branded forms or in-scheme Building Control notify flows, use your scheme’s documented tools — do not expect ZipCert to replace those paths.
Comparison table (factual columns)
Columns are high-level. Feature names differ by product. Prices change.
| Product | Platform focus | No signal | Published price (date checked) | Trial | Scheme-branded forms? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZipCert (ours) | Phone-first web app | Yes — fill on phone, sync later | Solo £15/mo or £150/yr; founding £12/£120 first 20 firms that pay by 31 Dec 2026; extra eng £7/mo; no VAT added | 14-day, no card | No — model-form style PDF; optional logo you upload |
| EasyCert (Tysoft) | Windows desktop; Mobile edition adds one iPhone, iPad or Android device | Desktop software on your PC | Pro £174.95 one PC; Mobile £224.95; Customer Care £49.95 a year per licence after the first 12 months; VAT not stated (per https://www.tysoft.co.uk/easycert_purchase.htm and https://www.tysoft.co.uk/easycert_purchasecustomercare.htm, checked 10 Nov 2026) | 14-day free evaluation (per https://www.tysoft.co.uk/, checked 10 Nov 2026) | Independent; not scheme-branded |
| Clik (NICEIC Cert Software) | Windows desktop, plus iOS and Android apps | Says the Clik Cert Electrical apps work on site with no signal (per the NICEIC Shop product page) | £280 ex VAT (£336 inc VAT), first year of Clik Cover included (updates, upgrades and technical support) (per https://shop.niceic.com/products/cliks-niceic-cert-software, checked 10 Nov 2026) | Free demo (linked from the NICEIC Shop page, checked 10 Nov 2026) | NICEIC-branded |
| iCertifi | iPhone, iPad, Apple-silicon Mac; Android 10+ since 3 Oct 2026 | Says it works with no signal | £59.99 for 3 months, £89.99 for 6, £125.99 for 12, including VAT (per https://icertifi.co.uk/icertifi-price/, checked 10 Nov 2026) | Cloud Pro: 7-day free trial (per https://icertifi.co.uk/icertifi-price/, checked 10 Nov 2026). A 14-day Android trial via Google Play was not published on iCertifi's own site (checked the pricing page and https://icertifi.co.uk/icertifi-apps-on-android/ on 10 Nov 2026), so it is omitted. | Independent |
| Tradecert | iPhone, Android, web | Says it works with no signal | £18 a month ex VAT, plus £7 per extra user (per https://www.tradecert.app/pricing, checked 10 Nov 2026) | Free trial, no card (per https://www.tradecert.app/pricing, checked 10 Nov 2026) | Independent |
Full comparisons: ZipCert vs iCertifi · ZipCert vs Tradecert · EICR app for no-signal jobs
Rival prices checked on each vendor's own website on 10 Nov 2026. Always confirm on the vendor's own site before you buy. ZipCert row matches our published offer.
When to stay on scheme software or NOCS
Stay on your scheme’s stack (or NOCS / FastTest-style tools) when you specifically need:
- NICEIC- or NAPIT-branded certificate stationery your assessor expects as branded output.
- In-scheme Building Control notification or other membership-only workflows ZipCert does not provide.
- A desktop workflow your office already audited and will not change this year.
That is a valid choice. This article is not an attack ad. Use the tool that matches your scheme’s written requirements.
When ZipCert fits
Choose ZipCert when you want:
- Phone, works with no signal certificate capture for EICR / EIC / Minor Works (and other shipped types).
- Branded PDF with your logo — plus optional CPS/scheme brandmark you upload if allowed.
- Published Solo / founding price with no VAT added, and a 14-day no-card trial.
- Shipped helpers: talk-to-text, board photo fill, Point 5 checks — always editable; judgement stays with you.
See the lander at /try, prices at /pricing, and fake-data layouts at /samples.
No-signal EICR in practice
Working with no signal is a crowded claim in the EICR app market. What matters on a real job is whether you can keep typing circuit details when the phone shows no bars, and whether the draft is still there when you climb back to the van.
With ZipCert, the certificate stays on the device while you work. When signal returns, the draft syncs so the office or another engineer seat can open it. You still review Point 5 checks and edit anything the helpers filled from a board photo or talk-to-text. The PDF is yours to send when you are satisfied — not when an AI model “finishes” the inspection for you.
If a rival only shows a read-only copy when there's no signal, or needs a Windows PC on the same network, that may still suit a desk-heavy firm. For solo sparks who live in voids and plant rooms, filling in on the phone with no signal is usually the difference between issuing on site and rewriting the job after hours.
Cost honesty: subscription vs one-off desktop
Desktop licences can look cheaper in year one if you already own a laptop that never leaves the office. Over a few years, subscription phone tools and perpetual desktop tools often land in a similar total cost once you count seats, upgrades and the time to re-enter certificates you could not finish on site.
ZipCert publishes Solo at £15 a month or £150 a year, founding at £12 / £120 for the first 20 firms that pay by 31 Dec 2026 (held 12 months), and extra engineers at £7 a month. No VAT is added on those figures. The trial is 14 days with no card. We would rather lose a signup than hide a renewals trap inside a “lifetime founding” claim — founding is twelve months, then standard Solo.
When you compare an EasyCert alternative or a Clik alternative on price alone, put three columns on paper: year-one cash, year-two cash, and whether engineers can finish without a desk. That beats a screenshot of someone else’s pricing table from last spring.
How to trial a switch without burning the firm
- Pick one live job — a straightforward domestic EICR or Minor Works — and run it in parallel with your current tool.
- Check the PDF against what your insurer, landlord client or scheme assessor expects for content completeness.
- Test with no signal — airplane mode in the van is a fair rehearsal for a basement.
- Add a second seat only if someone else must log in; do not buy seats you will not use.
- Decide from that job, not from a feature checklist on a vendor homepage (including ours).
ZipCert public samples at /samples use fake client data only. They show layout, not a real installation.
What ZipCert doesn't do
- It isn't NICEIC or NAPIT software, and it doesn't notify Building Control. If you need that, stay on NOCS, Clik or FastTest for those jobs.
- It doesn't import certificates from other apps. Keep your old PDFs for past jobs.
- Board photo fill needs signal. Everything else can be filled in with no signal and syncs when you're back in signal.
If none of those rule it out, the fastest honest test is a real job on the 14-day free trial, no card.
FAQ
What is a good EasyCert alternative for a phone?
ZipCert is a phone-first electrical certificate app for UK sole traders and small firms: EICR, EIC and Minor Works, filled in on site even with no signal, with a branded PDF when you're done. Solo is £15 a month or £150 a year with no VAT added, and there's a 14-day free trial, no card.
Will my scheme accept ZipCert PDFs?
Ask your scheme. ZipCert is not affiliated with NICEIC or NAPIT. Schemes assess content; many accept complete model-form style PDFs, but only your scheme can confirm what they need for your membership.
Can I migrate from EasyCert or Clik?
ZipCert doesn't import certificates from other apps. Start new certificates in ZipCert, and keep your old certificates as PDFs from your old app. Once a job is in ZipCert, you can copy from a previous certificate.
Do you replace NOCS or FastTest?
No. We do not claim to replace scheme portals. Use scheme tools when you need their branded or notify flows.