Compare: Airtasker
Airtasker or a cleaning service for house cleaning?
Quick answer: On Airtasker you post a cleaning task, compare offers from individual Taskers and choose one, paying the agreed price plus a Connection Fee of $9.95 to $59.95. A cleaning service such as Simply Maid gives a fixed price for your home and arranges the cleaner. Airtasker suits people who want to pick the person; a service suits people who want the details handled.
How the two compare on price, choosing a cleaner, insurance, cancelling and regular cleans, from Airtasker's and Simply Maid's own published terms.
Airtasker and Simply Maid side by side
The biggest difference is who sets the terms. On Airtasker, each Tasker offers their own price and scope for your task; with Simply Maid, the price, checklist and policies are set before you book.
| Compared | Simply Maid (us)Booking platform with independent cleaners | AirtaskerOnline marketplace |
|---|---|---|
| How you get a price | A fixed price online before you book. No quote visit or call needed.[1] | Post a task for free with a description and a budget, then receive offers from Taskers.[2] |
| Who chooses the cleaner | The job is offered to available cleaners near you; you can't choose a named cleaner when you book.[3]Cleaners are independent contractors who set their own availability and accept or decline work. | You choose a Tasker from the offers, after checking their profile, badges and reviews.[4]There's no obligation to accept any offer. |
| How the price is set | Fixed price by service, bedrooms, bathrooms and how often. A standard clean starts from $221.[1]Includes GST and the Care & Cover fee. The same in every city. Live from the booking calculator. | Each offer is one total price for the task, agreed before the work starts.[5]Set by each Tasker. Open-ended hourly offers settled after the job fall outside Airtasker's payment guidelines. |
| Fees you pay on top | The price you see includes GST and a Care & Cover fee (insurance and card processing). A same-day booking adds $40, which you accept first.[1]No weekend, pet or second-storey surcharge. | A Connection Fee of $9.95 to $59.95 (including GST), set by the task price, paid when you assign a Tasker.[6]Waived with an $89-a-year membership. The Tasker's own service fee comes out of the agreed price, not on top. |
| When you pay | A card hold about 48 hours before the clean; the charge is taken after it.[7]Visa, Mastercard or American Express. | Your card is charged when you accept an offer, and Airtasker holds the money until you release it after the task.[8]Released payments can't be recovered in a dispute. Cash isn't supported. |
| Equipment and products | The cleaner brings products and equipment, including a vacuum and mop.[9] | Agreed for each task; there's no platform default.[10]Customers are asked to say what equipment they have; Taskers arrange what's needed. |
| Cleaner checks | Cleaners are identity-verified and pass Simply Maid's skills assessment.[3] | ID verification is required before a Tasker can be paid, but not before they make offers.[11]Airtasker describes badges as point-in-time checks. A police check badge is optional for Taskers.[12]Shown only when the check has no disclosable outcomes; valid for up to 12 months. |
| Insurance | Care & Cover on every booking includes up to $10 million public liability insurance through Chubb. Cleaners also hold at least $5 million of their own cover.[13]Conditions and exclusions apply; report damage within 48 hours. | Third-party liability insurance up to $10 million, through Chubb, for registered Taskers.[14]Excludes poor workmanship and cash or off-platform jobs. Claims within 30 days; an excess is paid by the Tasker. |
| If something is missed | Report a missed task within 48 hours and eligible concerns get a free re-clean of those areas within seven business days. If you're still unhappy, a review and a fair credit or refund.[15]Doesn't apply if access, water or power was missing, or the scope changed after booking. | A free dispute service once work has started; Airtasker reviews both sides and decides.[16]Its insurance excludes poor workmanship, and it suggests asking Taskers about their own cover. |
| Cancelling or rescheduling | Free with at least 24 hours' notice. Inside 24 hours, a $70 fee may apply.[3]If the cleaner can't get in after 20 minutes, the booking is cancelled and a $70 lockout fee applies. | Either side asks to cancel and the other accepts. If you're found responsible you lose the Connection Fee; the task price is refunded.[10]With no reply in 48 hours the task cancels automatically. Illness or travel problems don't count as exceptions. |
| Problems and support | Phone and email, Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm local time, plus the help centre.[17] | Support by online form, aiming to reply within 1 to 2 business days. No phone support.[18] |
| Same cleaner each time | On a regular plan Simply Maid aims to keep the same cleaner, and you can ask for a change.[19]A particular cleaner can't be guaranteed every visit. | Rebook a Tasker you've used with a private offer, or set up weekly, fortnightly or monthly recurring tasks with them.[20]Recurring tasks are charged automatically until cancelled. |
- Simply Maid: Simply Maid: house cleaning prices, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker: how it works, checked 6 October 2026.
