Frequently asked questions
The questions we get asked most, answered straight — including the things we can't do yet. If yours isn't here, ask us. There's two of us in Perth and we're the ones on the other side of the phone.
The basics
What is My Apprentice?
My Apprentice is the operations app for your trade business — quote, schedule, invoice and get paid from one app, whether you're a sole trader on the tools or running a whole crew. It's built mobile-first for Australian tradies, so the whole job runs from your phone.
Who is it for?
My Apprentice is built for Australian trade businesses of any size, from sole traders to crews. It's used by electricians, plumbers, builders, carpenters, landscapers, HVAC, painters, concreters, roofers and cleaners. If you're running solo, Sole Trader mode strips the app back to just what you need.
What makes it different from other trade software?
Three things: every feature is included at every price, you can see your margin as you build a quote, and it was built mobile-first rather than as a desktop tool with an app added later. Most trade software gates features behind higher tiers — My Apprentice doesn't. You switch on what you need and switch off what you don't, and the price is the same either way.
Who's behind it?
My Apprentice is built and run by its two founders in Perth, Western Australia, trading as Future Tech Consulting Pty Ltd (ABN 57 670 966 800). You deal with the people who make it, not a call centre or a ticket queue.
Pricing
How much does My Apprentice cost?
Your first 2 months are free with no lock-in, then it's $39 per seat per month in Australian dollars if you're a sole trader, $36 per seat for 2–5 seats, $33 for 6–10, $30 for 11–15, and $27 per seat for larger teams. Annual billing saves 20%. There's no setup fee and no contract — cancel any time.
Are any features locked behind a higher plan?
No. Every feature is available to every business at the same per-seat price. Quoting, scheduling, invoicing, the client portal, supplier-invoice scanning, inventory, timesheets and permissions are all included — you choose which ones to switch on.
Do I need a credit card to start?
No. You can start your free trial without a credit card, or try the live demo without signing up at all.
Getting started
Can I try it before I sign up?
Yes. There's a live demo you can open without creating an account or giving us an email — it loads a workspace full of sample data so you can build a quote, send an invoice and look around properly before you decide.
Can I bring my existing customers and price list across?
Yes — and we'll do it with you. If you're on Xero, your contacts import straight across. For anything else we handle the migration for you, rather than leaving you with a spreadsheet template and a weekend to kill. Tell us what you've got and we'll sort it.
Will my crew be able to use it?
Yes — it's built so a new apprentice can clock on and find their job without being shown twice. Each of the six roles only sees what's relevant to them, so field staff get a much simpler view than the owner does.
How it works
Can I see my margin before I send a quote?
Yes. As you build a quote from your saved items and materials, My Apprentice shows you cost, markup and sell price live, so you know what the job makes before you send it. Adjust a markup and the numbers update as you watch.
Can I stop my crew seeing my costs and margins?
Yes. My Apprentice has six roles with field-level permissions, and cost and margin data is hidden from field staff at the server, not just on screen. Your apprentice can build a quote without ever seeing your buy price.
Is GST handled?
Yes. GST is calculated automatically on quotes and invoices, so your totals are right without you working it out.
What happens when a customer accepts a quote?
The accepted quote becomes a job in one tap, carrying everything across — nothing is re-typed and nothing is lost. From there you schedule it, track time and materials against it, and invoice straight off the finished job.
Do my customers need an account?
No. The client portal is a secure no-login link — your customer can view and accept quotes, track the job, view and pay invoices, and message you, without creating an account or downloading anything.
How does supplier-invoice scanning work?
You upload a supplier invoice and the built-in AI reads it against your own data, extracts the line items, matches them to your materials, and updates your stock and job costs. It flags anything it isn't sure about for you to check, and it learns your suppliers' formats over time.
Can customers pay by card?
Yes. Connect Stripe once and every invoice carries a Pay Now button, so your customer can pay by card from the email or the portal the moment the invoice lands. My Apprentice never sees the card details — Stripe handles that.
Can I set up recurring work?
Yes, for scheduling. If you're running maintenance contracts, servicing schedules or regular cleans, you can set shifts to recur rather than rostering them one by one, so the crew scheduling comes with it. Recurring jobs and recurring invoices as their own thing aren't there yet — they're on the roadmap.
Is there a record of exactly what I sent?
Yes. Every quote and invoice you send is stored as a locked PDF of exactly what the customer received, alongside an audit trail of changes. If a customer says that's not what they were quoted, you've got the document.
Devices and offline
Does it work offline?
Yes. You can build quotes and keep working on site with no reception, and everything syncs automatically once you're back in range. Offline is on iOS first.
Is there an iPhone app?
Yes, My Apprentice is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.
Is there an Android app?
Not yet. There's no native Android app at the moment, but the full web app runs in any phone browser — it's the complete product, not a cut-down mobile version, so Android users get every feature. A native Android app is on the roadmap.
Can I use it on a computer?
Yes. The web app runs every feature on any device, so you can quote from your phone on site and do your invoicing on a laptop at the desk if you prefer.
Integrations
Does it work with Xero?
Yes. Invoices push to Xero and payment status syncs back, so paid and outstanding invoices stay in step without double entry. Timesheets are Xero-integrated for payroll.
Does it work with MYOB or QuickBooks?
Not yet — Xero is the only accounting integration at the moment. MYOB and QuickBooks are on the roadmap, but we won't promise a date we can't hold.
Does it send SMS to customers?
Not yet. Customer communication is by email and the client portal, plus push notifications on iOS. SMS is on the roadmap.
Your data
Is my data mine?
Yes. Your data belongs to you and you can export it. There's no lock-in contract, so you're staying because it works, not because you're stuck.
What happens if I cancel?
You can cancel any time — there's no contract and no exit fee.
What it doesn't do yet
What can't My Apprentice do yet?
We'd rather tell you up front than have you find out later. Right now there's no native Android app (the full web app runs in any browser), no SMS to customers, and Xero is the only accounting integration. There's no dedicated compliance or SWMS module — you've got photo evidence and an audit trail instead. There's no GPS crew tracking, no progress or staged billing, and no asset register. Offline is iOS first. All of it is on the roadmap, and if one of these is a dealbreaker, tell us — that's usually how things get prioritised.
→ See the full pricing, or open the live demo — no account, no email, just a workspace full of sample data.