Best Project Management Software for Architects

Website: https://monograph.com/

Best for: Architecture firms of 5 to 50 people on QuickBooks Online

Starting price: $25 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (10 days)

Pros: Built for architecture and engineering firms; phase based time tracking and MoneyGantt budget views

Cons: Only two integrations, QuickBooks Online and Stripe, and the Grow plan holds most resource and forecasting features

Monograph was built by former architects, and that focus shows in how it handles phases, fees and staff time. Time is logged against schematic design, design development, construction documents and construction administration rather than a single project total, so a manager can see which phase is burning fee early. The MoneyGantt view puts budget status beside the schedule. Track starts at $25 per member per month billed annually, or $30 month to month, and Grow starts at $45 per user per month billed annually, or $55 month to month. Grow adds staffing, templates and forecasting, so most firms will need Grow. There is no general ledger, so bookkeeping stays in QuickBooks Online, and there is no free plan, only a 10 day trial.

Website: https://www.bqe.com/

Best for: Architecture and engineering firms that want project management, billing and accounting in one system

Starting price: quote only

Free plan: No

Pros: All in one Foundations plan with time, billing, project management and reporting; strong accounting and job costing

Cons: No published price list, so total cost is unclear until you get a written quote, and add on modules raise the cost

BQE Core is the current product from BQE Software, and it now carries the functions that used to sit in ArchiOffice, EngineerOffice and BillQuick. The tool was shaped around professional services billing, project budgets and accounting. The Foundations plan brings together time and expense entry, billing and invoicing, project management, reporting and analytics, with optional modules for accounting, CRM, HR and payroll. The main drawback is price clarity. BQE Core does not publish a full price list, so a firm should ask for a written quote that lists licences, implementation, training, support and each module. Implementation fees reported by third parties often run from $2,000 to $10,000, and data migration and training can add more.

Website: https://www.deltek.com/

Best for: Larger architecture and engineering firms that need project accounting and payroll in one ERP

Starting price: quote only

Free plan: No

Pros: Full project accounting with general ledger, job costing, billing and payroll links; built for architecture and engineering firms

Cons: No published price, no free trial, and a steep learning curve with implementation costs that can reach five figures

Deltek Ajera is an integrated project management and accounting suite for architecture and engineering firms, with a general ledger at its core. It suits firms that need job costing, accounts payable and receivable, billing and light payroll in one place, with links to payroll providers such as ADP and Paychex. Managers can track budgets by phase and tie staff time to the financial position of each job. Ajera is not priced for a small studio. The vendor does not publish pricing, and there is no free trial, so every buyer needs a custom quote built from firm size, modules and contract terms. Reviewers estimate implementation at $5,000 to $20,000 for small and midsize firms. Firms with 50 to 200 people are the usual fit, while a 12 person studio should weigh that setup effort against a simpler tool.

Website: https://www.bqe.com/

Best for: Architecture firms looking for a BQE practice tool with time, billing and project tracking

Starting price: quote only

Free plan: No

Pros: Built for architecture and design firms, with project, time and billing functions shaped around firm work

Cons: The product has been folded into BQE Core, so standalone sales and future development are limited

ArchiOffice was BQE Software's practice management tool for architecture and design firms, covering project management, time entry and billing in one place. Its value came from the same roots as BQE Core: time tracked by project and phase, billing tied to fees and hours, and reports that showed which jobs were making money. That link between hours, fees and invoices was the core of the tool. Buyers should know the current position before they shortlist ArchiOffice on its own. BQE states that its functions are now found in BQE Core, so a new buyer is likely to be guided toward BQE Core instead. Pricing is quote based, with no published price list. Ask BQE in writing whether ArchiOffice is still sold on its own, and how a move to BQE Core would work.

