Are you still using Excel to track your finances? If you are, then you probably know how tedious it can be. Streamlining your company’s accounting can save you time and money, which is especially important in the construction industry.
Consider purchasing accounting software for contractors to help you track all your expenditures including labor and materials, revenue, and salaries.
In order to help guide you in your search for software that is best suited for your business, we’ve put together a list of the top 11 best accounting software for contractors along with the pros and cons of each.
Top 11 Accounting Software for Contractors
| Brand | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bonsai | $17 – $24/Month | Startup Construction Companies |
| 2. Vista | Request quote | Overall |
| 3. QuickBooks | $25 – $180/month | Cloud-based accounting |
| 4. ZipBooks | $15 – $35/month | Budget-friendly |
| 5. Sage 300 | Request quote | Project management |
| 6. Jonas Premier | $199 – $249/month | Large construction |
| 7. Buildertrend | Request quote | Mid-sized construction |
| 8. Knowify | $68 – $264/month | Smaller construction |
| 9. Procore | Request quote | Enterprise |
| 10. CMiC | Request quote | Large projects |
| 11. JOBPOWER | Request quote | Tracking employees and subcontractors |
1. Bonsai – Best For Startup Construction Companies
Pricing: Starts at $24 per month with a seven-day free trial
It is already a big hassle to handle a construction company because there are a lot of things you need to manage. As a manager, it can be challenging for you to streamline all the processes. This is where Bonsai comes in to help you out so that you can rely on automation.
The tool will automate most accounting processes so that you can sit back and relax without worrying about the financial aspects of the business. If your construction company is new to the industry, then you will find this tool to provide you with the highest utility. Make sure that you sign up for the free trial of seven days to see whether this platform is the right choice for you or not.
| Pros | Cons |
| The interface is intuitive and user-friendly | The time-tracking feature has limitations that need to be overcome |
| You can manage projects through invoicing, client portals, and time tracking | It is only available to users that know the English Language. |
| Use Bonsai Tax to help you during tax season | |
| You can create custom proposals and forms to send to your clients |
2. Vista – Best overall
Pricing: Please visit Viewpoint’s website for Vista software pricing.
Vista is a great construction accounting software that is scalable and configurable depending on your company’s needs. Vista has all the key tools that a construction company might need to track finances such as reports, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, templates, document management, equipment management, and a general ledger. Vista will integrate all your accounting and management needs.
| Pros | Cons |
| Straightforward, modern interface | Learning curve |
| Comprehensive tools | Customer support response can be slow |
| Customizable | – |
| Great tracking tools | – |
3. QuickBooks – Best cloud-based accounting software
Pricing: QuickBooks offers four plans at different price points. The Simple Start plan is $25/month, the Essentials plan is $50/month, the Plus plan is $80/month, and the Advanced plan is $180/month.
Since its founding in 1983, QuickBooks has become a leading accounting software for contractors. QuickBooks is a cloud-based, feature-rich solution with features like built-in reports, automations, electronic invoicing, automatic backups, integrations, and even a mobile app. However, you’ll probably need at least one add-on to unleash QuickBooks’ full force, but QuickBooks prices add-ons very reasonably and makes acquiring them easy.
| Pros | Cons |
| Payroll automation | Reports are limited |
| Integrations | Inventory management capability could be improved |
| Free-form invoicing | Learning curve |
| Remote access available | – |
| Expense tracking | – |
| Extensive support network | – |
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4. ZipBooks – Best for construction companies on a budget
Pricing: ZipBooks Starter plan is completely free. The Smarter plan is $15/month, and the Sophisticated plan is $35/month. For Accountant plan pricing, please visit their website to request a quote.
It’s hard to find software with better pricing than ZipBooks. This solution is great for small and midsize companies on a budget. While ZipBooks doesn’t offer some high-end, comprehensive solutions that larger companies might need, it still has many useful features like accounts payable and receivable, cash and banking management, project accounting, sales and income tax, reporting, inventory, and a mobile app.
ZipBooks isn’t made specifically for construction companies, but it definitely provides all the features a growing construction company needs at a very low cost compared to their competitors.
| Pros | Cons |
| Unlimited transactions and clients for free | Some important features only available in paid plans |
| Easy to use | Lacks multi-entity accounting |
| Integrated time tracking | Lacks some integration options |
| Assisted bookkeeping | – |
| Cash and accrual accounting capabilities | – |
| Affordable | – |
| Flexible billing and invoicing | – |
5. Sage 300 – Best for project management
Pricing: Please visit Sage 300’s website to request a quote.
Sage 300 is not only a great construction accounting solution, but it also has amazing project management functionalities. Sage 300 is sure to help you increase your profits and minimize risks by giving you complete project visibility. Key features include customization, document management, risk management, service management, project management, and real estate management. Sage 300 comes with over a thousand report formats and great business intelligence tools.
| Pros | Cons |
| CRM available | Steep learning curve |
| Dashboard widgets are easily changeable | User interface is slightly outdated |
| Customizable | Expensive |
| Excellent project management tools | – |
| Great reporting and business intelligence features | – |
| Good customer support | – |
6. Jonas Premier – Best for large construction companies
Pricing: Jonahas Premier is $199/concurrent user/month if billed annually and $249/concurrent user/month if billed monthly. Implementation starts at $30,000 and includes transition and staff training.
