This page compares Planyard with Xero Projects so you can choose the right fit for your construction business. We look at rollout speed, pricing transparency, and how each handles budgeting, valuations, retentions, and CIS workflows.
Xero Projects helps track time and simple job costs within your Xero account. Planyard goes further—managing live budgets, purchase orders, commitments, variations, subcontractor valuations, and forecasting built specifically for QS and commercial teams.
On this page
Ratings from Capterra UK and the Xero App Store.
| Programme | Rating | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Planyard | 4.6 / 5.0 |  Praised for ease of use, clean Xero sync, and live project visibility. |
| Xero Projects | 2.8 / 5.0 |  Handy for simple time-based jobs but lacks construction-specific features such as POs, valuations, and retention tracking. |
| Aspect | Planyard | Xero Projects |
|---|---|---|
| Time to implement | Pilot a live project in days |
Enable instantly inside Xero |
| Setup complexity | Low. Connect Xero and import existing budgets |
Low. Turn on within Xero; advanced tracking still needs Excel |
| Training required | Light. Designed for QS and project teams |
Minimal. Uses familiar Xero interface |
| Reporting | Real-time cost-to-complete, CVR and forecasting |
Basic job profitability; no forecast or cost code detail |
| Valuations & Retentions | Built-in subcontractor valuations and retention tracking |
Not supported; usually handled in spreadsheets |
| CIS & VAT | Works together with Xero for CIS deductions and reverse VAT |
CIS handled by Xero core; Projects adds no extra support |
| Pricing | Transparent per-user plans with free trial (from £40/user) |
Included in some Xero tiers or £5/user/month add-on |
| Best for | Construction firms leaving spreadsheets for full commercial control | Micro businesses or consultants needing simple job tracking |
See how they manage budgets, commitments, valuations, and forecasting, including UK specifics like CIS and retentions.
Live visibility over cost to complete is crucial for accurate monthly valuations.
Automatically updates forecasts as purchase orders, invoices, and variations are approved. The CVR is live without exporting to Excel.
Shows a basic profit view per project. Most teams export data to Excel for detailed forecasting or cost-to-complete reporting.
Clear control over committed spend helps prevent budget overspend.
Lets QSs raise and approve purchase orders and subcontracts linked to budgets. Approved costs sync to Xero or Sage automatically.
Does not handle commitments or POs—only actual costs once invoiced.
No credit card required. No sales or IT support needed.
Capture and approve changes with a clear audit trail.
Logs and approves variations with audit history and updates budgets and forecasts in real time.
No variation workflow—changes are typically noted in external spreadsheets.
Essential for accurate payment certificates and cashflow forecasting.
Generates subcontractor valuations and retention schedules, syncing approved data to Xero for CIS and VAT processing.
Tracks time and expenses only—retention and valuation schedules must be maintained separately.
Typical rollout timelines for UK contractors.
| Product | Typical duration | Typical steps |
|---|---|---|
| Planyard | A few days to a week |
|
| Xero Projects | Same day |
|
Planyard offers transparent per-user pricing in GBP with a free trial. Xero Projects is included in some Xero plans or available as a £5 per user add-on.
Cost Estimating
Estimating and Budget Control
Estimating, Cost Control and Purchase Orders Management
Full Functionality
For UK contractors, Planyard delivers full construction cost control—live budgets, POs, valuations, retentions, and CIS compliance—while syncing seamlessly to Xero. Xero Projects remains a simple tool for small firms to track time and expenses.
Sources and last updated. Ratings and positioning from Xero App Store UK, Capterra UK, and vendor materials. Last reviewed November 2025.
Payapps digitises valuations; Planyard adds budgets, forecasting/CVR, POs, variations and retentions in one tool.
ApprovalMax automates purchase order and bill approvals for finance teams using Xero or QuickBooks but doesn’t connect to project budgets. Planyard goes further, giving UK contractors live cost control with valuations, retentions, CIS workflows and forecasting built in.
We've got your questions covered. If you can't find the answer below, then feel free to contact us via the chat.
Planyard usually pilots in days and rolls out across projects in weeks. Xero Projects is ready to use immediately within Xero.
There is some overlap—both track project costs—but Planyard goes much deeper with budgets, commitments, valuations, and forecasting. Many UK teams use Xero Projects for OCR or receipts and Planyard for full commercial control.
No. Planyard sits alongside your accounting software and syncs approved costs to Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage. Xero remains your ledger for VAT, CIS, and payments.
Yes. Some contractors use Planyard for project budgeting and cost control while keeping Xero Projects active for specific OCR or expense-capture workflows.
Yes. CIS deductions and reverse VAT are handled through your accounting software. Planyard ensures approved data flows correctly to Xero with all codes and retention schedules aligned.
No. It’s used by small and mid-sized contractors and QS teams who want real-time visibility and forecasting without switching to an ERP.
No credit card required. No sales or IT support needed.