This page compares Planyard with Knowify so you can choose the right fit for your team. We look at job costing depth, subcontractor workflows, pricing, and how each tool fits your accounting stack.
Knowify is built for US trade and specialty contractors working on QuickBooks, with strong AIA billing and time tracking. Planyard is built for main contractors and developers who need budget-first cost control across many subcontractors.
On this page
Integrates with
Current public ratings from Capterra and the Xero App Store.
| Programme | Rating | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Planyard (Capterra) |
4.6 / 5.0
|
Praised for ease of setup, user friendliness, and time savings. |
| Planyard (Xero App Store) |
4.9 / 5.0
|
Users highly praise Planyard’s seamless Xero integration. |
| Knowify (Capterra) |
4.5 / 5.0
|
Strong QuickBooks sync and AIA billing. Some reviews mention a learning curve and a dated interface. |
See how Planyard helps businesses like yours succeed - read their stories in our blog.
"Planyard is exactly what I’m after as a business owner: a good-value system that keeps everything in one place, saves me money and makes sure I’m not losing any money on projects. As a businessman, that’s a no-brainer."
Read more
"Planyard has been one of the easiest systems to implement. Honestly, I don't find it difficult at all to onboard new users or projects onto the system."
Read more
If you are comparing options, here is the short version to help you decide quickly.
The short answer: for cost control and margin visibility, Planyard is the stronger fit for most teams. Knowify makes sense mainly for US trade contractors billing AIA work out of QuickBooks.
| Aspect | Planyard | Knowify |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Main contractors and developers managing many subcontractors |
US trade and specialty contractors running their own crews |
| Job costing | Included in every plan |
Advanced plan and above. The Core plan does not include job costing |
| Forecasting | Cost to complete and margin forecast update automatically |
Real time WIP on Advanced and above. Forecasting is lighter than a QS style cost to complete |
| Subcontractor workflows | Subcontract orders, progress claims, valuations, retentions |
Subcontracts and compliance tracking on Advanced and above |
| Billing | Progress claims and client applications |
Strong AIA G702 and G703 pay applications |
| Accounting fit | Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage Accounting | QuickBooks only. Deep two way sync |
| Pricing | Public per user plans and free trial |
Core from $99 per month with 1 user, but job costing needs Advanced at roughly $329 per month. Extra users $29 |
| Best for | Firms that need full commercial control without spreadsheets | QuickBooks based trade contractors that bid and bill their own work |
| Excel replacement | Budgets, forecasts, valuations, and retentions all live in app |
Teams often keep margin forecasts and claim schedules in spreadsheets |
See how they compare on job costing, commitments, change control, and billing.
You need a live view of costs against budget, early warning on overruns, and a forecast you can trust.
Every plan includes budgets, commitments, and automatic cost to complete forecasting. Margin impact is visible as orders, invoices, and variations are approved.
Tracks costs by phase and category with real time WIP reporting, but only on the Advanced plan and above. Forecasting is lighter than a full cost to complete view.
One source of truth for committed spend, clear approvals, and a clean handoff to accounts.
PMs and QSs raise and approve POs and subcontract orders in the app. Only approved costs sync to your ledger, so the general ledger stays clean.
Handles purchase orders, vendor bills, and expenses with a two way QuickBooks sync. Works well when the whole team lives in QuickBooks.
No credit card required. No sales or IT support needed.
Changes must be logged fast, approved with an audit trail, and reflected in the forecast.
Variations are logged and approved with a clear trail, and budgets and forecasts update automatically.
Change orders with e-signature support and automatic billing adjustments. Well suited to fixed price and AIA style work.
Billing should match how your contracts actually work, whether that is pay applications or progress claims.
Generates progress claims, subcontract valuations, and retention schedules, and keeps the budget in sync as certificates arrive.
Strong AIA G702 and G703 pay applications with schedules of values and retainage tracking, a good fit for US commercial subcontract work.
Planyard has transparent per user plans and a free trial. Knowify starts at $99 per month for one user on Core, but job costing and subcontracts need the Advanced plan at roughly $329 per month, with extra users at $29.
Cost estimating
Estimating and budget control
Estimating, cost control and purchase orders management
Full functionality
Where it fits. Knowify is a good option for US trade and specialty contractors that live in QuickBooks and need estimating, scheduling, time tracking, and AIA billing in one tool. The QuickBooks sync is among the deepest available.
Common drawbacks. Job costing, subcontracts, and WIP reporting require the Advanced plan, which is a significant step up from the entry price. It is QuickBooks only, so Xero and Sage users are not served. Reviewers occasionally mention a learning curve and a dated interface.
Planyard is budget-first cost control for main contractors, with subcontract valuations, retentions, and automatic forecasting, and it works with Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage. Knowify is job management for US trade contractors on QuickBooks, strongest at estimating, time tracking, and AIA billing, with job costing reserved for its higher plans. If the goal is knowing the final margin on every job without spreadsheets, Planyard is the safer choice.
Sources and last updated. Ratings and pricing from public vendor pages and Capterra listings. Last reviewed 13 August 2026.
Sage 50 runs your accounts; Planyard gives QS and PMs live budgets, CVR, valuations, POs and retentions that manually sync approved costs back to Sage 50.
COINS is full ERP; Planyard is the modern cost-control layer for budgets, CVR, POs and valuations.
We've got your questions covered. If you can't find the answer below, then feel free to contact us via the chat.
Planyard is built for main contractors and developers who manage many subcontractors, with subcontract orders, valuations, and retentions built in. Knowify is aimed at trade and specialty contractors running their own crews.
No. Knowify integrates with QuickBooks only. Planyard syncs approved costs to Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage Accounting.
Planyard has transparent per user plans and a free trial, with the full cost control workflow in every plan. Knowify Core starts at $99 per month with one user, but job costing and subcontracts need the Advanced plan at roughly $329 per month, plus $29 per extra user.
Planyard generates progress claims and client applications based on your contract structure. If your work is strictly US AIA G702 and G703 forms, Knowify has dedicated support for those documents.
Planyard usually pilots on one live project in days: connect your accounting, import cost codes and a budget, and start raising orders. Knowify onboarding is guided by included sessions and typically takes a few weeks to bed in.
Yes. Most teams connect accounting, import a live budget, and trial Planyard on one project first.
No credit card required. No sales or IT support needed.
