Bark vs YourHouseFix
Bark vs YourHouseFix: how do they compare?
Our view, written September 2026. Prices checked 26 September 2026 from the platform's own pages and public reviews. Details change, so check the platform for the latest.
Bark is a general services marketplace covering everything from tutors to plumbers, bought by EMK Capital for £240 million in 2022. Trades buy credits and spend them to unlock a homeowner's contact details. For a tradesperson the questions are what a lead really costs, how many others bought the same one, and what happens to credits you do not use.
We are YourHouseFix, so this is our view. The figures come from Bark's pricing and help pages and from public reviews, named below.
At a glance
| YourHouseFix | Bark | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A job board where homeowners post a job and the first verified local trade to answer gets it | A general services marketplace where you buy credits to unlock a customer's details |
| Free for homeowners | Yes | Yes |
| Who pays and how much | £10 a month plus £10 per accepted lead for Founding Members, locked for life. Declining a lead is free. Later joiners pay £15 a month. | Credits at about £1.20 plus VAT each. A lead costs 5 to 20 credits, so about £7 to £40, debited when you unlock the contact details |
| Leads shared with | You get first look, then never more than three | Up to five professionals |
| Contract | None. Monthly rolling, cancel in two taps | None, but credits expire after three months (since 1 November 2025) |
| If the homeowner goes quiet | If the homeowner goes silent within 72 hours of your accept, the £10 comes back | Credits are spent on unlock; refunds are at Bark's discretion |
| Vetting | Register checks and insurance on file, with unverified listings saying so | Minimal; homeowners note that credentials are not verified |
| Trustpilot | Too new to have a score | 3.8 from 111,803 reviews |
What Bark does well
Breadth and speed. Bark covers hundreds of categories, sign up is quick, and it promises to return your credits if the first pack wins you no business. For a trade that also does work outside the home, one account covers a lot.
Where YourHouseFix differs
No credits. You pay £10 per job you accept, in arrears, weekly, and nothing you have paid can expire. Bark's move to three month credit expiry in November 2025 produced a wave of complaints, and dead or fake leads are the most common one in public reviews. On YourHouseFix the homeowner's phone is verified before a job goes live, you get first look, a job is capped at three trades rather than five, and a silent homeowner means the £10 comes back.
Which should you use?
If you work across many service types and want one account for all of them, Bark has the reach. If you are a home trade and want to pay only for jobs you chose to take, with no credits sitting on a clock, YourHouseFix is the closer fit.
The verdict
Bark is broad and quick to join, and the first pack refund promise is fair. Against that, a lead can cost up to £40, be shared with five firms, and be paid for in credits that now expire. YourHouseFix has no credits, no expiry, a three trade cap and a refund for a silent homeowner. Prices checked 26 September 2026.
Common questions
How much do Bark credits cost?
About £1.20 plus VAT each. A lead costs 5 to 20 credits, so roughly £7 to £40, debited when you unlock the customer's contact details. Checked 26 September 2026.
Do Bark credits expire?
Yes. Since 1 November 2025 unused credits expire after three months. YourHouseFix has no credits at all.
How many trades can buy the same Bark lead?
Up to five. On YourHouseFix a job goes to you first and never to more than three trades.
Does YourHouseFix verify homeowners?
Yes. A homeowner's phone is verified before a job goes live, and if they go silent within 72 hours of your accept the £10 is refunded.
Sources: Bark pricing page for professionals (www.bark.com/en/gb/sellers/pricing); Bark help centre (help.bark.com); Trustpilot, Bark (uk.trustpilot.com/review/bark.com). Prices checked 26 September 2026.
Why trades list on YourHouseFix
- The price is on the page: £10 a month plus £10 per lead you accept. Nobody will ring you to quote
- No contract. Monthly rolling, cancel in two taps
- A job goes to you first, and never to more than three trades
- Decline is free. No credits, nothing expires
- If the homeowner goes silent within 72 hours of your accept, the £10 comes back
- Your reviews are yours to export any time
List your business on YourHouseFix
Free to list. 30 days free, then £10 a month plus £10 per accepted lead, locked for life for Founding Members. No contract.
List your businessNeed something fixed at home? Post your job free and hear back from a verified local tradesperson.