What is Procore?
Procore is a US construction project management software with many different modules.
The software covers preconstruction, project management, resources management, and financial management.
A Bit More Context
Procore has been building out its software since 2003. This makes it a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it’s very comprehensive. It covers a lot of different functions through different models. This means you can unify processes more.
On the other hand, companies tend to move upmarket as they mature. Their solutions get way more complex and the pricing goes higher and higher. Procore is like Salesforce in that sense – it’s used by the biggest companies in the world but they are all paying through their nose.
Because Procore is a software in development for almost 20 years, it means it probably contains a lot of legacy technology. Things that were built 10 years ago look outdated now in software.
A Word of Warning
Quite often the buyer of the software is not the same as the end-user. Not only that but there might be different groups of end-users – project managers, accountants, site engineers, subcontractors, management etc.
So, when evaluating software, don’t only look at the checklist. Test out the software with actual end-users.
Where to Start?
In order to give you some sense of the alternatives out there, we’re going to divide the construction project work into four different parts (similar to what Procore does on their website and with their modules).
Of course, in real life, these are all connected. Your job is, however, to decide which of these are the most critical for you to solve (in one tool) and which are not.
Preconstruction
Preconstruction mostly includes estimating and bid management.
Project management
Project management includes tools that let you communicate the plans with your team.
Resource management
Resource management is largely about field productivity.
Financial management
Financial management syncs your office with what is happening on the field.
Features and Pricing Comparison
| Preconstruction | Project management | Resource management | Financial management | Pricing | |
| Procore |  prequalification and bid management modules | project management, quality & safety, design coordination, BIM modules | field productivity module | project financials and invoice management modules | 549 USD per month (with annual contract and max 3mln in annual revenue) |
| Plangrid |  | tasks, punchlists, reports | document-sharing with real-time collaboration, workflows | | 39-119 USD per user per month |
| Planyard | bid management, historical prices and subcontractor management | | integrates with Plangrid | budget management and job costing with pay applications, invoicing and profitability forecasts | Has free plan, paid plans start at 99 USD per project per month |
| Fieldwire | | tasks, punchlists | real-time messaging, inspections, scheduling & reports, document sharing | | Has free plan, paid plans start at 29 USD per user per month |
What is Plangrid?
Plangrid is a construction productivity software.
It’s mainly meant for sharing blueprints and other documents for real-time collaboration.
Note that there’s also a more detailed features comparison for Procore vs Plangrid.
What is Planyard?
Planyard is a cloud-based software for real estate developers and construction companies. It lets you build without doing repetitive data entry.
You can manage your budget without Excel and back-and-forth emails and let your subcontractors do the work for you.
What is Fieldwire?
Fieldwire is a cloud-based software for field productivity.
The feature set includes real-time messaging, tasks, inspections, scheduling, reports, document sharing, and more.
Our customers about us
“I wanted to escape the spreadsheets, escape the manual data entry, and look for ways to stay on top of the budget numbers. It’s challenging within a development company to keep on top of your numbers.
So I came across Planyard in a search to improve the budget management processes and, to make my own life easier.
Planyard does that, and it takes your project budget and puts it very clearly on screen for you so you have a live real-time picture of where your project budget is at any given point.”
Ian Holford
Manager, Higgihaus Developments
“I have been working on cloud accounting tools like Xero and Quickbooks which are excellent, but they don’t have a specific construction-based costing tool.
Construction companies rely on expensive quantity surveyors and project managers to do a lot of data input on packages such as Excel which takes them away from focusing on value-added activities and driving the profit growth.
When I came across Planyard, I was relieved that there was finally a solution to this problem. Quotes, subcontract orders, purchase orders, invoices, progress bills, etc are put on the system and it’s linked directly to the budget, CVRs, subcontractors, and the suppliers. This is making people’s lives a lot easier. Data is at hand, it’s automated and it gets everyone away from the out-dated requirement to fill out spreadsheets.”
Paul Howarth
ACMA, CGMA, Director, Live Management Accounts Ltd
Still using Excel for budget management?
There’s a better way.
Spreadsheets are not the best way for managing job costs
- It’s too easy to make mistakes;
- You can’t see behind the numbers;
- It’s hard to standardize and ensure compliance;
- There’s no real-time overview of profitability forecasts;
- It means duplicate work for PMs and accountants.
Planyard saves time and nerves
Follow your budget in real time and take immediate action when errors occur. Job costs are organized, and fully searchable and accessible for forecasting, project management and more.