Buildertrend vs. Procore: A Feature-by-Feature Comparison
With all the construction management software programs on the market today, it can be difficult to know which one is the right fit for your business.
Factors like software cost, features, and your company size are all things to consider when choosing the best construction management tools.
We’d like to help by comparing two popular products, Procore vs. Buildertrend. Plus, we’ll present you with an option that may be an even better fit for your company.
Keep reading to discover the ideal client base and top features of each of these popular construction management software programs.
- CM Fusion: The Right Choice for Construction Management Tools That Are Easy to Learn and Use
- Buildertrend vs. Procore: The Ideal Client
- Buildertrend vs. Procore: A Comparison of the Top 5 Features
- Why CM Fusion May Be the Better Choice for Your Construction Management Software
CM Fusion: The Right Choice for Construction Management Tools That Are Easy to Learn and Use
CM Fusion gives you access to easy-to-use construction management software you can start using in minutes. Create an account and enjoy it free for 30 days with no credit card required.
CM Fusion is so intuitive that you’ll be able to set up your first project in less than a minute and start tracking everything.
With features such as …
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Document management
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Scheduling
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Daily field reports
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Project tasks
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Time and cost tracking
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Change orders
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Submittals
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RFIs and RFPs
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Bidding; and
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Image management
… you’ll be able to stay organized and run all your projects efficiently.
We designed our software specifically for the construction industry and made it streamlined and accessible for ease of use. CM Fusion is cloud-based and mobile-ready, so you and your employees can use it anywhere.
And best of all, we offer flexible pricing plans that give you options whether you’re a small company with just a few projects or a huge design firm with dozens of builds going at once.
Buildertrend vs. Procore: The Ideal Client
Let’s focus on two players in today’s construction management software market: Buildertrend and Procore.
Just as not all construction companies are alike, software tool companies can vary widely when it comes to their features, pricing, and ultimately their ideal clients. Let’s take a look at which programs may be best for which business types.
Procore Is Designed for Large General Contractors
Procore is more of a heavy hitter in the construction management platform space. It is a sophisticated product that can handle more issues than other software solutions.
Part of the reason for this is the team of 270+ software developers that are constantly creating and honing new features. They work on new additions to the Procore platform each day and issue monthly updates.
Procore also integrates with over 300 third-party software companies covering everything from accounting to analytics and even drone usage. So if you have a program you already like and use for a particular aspect of your business, chances are you can combine it seamlessly with Procore.
Procore offers on-demand trainings to help you learn how to use the various aspects of its software — which you’ll need because it takes a lot of time and effort to learn.
Procore also comes with a hefty price tag. In some instances, companies may invest up to $100,000 to use Procore and all of its features. Because of this, these advanced solutions are a better fit for larger general contractors or even industrial contractors.
Buildertrend Is Designed for Smaller Contractors
Buildertrend offers solutions for:
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Home builders
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Home remodelers
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Specialty contractors; and
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Commercial contractors
However, because its features are not as vast and robust as those of Procore, it is probably best suited for these types of companies that operate on a smaller scale.
This is not only because it is more budget-friendly, but also because a smaller construction business probably won’t need the multitude of features and integrations that Buildertrend has. Why pay for it if you don’t need it?
Buildertrend vs. Procore: A Comparison of the Top 5 Features
#1: Scheduling
Staying on top of scheduling is critical for a successful construction business. From keeping track of when employees work and materials are delivered to project timelines, making and sticking to a schedule is vital.
Buildertrend
Buildertrend says that the schedule feature is the backbone of their platform. It allows users to keep jobs on track by making adjustments on the go and notifying relevant parties of changes in real-time.
Unlike Procore, Buildertrend has its own software scheduling program and doesn’t use third-party software for this. However, they do allow users to integrate schedules with:
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iCal; or
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Outlook
Procore
Procore integrates with third-party software programs such as Microsoft Project or Primavera for its scheduling component. So if you already use one of these programs and like it, that’s a point in favor of Procore.
With these third-party programs, Procore offers features such as:
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Automatic sync of schedules in real-time
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Digital schedule lookaheads
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Customizable views; and
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Advanced filtering and searching
The search feature is especially useful for managers handling large projects, as it provides an easy way to comb through a complex schedule for relevant text.
#2: Budgeting/Cost Tracking
Effective budgeting and cost tracking are also crucial components of construction management. You must know where your money is going and how it is coming in.
Both Buildertrend and Procore offer tools to help with the financial aspects of your business, but the interface and user experience will be different for each.
