Builders look past Buildertrend when a custom quote and a long onboarding feel heavy for their size, or when they want published prices, a field-only tool or a commercial platform. Residential teams mostly go to JobTread or Contractor Foreman, larger firms to Procore.
Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within
the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. The first three alternatives
go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category, wherever the category has them; the
established names follow in their ranked order. How it works:
placement disclosure · editorial process.
What each alternative does differently
1. JobTread
Estimating and job management for residential builders · United States
Publishes its price: $199 a month plus $20 for each internal user, with no contract and no setup fee, and 20 percent off annually. Customer, vendor and subcontractor portal users are free and unlimited. There is no free trial, because each client is assigned a Customer Success Manager.
Switch from Buildertrend if you want a published price and portal users that cost nothing.
Pricing: Published at $199 a month including one internal user, plus $20 per additional internal user with volume breaks after ten; customer, vendor and some field crew users are free. No contract, 20 percent off annual billing. (none)
Full review: #3 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit JobTread →
2. Contractor Foreman
Low-cost all-round platform for small contractors · United States
Five plans from $49 a month for one user up to $332 for unlimited users, each with a 30-day free trial. Plus, Pro and Unlimited carry a 100-day money-back guarantee. Its feature list covers estimates, change orders, daily logs, punch lists and a client portal, in a lower price band.
Switch from Buildertrend if you run a small crew and want a low entry price with a trial.
Pricing: Published company plans from $49 a month for one user up to an unlimited-user plan, billed annually or quarterly, with a 30-day trial. (free trial)
Full review: #1 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Contractor Foreman →
3. Houzz Pro
Business software and marketing for remodelers and designers · United States
Pairs project management and a financial suite (estimates, job costing, change orders, QuickBooks integration) with marketing tools such as a custom website, email marketing and advertising. It also lists 3D floor plans and mood boards, so it leans toward remodelers and designers. Free sign-up is offered.
Switch from Buildertrend if you are a remodeler who also wants design tools and lead generation.
Pricing: Free Basic plan with a few tools; Pro at $249 a month after a 30-day trial, as an annual subscription with one seat, $60 per extra user and up to $500,000 in annual project volume; Custom plan quoted; advertising packages from $499 a month. (free plan)
Full review: #10 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Houzz Pro →
4. Knowify
Job management for electrical, mechanical and specialty trades · United States
Aimed at specialty trades more than home builders. Core is $99 to $149 a month with one user, Advanced $329 to $399 with ten, and extra users cost $29 a month. It handles fixed-price and AIA jobs, and fleet and equipment tracking are sold as add-ons. Free trial offered.
Switch from Buildertrend if you are an electrical, mechanical or specialty contractor billing on AIA applications.
Pricing: Published plans: Core at $99 to $149 a month with one user and Advanced at $329 to $399 with ten, depending on annual or monthly billing, extra users $29 a month; Enterprise is quoted, and Service Pro and equipment tracking add-ons cost extra. (free trial)
Full review: #9 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Knowify →
5. Procore
Commercial construction platform from preconstruction to closeout · United States
Sold as an annual contract with unlimited users, unlimited data and 24/7 support included, priced per product and by the amount of construction you do. Price is set after a custom quote. Its buyer is a commercial general contractor or owner, not a small residential builder.
Switch from Buildertrend if you now build commercial work and need many outside parties on one platform.
Pricing: Annual contract priced per product on annual construction volume, with unlimited users; the Field Productivity product is priced per full-time employee instead. Quoted after a sales process. (none)
Full review: #6 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Procore →
6. Fieldwire
Plan viewing, tasks and punch lists for field teams · United States
A field tool from Hilti rather than a full business suite. The free Basic plan covers five users, three projects and 100 sheets, with plan viewing, tasks and checklists. Pro starts at $39 per user a month billed annually. RFIs, submittals, change orders and budget sit on Business Plus.
Switch from Buildertrend if your problem is plans, tasks and punch lists on site, not estimating and accounting.
Pricing: Free Basic plan for up to five users, three projects and 100 sheets, then published per-user plans at about $39, $64 and $89 a month billed annually. (free plan)
Full review: #5 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Fieldwire →
7. Raken
Daily reports, time and safety for field crews · United States
Field-first software for daily reports, time cards, production tracking, toolbox talks and checklists, with a free trial. Its pricing page shows no plan amounts and points to a demo. It does not claim to replace estimating, accounting or a client portal, so expect to pair it with other tools.
