Buildertrend Review: Features, Pricing & Alternatives 2023
This article is part of a larger series on Accounting Software.
Buildertrend is cloud-based construction enterprise resource planning (ERP) and accounting software that helps you manage your projects, create estimates, and keep track of billing. Its features include customer relationship management (CRM), payment processing, bill and purchase order (PO) management, and accounting integration. The cheapest option of Buildertrend costs $399 per month but is available for $99 per month for the first two months.
Pros
- Can add unlimited users and projects
- Is our choice for best construction accounting software for managing documents
- Combines project management and accounting features
- Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero
- Has a new takeoff solution
Cons
- Cannot manage and track equipment
- Requires you to pay a separate fee for your QuickBooks or Xero subscription
- Requires the higher plans for managing bills and purchase orders (POs)
- Doesn’t offer a free trial
Buildertrend Deciding Factors
Pricing & Scalability |
It’s highly scalable, as you can add as many users as you need in all of its plans. |
Discounts (For monthly plans only) |
|
Free Trial | None |
Money-back Guarantee | 30 days |
Standout Features |
|
Customer Support | Phone and email support, coaching through Buildertrend Boost, training through Buildertrend Learning Academy, and online resources, such as blogs and webinars |
Average User Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 |
Are you looking for something different? Read our guide to the best small business accounting software to check out our top picks.
Buildertrend Alternatives
Best for: Users who want desktop software | Best for: Companies that aren’t Xero or QuickBooks users | Best for: Companies that need to manage equipment |
Cost: Software from $799 per year | Cost: Custom quote | Cost: Custom quote |
Buildertrend vs Competitors
Buildertrend is our best overall construction accounting software. Because of its project management and accounting features, it is a one-stop solution for your construction accounting needs.
Buildertrend as compared with competitors
In this comparison, we presented Buildertrend integrated with QuickBooks Online Plus. Although these two software products are separately billed, we found that Buildertrend with QuickBooks Online Plus is the ultimate solution for your construction management and accounting needs.
We believe that Sage 100 Contractor offers a middle ground between price and features. QuickBooks Premier Plus Contractor Edition is also a worthy option, but you’ll be sacrificing construction management features such as scheduling and logs.
Buildertrend offers a huge discount for the first two months of the subscription. It has no free trial, but you can cancel your subscription within your first 30 days with a full money-back guarantee if you’re unsatisfied with Buildertrend’s features.
Pricing & Features | Essential | Advanced | Complete |
---|---|---|---|
Regular Price ($/Month) | $499 | $699 | $1,299 |
Price for the First Two Months ($/Month) | $99 | $399 | $899 |
Issue Invoices | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Budget Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
QuickBooks Integration | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Client Portal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Xero integration | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Bid Requests | N/A | N/A | ✓ |
Surveys | N/A | N/A | ✓ |
Bills & POs Management | N/A | N/A | ✓ |
Buildertrend combines project management, accounting, financial management, and presale management in a single platform. After logging in, its dashboard gives you quick access to all of its programs and features.
Buildertrend also has accounting and financial tools that can help you manage the financial aspect of your construction projects.
Buildertrend offers project management features that can assist in planning, organizing, and monitoring construction projects. Whether you’re on-site or at the office, Buildertrend’s wide accessibility ensures that you can communicate with your employees wherever they are.
Buildertrend has a simple and logical user interface that is easy to navigate, even for new users. It includes a handy menu at the top so that you can navigate through important features like Sales, Financials, Project Management, Files, Messaging, and Reports. The report insights are laid out well and can be viewed instantly with a few clicks of a button, showing breakdowns of job logs, estimated cost versus actual cost, sales leads, and other essential metrics.
Buildertrend Learning Academy is a training platform that helps Buildertrend users understand the features of the software. It has onboarding programs, certifications, monthly live webinars, and resources available for subscribers.
In addition to the Learning Academy, users can join the Buildertrend Online Conference. This is a one-day conference that aims to discuss strategies for using Buildertrend to improve their businesses. The conference is free, and you can watch the most recent conference on Buildertrend’s website.
Buildertrend User Reviews
Users appreciate Buildertrend’s integrations with Xero and QuickBooks and the fact that it’s available for all three plans. Reviewers also praised the construction-specific features, such as the customer relationship management tool that works well for tracking leads and activities.
Buildertrend’s biggest drawbacks are that it lacks approvals for payment processing and subcontractor capacity planning on the scheduler. Other users found it difficult to track capacities and reporting of capacities and workloads.
The platform earned the following average scores on popular review sites:
- GetApp: 4.5 out of 5 based on about 1,580 reviews
- G2: 3.8 out of 5 based on around 55 reviews
- Featured Customers: 4.8 out of 5 based on about 1,140 reviews
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much does Buildertrend charge per month?
Buildertrend’s pricing depends on your plan, which ranges from $399 to $1,299 per month. You’ll receive a significant discount for the first two months of service, where you’ll pay only $99 to $899 monthly, depending on the subscription you select.
Does Buildertrend offer a money-back guarantee?
Yes, Buildertrend offers one for 30 days.
Does Buildertrend software include construction estimating?
Yes, and Buildertrend’s system makes it easy to build estimates and deliver customized proposals. You can start from existing templates, collect signatures electronically, and import information from Excel.
Bottom Line
Buildertrend is a flexible solution that combines cost accounting, project management, and CRM in one place. It has an intuitive dashboard and some nice features, such as a mobile app that allows your employees to clock in and out directly from the job site. However, it lacks accounting features unless you integrate with QuickBooks Online Plus, which we highly recommend.