This page compares Planyard with Xero Projects so you can choose the right fit for your construction business. We look at implementation time, ease of use, pricing clarity, and how each handles job costing, forecasting, and accounting integration.
Xero Projects helps track time and simple job costs within your Xero account. Planyard adds full commercial control—live budgets, purchase orders, commitments, variations, and forecasting built specifically for construction teams.
On this page
Public ratings from Capterra and the Xero App Store.
| Programme | Rating | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Planyard | 4.6 / 5.0 |  Praised for clean Xero integration, ease of use, and real-time budget control. |
| Xero Projects | 2.8 / 5.0 |  Good for simple job costing and time tracking, but limited for complex construction projects. |
| Aspect | Planyard | Xero Projects |
|---|---|---|
| Time to implement | Pilot a live project in days |
Same-day activation in Xero |
| Complexity of setup | Low. Connect Xero or QuickBooks and import a budget spreadsheet |
Low. Simple activation, though detailed job costing still needs spreadsheets |
| Training required | Light. Built for project and finance teams |
Minimal. Same interface as Xero |
| Ease of use | Designed for construction workflows with intuitive dashboards |
Familiar but limited to time and expense entry |
| Reporting | Real-time cost to complete and forecasting |
Basic profit reporting per job; no detailed forecasting |
| Accounting integration | Two-way sync with Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage Accounting |
Native inside Xero, but limited to Xero ecosystem |
| Pricing | Transparent per-user plans with free trial |
Included in some Xero plans; otherwise +$5/user/month add-on |
| Best for | Construction teams who need live budgets and forecasting | Small businesses tracking time and basic job costs in Xero |
See how they handle budgets, commitments, variations, and forecasting for construction projects.
Budget accuracy and visibility are key to avoiding surprises.
Provides live cost-to-complete and forecasting. As costs are approved, Planyard updates the remaining budget automatically—no spreadsheet needed.
Shows a simple summary of income and expenses per project. Teams often export data to Excel for detailed forecasting.
Control spending before it happens.
Lets teams raise and approve purchase orders and subcontracts in-app, tracking all committed costs and syncing approved data to accounting.
Does not track commitments or POs. Users record costs only after they are billed or paid.
Inget kreditkort krävs. Ingen försäljning eller IT-support behövs.
Keep budgets aligned as project scope evolves.
Logs and approves variations with full audit trail and automatic forecast updates.
No built-in variation tracking. Changes are handled manually or in spreadsheets.
Track work certified, paid, and remaining.
Manages subcontractor progress claims and retention schedules directly, updating project forecasts in real time.
Focuses on expenses and time tracking; valuations and retention tracking must be handled outside the system.
Here is what to expect before you go live.
| Product | Typical duration | Typical steps |
|---|---|---|
| Planyard | A few days to a week |
|
| Xero Projects | Same day |
|
Planyard offers transparent per-user pricing and a free trial. Xero Projects is included in some Xero plans or available as a low-cost add-on.
Kostnadsberäkning
Kostnadsberäkning och budgetkontroll
Kostnadsberäkning, kostnadskontroll och inköpsorderhantering
Full funktionalitet
Planyard is a construction-focused cost control platform with advanced budgets, commitments, and forecasting that replaces spreadsheets and connects to your ledger. Xero Projects is a simple job costing add-on inside Xero.
Sources and last updated. Ratings and details from Xero App Store, Capterra, and vendor documentation. Last reviewed November 2025.
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Planyard usually pilots in days and rolls out across projects in weeks. Xero Projects is ready to use immediately within Xero.
Some overlap exists—both track project costs—but Planyard goes much deeper with budgets, commitments, and forecasting. Many teams use Xero Projects for OCR or receipts and Planyard for full cost control.
No. Planyard sits alongside your accounting software and syncs approved costs to Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage. Xero remains your accounting system of record.
Yes. Some teams use Planyard for project budgeting and forecasting while keeping Xero Projects active for specific OCR and expense-capture workflows.
No. It’s used by small and mid-sized contractors who want real-time visibility and forecasting without switching to a heavy ERP.
Inget kreditkort krävs. Ingen försäljning eller IT-support behövs.