Jonas Premier is a comprehensive accounting software designed for complex needs. This solution is definitely on the expensive side, but it’s a great choice for larger companies like commercial construction companies. Jonas Premier doesn’t only have amazing accounting tools, but it’s also a great project and service management solution.
Some features include GPS routing, inventory and equipment, cash flow management, automated forecasting, integrated accounting, audit trails, business intelligence tools, multi-company accounting, expense and payroll, and job costing and dispatch.
| Pros | Cons |
| User-friendly | Expensive |
| Versatile | Learning curve |
| Great finance and accounting management tools | – |
| Great functionality for accounting | – |
| On-premise or cloud-based installation | – |
| Great training and customer support assistance | – |
| Automated forecasting | – |
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7. BuilderTrend – Best for mid-sized construction companies
Pricing: Please visit BuilderTrend’s website to get a free demo and request a quote.
BuilderTrend is a cloud-based accounting software solution for contractors that helps with estimates, bidding requests, proposals, and more. Features can also be accessed via mobile phone, which makes working from anywhere much easier. Some key features include bid requests, leads and CRM, timesheets, change orders, lien waivers, purchase orders, messaging, plan markup, daily logs, scheduling, and integrations.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to use | Clunky interface |
| Works with project management and sales | No around-the-clock customer support |
| Excellent calendar design | – |
| Great reporting feature | – |
| No extra setup fees | – |
| Mobile apps | – |
8. Knowify – Best for smaller construction companies
Pricing: Knowify’s Plus plan is $68/month for up to 50 active jobs, the Growth plan is $149/month for up to 150 active jobs, and the Enterprise plan is $264/month for up to 250 active jobs. If you’re looking for more comprehensive functionalities, then please visit Knowify’s website to talk to a sales representative.
Knowify is relatively cheap compared to competitors and a great, cloud-based choice for small construction companies. Knowify can help you manage contracts, accounting, and invoicing via laptop or tablet. This solution is especially great for workers on the go. The software is intuitive and has an easy-to-use interface, especially for people familiar with Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
Some key features include purchasing, subcontractor management, document control, change orders, scheduling, RFIs, and submittal packages, among others. Knowify also provides financial management tools like job costing, invoicing, reporting, as well as accounting integration.
| Pros | Cons |
| QuickBooks integration | Accounting capability can be improved and upgraded |
| Mobile access | Requires internet connection |
| Scheduling and time tracking | Lacks some functions bigger companies might need |
| Excellent accounting capabilities | – |
| Resource scheduler | – |
| Very easy to use | – |
| Intuitive interface | – |
| Affordable | – |
| Estimating capabilities on-site | – |
9. Procore – Best for enterprise
Pricing: Please visit Procore’s website to receive a custom quote.
Procore offers a complete suite of tools for contractors to manage projects, finances, and resources. With Procore, project managers can make swift changes in real-time from anywhere because the software is accessible via a mobile app as well. Procore integrates with QuickBooks Pro, Sage 100 Contractor and 300 CRE, and Spectrum, or Vista. All plans include unlimited users. Procore’s key features are project management, project financials, safety and quality management, invoice management, bid comparison, issue tracking, punch list, estimating, accounting management, RFIs and submittals, and mobile access.
| Pros | Cons |
| Tailor-made features | Expensive |
| 24/7 live support | Steep learning curve |
| Over 300 integrations | Complex user interface |
| Unlimited users at no extra cost supported by the project management solution | – |
| Unlimited data and storage | – |
| Real-time financial data | – |
| Enterprise-grade security | – |
10. CMiC – Best for contractors with large projects
Pricing: Please visit CMiC’s website to talk to an expert and request a free quote.
CMiC has an amazing project forecasting feature for cash flow monitoring, as well as excellent tools for accounting management. They include a general ledger, budgeting features, accounts payable and receivable, and much more. This is also a great tool for project managers because it makes bidding on projects and job costing quick and easy. Other features include asset management, human resources management, enterprise planning, subcontractor management, and resource planning. CMiC integrates with AutoDesk, PlanGrid, DocuSign, and NoteVault, among others.
| Pros | Cons |
| Asset management | Learning curve |
| Transparency and visibility | Might require some prior Excel knowledge |
| Scalable | Features could be too complex for smaller companies |
| Excellent accounting tools | – |
| Android and iOS mobile apps | – |
| Secure | – |
| Payroll features | – |
11. JOBPOWER – Best for tracking employees and subcontractors
Pricing: Please visit JOBPOWER’S website to request a free demo.
JOBPOWER is a great tool to administer labor costs. However, its GPS tracking function also makes it a great employee and subcontractor tracking solution. With JOBPOWER, you’ll be able to correctly charge for jobs and equipment used, and track repairs or maintenance. Features include change orders, load project management, job dashboard, and budget imports, among others.
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable | Customer service mobile support unavailable |
| Great job cost reports | Only available on desktop/server |
| GPS tracker | – |
| Excellent accounting tools | – |
| Easy to use | – |
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