- Simply Maid: Simply Maid Terms of Service, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: how do I choose the right Tasker?, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: what are the Payment Guidelines?, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: what is the Connection Fee?, checked 6 October 2026.
- Simply Maid: Simply Maid help: when do I pay?, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: what is Airtasker Pay?, checked 6 October 2026.
- Simply Maid: Simply Maid help: do I need to provide cleaning supplies?, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: cancellation policy for customers, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: what is the ID verified badge?, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: what is the Police Check badge?, checked 6 October 2026.
- Simply Maid: Simply Maid Care & Cover: damage and insurance, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: third-party liability insurance, a guide for customers, checked 6 October 2026.
- Simply Maid: Simply Maid Care & Cover: Happiness Guarantee, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: Airtasker's dispute process, checked 6 October 2026.
- Simply Maid: Simply Maid help centre, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: how can I contact support?, checked 6 October 2026.
- Simply Maid: Simply Maid help: can I request the same cleaner?, checked 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker: Airtasker Help Centre: recurring tasks terms and conditions, checked 6 October 2026.
How much is a cleaner on Airtasker?
Airtasker's own house cleaning pages show median task prices of $150 to $170 across the seven cities we serve. The Connection Fee is added on top.
These are marketplace task prices, not hourly rates. Airtasker doesn't say how it works them out or what size homes they cover, so a figure can't be matched to a home like yours.
An example with the fee added. A $160 task, the Sydney median, falls in the $150 to $199.99 band, so the Connection Fee is $29.95 and you'd pay $189.95 in total.
Simply Maid, for comparison. A standard clean of a two-bedroom, one-bathroom home is $253 one-off, and $317 for three bedrooms and two bathrooms, live from our booking calculator, including GST and the Care & Cover fee. The standard clean checklist shows what that includes.
| City | Low | Median | High | Page last updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $125 | $160 | $220 | 28 September 2026 |
| Melbourne | $125 | $160 | $220 | 5 October 2026 |
| Brisbane | $120 | $160 | $230 | 5 October 2026 |
| Adelaide | $120 | $150 | $200 | 28 September 2026 |
| Canberra | $125 | $160 | $250 | 5 October 2026 |
| Perth | $120 | $154 | $200 | 28 September 2026 |
| Gold Coast | $125 | $170 | $250 | 28 September 2026 |
Prices as shown on Airtasker's house cleaning page for each city (for example airtasker.com/au/services/house-cleaning/sydney/). They exclude the Connection Fee. Sources are listed at the end of this guide. Checked 6 October 2026.
What Airtasker charges, and who pays it
You pay a Connection Fee when you assign a Tasker, set by the task price. The Tasker's service fee comes out of the agreed price, so it isn't added to yours.
An Airtasker membership costs $89 a year and waives the Connection Fee. It renews automatically, and the current year isn't refundable.
With Simply Maid, the price you see already includes GST and the Care & Cover fee, which covers insurance and card processing. A same-day booking adds $40, shown before you accept it.
| Task price | Connection Fee |
|---|---|
| Under $50 | $9.95 |
| $50 to $99.99 | $14.95 |
| $100 to $149.99 | $19.95 |
| $150 to $199.99 | $29.95 |
| $200 to $249.99 | $39.95 |
| $250 to $299.99 | $49.95 |
| $300 or more | $59.95 |
Source: Airtasker Help Centre: what is the Connection Fee?. Checked 6 October 2026.
Choosing the person, or having one arranged
On Airtasker you choose the Tasker yourself; with Simply Maid the job is offered to available cleaners near you and one accepts it.
On Airtasker
You see each Tasker's offer, profile, reviews and badges before you accept. ID verification is required before a Tasker can be paid, though not before they make offers. A police check badge is optional, and Airtasker describes badges as checks at a point in time, so it suggests confirming what you need with the Tasker.
