Software Comparisons

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
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Hero image

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.

Screenshot of Planyard’s project overview displaying financial data, including project names, budgets, income, costs, and profitability forecasts.

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.

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

Planyard: Built-in subcontractor and client valuations with retention schedules and certificates.

ApprovalMax: Not supported; relies entirely on accounting system for CIS entries.

Proje bütçenizi yükleyin ve finansal ilerlemeyi gerçek zamanlı olarak takip edin

Kredi kartı gerekmez. Satış veya BT desteği gerekmez.

14 günlük deneme başlatın Demo talep edin

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
  1. Connect Xero, Sage or QuickBooks
  2. Import budgets and suppliers
  3. Pilot one live project
ApprovalMax ✔ Same day to a week
  1. Connect to Xero or QuickBooks
  2. Define approval rules and approvers
  3. Invite users

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.

USD
EUR
GBP
AUD
CAD

Maliyet Hesaplama Paketi

$52
/ month / project manager
 

Maliyet Hesaplama

Ücretsiz deneyin

Temel Paket

$105
/ month / project manager
$43
for supporting staff
Destek rolleri veya paydaşlar için mükemmel—kullanıcıların bilgilendirilmesini ve katkıda bulunmasını sağlarken, tam platform izinleri olmadan temel proje özelliklerine ve önemli finansal verilere erişim sağlar.

Genellikle seçilenler: saha mühendisleri, müşteriler, tahminciler veya denetçiler.

Maliyet Hesaplama ve Bütçe Kontrolü

  • Maliyet Hesaplama paketindeki tüm özellikleri içerir
  • Bütçeleri ve gerçekleşen harcamaları takip edin
  • Satın alma faturalarını otomatik yönetin
  • Aktif projelerin maliyet verilerini yeniden kullanarak tahmin yapın
  • Faturaları Xero ve QuickBooks ile senkronize edin
Ücretsiz deneyin

Profesyonel Paket

$158
/ month / project manager
$43
for supporting staff
Destek rolleri veya paydaşlar için mükemmel—kullanıcıların bilgilendirilmesini ve katkıda bulunmasını sağlarken, tam platform izinleri olmadan temel proje özelliklerine ve önemli finansal verilere erişim sağlar.

Genellikle seçilenler: saha mühendisleri, müşteriler, tahminciler veya denetçiler.

Maliyet, Bütçe ve Satın Alma Yönetimi

  • Temel Paket özelliklerinin tamamını içerir
  • Satın alma siparişlerini oluşturun ve yönetin
  • Bütçelerdeki taahhüt edilmiş maliyetleri takip edin
  • Proje kârlılığını gerçek zamanlı olarak tahmin edin
  • Nakit akışı projeksiyonları oluşturun
  • Müşteri sözleşmelerini ve ilerleme raporlarını yönetin
Ücretsiz deneyin

Genişletilmiş Paket

$210
/ month / project manager
$43
for supporting staff
Destek rolleri veya paydaşlar için mükemmel—kullanıcıların bilgilendirilmesini ve katkıda bulunmasını sağlarken, tam platform izinleri olmadan temel proje özelliklerine ve önemli finansal verilere erişim sağlar.

Genellikle seçilenler: saha mühendisleri, müşteriler, tahminciler veya denetçiler.

Tüm Özelliklerle Tam Fonksiyonellik

  • Profesyonel Paket özelliklerinin tamamını içerir
  • Taşeron ve tedarikçi tekliflerini otomatikleştirin
  • Alt yüklenici sözleşmelerini ve ilerlemeleri takip edin
  • Alt yüklenici değişiklik emirlerini yönetin
  • Alt yüklenici ödeme taleplerini yönetin
Ücretsiz deneyin

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.