Software Comparisons

Access COINS vs Planyard

This page compares Planyard with COINS by Access Group so you can choose the right fit for your team. We look at user experience, rollout time, reporting, and pricing clarity for the UK and Ireland.

We also outline when an ERP like COINS is the right call, and when a focused stack of Planyard plus your accounting system gives the same value or better because each tool does what it does best.

On this page

  • What it will cost and how long it takes to go live
  • How to manage CVRs, forecasting, valuations, variations, and retention
  • Key features: commitments and POs, subcontractor claims, reporting
  • Fit with your stack: Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, or an ERP back office
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Reviews at a glance

Public ratings from Capterra UK.

Programme Rating Summary
Planyard

4.6 / 5.0

 ✔ Frequently praised for ease of use, fast setup, and clean sync with Xero or Sage.
Access COINS

4.4 / 5.0

 ✖ Powerful ERP but reviews note a learning curve and setup effort.

Quotes used below are taken from public Capterra UK reviews.

Quick summary

Here is the short version to help you decide quickly.

  • Planyard. Easy to use, quick to roll out, and transparent per user pricing with a free trial. Replaces Excel for budgets, commitments, variations, valuations, and retention. Connects to Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage Accounting.
  • COINS. A full ERP for contractors that covers finance, project, and supply chain. Strong once embedded, but buyers should plan for training, configuration, and specialist reporting skills. Pricing is by quote.

Side-by-side comparison

Aspect Planyard COINS
Time to implement ✔ Days to pilot a live job ✖ Weeks to months depending on scope
Complexity of implementation ✔ Low. Connect accounting and import budgets ✖ Medium to high. Discovery, setup, and training
Training required ✔ Light for QS, PM, commercial, and finance ✖ Requires training and experience for best use
User experience ✔ Intuitive for QS, commercial, PM, and FD ✖ Powerful but can feel complex for new users
Reporting ✔ Real time CVR and forecasting in app ✖ Flexible reports but often need setup time
Accounting fit Connects to Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage Accounting Full ERP including finance. Can also sit with other Access modules
Pricing ✔ Public per user plans and free trial ✖ By quote
Best for Firms escaping spreadsheets with full commercial control Companies that want an end to end ERP and are ready to invest in rollout

ERP or focused stack

If you need an ERP that runs finance and operations in one place, COINS is a strong option. If your finance team prefers a dedicated accounting system such as Xero, Sage, or QuickBooks, then Planyard plus your ledger can deliver the same value or better. Planyard handles commercial control and CVRs. Your ledger remains the system of record for tax and statutory accounts. This keeps each tool focused and reduces change risk.

Why teams pick Planyard

“Easy to use and logical. Real-time overview without the spreadsheet hassle.”

  • Fast rollout. Connect your accounts, import cost codes and a live budget. You can pilot on one project in minutes and roll out in weeks, not months.
  • Easy to use. Designed for commercial managers and quantity surveyors. POs, commitments, valuations and variations are straightforward, with a clear audit trail.
  • Real-time CVR and forecasting. Budgets, cost-to-complete and profit forecasts update as orders, invoices and variations are approved, so you do not need Excel to see the full picture.
  • Works with your ledger. Only approved costs sync to Xero, QuickBooks Online and Sage Accounting so the general ledger stays clean.
  • Transparent pricing. Public per-user plans and a free trial. No hidden setup fees.
  • UK workflows. CIS handled together with your accounting system, plus valuations and retention schedules in one place.

Tip: If you also run an ERP for finance, Planyard can handle commercial control while your ledger remains the system of record.

Why teams pick COINS

  • End-to-end ERP footprint. Finance, commercial, project delivery, procurement, inventory and plant in one system to standardise processes across the business.
  • Unified ledgers and commercial data. Subcontractor applications, retentions and CIS post directly into ERP financials for a single source of truth.
  • Group-level controls. Approvals, segregation of duties and audit across multiple companies, currencies and cost structures.
  • Complex supply chain operations. Deep purchasing, stock and framework/vendor management suited to high-volume, multi-project environments.
  • Enterprise reporting and consolidation. Board-level packs, CVR roll-ups and intercompany consolidation once configured to your standards.
  • Process standardisation at scale. Helpful when you need common templates and workflows enforced across regions or divisions.
  • Access ecosystem fit. Aligns with other Access Group products if you are consolidating onto a single vendor stack.

UK buyers’ critique of COINS

  • “It is not the easiest software to use.”
  • “Requires a lot of training and experience in order to be used efficiently.”
  • “Reporting takes longer to set up to the layout we required.”
  • “Documentation and customization could be improved.”

 

These are common themes in public reviews. They reflect the power of an ERP balanced against the time needed to configure it to your processes.

