Airtasker model
The OG task marketplace. Poster connection fees in a published AU band of ~$9.95–$59.95. Taskers on tiers around 12.5%–20% + GST. Optional ~$89/year membership if you’d rather subscribe your way out of connection fees.
alt vs Airtasker
Airtasker, but make it the alternative.
Same “get local help” energy. Different fee story. First hire free, flat 5% for Taskers, tips untouched, modern payments, chat with typing and read receipts, and a security-first app. If you’re still on the old playbook — this is your nudge.
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.”
Tips stay tips
Say thanks on release. We take nothing. Tasker keeps 100%.
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.
Looking for Oneflare? Airtasker bought it in 2022 and retired the platform on 30 June 2026. That head-to-head is this page — alt vs Airtasker.
Why switch
Serious reasons to leave Airtasker.
You’re not imagining it: marketplace fees add up. alt is the Australian alternative — clearer maths, kinder take rate, and an app that feels like now.
alt model
The alternative marketplace. First completed hire / task: free. Then $2.50 to hire, flat 5% for Taskers (min $2.50), $0 on tips. Money held until you’re happy. Chat that feels like 2026. Apple Pay, Afterpay, the lot — with PIN, Face ID and ID checks.
Simulated jobs
Same jobs. Different maths.
Four everyday scenarios. Identical offer amounts. Watch the fees do the talking.
$80 offer
House clean
alt
- Hiring
- $82.50
- offer $80.00 + $2.50 flat
- Tasker
- $76.00
- after flat 5% ($4.00)
Airtasker
- Hiring
- ~$94.95
- offer + ~$14.95 connection
- Tasker
- ~$64.00
- after ~20% Bronze fee (ex GST)
Connection fee is illustrative within Airtasker’s published AU range. Exact fee shows before you assign.
$150 offer
Handyman job
alt
- Hiring
- $152.50
- offer $150.00 + $2.50 flat
- Tasker
- $142.50
- after flat 5% ($7.50)
Airtasker
- Hiring
- ~$179.95
- offer + ~$29.95 connection
- Tasker
- ~$120.00
- after ~20% Bronze fee (ex GST)
Climb to Platinum and you might hit ~12.5%. Still not flat 5%.
$300 offer
Moving help
alt
- Hiring
- $302.50
- offer $300.00 + $2.50 flat
- Tasker
- $285.00
- after flat 5% ($15.00)
Airtasker
- Hiring
- ~$359.95
- offer + up to $59.95 connection
- Tasker
- ~$240.00
- after ~20% Bronze fee (ex GST)
Bigger job, bigger connection fee. On alt it’s still $2.50.
$100 offer · $20 tip
First hire + tip
alt
- Hiring
- $120.00
- offer $100.00 · fee waived · + $20.00 tip
- Tasker
- $120.00
- no commission · incl. $20.00 tip
Tip commission: $0.00
Airtasker
- Hiring
- ~$119.95+
- connection still applies · tips not the headline
- Tasker
- ~$80.00
- after ~20% · tips not sold as commission-free
alt: first hire free. Tip: untouched. That’s the whole plot.
Fees at a glance
| Detail | alt | Airtasker |
|---|---|---|
| List a job | Free. Always. | Free too |
| When you hire | $2.50 flat — or $0 on your first completed hire | Connection fee ~$9.95–$59.95 (size dependent) |
| What Taskers pay | 5% flat (min $2.50) — or $0 on your first completed task | Tiered ~12.5%–20% + GST |
| Tips | Tips: $0 commission. Keep the lot. | Not exactly a tip-first culture |
| Membership to dodge fees? | Nah. Flat fee is the fee. | ~$89/year if you want connection fees waived |
Product
| Detail | alt | Airtasker |
|---|---|---|
| The flow | List → offers → hire → pay when happy | List → offers → hire → pay when happy |
| Fees before you confirm | Shown upfront. No jump scares. | Shown in product before assign |
| Chat | Typing indicators, read receipts, online presence, photos | Private messages — solid, not 2026-polished |
| The vibe | Modern. Flat. Security-first. | Established. Tiered. Familiar. |
Airtasker figures are illustrative from publicly described AU connection fees (~$9.95–$59.95) and a ~20% Bronze-style Tasker fee (ex GST). Their live fees can change — check their product. alt figures are current launch pricing. Oneflare was acquired by Airtasker (2022) and retired on 30 June 2026; Oneflare.com now directs users to Airtasker.
Pay & protect
Modern money. Proper locks.
Pay how you already pay. Lock the app. Verify who’s who. Release cash only when the job’s actually done.
Accepted in the alt app
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.
Trust & checkout vs Airtasker
| Detail | alt | Airtasker |
|---|---|---|
| Payment methods | Apple Pay, Google Pay, cards, Afterpay, Zip, Klarna, Alipay, WeChat Pay | In-platform checkout (mix varies) |
| Payment held until you’re happy | Yes | Yes — in-platform |
| App PIN | Yep | Not exactly a flex |
| Face ID / biometrics | Yep | Maybe device login. Not the brand story. |
| Identity checks | Built in | Varies |
| Chat | Typing, read receipts, online, photos — 2026 messaging | Basic thread / email-era messaging |
| Tips | Tips: $0 commission. Keep the lot. | Rarely structured — and rarely fee-free |
Chat like it’s 2026
Messaging they never finished shipping.
Typing indicators. Read receipts. Online presence. Photos in-thread. Coordinate a hire like a normal chat app — not a lead inbox from 2014.
Who’s typing
See “is typing…” live. No more refreshing to wonder if they got your message.
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.
The full scoreboard
What Airtasker leaves out. What alt ships.
Fees, payments, security, chat, product — the gaps are the point. We’re not here to nudge the category. We’re here to shake it.
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Full fee breakdown before you confirm | Yes | Yes | membership-side | membership-side |
| Modern Australian app, built as the 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.
The smart play
Playful product. Serious switch case.
First one’s on the house
First completed hire: $0 connection fee. First completed Tasker job: $0 commission. Taste the product before the platform tax.
5% beats the tier circus
After that, Taskers pay a flat 5% (min $2.50). No bronze-to-platinum quest just to keep more of your own money.
Tips aren’t a revenue line
Tip on release. We take $0. The Tasker keeps every dollar of thanks. That’s how tips should work.
Hiring shouldn’t need a membership
A flat $2.50 is the whole story — not a connection fee that climbs toward $59.95, and not an annual sub to make the maths less painful.
Checkout that doesn’t feel stuck in 2016
Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Afterpay, Zip, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and Klarna. Held until you say the job’s done.
Chat that doesn’t feel stuck in 2014
Typing indicators. Read receipts. Online presence. Photos in-thread. Coordinate like a normal app — not a ticket queue from the lead-gen era.
Serious about security
PIN. Face ID. Identity checks. Held payments. The alternative marketplace should feel safer — not just cheaper.
Common questions
alt vs Airtasker FAQ
Also compare
More head-to-heads.
Ready when you are.
First hire free. Flat 5% after. Tips stay tips. That’s the alternative marketplace — download alt and run the numbers yourself.
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