Switch from Buildertrend if you mainly need daily reports, time tracking and safety paperwork from crews.
Pricing: Per user per month in tiers, with a free trial; larger deployments quoted. (free trial)
Full review: #8 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Raken →
8. CompanyCam
Jobsite photo documentation for contractors · United States
Centers on timestamped job photos and videos, reports built from them, checklists and client updates. Core includes one user, Crew and Scale three, and each extra user is $29, billed monthly or annually, with a free trial. Invoicing and payments are limited to certain countries.
Switch from Buildertrend if photo documentation of every job is the part of the platform you actually use.
Pricing: Published plans: Core with one user included, Crew and Scale with three, and $29 a month for each additional user, billed monthly or annually at a discount, with a free trial; Enterprise quoted for 50+ users. (free trial)
Full review: #11 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit CompanyCam →
9. Autodesk Forma (formerly Autodesk Construction Cloud)
Autodesk's connected design-to-field construction suite · United States
Now branded Autodesk Forma, with products across preconstruction, model management and construction operations, including PlanGrid and BuildingConnected. It is built around drawings, models and bid management for commercial and infrastructure teams. The site shows no price list and offers a demo.
Switch from Buildertrend if your work is model and drawing driven and you already use Autodesk design tools.
Pricing: Bundles (Model Management, Preconstruction, Construction Operations) or individual products, quoted on user, project or account-based terms, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. (free trial)
Full review: #7 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Autodesk Forma (formerly Autodesk Construction Cloud) →
10. CMiC
Construction ERP and project controls on one database · Canada
A construction ERP on a single database, with financials, project management, document management and analytics. Customers are general contractors, subcontractors and heavy-highway firms. Pricing runs through a quote form and the site markets it as an AI-powered ERP. It is far heavier than Buildertrend.
Switch from Buildertrend if you need enterprise accounting and project controls on one database.
Pricing: Enterprise licensing quoted after discovery, with significant implementation services. (none)
Full review: #2 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit CMiC →
11. Trimble Viewpoint
Construction ERP and project management from Trimble · United States
A suite from Trimble that runs from back-office accounting through HR and payroll to mobile field tools, with Vista among its products. It targets contractors that want accounting and operations in the same vendor. The site offers a demo, and no price is shown.
Switch from Buildertrend if you want construction accounting, payroll and field tools from one large vendor.
Pricing: Quoted licensing for Vista or Spectrum ERP plus HR, field and service modules, sold as part of Trimble Construction One, typically with multi-year agreements and implementation services. (none)
Full review: #12 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Trimble Viewpoint →
Questions and answers
How much does Buildertrend cost?
Buildertrend publishes no price. Its pricing page asks four questions about your business, then a call to review a custom quote, and paying annually upfront earns 10 percent off. The category file lists flat company-wide plans, but the vendor page shows no tiers.
Does Buildertrend charge per user?
No, the pricing page states that unlimited users and unlimited projects are included. That differs from JobTread, Fieldwire and Knowify, which charge for users, so compare total cost at your real team size rather than the headline rate.
Is Buildertrend too big for a small contractor?
It can be. Buildertrend says it was built for builders who handle five or more projects a year or complex multi-phase builds. Smaller crews often prefer a published-price tool, such as Contractor Foreman or JobTread, with a lighter setup.
How long does it take to set up Buildertrend?
Its homepage describes setup in weeks one and two, then onboarding through week twelve on a live job. If you plan to leave, allow a similar span for the new system, and run both until the new one handles a full job.
Does Buildertrend work with QuickBooks and Xero?
Yes, connecting QuickBooks or Xero is a listed step in its onboarding. Most alternatives also integrate with QuickBooks, for example JobTread and Houzz Pro, but check the vendor page for your accounting package before you decide.
Which alternative is closest to Buildertrend?
JobTread and Contractor Foreman are the closest for residential builders, as both cover estimating, scheduling, change orders and a customer portal. JobTread publishes a base fee plus per-user pricing, Contractor Foreman publishes plans from $49 a month.
