Software Comparisons

Eque2 Construction Manager and EVision vs Planyard

This page compares Planyard with Eque2’s Construction Manager and EVision so you can choose the right fit for your team. We look at ease of use, rollout speed, pricing clarity, and how each tool handles UK needs like valuations, retentions, and CIS.

You will also see where Eque2 leans on Microsoft Dynamics and Excel, and when Planyard helps you escape spreadsheet work for good.

Teams report choosing Planyard for its clean UI, faster adoption and a simpler commercial model compared with Eque2.

On this page

  • What it will cost and how long it takes to go live
  • Leave Excel and meet UK needs like retentions and CIS
  • Key features: cost to complete, commitments, valuations, variations, reporting
  • Fit with your stack: Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics 365
  • Why teams switched: simplicity, faster adoption and a simpler commercial model
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Planyard and Eque2 logos

Reviews at a glance

Here are the current ratings for all three software programs on the Capterra review platform.

Program Rating Summary
Planyard

4.6 / 5.0

✔ Consistently positive for ease of setup, user-friendliness, and time savings.
Eque2 Construction Manager

4.0 / 5.0

✖ Mixed experiences across implementation, support, and reporting.
Eque2 EVision No public reviews ✖ Enterprise ERP on Microsoft Dynamics 365. Ask for customer references.

User highlights: Teams report Planyard is “just so nice and simple, easy to use.” Many chose it over clunky, report-heavy competitors and legacy on-prem systems because it reduces manual invoice handling and integrates with Xero for smoother accounting workflows.

Quick summary

If you are comparing options, here is the short version to help you decide quickly. There is a more detailed analysis below that looks at implementation, features, integrations, and so on.

  • Planyard. Easy to use, quick to roll out, and transparent per-user pricing with a free trial. It replaces Excel for budgets, commitments, variations, valuations, and retention. Teams report Planyard’s simplicity leads to fast adoption; in one case a QS with prior Planyard experience helped speed rollout.
  • Eque2 Construction Manager. Integrates with Sage and Xero, but reviews often mention long and complex setup, Excel-based reporting, and uneven support. Most data analysis is still done in Excel, so you won’t fully move away from spreadsheets.
  • Eque2 EVision. Runs on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Reporting often lands in Excel or Jet Reports, so many teams still rely on spreadsheets. ERP programme suitable for enterprise customers that uses custom pricing. Public listings show about £70,000 one-time to start.

Side-by-side comparison

Aspect Planyard Eque2 Construction Manager Eque2 EVision
Time to implement ✔ Days to pilot a live job ✖ Typically weeks to configure ✖ Months as part of an ERP rollout
Complexity of implementation ✔ Low. Connect accounting and import budgets ✖ Medium. Scoping, data migration, and settings ✖ High. Partner-led discovery, build, and testing
Training required ✔ Light for QS, PM, and commercial teams ✖ Moderate. Users report a learning curve ✖ Intensive. Enterprise interface for power users
Ease of use ✔ Intuitive for QS, commercial, PM, and FD ✖ Function-rich but can feel complex ✖ Enterprise UI. Best for trained specialists
Reporting ✔ Real-time CVR and forecasting in app ✖ Many teams export to Excel for analysis ✖ Power BI and Jet with Excel in the mix
Accounting fit Connects to Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage Accounting Built for Sage or Xero Built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Pricing ✔ Public per-user plans and free trial ✖ By quote ✖ By quote. Public pages reference ~£70k one-time start
Best for Firms escaping spreadsheets Sage or Xero shops that want job costing Microsoft-standard enterprises

Why teams pick Planyard

  • Fast rollout. Connect your accounts, import cost codes, and a live budget. You are ready to test on one project in 15 minutes. There is no heavy IT work before you see value.
  • Easy to use. Built for commercial managers and quantity surveyors, not just accountants. Raising purchase orders, tracking commitments, and approving costs feels straightforward, and nobody has to keep a master spreadsheet up to date. Users report Planyard as ‘simple and easy to use,’ allowing teams to focus on project management without getting bogged down by complex interfaces. Teams who migrated from on‑premise or “clunky” systems say Planyard replaces manual invoice portals and excessive reporting with a straightforward cloud workflow, and prior Planyard users often help speed adoption.
  • Transparent pricing. Plans are public with per-user pricing and a free trial. You know the monthly cost upfront, with no surprise setup fees later.
  • Works with your ledger. Planyard sits alongside your accounting. Only approved costs flow into Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage Accounting, so the general ledger stays clean.
  • UK compliance. CIS deductions (together with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage), valuations, and retentions are handled in one place. Your team follows the same steps on every job, and audits are simpler.Planyard construction budgeting software showing the budget overview screen with real-time updates on project costs, purchase orders, and invoices.

Where Eque2 fits — and common drawbacks

Construction Manager

This is a good option if you want job costing tied to Sage or Xero. Its Advanced Reporting is based on Microsoft Excel, so deeper analysis usually happens outside the app and teams need to keep spreadsheets alive. Reviews also mention longer setup and mixed support, which can slow standardising processes. Teams mention Eque2’s interface as clunky and setup as over-complicated, requiring features that are often underutilized.