With Simply Maid
You can't pick a named cleaner when you book. Cleaners are identity-verified and pass a skills assessment, and they bring their own products and equipment. On a regular plan, Simply Maid aims to keep the same cleaner, though it can't promise the same person every visit.
Insurance, and what happens if something goes wrong
Both carry liability insurance up to $10 million through Chubb. They differ on poor workmanship: Airtasker's cover excludes it, while Simply Maid offers a re-clean.
On Airtasker
Registered Taskers are covered for liability to third parties, such as damage to your property, up to $10 million. The cover excludes poor workmanship, jobs paid off the platform or in cash, and helpers who aren't registered. Claims must be lodged within 30 days, and the Tasker pays an excess. If a clean isn't right, Airtasker has a free dispute service once work has started. Released payments can't be recovered in a dispute, so Airtasker advises releasing payment only when you're satisfied.
With Simply Maid
Every booking includes Care & Cover: up to $10 million public liability insurance through Chubb, with conditions and exclusions, and cleaners also hold at least $5 million of their own cover. If a task in the checklist was missed, report it within 48 hours and eligible concerns get a free re-clean of those areas within seven business days.
Cancelling and rescheduling
On Airtasker, cancelling is a request the other side accepts; with Simply Maid, it's free with at least 24 hours' notice.
- Airtasker. Either side asks to cancel and the other accepts or rejects it. With no reply in 48 hours, the task cancels automatically. If you're responsible, you lose the Connection Fee and the task price is refunded, usually as Airtasker credit unless you ask for a card refund. Only declared emergencies and natural disasters count as exceptions; illness and travel problems don't. Rescheduling is proposed and accepted on the task page.
- Simply Maid. Cancelling is free with at least 24 hours' notice; inside 24 hours a $70 fee may apply. If the cleaner can't get in after 20 minutes, the booking is cancelled and a $70 lockout fee applies.
Regular cleans and keeping the same cleaner
Both can set up regular cleans; they differ on price and on who arranges a replacement.
- Airtasker. You can rebook a Tasker you've used with a private offer, or set up weekly, fortnightly or monthly recurring tasks with them, charged automatically until you cancel. Cancelling 3 or more days before the next date avoids that visit's charge. If your Tasker can't come, you post a new task.
- Simply Maid. A regular plan costs 20% less weekly, 15% fortnightly and 10% every 4 weeks for a standard clean. If your usual cleaner is away, Simply Maid looks for another available cleaner or contacts you to reschedule, though it can't promise a replacement every time.
When Airtasker may suit you better
Airtasker can be the better fit when you want control over who comes, what's done and what you'll pay.
- You want to choose the person from their profile and reviews, or ask someone you've used before.
- Your job is unusual: a one-off task, outside windows, or something a set checklist doesn't cover.
- You'd like to name your budget and see what offers come back.
- You're outside the seven cities we serve.
A cleaning service may suit you better if you'd rather have a fixed price for your home up front, the cleaner arranged for you, a set checklist, and a re-clean process if something's missed.
hipages, Service Seeking and Oneflare
These pass your job to businesses rather than individual Taskers, and Oneflare no longer operates on its own.
- hipages. Your job goes to local businesses, who quote, and tradies pay hipages through a subscription. Its app listing says posting a job is free. We couldn't read hipages' customer pages for this guide, so check its current terms for fees, checks and cover.
- Service Seeking. A quote directory: you post a job and businesses send quotes. Businesses pay for membership, and Service Seeking says its identity checks aren't fully reliable, so it suggests doing your own.
- Oneflare. Its website now redirects to Airtasker; Airtasker's help centre says Oneflare was retired on 30 June 2026.
Method
How we compare
We compare what each business publishes about how its service works, not how well any one clean was done.
- What we read. Each provider's own service, pricing, help and terms pages, on the date shown beside each fact. We didn't post jobs, ask for quotes, book cleans or contact sales teams.
- "Not stated in the sources we reviewed". We couldn't find it on the pages we read. It doesn't mean the business doesn't do it, so ask them.
- Platform terms and individual cleaners. On a marketplace or through an agency, much is set by the person you book. We describe the platform's or agency's published terms, not any one cleaner's.
