Want Xero quotes drafted from your voice, from any device, with zero cold-start? FlowSpec speaks your job and drafts a priced quote into Xero from your own prices in about 30 seconds. Scheduling, dispatch, and forms stay with the tools you already run.
See it draft a real quote into Xero.
The quick answer
If quoting into Xero is the part that has you looking, FlowSpec is the lighter pick. You speak the job, and FlowSpec drafts a priced quote into Xero from your own Xero items in about 30 seconds. It runs on any device, there is no 100-job cold-start, and the quote lands in Xero directly.
ServiceM8 still wins when you want the full field-service platform: scheduling, dispatch, GPS tracking, compliance forms, integrated payments, and client communications together in one place. The honest split is the whole platform against the one job done fast. Pick by which job you actually want done.
The rest of this page walks the FlowSpec quoting flow step by step, names the common switching triggers, compares pricing, and answers the questions tradies ask. See the wider field on the comparison hub.
Common switching triggers
ServiceM8 is a strong platform. These are the friction points that have tradies evaluating alternatives, and where FlowSpec fits in.
ServiceM8 is built iOS-first. The Android experience is weaker, and there is no full web app for field staff. If your team runs mixed devices or prefers Android, that creates daily friction. FlowSpec is a progressive web app: open any browser on any device, tap record, speak the job.
ServiceM8 syncs invoices, contacts, items, and payments with Xero, but quotes stay in ServiceM8. The quote stage has to be converted to an invoice before anything reaches Xero. FlowSpec drafts a real Xero quote directly: the client sees a quote from Xero, and the record lives there from the start.
ServiceM8 pricing is based on monthly job count: 50 jobs on Starter ($29), 150 on Growing ($79), 500 on Premium ($149). Unlimited users is a genuine strength, but once your job volume pushes you into the next tier, the monthly cost jumps. FlowSpec is a flat per-seat rate with unlimited quotes.
ServiceM8's AI Auto-Quote analyses your historical jobs to draft quotes, which is a strong feature once you have the data. The catch: it needs 100+ completed jobs before the results are reasonable. FlowSpec works from voice on day one, matching lines to your own Xero items at your own sell prices from the first quote.
FlowSpec addresses the quoting side of these friction points. If your trigger is scheduling, dispatch, or compliance forms, ServiceM8 or a full job management platform is still the right shape. See the full FlowSpec vs ServiceM8 comparison for a side-by-side.
How the quoting works
Four steps, about 30 seconds. This is the whole of FlowSpec, the one job done fast.
Record a short voice memo the way you would tell your offsider. FlowSpec reads trade slang and abbreviations like GPO, RCD, PRV, and TMV, and it learns the way you phrase jobs over time.
FlowSpec matches each line to your own Xero items, so every quote uses your own sell prices. Keep your prices current in Xero and every new quote follows along. There is no 100-job learning curve to wait through.
Give the customer name, phone, and address, and FlowSpec matches an existing Xero contact or creates a fresh one. The right details land on the quote.
FlowSpec drafts a real Xero quote with line items, account codes, and tax types. Open Xero, give it a glance, and send. The quote lives in Xero from the start, no conversion step required.
The honest split
Two tools shaped for two different jobs. Here is the fair read so you can choose with open eyes.
FlowSpec does a single thing and keeps it light. You speak a job, and it drafts a priced quote into Xero from your own Xero items, with the matched contact, account codes, and tax types. It reads trade slang and learns your phrasing. It runs on any device. Everything else, your scheduling, your dispatch, your forms, stays with the tools you already use. The whole product is fast quoting into Xero.
ServiceM8 runs the whole field operation: scheduling, dispatch, GPS tracking, compliance forms, client communications, timesheets, job costing, and integrated payments. Unlimited users on a single monthly fee is a genuine strength for growing teams. AI Auto-Quote drafts quotes from your historical jobs once you have 100+ completed. Choose ServiceM8 when you want quoting, operations, and client comms in one platform.
The Xero sync gap
If Xero is your financial source of truth, this is the detail that shapes the decision.
FlowSpec: quote drafts into Xero
FlowSpec drafts a real Xero quote with line items, account codes, tax types, and the matched contact. The quote lives in Xero from the moment it is created. When you send it, it goes from Xero. When you convert it to an invoice, it stays in Xero. One system of record, one source of truth.