Website: https://www.bigtime.net/

Best for: Professional services firms that bill by phase and run QuickBooks or Sage Intacct

Starting price: $20 per user/month (Essentials)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Strong time, billing and utilisation reporting with two way QuickBooks and Sage Intacct sync; phase budgets and rate management

Cons: Project budgeting, custom cost and rate management and multi level approvals sit in higher tiers, so the entry plan is limited

BigTime ties timesheets to billing, budgets and accounting. Staff log hours by phase, rates and fee types apply, approvals catch errors, and invoices are raised from approved time and costs without rekeying figures into another system. The two way sync with QuickBooks and Sage Intacct keeps project data and bookkeeping aligned, and utilisation and margin reports show which phases are holding margin. Essentials starts at $20 per user per month, with Advanced, Premier and Enterprise tiers above it. Project budgeting, custom cost and rate management, multi level approvals and the Sage Intacct integration sit in Premier, so a firm that needs phase budgets should price Premier rather than Essentials. Resource management is sold as a module, so ask for the full configuration in writing.

Website: https://www.workflowmax.com/

Best for: Small job based firms that want quoting, jobs, timesheets and invoicing with a Xero sync

Starting price: $7.50 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Low entry price with a clear per user model; quoting, job costing, timesheets, invoicing and a native Xero sync

Cons: Essentials needs 3 to 25 users and leaves out Kanban boards, custom fields and quote acceptance; capacity planning needs the Advanced plan

WorkflowMax by BlueRock is job management software for services firms, rebuilt after Xero retired the original WorkflowMax. It covers quotes, jobs, timesheets, expenses and invoices, with a native Xero sync for accounting. Time is tracked against jobs and tasks, costs are compared with the quote, and invoices are raised from approved time and job costs. That simple chain suits a studio that wants to move off spreadsheets without a full ERP system. Essentials is $8.33 per user per month billed monthly, or $7.50 billed annually, for 3 to 25 users. Pro is $15.00 billed monthly, or $13.50 billed annually, from 5 users, and Advanced is $25.00 billed monthly, or $22.50 billed annually, from 10 users. There is a 14 day free trial. Essentials leaves out Kanban boards, custom fields and online quote acceptance, while approvals, capacity planning and scheduled reports need Advanced.

Website: https://www.avaza.com/

Best for: Small firms and studios that want projects, time, scheduling and invoicing at a low monthly cost

Starting price: $9.96 per month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Free plan with 5 active projects; low monthly price with unlimited project collaborators and resource scheduling on every plan

Cons: Prices are per account rather than per user, so extra timesheet and admin users cost $7 per user per month, and the free plan limits invoices to 5 per month

Avaza is an all in one suite for project management, time tracking, expense management, quoting, invoicing, resource scheduling and team chat. For a small studio, the appeal is the low entry cost: tasks and Kanban boards for design work, timesheets with rates and approvals, scheduling views for staff capacity, and invoices raised from tracked time. Project collaborators are unlimited and free on every plan, so clients and consultants can be added without a seat for each person. The pricing page lists a free plan at $0, Startup at $9.96 per month billed yearly, Basic at $19.96 and Business at $39.96, with monthly billing at $11.95, $23.95 and $47.95. Extra timesheet, expense, admin and scheduling users cost $7 per user per month. Every new account starts with a free 14 day trial, then can move to the free plan, which allows 5 active projects, 5 invoices per month and 100 MB of storage.

Website: https://www.scoro.com/

Best for: Growing firms that want quotes, projects, capacity planning and financial reports in one system

Starting price: $26 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Quotes, projects, calendars, tasks, invoices, bills and dashboards in one place; strong utilisation and financial reporting

Cons: Minimum 5 users on every plan, so the real minimum cost is $130 per month, and there is no free plan or client portal

Scoro is a work management platform for professional services firms that want financial control beside project delivery. It covers quotes, projects, calendars, task lists and boards, contacts, invoices, receipts and bills, with dashboards and work reports that show utilisation, project profit and cash flow. The value is in the link between the quote, the planned hours, the scheduled staff and the final invoice. Essential starts at $26 per user per month billed annually, with a minimum of 5 users, so the minimum monthly cost is $130. Standard is $37 and Pro is $63 per user per month. Monthly billing adds about 20 percent. There is a 14 day free trial and no free plan, and Scoro has no client portal. A firm with fewer than 5 people cannot use Scoro at the advertised entry price.