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
Book a 30-minute demo See pricing

Integrates with

Xero integration QuickBooks integration
Hero image

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.

Read success stories from our customers

See how Planyard helps businesses like yours succeed - read their stories in our blog.

"Planyard has been one of the easiest systems to implement. Project managers really like it because, previously, we were trying to force a finance system into their workflow; whereas this is a dedicated project management system, they understand exactly how it works. It doesn’t take much training at all - usually just a couple of hours to get them on board."

Read more
Sharon Brown, Financial Controller
Sharon Brown Financial Controller  ·  Empower Renewables  ·  Dublin, Ireland

"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
Lee Covington, Owner
Lee Covington Owner  ·  E&N Group Ltd  ·  London, United Kingdom

Trusted by construction companies globally

Access Coins vs Planyard TITN Empower Brown & Bancroft Keane Intra interieur Skyler Bonava

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.

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

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.

Start a 14-day trial Request a demo

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.

Pricing and packages

Planyard has transparent per user plans and a free trial so you can budget clearly and start a pilot in days. COINS pricing is provided by quote.

Estimating
£40
/ month / project manager
 

Cost Estimating

Try for free
Essential
£82
/ month / project manager
£33
for supporting staff
Perfect for support roles or stakeholders—gain access to essential project features and view key financial data without full platform permissions, enabling users to stay informed and contribute without hands-on tasks.

Usually selected for: site engineers, clients, estimators or auditors.

Estimating and Budget Control

  • Everything in Estimating
  • Track budgets and actual spend
  • Manage purchase invoices automatically
  • Reuse active project cost data for estimating
  • Sync invoices to Xero and QuickBooks
Try for free
Professional
£123
/ month / project manager
£33
for supporting staff
Perfect for support roles or stakeholders—gain access to essential project features and view key financial data without full platform permissions, enabling users to stay informed and contribute without hands-on tasks.

Usually selected for: site engineers, clients, estimators or auditors.

Estimating, Cost Control and Purchase Orders Management

  • Everything in Essential
  • Issue and manage purchase orders
  • Track committed cost on the budget
  • Forecast project profitability in real-time
  • Create cashflow forecasts
  • Manage client contracts and progress reports
Try for free
Ultimate
£164
/ month / project manager
£33
for supporting staff
Perfect for support roles or stakeholders—gain access to essential project features and view key financial data without full platform permissions, enabling users to stay informed and contribute without hands-on tasks.

Usually selected for: site engineers, clients, estimators or auditors.

Full Functionality

  • Everything in Professional
  • Automate subcontractor and vendor quoting
  • Track subcontracts and progress
  • Manage subcontractor variations
  • Collect subcontractor valuations
Try for free

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 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.

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 4 March 2026.