Cleaner Planner alternative for UK window cleaners (2026 comparison)

If you've been running your round on Cleaner Planner and you're starting to wonder whether there's a simpler way to do it, you're not alone. Cleaner Planner has been around a long time — by their own count they're trusted with managing more than 3 million jobs for over 1,000 window cleaning businesses — and it does the job for most of them. But it isn't for everyone.

This is for UK window cleaners weighing up a Cleaner Planner alternative. We'll be straight: Cleaner Planner is a solid product. We're not here to slag it off. But there are a handful of things Surehand does differently, and those differences matter to a specific kind of window cleaner — usually one who's tired of paying for SMS credits, getting ready for Making Tax Digital, or who just wants a simpler app their lads will actually pick up.

Here's the honest comparison.

Why window cleaners look for a Cleaner Planner alternative

Three reasons come up over and over.

1. The SMS bill keeps creeping up. Cleaner Planner's automated text messaging runs through Webex Interact — their previous provider, Textlocal, was deprecated at the end of November 2025. The credits aren't expensive on their own, but if you're sending "see you tomorrow" reminders, payment chasers, and weather rescheduling messages to a few hundred customers, it adds up. Depending on your volume, that's typically £30–£50 a month — call it £400–£600 a year just on text messages.

2. The interface feels dated to some users. Cleaner Planner has been around since the early 2010s and has built up a deep feature set in that time. The mobile app works, the cloud backup works, the GoCardless integration works — but if you've got lads on the round who don't love tech, you can spend more time helping them find the right screen than you save by being on software in the first place.

3. Making Tax Digital is around the corner. From 6 April 2026, sole traders and landlords with annual self-employment or property income above £50,000 will need to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. The threshold drops to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028, so it's coming for almost every full-time round eventually. Cleaner Planner doesn't currently have a direct integration that takes you to a quarterly submission — you'll be exporting CSVs into your accounting software. Not impossible, just one more friction point.

None of these are reasons to leave Cleaner Planner if it's working for you. But if any of them are biting, they're worth taking seriously.

What Cleaner Planner does well

Credit where it's due, because the comparison only matters if it's fair.

Cleaner Planner was built specifically for window cleaners (plus bin cleaning and lawn care). They've got a deep understanding of how UK rounds work — WFP, traditional, fortnightly, monthly — the Pro plan's GoCardless integration is properly wired in, the day planner does sensible job scheduling, and their import support is broad (WCP, George, Aworka, Round Tracker Pro, SmartRound, Squeegee and more). They claim "over 1,000 window cleaning businesses" on the platform, an Excellent Trustpilot rating, and "rapid response support — typically within 1 hour via email" on their pricing page.

If you're already on Cleaner Planner and everything is humming along, there's a strong case for staying.

Where Surehand is different

We built Surehand because UK service-business software had split in two: tools that grew beyond what a one-or-two-van outfit needs, and tools that stayed where they were while the world moved on. We wanted something simple enough to learn in an afternoon, with the integrations a UK round actually needs in 2026 — Xero, GoCardless, and SMS that doesn't bill you per text.

Here's what that looks like next to Cleaner Planner.

A few of these are worth pulling out properly.

Free SMS via your phone's SIM

Surehand sends customer messages through your existing phone — using the unlimited texts most UK mobile contracts already include. No third-party SMS provider, no credit top-ups, no per-message charges. Bulk SMS via Twilio is on the roadmap for larger operations, but for the typical solo or small outfit, your existing SIM is plenty.

Xero and MTD readiness

Surehand syncs directly with Xero, which is HMRC-recognised software for Making Tax Digital. Invoices and payments flow through automatically as you create them. When MTD for Income Tax kicks in for £50k+ sole traders next April — and then for the £30k and £20k tiers in 2027 and 2028 — your data is already in a system HMRC accepts.

Mandate transfer when you switch

This is the bit most people don't think about until they're trying to leave. Switching software with active GoCardless Direct Debits usually means asking customers to re-authorise — awkward, and you'll lose some. Surehand transfers your existing mandates so Direct Debits keep running. Your customers don't have to do anything; they don't even need to know you've changed software.