Buildertrend
Buildertrend claims to offer money-saving features that track cash flow and manage budgets down to the penny.
They have tools to keep tabs on:
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Bids
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Bills and purchase orders
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Budgets
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Estimates
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Invoicing
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Online payments; and
Procore
Procore has a tool created to efficiently manage project forecasts and budgets. As contracts and change orders are put into the system, it automatically aligns them with your budget and makes it easy to review financial performance.
Some features of Procore’s budgeting and cost tracking solutions are that they:
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Track every dollar in your budget with real-time data from the field while staying in sync with your accounting system.
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Track expenses against your budgets in real-time.
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Allow you to generate automatic monthly forecasts for each line item in your budget.
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Give your team detailed, configurable financial reporting to keep everyone aware of your status.
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Import estimates for a relatively quick setup.
#3: Task Management/Workflow
If you don’t have an efficient task management system in place, your workflow won’t, well — flow. A good project management system is vital to increase efficiency and, therefore, increase profit.
Buildertrend
The Buildertrend project management platform wants to help its customers keep their jobs running smoothly from start to finish.
They offer task management and workflow pieces such as:
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Daily logs
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Change orders
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Schedules
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Selections
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Time clocks
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To-do lists; and
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Warranties
While Buildertrend offers some third-party integrations to help with these tasks, the amount it has is nowhere near the selection offered by Procore — we’re talking dozens for Buildertrend vs. Procore’s hundreds.
Procore
Procore has tons of options when it comes to managing tasks and workflow. Their platform is seamlessly integrated with many more third-party developers and ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems than Buildertrend.
They also allow you to create custom formulas and workflows that are unique to your business, allowing for peak efficiency.
Their mobile collaboration tools are designed for the field, which makes it easier for everyone involved to clearly understand each day’s workflow — helping the project stay on schedule and preventing rework.
#4: Document Management
Construction offices full of filing cabinets overflowing with papers are a thing of the past. These days everything is digital, which makes it much easier to keep track of and manage the many documents involved in building projects.
Buildertrend
Buildertrend has a customer portal where your team, clients, and subs can connect and stay updated throughout your projects.
They offer storage and organization for:
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Documents and photos
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Messages; and
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Sub account paperwork
Procore
Procore refers to their secure document management as a virtual filing cabinet — only better. Their robust and sophisticated document management system makes it easy to archive construction projects.
And their automatic revision control means that all team members will always have access to the latest version of any document.
They also offer unlimited and secure storage along with ways to:
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Quickly share documents
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View documents from the field
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Link documents to related items; and
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Upload files from a computer or mobile device
#5: Customer Service
A piece of construction management software may have all the features in the world, but that doesn’t do you much good if the company isn’t there for help when you need it. That’s why customer service is such an important component of which platform is best for your construction business.
Buildertrend
Buildertrend has customer support agents available by phone or chat on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CST). Outside of those hours, they have a contact form you can fill out describing your issue for someone to get back to you later.
Buildertrend offers training videos, written tutorials, and FAQs to help you learn about the fundamentals of the platform. And they also have live webinars each month to give you the rundown on:
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Specific features
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Workflows; and
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Project management tips
Procore
Procore provides 24/7 support for its customers. You can call their toll-free number and speak to an agent or do a live chat through the website.
They also have a vast resource center including:
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Webinars
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Virtual trainings
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eBooks
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Case studies
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Articles
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Infographics
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And more
As we mentioned previously, Procore has a steep learning curve due to its variety of features and complicated system. So you’ll likely need every bit of customer support and resources you can get from them.
Why CM Fusion May Be the Better Choice for Your Construction Management Software
If you’re trying to decide between Buildertrend and Procore for your construction management software, let’s throw in a third option for your consideration — CM Fusion.
Here are just some of the benefits of CM Fusion:
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It is more cost-effective than other options, especially Procore.
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It offers huge benefits for smaller contractors.
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It is simpler and easier to learn than other options, especially the complicated Procore.
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It’s a great option for larger contractors who don’t need as many features and want to save money.
With CM Fusion, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial and be setting up your first project in minutes.
CM Fusion is one platform for better project management. Try it for free today and start running your construction business with ease.
Try CM Fusion, risk free for 30 Days – Your first project is FREE!
If you are trying to figure out where to look now, our company CM Fusion offers a free version of Construction Project Management Software. Not to mention, our customers brag about it’s ease of use, so you should be able to sign up and start managing your projects in minutes.