Budgeting and job cost codes
Planyard: Full budget management with real-time EAC and CVR.
ApprovalMax: No budget control; approvals occur at ledger level only.
ApprovalMax vs Planyard (UK & Ireland)
This comparison explains how Planyard and ApprovalMax differ for UK and Ireland construction teams. We cover approvals, job costing, valuations, retentions, CIS and pricing transparency.
On this page
- Reviews at a glance
- Quick summary
- Side-by-side comparison
- Why UK teams pick Planyard
- Why teams pick ApprovalMax
- Feature matrix (UK view)
- Implementation timelines
- Who should choose what
- Pricing & packages
- FAQ and sources
Reviews at a glance
Current public ratings from Capterra UK and the Xero App Store.
| Programme | Rating | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Planyard (Xero App Store) | 4.8 / 5.0 |  Praised for job costing, valuations and construction visibility with Xero. |
| Planyard (Capterra UK) | 4.6 / 5.0 | Rated highly by QSs and FDs for simplicity and control. |
| ApprovalMax (Xero App Store) | 4.8 / 5.0 | Strong ratings for automating bill and PO approvals in Xero and QuickBooks. |
| ApprovalMax (Capterra UK) | 4.7 / 5.0 | Recognised for approval routing and audit trails; limited budgeting context. |
Quick summary
- Planyard. End-to-end construction cost control with budgets, valuations, retentions, CIS and forecasting. Integrates with Xero, Sage and QuickBooks.
- ApprovalMax. Approvals automation for bills and purchase orders layered on Xero or QuickBooks. Focused on routing and sign-off, not cost tracking.
- Fit. ApprovalMax suits teams needing simple approvals. Planyard fits contractors needing full job costing, valuations and CVR visibility.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Planyard | ApprovalMax |
|---|---|---|
| UK fit | Designed for UK construction: valuations, retentions, CIS alignment |
 Supports CIS documents in Xero but no valuation or retention features |
| Core use case | Job costing, budgets, valuations, forecasting | Approvals for bills and purchase orders |
| Reporting | Live CVR, EAC and project cash flow |
Approval logs only; no budget reporting |
| Integration | Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Accounting | Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite |
| Pricing transparency | Public GBP pricing, free trial |
By quote, per-organisation pricing |
| Best for | Contractors and developers needing full cost control and forecasting | Finance teams wanting approval workflows without project costing |
Why UK teams pick Planyard
- Built for construction. Native valuations, retentions, variations and CIS workflows.
- End-to-end visibility. Live budgets, commitments and CVR without Excel.
- Ledger integration. Approved invoices sync directly to Xero, Sage or QuickBooks.
- Fast rollout. Pilot a project in days with transparent GBP pricing.
Why teams pick ApprovalMax
- Simple approvals. Fast setup for routing bills and purchase orders to approvers.
- Audit trail. Clear approval history and fraud-control checks.
- Unlimited users. Per-organisation pricing allows broad access.
- Ledger focus. Works within Xero or QuickBooks to streamline sign-off, but not linked to project budgets.
Feature comparison (UK view)
Core features and UK-specific capabilities.
Valuations and retentions
Planyard: Built-in subcontractor and client valuations with retention schedules and certificates.
ApprovalMax: Not supported; relies entirely on accounting system for CIS entries.
Upload uw projectbudget en volg de financiële voortgang in real-time
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Approvals and audit trail
Planyard: Approvals are part of a wider budget and valuation workflow.
ApprovalMax: Dedicated approval routing and audit trail tool without project context.
Implementation timelines
| Product | Typical duration | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Planyard | a day to a week |
|
| ApprovalMax | Same day to a week |
|
Who should choose what
- Choose Planyard if you need construction-specific cost control, valuations, retentions and forecasting alongside approvals.
- Choose ApprovalMax if you simply need a fast, reliable approval workflow for bills and purchase orders without job costing or budgets.
Pricing and packages
Planyard has transparent GBP pricing and a free trial. ApprovalMax pricing is per organisation and available by quote.
Calculatie
€49
/ month / project manager
Kostenraming
Essentieel
€99
/ month / project manager
€40
Meestal gekozen voor: site-ingenieurs, klanten, calculators of auditors.
for supporting staff
Perfect voor ondersteunende rollen of belanghebbenden—krijg toegang tot essentiële projectfuncties en bekijk belangrijke financiële gegevens zonder volledige platformrechten, zodat gebruikers op de hoogte blijven en kunnen bijdragen zonder praktische taken.Meestal gekozen voor: site-ingenieurs, klanten, calculators of auditors.
Calculatie en budgetbeheer
- Alles in Calculatie
- Volg budgetten en werkelijke uitgaven
- Beheer inkoopfacturen automatisch
- Herbruik actieve projectkostgegevens voor raming
- Synchroniseer facturen met Xero en QuickBooks
Professioneel
€149
/ month / project manager
€40
Meestal gekozen voor: site-ingenieurs, klanten, calculators of auditors.
for supporting staff
Perfect voor ondersteunende rollen of belanghebbenden—krijg toegang tot essentiële projectfuncties en bekijk belangrijke financiële gegevens zonder volledige platformrechten, zodat gebruikers op de hoogte blijven en kunnen bijdragen zonder praktische taken.Meestal gekozen voor: site-ingenieurs, klanten, calculators of auditors.
Calculatie, kostenbeheer en inkooporderbeheer
- Alles in Essentieel
- Uitgeven en beheren van inkooporders
- Volg toegezegde kosten op het budget
- Voorspel projectwinstgevendheid in real-time
- Maak cashflowprognoses
- Beheer klantcontracten en voortgangsrapporten
Ultiem
€199
/ month / project manager
€40
Meestal gekozen voor: site-ingenieurs, klanten, calculators of auditors.
for supporting staff
Perfect voor ondersteunende rollen of belanghebbenden—krijg toegang tot essentiële projectfuncties en bekijk belangrijke financiële gegevens zonder volledige platformrechten, zodat gebruikers op de hoogte blijven en kunnen bijdragen zonder praktische taken.Meestal gekozen voor: site-ingenieurs, klanten, calculators of auditors.
Volledige functionaliteit
- Alles in Professioneel
- Automatiseer offertes van onderaannemers en leveranciers
- Volg onderaannemingen en voortgang
- Beheer wijzigingen in onderaannemingen
- Verzamel betalingsaanvragen van onderaannemers
In one paragraph
ApprovalMax is an approvals-only solution that automates bill and purchase order sign-off in Xero or QuickBooks but does not connect to job budgets or handle valuations or retentions. Planyard provides the full construction-specific alternative — with live budgets, valuations, retentions, CIS workflows and forecasting integrated with accounting. For approvals alone, choose ApprovalMax. For complete cost control, choose Planyard.
Sources and last updated: Capterra UK and Xero App Store listings, ApprovalMax and Planyard pricing pages, and product documentation (Nov 2025). Last reviewed 5 November 2025.