Feature Comparison
| Feature | Sparky | MyBuilder |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | AI assistant understands your electrical problem and matches you with one qualified electrician | Post a job, MyBuilder shortlists interested tradespeople, you review profiles and choose |
| Trade coverage | Electricians only (specialist focus) | Multiple trades including electricians, builders, plumbers, and more |
| Geographic coverage | London-focused at time of writing | UK-wide coverage |
| Selection process | AI selects one matched electrician — no browsing or comparing needed | MyBuilder shortlists up to 3 tradespeople; you review and pick |
| Communication | AI handles all contact via chat, SMS, email, and AI voice calls | You message shortlisted tradespeople through the MyBuilder platform |
| Payment | Hold-then-capture via Stripe Connect with 24hr review period | No integrated payment system — you pay the tradesperson directly |
| Cost to customer | 10% fee-on-top (added to quoted price) | Free to post jobs and hire |
| Cost to professional | No fees for electricians | Tradespeople pay to express interest in jobs (credit-based system) |
| Reviews | Accreditation-focused profiles; platform is building its review base | Established review system with detailed feedback from past customers |
| Regulatory knowledge | AI trained on Part P, 18th Edition, NICEIC standards, and 11 other electrical domains | General platform — no specialist electrical knowledge or job scoping |
Pros & Cons
Sparky
Pros
- + Zero effort required — AI manages the entire process from diagnosis to payment
- + Specialist electrical knowledge means accurate job scoping and matching
- + Accreditation tracking for NICEIC, NAPIT, Part P, ECA, and OLEV
- + Secure payment with hold-then-capture and 24hr review before payout
- + No fees for electricians encourages competitive pricing
Cons
- - You see one match rather than choosing from a shortlist
- - London-only coverage at time of writing
- - Newer platform with a smaller review base than MyBuilder
MyBuilder
Pros
- + Curated shortlist lets you compare a few tradespeople before deciding
- + Established platform with a large base of detailed customer reviews
- + UK-wide coverage across multiple trade categories
- + Free for customers to use
- + MyBuilder's curation step filters out low-quality responses
Cons
- - You still need to evaluate shortlisted tradespeople and make the final decision
- - No integrated payment or financial protection through the platform
- - Credit-based system for tradespeople may influence pricing
Key Differences
One match vs a shortlist
This is the biggest philosophical difference. MyBuilder shortlists up to three interested tradespeople for each job, giving you profiles, reviews, and the ability to choose. Sparky's AI analyses your specific problem and selects one electrician it considers the best match based on accreditation, availability, location, and expertise. Sparky's approach saves time but requires trust in the AI's judgement; MyBuilder's approach gives you more control but requires more effort.
Curation approaches
MyBuilder is known for its curation — not every tradesperson who wants to respond to your job is allowed to. MyBuilder's team reviews tradespeople and only lets quality professionals through. Sparky takes a different approach: rather than curating who can bid, it tracks accreditations that electricians declare and uses AI to match based on the specific requirements of your electrical problem. Both aim to filter out poor-quality work, but through different mechanisms.
End-to-end service vs matching platform
Sparky manages the complete lifecycle: AI diagnosis, electrician matching, communication handling, booking, payment, and post-job review. MyBuilder's role ends once you have chosen a tradesperson from the shortlist — scheduling, communication, and payment happen directly between you and the tradesperson. For customers who want minimal involvement, Sparky offers more. For those who want to stay closely involved, MyBuilder provides the right amount of assistance.
Specialist depth vs general breadth
Sparky's AI understands 14 electrical knowledge domains including Part P building regulations, 18th Edition wiring standards, and various accreditation schemes. This means it can accurately scope your job and match you with an electrician who has the right specific qualifications. MyBuilder covers many trades well but does not offer this depth of electrical-specific intelligence.
Our Verdict
MyBuilder is an excellent choice if you want a curated shortlist of tradespeople to review and choose from yourself, particularly for non-electrical work or jobs outside London. Its established review system and curation process provide strong quality signals. Sparky is the better option if you want to hand off the entire process for an electrical job in London — the AI's specialist knowledge, accreditation tracking, and integrated payment make it a more comprehensive service for electrical work specifically. The trade-off is less personal control over the selection and a smaller, newer network.
