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 — offline, 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 offline, 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.
- Offline 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.
Public price bands for desktop tools often sit in the low hundreds of pounds as a one-off (check the vendor). Subscription phone apps commonly sit somewhere around £5–£25 a month depending on seats and modules. Treat every figure as “verify today”.
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 — verify.
| Product | Platform focus | Offline | Pricing model (public / roundups) | 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 by 31 Dec 2026; extra eng £7/mo; no VAT added | 30-day, no card | No — model-form style PDF; optional logo you upload |
| EasyCert (typical) | Desktop-oriented | Varies by edition — check vendor | Often perpetual / desktop licence band — verify | Check vendor | Not NICEIC-branded; independent product |
| Clik / NICEIC Cert Software | Desktop (scheme path) | Check vendor | Public shop figures ~£280 ex VAT band historically — verify | Check vendor | Scheme-branded path |
| iCertifi | Phone / mobile-first | Claims offline — verify | Subscription — verify current plan | Check vendor | Independent app (not ZipCert) |
| Tradecert | Phone / mobile-first | Claims offline / AI assists — verify | Subscription — verify current plan | Check vendor | Independent app (not ZipCert) |
Footnote: rival rows are summaries from public pages and third-party roundups as of research in Oct 2026. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site. 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 + offline 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 30-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.
Offline EICR in practice
Offline support 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’s offline mode only caches a read-only copy, or needs a Windows agent on the same LAN, that may still suit a desk-heavy firm. For solo sparks who live in voids and plant rooms, phone offline 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 paying by 31 Dec 2026 (held 12 months), and extra engineers at £7 a month. No VAT is added on those figures. The trial is 30 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 offline — 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.
Limits we will not paper over
- We do not claim BS 7671 / Amendment compliance guarantees beyond the forms and checks actually shipped in the product.
- We do not claim Building Control / Part P notification inside ZipCert.
- We do not claim IET-licensed forms or display IET/BSI marks without written permission.
- We do not invent star ratings, Trustpilot scores or named customer case studies.
- We do not say ZipCert is accepted by all schemes or that it replaces NOCS or FastTest.
If those limits block you, stay on the tool that meets your scheme’s written rules. If they do not, the phone trial is the fastest honest test.
FAQ
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?
Honest answer: export/import depends on what each vendor lets you export. The practical path is to start a ZipCert trial and test one live job end-to-end before you switch the whole firm.
Is ZipCert the “#1” EICR app?
We do not claim rankings, Trustpilot scores or invented testimonials. Try the sample and the trial; decide from your own jobs.
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.