Is the free tier actually usable, or is it a demo?
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It is genuinely usable: up to 20 jobs a month with the full quote-to-invoice workflow, client management, scheduling, PDF quotes and invoices, email sending and mobile access. It is free forever, not a trial, and no credit card is required to sign up.
For a lot of sole traders, 20 jobs a month is simply enough and they never pay a cent. If your volume grows past that, Professional is a flat $25 AUD a month. The free tier exists so you can prove Chippie on real jobs before any money changes hands.
I am hiring my first apprentice and per-user pricing stings. How does Chippie handle users?
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Chippie includes users in the plan price instead of charging for every login. Professional is $25 AUD a month with 2 users included, so you and your apprentice are covered with no extra charge. Team is $45 a month with 4 users included, then $10 a month per additional user after that.
Compare that with apps that bill per user from the first seat: adding an apprentice there means your software bill jumps the day they start. With Chippie, one flat price covers the business at each tier. No surprises.
I just got hit with a price rise. How does switching to Chippie work?
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Switching is simpler than it sounds because Chippie starts free: 20 jobs a month, no card, full workflow. You can run it alongside your current app for a few weeks and move over when you trust it, instead of jumping cold. Your clients can be brought in quickly (paste in a contact list and Chippie will turn it into client records), and new quotes and jobs just start in Chippie.
There is no migration project and no sales call. Sign up, add a client, send a quote from your phone. If it does the job, the paid plans are a flat $25 or $45 AUD a month for the whole business, so the next price shock is not built into the model.