Vento vs Powered Now
Powered Now is quoting, invoicing and job-management software for small trade businesses. Powered Now is a tidy admin tool for quotes, invoices and paperwork for small trades. Vento adds the air-con engineering that produces the quote — sizing, scaled drawings and F-Gas — not just the paperwork around it.
The comparison below is at a category level: both handle the day-to-day admin of running a trade business, but only Vento is built around air-conditioning design and engineering. Powered Now's exact features vary by plan and change over time — confirm current details on Powered Now's website.
| Capability | Vento | Powered Now |
|---|---|---|
| Air-conditioning design & engineering | ||
| Built specifically for air conditioning | The entire workflow | No |
| Room-by-room heat-load (Manual J) | Built in, instant | No |
| Split & multi-split system design | Scaled, construction-issue drawings | No |
| Unit capacity matching | From a SEER/SCOP catalogue | No |
| Condenser placement & pipe routing | On the drawing | No |
| F-Gas register, CO₂e & leak-check scheduling | Built in | Varies |
| Running-cost estimates on proposals (SEER/SCOP) | Automatic | No |
| Running your business | ||
| Jobs, scheduling & CRM | Yes | Yes |
| Quotes & invoicing | Yes | Yes |
| Branded proposals with e-signature | Good/Better/Best options | Varies |
| Online payments & deposits | Card, Klarna, DD, transfer | Yes |
| Service & maintenance plans | Recurring, with certificates | Yes |
| Mobile app for on-site work | Full workflow on a phone | Yes |
| Running the operation | ||
| Dispatch board | Drag-and-drop, per engineer | Yes |
| Route planning | From Professional | Varies |
| Van & store stock | Ledger-backed levels | Varies |
| Purchase orders & invoice matching | Yes | Varies |
| Subcontractor job access | Per-job link, no account | Varies |
| Lone-worker check-ins | Office alerted if missed | Varies |
| Customer portal | Emailed link, no password | Varies |
| Schedule of Rates pricing | Import NHF, PSA or your own | Varies |
| Batch billing for maintenance contracts | Draft, review, commit | Varies |
"Varies" means the capability exists in some form or depends on plan/integration. General field-service platforms cover many trades; air-con-specific engineering like room-by-room heat-load and refrigerant system design is not something they set out to do. We don't speak for Powered Now's product — verify current capabilities directly.
A British small-trade tool
Powered Now is quoting, invoicing and job-management software for small trade businesses, built in the UK for UK trades. VAT handled properly, documents that look right to a British customer, and a mobile app aimed at someone doing their paperwork in the van rather than at a desk.
For a small firm whose problem is that quotes go out late and invoices go out later, that is a sensible, affordable answer and the UK focus is a real advantage over an imported product.
The same UK focus, one trade deeper
Vento is also built for UK work — CIBSE design temperatures, F-Gas records, Building Regulations evidence, UK VAT — but for one trade rather than all of them.
That is the whole difference. Powered Now will help you send a tidy quote for an air-conditioning job. It will not tell you whether the system on that quote is the right size, because air-conditioning sizing and design are not what it sets out to do — confirm that with them.
With Vento the number on the quote comes from a calculation you can show the customer, and the drawing comes from the same record. See everything Vento includes.
What to check before you commit
Ask how billing renews, how much notice you get before a renewal is taken, and whether you can cancel yourself in the product rather than by phone or email. Get the answer in writing. That is worth asking of any subscription, including ours.
Ask what happens to your documents if you leave, and whether you can export them in a usable format.
Vento’s pricing is published and flat: plans start at £49 a month, with the Professional plan at £149 a month including 3 seats and extra seats at £25. Every plan has a 14-day free trial and there is no multi-year term to sign. See the full pricing for what each plan includes.
Frequently asked questions
Does Powered Now calculate heat loss?
Heat-load calculation and air-conditioning system design are not part of what Powered Now advertises — it is quoting, invoicing and job management for small trade businesses generally. Confirm the current position with them.
Is Vento UK-specific too?
Yes, entirely. Design temperatures, F-Gas and CO₂e records, Building Regulations evidence, UK VAT and HMRC mileage are all built around UK practice, because that is the only market it is sold in.
Can I cancel Vento myself?
Yes, from the billing settings in your account, without a phone call. Annual plans run to the end of the period you have paid for.
Where Vento wins for air-con installers
- The engineering is built in — Room-by-room heat load, capacity matching and scaled system drawings are part of the workflow — not a separate CAD seat, spreadsheet or add-on a general tool can't provide.
- Purpose-built, not adapted — Vento only does air conditioning, so surveying, sizing, drawings and F-Gas fit how your jobs actually run — where Powered Now is built to serve many trades at once.
- Win the job on the visit — Survey, design, proposal, e-sign and deposit happen in one visit, so you leave with a signed job and money in the bank.
If you run several trades, a broad platform like Powered Now may suit you. If air conditioning is your business, Vento is built for exactly that.
See why installers switch to Vento
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