Planyard and COINS features side-by-side

Feature Planyard COINS (Access)
CVR and real-time forecasting ✔ In app, updates as costs are approved ✔ ERP reporting; setup and configuration required
Budgets vs actuals (live) ✔ Live view of spend, commitments and EAC ✔ Integrated job costing
Commitments and purchase orders ✔ Raise, approve and sync approved costs ✔ ERP POs with audit and controls
Subcontractor management and applications ✔ Subcontracts, progress claims, portal option ✔ Subcontract module linked to ledgers
Variations and change control ✔ Logged and approved with audit trail ✔ Managed in ERP against contracts
Valuations and certificates ✔ Generate valuations; keep forecast in sync ✔ ERP valuations integrated with billing
Retentions tracking and release ✔ Retention schedules and status ✔ Retentions within ERP commercial/finance
CIS support (UK) ✔ With accounting integrations ✔ Within ERP financials
Multi-company ✔ Supported ✔ Enterprise-grade
Multi-currency ✔ Supported ✔ Enterprise-grade
Cost codes/work breakdown ✔ Flexible cost codes and structures ✔ Detailed project hierarchies
Approvals and audit trail ✔ User-level approvals and logs ✔ Granular approvals and audit
Custom reports and dashboards ✔ Built-in CVR and project reports ✔ Highly configurable; design time required
Works alongside existing accounting (Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage) ✔ Yes; syncs only approved costs ✖ Typically not applicable; ERP includes its own ledger
Full ERP financials ✖ Not an ERP; complements your ledger ✔ General ledger, AP/AR, and more
Open API / integrations ✔ API and accounting integrations ✔ ERP ecosystem; integrations vary by module

Note: “Not applicable” for COINS beside accounting integrations reflects that many buyers use COINS’ own ERP ledger rather than Xero/QuickBooks/Sage. If you run COINS only for projects and retain a separate finance system, confirm the specific integration approach with the vendor.

COINS and Planyard features in detail

See how they handle CVRs, commitments and POs, variations, valuations, and reporting for UK and Ireland teams.

Screenshot of Planyard’s project overview displaying financial data, including project names, budgets, income, costs, and profitability forecasts.

Cost to complete and forecasting

You need a live view of cost to complete, early warning on overruns, and a forecast you can trust without rebuilding it in spreadsheets.

Planyard

Shows real time CVR and forecast updates as orders, invoices, and variations are approved so issues are visible early without Excel.

COINS

Comprehensive ERP reporting with strong flexibility. Teams should plan time to configure reports and dashboards to their needs.

Commitments and purchase orders

One source of truth for committed spend, clear approvals, and clean hand off to accounts so the general ledger stays tidy.

Planyard

Lets PMs and QSs raise and approve POs and subcontracts in the app, then syncs only approved costs to Xero, QuickBooks Online, or Sage Accounting.

COINS

Deep PO and subcontract control inside ERP with strong audit trails. Expect more setup and training to match your processes.

Upload your project budget and follow the financial progress in real-time

No credit card required. No sales or IT support needed.

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Variations and change control

Variations must be logged fast, approved with an audit trail, and instantly reflected in the forecast and margin.

Planyard

Logs and approves variations with a clear trail and updates budgets and forecasts automatically so the impact is visible without spreadsheet edits.

COINS

Handles variations inside ERP and links to cost and billing. Teams should expect configuration and training to mirror existing processes.

Screenshot showing Planyard’s user-friendly construction cost control software interface, featuring commitment templates, approval options, and detailed financial information such as current valuation, committed totals, and valuation remaining.

Valuations and retentions

Keep valuations, certificates, and retention schedules clear and up to date across all jobs.

Planyard

Generates valuations and retention schedules in the app and keeps the budget and forecast in sync as certificates arrive.

COINS

Handles valuations and retentions inside ERP. Expect more configuration to match your commercial templates and processes.

Implementation timelines

What to expect before you go live.

Product Typical duration Typical steps
Planyard ✔ A few days to a week
  1. Connect accounting and import budgets
  2. Pilot one live project during the first week
  3. Roll out to more jobs once the team is confident
COINS ✖ Several weeks to months
  1. Discovery and configuration
  2. Data migration and training
  3. Report and dashboard setup

Actual timelines vary by scope, data quality, and internal capacity.

Who should choose what

  • Choose Planyard if you want quick results, a tool that the whole team will use, and transparent pricing without a heavy IT project. You plan to manage forecasting, subcontractor claims, retentions, and client applications in one place while your ledger handles accounts and tax.
  • Choose COINS if you want an end to end ERP for finance and operations, have the time to train users, and are ready to invest in configuration and reporting setup.

In one paragraph

Planyard is the easy, quick to roll out choice for full commercial control next to your ledger. COINS is a comprehensive ERP that can centralise finance and projects but typically needs more time for setup, training, and report configuration.

Sources and last updated. Ratings and quotes are from public Capterra UK listings. Last reviewed 29 September 2025.