What this means: analysis lives in exported workbooks, version control is harder, and commercial teams end up maintaining sheets alongside the system.

Customer feedback: Teams report the interface can feel clunky, many built-in reports go unused, and commercial terms (multi-user licence packs, separate invoice‑reading/OCR fees and substantial training costs reported at around £5,600) led some teams to pick simpler alternatives. Some teams also said Eque2 representatives questioned competitor features; those claims were later refuted during evaluation.

EVision

It is an ERP built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for larger enterprises. Reporting commonly lands in Excel or Jet Reports unless you invest in Power BI models and ongoing upkeep. Implementation is partner-led, takes time, and pricing is by quote. Various public listings put the licence at about £70,000 one time.

What this means: everyday reporting depends on spreadsheets and external models, so the promise of leaving Excel is limited without extra investment.

Eque2 and Planyard features compared

Compare features and real customer-tested differences on forecasting, POs, variations, CIS and retention.

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 teams see issues early without touching Excel.

Teams report they chose Planyard because its live CVR and forecasting remove the need to rebuild analysis in Excel.

Eque2 solutions

Provide job costing and CVR, but many teams export to Excel or Jet Reports for deeper analysis, which keeps spreadsheets in the process.

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.

Teams report Planyard’s POs are flexible and that amending an order keeps the same PO number, avoiding renumbering confusion.

Eque2 solutions

Link POs to Sage or Xero well, yet detailed tracking and exception analysis often end up in Excel, which adds manual steps to the workflow.

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.

Teams report Planyard supports breaking down variations for QS workflows, contrary to competitor claims.

Eque2 solutions

Support variations, although many teams still model impacts in Excel to get the right picture, which risks version drift.

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

Smooth valuations, accurate retention schedules, and a clear status for what is certified, due, or released.

Planyard

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

Users note Planyard generates retention schedules and pushes retention data to accounting, keeping budget and cash impact in sync.

Eque2 solutions

Handles valuations and retentions, but reporting on status and cash impact is often done in Excel or Jet, which means more manual upkeep.

Implementation timelines

Here is what to expect before you go live. Planyard usually pilots in days, Construction Manager often needs weeks of setup and data migration, and EVision is a partner-led ERP rollout that can run for months.

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
Eque2 Construction Manager ✖ Several weeks
  1. Scope and configure with Sage or Xero
  2. Migrate data from spreadsheets
  3. Train the team and hand over
Eque2 EVision ✖ Multiple months
  1. Discovery and design on Business Central
  2. Build, migrate, and test with a partner
  3. Phased go-live across departments

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

Real experience from teams: Users report Planyard pilots finish in days when setups are kept deliberately simple (for example, using a single dummy invoice to set cost-to-date, uploading budgets, and piloting one live project). Many teams already have contacts in Xero, and enabling Xero sync and automatic invoice sorting cuts migration time. “It’s just so nice and simple — easy to use,” users say.

What UK buyers say about Construction Manager

Common themes in UK reviews for Eque2 Construction Manager:

  • Setup takes time and needs hands-on support
  • Interface feels complex next to newer SaaS tools
  • Reporting is often still done on Excel sheets
  • Support quality varies by case
  • Eque2’s training sessions are quoted at approximately £5,600, which many find to be an unattractive additional cost.
  • Many teams report choosing simpler SaaS alternatives for ease of use and lower onboarding costs — “It’s just so nice and simple, easy to use.”

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. Teams report Planyard is simple and easy to use, enabling fast adoption without lengthy training, and it supports Xero integration for smooth accounting sync.
  • Choose Construction Manager if you are a Sage or Xero shop that wants job costing linked to accounts and you are comfortable with Excel for reporting.
  • Choose EVision if you are a larger enterprise standardising on Microsoft Dynamics and you are ready for an ERP rollout.

Pricing and packages

Predictable per-user pricing, free trial and optional onboarding—no hidden invoice or mandatory training fees

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

In one paragraph

Planyard is the easy, quick-to-roll-out choice for cost control that replaces Excel and sits next to your ledger. Eque2 Construction Manager ties job costing to Sage or Xero but many teams still analyse in Excel. Eque2 EVision is a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP for larger firms, with Excel or Jet for reporting and longer, partner-led implementations.

Users report: “It’s just so nice and simple, easy to use.” Teams switched after finding competitors clunky, overloaded with unnecessary reporting or reliant on on‑premise/manual invoice workflows; unlike competitor claims, Planyard supports breaking down variations, flexible purchase orders, and edits without issuing new PO numbers.

Sources and last updated. Ratings and pricing references from public vendor pages and Capterra. Last reviewed 2 December 2025.

Also informed by anonymized user interviews with construction teams who evaluated Planyard and alternative tools; their feedback on usability and setup was incorporated.