On the team tier

To keep this honest: Cleaner Planner Team is £49/month for five users; Surehand Crew is from £79/month. £30 is a real gap — but the plans aren't like-for-like. Surehand Crew includes Xero sync, Stripe card payments, customer portal, job forms and reports, role-based permissions, audit logs, API access and a dedicated account manager — none of which appear in Cleaner Planner Team's published feature set.

What does the cost difference actually look like?

The headline saving for solo and small operators is at the Pro tier: £23/month on Surehand (up to 3 users) vs £29/month on Cleaner Planner (single user). But the bigger gap is SMS. If you're spending £30–£50/month on Webex credits today, switching to Surehand's free-via-SIM SMS removes that bill entirely. Add the subscription difference and a typical Pro user can save somewhere in the region of £400–£700 a year.

To sense-check the maths against your own round, our free window cleaning pricing calculator suggests rates by property type and region — handy for seeing where the savings actually land.

Switching from Cleaner Planner: how it actually works

Switching software feels riskier than it is. Here's how we handle it.

1. You send us your Cleaner Planner data. Cleaner Planner has an Export button on its Customers, Jobs and Transactions tabs. Send those CSVs across.

2. We bring across customers, addresses, frequencies, prices, and job history. Your round comes with you. No starting from scratch.

3. GoCardless mandates transfer separately. This takes a couple of working days but doesn't disrupt anything — Direct Debits keep collecting on schedule.

4. We help you set up. Hands-on help from a real person, not a help-desk ticket — we'll get you running properly before you go live.

5. You can run both systems in parallel for a week. Belt and braces — keep your Cleaner Planner subscription running until you're confident.

If you're buying or selling a round at the same time, switching is a sensible moment to do that too — clean data import, fresh mandates, proper system from day one.

The honest take

The case for switching is specific: SMS costs are biting, you want Xero / MTD-ready accounting integration, your team finds the interface a bit clunky, or you want one less monthly bill (Webex credits) hanging around.

Surehand is built for the UK round as it actually runs in 2026 — fewer settings to get lost in, the integrations that matter, and SMS that doesn't have a meter on it. If that's the direction you want to head, start your 30-day free trial. We'll handle the data import and GoCardless mandate transfer; keep your Cleaner Planner subscription running in parallel for as long as you need. No drama.

FAQs

Can I import all my customer data from Cleaner Planner?

Yes. Cleaner Planner exports CSVs from its Customers, Jobs and Transactions tabs. We handle the import — customer list, addresses, cleaning frequencies, prices, job history, and notes all come across. If anything's missing or odd, we'll flag it before you go live.

What about my GoCardless customers — do they have to re-authorise?

No. Surehand transfers existing GoCardless mandates so Direct Debits keep collecting normally. Your customers don't need to do anything — they don't even need to know you've switched software.

How much does Surehand actually cost compared to Cleaner Planner?

Surehand Essentials is £15/month (up to 3 users) vs Cleaner Planner Basic at £19/month (single user). Pro plans are £23/month (3 users) vs £29/month (single user). The bigger saving is SMS — Surehand's is free via your phone's SIM; Cleaner Planner runs paid Webex credits. At the team tier, Cleaner Planner is cheaper (£49 vs £79/month for 5 users), so the saving is most pronounced for solo and small operators.

Is there a free trial?

Yes — 30 days, no credit card required. Cleaner Planner offers the same length, so you can run a fair side-by-side trial if you want to.

Will my team actually use it?

Surehand's interface is deliberately stripped back — fewer menus, fewer settings buried where nobody can find them. Whether the simpler approach suits your team is exactly what the 30-day trial is for.

What if it doesn't work out?

Cancel any time, no questions asked. We'll help you export your data so you can move on cleanly. We'd rather hear what we're missing so we can fix it, but we won't make it hard to leave.

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Surehand is purpose-built for UK service businesses. Start your 30-day free trial.