- Prices. We compare like for like where we can: the same service, home size and frequency, with GST, minimum hours and fees noted. Simply Maid's prices are live from our booking calculator. Other figures are labelled as published rates, "from" prices or marketplace task prices, and we never work out an hourly rate from a fixed price.
- No scores or winners. We don't rate providers or pick a winner. Star ratings on different sites come from different customers, so we don't compare them.
- Which providers. The services that appear most often in Google results for house cleaning across the seven cities we serve, plus agencies that serve most of those cities.
- Corrections. If something here is wrong or out of date, email hello@simplymaid.com.au and we'll check it and correct the page. We re-read every source at least every three months.
Questions people ask
How much does Airtasker take from a cleaner?
Taskers pay Airtasker a service fee of 10% to 20% of the task price, or 1.9% for repeat customers. It comes out of the agreed price, so you don't pay it on top. You pay the Connection Fee instead.
Is Airtasker safe for house cleaning?
Airtasker requires ID verification before a Tasker is paid, offers an optional police check badge, holds payment until you release it, and arranges liability insurance for registered Taskers. It still suggests checking a Tasker's credentials, reviews and own cover before you accept an offer.
Do Airtasker cleaners bring their own products?
It's agreed for each task. Say in your task what you have at home and what you'd like the Tasker to bring.
Can I pay an Airtasker cleaner in cash?
Airtasker doesn't support cash payments, and jobs paid off the platform aren't covered by its insurance.
How much is a 2 hour clean?
Airtasker doesn't publish hourly cleaning rates; each offer is a total for the task. Simply Maid prices by home size rather than by the hour: a standard clean of a two-bedroom, one-bathroom home is $253 one-off.
What happened to Oneflare?
Oneflare's website now redirects to Airtasker. Airtasker's help centre says Oneflare was retired on 30 June 2026.
When you're ready
See what a clean would cost with Simply Maid
Get a fixed price for your home in about a minute. Nothing is booked or paid at this step.
Comparing other services? See all comparisons
Sources
The pages this guide relies on, with the date we read each one. Each fact in the tables links to its own source.
- How it works, Airtasker. Read 6 October 2026.
- What is the Connection Fee?, Airtasker Help Centre. Read 6 October 2026.
- Get an Airtasker Membership, Airtasker. Read 6 October 2026.
- What is the Cancellation policy for Taskers? (service fee), Airtasker Help Centre. Read 6 October 2026.
- What is the Cancellation policy for Customers?, Airtasker Help Centre. Read 6 October 2026.
- What happens to my funds when the task gets cancelled?, Airtasker Help Centre. Read 6 October 2026.
- Third-party liability insurance: a guide for customers, Airtasker Help Centre. Read 6 October 2026.
- What is the ID verified badge?, Airtasker Help Centre. Read 6 October 2026.
- What is the Police Check badge?, Airtasker Help Centre. Read 6 October 2026.
- Airtasker's dispute process, Airtasker Help Centre. Read 6 October 2026.
- Recurring Tasks terms and conditions, Airtasker Help Centre. Read 6 October 2026.
- House cleaning in Sydney, Airtasker (updated 28 September 2026). Read 6 October 2026.
- House cleaning in Melbourne, Airtasker (updated 5 October 2026). Read 6 October 2026.
- House cleaning in Brisbane, Airtasker (updated 5 October 2026). Read 6 October 2026.
- House cleaning in Adelaide, Airtasker (updated 28 September 2026). Read 6 October 2026.
- House cleaning in Canberra, Airtasker (updated 5 October 2026). Read 6 October 2026.
- House cleaning in Perth, Airtasker (updated 28 September 2026). Read 6 October 2026.
- House cleaning in Gold Coast, Airtasker (updated 28 September 2026). Read 6 October 2026.
- hipages Group: about, hipages Group. Read 6 October 2026. hipages.com.au couldn't be read for this guide.
- How it works, Service Seeking. Read 6 October 2026.
- Terms of Service, Simply Maid. Read 6 October 2026.
- Care & Cover, Simply Maid. Read 6 October 2026.
Competitor details are taken from each provider's own published pages on the dates shown. Terms and prices change, so check the provider's current terms before you book. Simply Maid publishes these guides and competes with the businesses in them.