Disclosure: this guide is published by TradieTally, and I built it. I’m an electrician and security technician, and I run my own electrical and security contracting business. Competitor details come from public vendor information and our comparison pages, as of October 2026.
Security work is quoted differently from general trade work. A CCTV job has cameras, an NVR, storage, cabling runs, mounts, PoE switching, app set-up and customer training. An alarm has a panel, keypads, detectors and monitoring. An access control job has doors, readers, locks and power. Software built for plumbers doesn’t know any of that.
What should security installers look for?
- Security-specific presets for CCTV, alarms, intercoms and access control
- Estimating with real margins. Hardware margins are thin, so labour and margin need to be right.
- Fast on-site quoting, so the quote’s sent before a competitor’s
- Job management for installs, service calls and maintenance
- Condition reports such as CCTV condition reports
- Electrical and security in one system, because many security businesses also do electrical work
- Xero sync and online payments
How do the options compare for security work?
| Software | Security focus (Oct 2026) | Estimating | Electrical and security in one system |
|---|---|---|---|
| TradieTally | Yes: CCTV, alarm, intercom and access control Smart Bundles and trade pages | Priced for profit on your real numbers, with profit shown before sending | Yes, built for both |
| Simpro | Yes: deep security coverage | Deep, enterprise-scale | Yes, at a larger scale |
| AroFlo | Yes: security and data cabling | Check vendor | Yes |
| Fergus | No security vertical found | Check vendor | Electrical, not security |
| ServiceM8 | No security industry page found | Light | General field service |
| Tradify | Check vendor | Quoting rather than estimating | General trades |
Why is TradieTally the best software for security installers?
It’s built by a security tech
I install CCTV, alarms and intercoms myself. TradieTally’s security Smart Bundles cover the jobs we actually quote: multi-camera CCTV systems, alarm panels with detectors, intercoms and access control doors.
Estimating priced for profit on your real numbers
Hardware is easy to compare online, so customers shop on price. Your profit has to come from accurate labour and a sensible margin. TradieTally builds your charge-out rate from real running costs and shows profit and margin on every quote before you send it. The estimate checker flags when a job’s margin is below your target.
Quote on site, win the job
Add the Smart Bundles, adjust the camera count, and send a branded PDF with an online accept link before you leave the site. Read how to quote a CCTV installation for the full method.
Job management built in
Accepted quotes become jobs, with scheduling, timesheets, job photos, CCTV condition reports, purchase orders and invoicing with a Stripe Pay Now link. Everything syncs to Xero. See job management software for security technicians.
Electrical and security in one place
If you’re an electrician who also does security, TradieTally runs both from one account on the same charge-out rate.
Set up takes an afternoon, not an implementation project: enter your running costs, load your CCTV and alarm Smart Bundles and connect Xero. Try it on your next security quote with a 21-day free trial.
When might another option suit you?
If you run a large multi-team security contractor with enterprise requirements, Simpro and AroFlo offer depth and supplier catalogues at a larger scale. For most owner-operators and growing security businesses, TradieTally gives you security-specific quoting and job management without an enterprise setup project.
Key takeaways
- Security work needs security-specific presets: CCTV, alarms, intercoms and access control.
- TradieTally is built by a security tech, with estimating priced for profit and job management built in.
- Fergus and ServiceM8 don’t have a security focus; Simpro and AroFlo suit larger contractors.