ServiceM8: quote stays inside, invoices sync
ServiceM8 syncs invoices (one-way on approval), contacts (bidirectional), items (bidirectional), and payments (bidirectional) with Xero. Quotes stay inside ServiceM8. To get a quote into Xero, you convert it to an invoice in ServiceM8, approve it, and the invoice syncs. The quote stage itself has no path to Xero.
If your accountant or bookkeeper works in Xero and you want the quoting trail to start there, that is the gap FlowSpec fills.
Worked example
A sole-trader plumber gets a call to replace a hot water system. Here is how the quote gets out in each tool.
FlowSpec path
Quote lives in Xero from the start. Xero sends it. Your accountant sees it immediately.
ServiceM8 path
Quote stays in ServiceM8. Xero sees the invoice after approval. Full job management wraps around the quoting step.
Both paths get a quote to the client. The difference is where the quote lives and how much platform wraps around it. Pick by which shape fits your workflow.
Pricing comparison
An honest look at pricing so you can compare like for like.
| Detail | FlowSpec | ServiceM8 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per seat, unlimited quotes | Per business, tiered by monthly job count |
| Starting price | $50/mo first seat (see pricing) | Free (30 jobs, 1 user), $29/mo Starter (50 jobs) |
| At 150 jobs/mo | $50/mo (quotes are unlimited) | $79/mo Growing tier |
| At 500 jobs/mo | $50/mo (still unlimited) | $149/mo Premium tier |
| Users included | 1 per seat ($25/mo each extra seat) | Unlimited on all paid plans |
| What it covers | Voice quoting into Xero | Scheduling, dispatch, quoting, invoicing, GPS, forms, payments, comms |
| Quotes sync to Xero? | Yes, drafted directly into Xero | Invoices sync; quotes stay inside ServiceM8 |
| Device support | Any device (PWA, works in any modern browser) | iOS-first; Android available (weaker feature set) |
ServiceM8's unlimited-user model is a real strength for teams: one monthly fee covers the whole crew. FlowSpec's per-seat model stays flat regardless of quote volume. The right comparison is the cost of the quoting step against the cost of the full platform. All prices AUD including GST, current as of June 2026.
FAQ
If quoting into Xero is the part you want to speed up, FlowSpec is a lighter pick. You speak the job, and FlowSpec drafts a priced quote into Xero from your own Xero items in about 30 seconds. It stays focused on that one job and leaves scheduling, dispatch, forms, and timesheets to the tools you already run. ServiceM8 is the broader platform: choose it when you want the whole field-service operation in one place.
ServiceM8 syncs invoices, contacts, items, and payments with Xero, but quotes stay inside ServiceM8. When you approve a job and convert it to an invoice, that invoice appears in Xero. The quote stage itself stays within ServiceM8. FlowSpec works the other way: it drafts a real Xero quote directly, so your client sees the quote from Xero and the record lives there from the start.
Yes. Keep ServiceM8 for scheduling, dispatch, forms, and job tracking, and add FlowSpec for the voice quoting step. FlowSpec drafts quotes directly into Xero, and ServiceM8 syncs invoices with Xero for the billing side, so each tool owns a clean part of the workflow. Start FlowSpec alongside what you have and see how the quoting step feels.
FlowSpec is a progressive web app (PWA) that runs in any modern browser on any device: iPhone, Android, iPad, laptop, desktop. Open the browser, tap record, speak the job. There is nothing to install from an app store unless you choose to add it to your home screen for quick access.
ServiceM8 prices by monthly job count: Free (30 jobs), Starter at $29 (50 jobs), Growing at $79 (150 jobs), Premium at $149 (500 jobs), and Premium Plus at $349 (1,500+ jobs), all AUD including GST with unlimited users. FlowSpec is one all-inclusive, per-seat plan with unlimited quotes and every feature included. See flowspec.com.au/pricing for the current rate. The right comparison is the cost of the quoting step you want solved against the cost of the full platform.
FlowSpec replaces the quoting step: the part where you sit down and type a quote that could be spoken in about 30 seconds. ServiceM8 also runs scheduling, dispatch, GPS tracking, compliance forms, timesheets, client communications, and integrated payments. If you rely on those, keep ServiceM8 for the field-service operation and let FlowSpec handle the spoken Xero quote. If quoting into Xero is the main thing you needed, FlowSpec on its own covers it.
Try the demo. Speak a real job and watch FlowSpec draft a priced quote into Xero from your own items.
See the full FlowSpec vs ServiceM8 comparison or the voice quoting alternative for a closer look.