BORIS vs OneTrace
Which Software is Right for Subcontractors and Field Teams?
OneTrace has built a reputation in the field service world with a modern user interface, responsive mobile experience, and deep roots in fire protection compliance. Over 1,000 subcontractors trust their platform.
BORIS has been solving field service operations since 2006. We serve 14+ industries across the UK with a single platform: live drawing, CRM, invoicing, fleet management, automated scheduling, compliance modules, and timesheets—all included, all connected.
If OneTrace represents specialist excellence in fire protection, BORIS represents operational growth. Let’s compare them fairly.
At a Glance
| Feature | BORIS | OneTrace |
|---|---|---|
| Live Drawing | Yes (colour-coded multi-service) | Yes (pin-based) |
| Mobile Offline | Yes (iOS, Android) | Yes (iOS, Android) |
| CRM | Yes (Professional + Enterprise) | No |
| Invoicing & Pricing Engine | Yes (matrix-based, pro rata/chunked) | Yes (rate sets with auto-calculation) |
| Fleet Management | Yes (MOT/service automation) | No |
| PPM (Maintenance Scheduling) | Yes (auto job generation) | Limited |
| Job Scheduling | Yes (Resource Planner, DBS matching) | Maturing |
| Timesheets | Yes (GPS, NFC, RAMS acceptance) | Yes (GPS, clock in/out) |
| Multi-Trade Support | Yes (14+ industries) | Primarily fire protection |
| Stock Control | Yes | No |
| Health & Safety Module | Yes (accidents, near miss, RA) | Limited |
| Client Portal | Yes (reports, asset registers) | Limited |
| Free Tier | Yes (freemium capture) | No |
| Setup & Cloud Cost | £0 | Unknown |
Feature Comparison: The Details
Live Drawing & Job Capture
BORIS: Colour-coded pins for multiple service types, real-time team view, multi-disciplinary workflows (fire, HVAC, pest, etc.), offline capability with automatic sync.
OneTrace: Pin-based live drawing system, strong reputation for intuitive UI, fire protection-focused tagging.
Winner: BORIS for scale and flexibility. OneTrace for immediate ease of use.
Fire Protection Workflows
BORIS: Passive Fire, Active Fire, Building Manual Trada certification, FRA (Fire Risk Assessment) with PAS 79-1 and PAS 79-2 modules. Manages full compliance lifecycle from initial survey through certification and remediation tracking.
OneTrace: Strong heritage in fire protection with dedicated workflows and compliance tracking. 1,000+ certified users building confidence in the niche.
Winner: BORIS for breadth (multiple fire modules + other industries). OneTrace for specialisation.
CRM & Sales Pipeline
BORIS: Professional CRM includes visual Opportunities Board (Kanban workflow), contact management, and opportunity tracking. Enterprise CRM adds full lead-to-job conversion lifecycle, Product Builder for tiered quoting, and multi-user collaboration.
OneTrace: No CRM functionality. Subcontractors are assumed to manage leads separately (email, phone, spreadsheets).
Winner: BORIS by default—OneTrace offers no alternative.
Invoicing, Pricing & Cost Control
BORIS: Matrix-based pricing engine with customer/job-type combinations. Pro rata and chunked costing for complex contracts. Live job cost vs. quote tracking. Integration with timesheets and materials for real-time profitability.
OneTrace: Has a pricing engine with rate sets and auto-calculation of costs. Supports basic invoicing, but less comprehensive than BORIS’s matrix-based approach. Designed for subcontractor workflows; some businesses handle invoicing via integration with external accounting systems.
Winner: BORIS for comprehensive pricing control and complex contract management. OneTrace adequate for subcontractor-focused operations with standard rate structures.
Fleet Management
BORIS: Complete vehicle registry with automated reminders for MOT renewal, service intervals, insurance expiry, and tax disc renewal. Mobile app alerts ensure compliance, reducing downtime and liability risk.
OneTrace: No fleet management.
Winner: BORIS by default.
Planned Maintenance (PPM) & Recurring Contracts
BORIS: Automated job generation from maintenance schedules. Assign to teams, track completion, re-generate next cycle. Critical for facilities management and maintenance contracts with SLA requirements.
OneTrace: Limited PPM capability, better suited to one-off or project-based work.
Winner: BORIS for maintenance-heavy operations.
Timesheets & Attendance
BORIS: GPS clock in/out, NFC tag support, RAMS (Risk Assessment & Method Statement) acceptance at job start, instant payroll integration.
OneTrace: GPS clock in/out with proven reliability in fire protection teams.
Winner: Tie (both solid). BORIS adds RAMS workflow; OneTrace simplicity valued by subcontractors.
Where BORIS Wins
1. Multi-Trade Platform
OneTrace excels in fire protection, but that’s its focus and its limit. BORIS covers 14+ industries. If you’re a fire protection subcontractor today but win HVAC work next year—or pest control, utilities, facilities management—you don’t switch platforms. You enable a new module. One login, one unified data set, one training investment.
2. CRM & Sales Management
Growing businesses need to manage their sales pipeline. BORIS Professional includes a visual Opportunities Board; Enterprise adds full lead-to-quote-to-job automation. OneTrace has no CRM. If you want to scale beyond emergency callouts and standing contracts, you need to track prospects and manage your funnel. OneTrace leaves you to email and spreadsheets.
