Who’s typing
See “is typing…” live. No more refreshing to wonder if they got your message.
The shake-up
The alternative is here.
alt. is coming for the old marketplace playbook — Airtasker, hipages, ServiceSeeking and anyone still charging like it’s 2016. First task free. Flat 5%. Book again at half the connection fee. Top offer ranking. Trust badges. iPad ready. The widest payment lineup. Chat with typing and read receipts. Security-first. Features they never shipped.
First task on us
First completed hire and first completed Tasker job: zero platform fees. Try before the meter starts.
Flat 5%. Done.
Taskers pay 5% (min $2.50). No tier ladder. No “earn your way down.”
Book again. Half price.
Loved your Tasker? Rebook them in one tap. Connection fee drops to $1.25 — 50% off — when you hire someone you’ve already worked with.
Top offer, not guesswork
When multiple Taskers bid, alt. highlights a Top offer from rating, completed jobs, and reliability — price is the tie-breaker, not the whole story.
Trust badges that hire
Rising, Reliable, Hire again, Local, Streak, Rebooked — proof on profiles and offer cards, not arcade XP.
iPad ready
A real tablet layout for browsing, offers, and hiring — not a stretched phone screen. Works great on iPad.
Smart AI assist
Stuck posting or writing an offer? Suggestions and offer assist help you ship something that still sounds like you — faster than staring at a blank screen.
Pay like it’s 2026
Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Afterpay, Zip, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and Klarna. Held until you’re happy.
Chat like it’s 2026
Typing indicators, read receipts, online presence, photos — messaging that doesn’t feel stuck in 2014.
Full feature table
What they skipped. What we shipped.
This isn’t a vibes contest. It’s a feature gap. Payments, fees, chat, security, Tasker economics — spelled out so the switch feels obvious.
| Feature | alt. | Airtasker | hipages | ServiceSeeking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fees | ||||
| First completed hire / task fee-free | Yes | No | No | No |
| Flat $2.50 hire fee (not a climbing connection fee) | Yes | No | n/a (free to post) | n/a (free to post) |
| Flat 5% Tasker commission (no tiers) | Yes | no — 12.5–20% tiers | n/a — membership model | n/a — membership model |
| Tips with $0 commission | Yes | No | No | No |
| No membership to hire or offer | Yes | optional poster membership | no — tradie membership required | no — membership for leads |
| Book again / reconnect fee ($1.25 — 50% off) | Yes | no structured reconnect discount | n/a — lead model | n/a — membership model |
| Never pay for leads you don’t win | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Payments | ||||
| Apple Pay | Yes | Partial | Partial | No |
| Google Pay | Yes | Partial | Partial | No |
| Afterpay | Yes | No | No | No |
| Zip | Yes | No | No | No |
| Klarna | Yes | No | No | No |
| Alipay | Yes | No | No | No |
| WeChat Pay | Yes | No | No | No |
| Visa, Mastercard, Amex | Yes | Yes | Partial | usually off-platform |
| Widest in-app payment lineup | yes — 10 methods | narrower checkout | optional / limited | mostly pay direct |
| Payment held until you approve | Yes | Yes | Partial | usually no |
| Security | ||||
| App PIN lock | Yes | No | No | No |
| Face ID / biometrics | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Identity checks | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Chat | ||||
| Typing indicators (“is typing…”) | Yes | not a headline feature | No | No |
| Read receipts | Yes | not a headline feature | No | No |
| Online presence in chat | Yes | No | No | No |
| In-app chat + photos | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial |
| Messaging that feels like 2026 | yes — real-time polish | basic private messages | lead / quote messaging | quote-era messaging |
| Product | ||||
| Open offer marketplace (not lead credits) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Top offer ranking (trust-first, not cheapest-first) | Yes | no — typically time / price ordered | n/a — quotes / leads | n/a — quotes / leads |
| Trust badges on profiles & offer cards | yes — Rising, Reliable, Hire again, Local, Streak, Rebooked | partial — limited status signals | business reviews / directory | directory / quotes |
| Book again / rebook the same Tasker | yes — invite + one-tap rebook | partial — manual rehire, no reconnect discount | no structured rebook flow | no structured rebook flow |
| Saved Taskers for quick rebooks | Yes | partial / favourites vary | No | No |
| iPad / tablet-ready app | yes — designed for iPad | phone-first | phone-first / web | phone-first / web |
| Smart AI help to post & write offers | yes — posting suggestions + offer assist | limited / not a headline feature | No | No |
| Full fee breakdown before you confirm | Yes | Yes | membership-side | membership-side |
| Modern Australian app, built as the one-stop alternative | Yes | legacy marketplace | lead platform | quote platform |
| Taskers | ||||
| Free to browse and offer | Yes | Yes | No | limited without membership |
| See commission & payout before offering | Yes | Partial | no — credits first | no — membership first |
Competitor capabilities are based on publicly described products and typical flows — they change. “Partial” means available in some cases, via device OS, or not a headline feature. Always verify on their sites. alt. reflects current launch product.
Payments flex
Most available payment methods in the category.
Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Afterpay, Zip, Klarna, Alipay and WeChat Pay — in-app. The incumbents still leave people hunting for a card field or arranging payment off-platform. We didn’t.
Accepted in the alt. app
Chat flex
Messaging that feels like 2026 — not a lead inbox.
Typing indicators. Read receipts. Online presence. Photos in the thread. The old guard shipped “private messages.” We shipped chat people already know how to use.
Read receipts
Know when it’s been seen. Coordinate like a normal chat app — not a ticket queue.
Online presence
Green-dot energy. Spot when someone’s around before you wait half a day for a reply.
Photos in chat
Snap the mess, the driveway, the finished job. Camera or library — right in the thread.
Head-to-heads
Pick who we’re coming for first.
Same jobs people already post. Better fees. Modern product. Drill into each rival. Oneflare retired into Airtasker in June 2026 — use the Airtasker head-to-head.
Security-first
Not just cheaper — tighter.
PIN lock
Someone grabs your phone? Cool story. They still need your PIN.
Face ID / biometrics
Unlock fast. Skip typing passwords on the tram. Still locked down.
Identity checks
Real people, verified. Less mystery meat in your marketplace.
Money on ice
We hold payment until you approve the work. Then the Tasker gets paid. Simple.
The manifesto
Australia’s task marketplace is overdue for a shake-up.
Tiered take rates. Membership treadmills. Thin payment options. We’re building the one-stop alternative — and we’re not whispering about it. First hire free. Flat 5%. Book again at half price. Top offer + trust badges. Tips untouched. Download alt. and join the switch.
See how alt. works