3. Invoicing & Pricing Engine
BORIS calculates what you should charge (cost + margin), tracks what you actually spent, and auto-generates invoices. Matrix-based pricing handles complex contracts (different rates for different customers, job types, times of day). For businesses with straightforward rate models, OneTrace’s pricing engine is adequate; for complex contracts, BORIS provides significantly more control.
4. Fleet Management
MOT, service, insurance, tax disc renewal—all automated. Compliance headaches become routine. OneTrace doesn’t touch fleet ops.
5. Planned Maintenance (PPM)
If you manage recurring maintenance contracts, BORIS auto-generates jobs on schedule and re-generates the next cycle. Critical for recurring revenue and SLA compliance. OneTrace is built for project-based work, not maintenance cycles.
6. Everything Included, Nothing Extra
BORIS Professional includes 15 modules (drawing, timesheets, scheduling, PPM, stock, invoicing, health & safety, fleet, etc.). No module upsells. No “add CRM for £X/month.” OneTrace’s pricing is opaque; each module may carry additional cost or limitation.
7. Freemium Trial
BORIS’s free tier lets you capture and upload jobs with no credit card, no commitment. OneTrace has no free option—you must contact sales and negotiate terms before any hands-on trial.
Where OneTrace Wins
1. Modern, Polished UI
OneTrace is widely praised for simplicity and visual design. Users report low friction during onboarding. If your team resists “clunky” software, OneTrace’s UI is genuinely smooth.
2. Deep Fire Protection Heritage
OneTrace was built by fire protection professionals for fire protection professionals. Every workflow, every certification, every compliance check reflects that deep niche expertise. If your entire operation is fire protection, OneTrace’s focus means fewer irrelevant features and more fire-specific logic.
3. Established Subcontractor Community
1,000+ fire protection subcontractors on OneTrace creates network effects: peer support, best-practice sharing, and collective voice in the product roadmap. That community confidence is real.
4. Strong Mobile Experience
Field teams consistently rate OneTrace’s mobile app as responsive and intuitive.
The Growth Question
If you’ll only ever do fire protection—and you’re certain of that—OneTrace is a solid, focused choice. Specialists should use specialist tools.
But most businesses don’t stay flat. You win a facilities management contract that needs HVAC. A client asks about pest control on the same property. You hire a second team and need fleet and payroll visibility. You want to track your sales pipeline so you’re not always reactive. Suddenly OneTrace can’t follow you, and switching platforms mid-growth is painful.
BORIS is built for that growth. One platform, one database, one team training, one integration with your accountant. As you expand across trades and geographies, BORIS scales with you.
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | BORIS | OneTrace |
|---|---|---|
| Free / Freemium | Yes (mobile capture) | No |
| Entry Price | £29.99 (Lite) | Not public (contact sales) |
| Professional | From £59.99/user/month | — |
| Setup Fee | £0 | Unknown |
| Cloud Storage | £0 | Unknown |
| Includes | 15 modules | TBD |
BORIS’s pricing is transparent. OneTrace requires negotiation. Transparency matters when you’re scaling.
Who Should Choose BORIS?
- Fire protection subcontractors who want to expand into other trades
- Multi-trade service companies (HVAC + pest + electrical, etc.)
- Operations that manage fleet, recurring maintenance, or complex invoicing
- Teams needing CRM and sales pipeline management
- Organisations with 50+ field staff requiring resource optimisation
- Businesses wanting compliance, safety reporting, and audit trails
- Anyone who values pricing transparency and a free trial
Who Should Choose OneTrace?
- Fire protection specialists (Approved Inspector, consultant, subcontractor) with no plans to diversify
- Small teams (<20) focused purely on fire surveys and remediation
- Organisations prioritising UI simplicity over platform breadth
- Subcontractors satisfied managing leads and invoicing outside the platform
Case Study: Growth in Action
Bradford Royal Infirmary NHS Trust manages fire protection, HVAC, and facilities maintenance across a large estate. They chose BORIS to unify three previously separate software systems. One platform replaced CRM (Pipedrive), invoicing (Xero spreadsheet), and timesheets (paper + Harvest). Annual time savings: 400+ hours. Faster quoting, better compliance visibility, and visibility into true job profitability across all disciplines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BORIS hard to implement?
Most organisations are live within 2–3 weeks. We provide onboarding support, video training, and a dedicated success manager for Professional/Enterprise clients.
Does BORIS have a mobile app?
Yes, iOS and Android, with offline capability. You can capture jobs without internet and sync when connectivity returns.
Can I import my existing data into BORIS?
Yes. We handle customer records, job history, staff rosters, and asset data. Discuss your specific needs with our onboarding team.
What if I only do fire protection today but want the option to grow?
Start on BORIS Lite or Professional. Enable fire protection modules. When you expand, enable new modules without switching platforms.
Does OneTrace integrate with other systems?
OneTrace’s integration roadmap isn’t fully public. BORIS integrates with Sage, Xero, PayPal, Stripe, and major payroll systems out of the box.