Project Management by Team · Researched comparison

Best Project Management Software for Contractors

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Key takeaways

  • Construction specific tools such as Procore and Buildertrend publish no prices, so expect a sales conversation and a quote based on your annual construction volume.
  • Fieldwire is the only construction tool in this guide with a published per user price, at $39 per user per month billed annually, with a free plan for small crews.
  • General tools such as Asana, Monday.com and ClickUp start at $9 to $10.99 per user per month and suit contractors who need simple scheduling and client updates.
  • Smartsheet at $9 per user per month works well for contractors who already plan jobs in spreadsheets and want Gantt charts on top.
  • Check whether the tool works offline on site, because a field app that needs constant signal will fail in basements and remote plots.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
ProcoreLarge construction firmsquote onlyNo
BuildertrendHome builders and remodelersquote onlyNo
FieldwireField task management$39 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
Autodesk BuildDesign and build coordinationquote onlyNo
SmartsheetSpreadsheet style job planning$9 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (30 days)
Monday.comVisual job boards$9 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes
AsanaStructured job schedules$10.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
ClickUpAll round contractor work$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes

How we choose

We compared vendor pricing pages, plan feature lists and documentation for each tool in this guide, and we checked every price on 2026-11-11. We looked for tools that handle job scheduling, field work, budgets and client communication, and we included both construction specific platforms and general tools that contractors commonly use. We did not claim hands on testing, and we did not use ratings or review scores. Where a vendor hides its price we wrote quote only instead of repeating a third party figure. Each tool block names a real limit from the vendor plan page, so the trade offs are visible next to the prices.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

The best project management software for contractors

2

Procore

Best for Large construction firms

Website: https://www.procore.com

Best for: Large construction firms

Starting price: quote only

Free plan: No

Pros: Built for construction with unlimited users; covers the full project lifecycle

Cons: No published price; annual fee based on construction volume needs a sales call

Procore is the most complete construction platform in this guide, covering preconstruction, project management, financials and closeout in one system. It handles drawings, RFIs, submittals, change orders, punch lists and budgets, and it allows unlimited users, so subcontractors and clients can be added without per seat charges. For a large contractor running several jobs at once, that breadth replaces a stack of separate tools.

The main drawback is the price. Procore charges an upfront annual fee by product, based on annual construction volume, and it publishes no dollar figure, so a small firm cannot see or budget a price before a sales call. Implementation and onboarding services are a separate service. Procore suits established contractors with the volume to justify an enterprise platform, and it is usually too heavy and too costly for a small crew.

3

Buildertrend

Best for Home builders and remodelers

Website: https://buildertrend.com

Best for: Home builders and remodelers

Starting price: quote only

Free plan: No

Pros: Built for builders with scheduling, budgets and client portals; unlimited users and projects

Cons: No published price; designed for builders who oversee 5 or more projects a year

Buildertrend is built for home builders, remodelers and specialty contractors, and it combines scheduling, budgeting, client communication and payment processing in one place. Clients get a portal where they can see progress, approve selections and make payments, which cuts down on phone calls and email. The vendor offers unlimited users and projects, and a 10 percent discount on annual subscriptions, which helps when the whole team and every client need access.

The pricing page shows only a custom quote form, so buyers cannot compare cost without a sales call, and the vendor says the product is designed for more established builders who oversee 5 or more projects a year. A contractor with one or two jobs a year will find it too large. Buildertrend fits a growing residential builder who wants one system for the office and the client.

4

Fieldwire

Best for Field task management

Website: https://www.fieldwire.com

Best for: Field task management

Starting price: $39 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Plan viewing and task tracking built for the field; free Basic plan for small crews

Cons: Reports need Pro; RFIs, submittals and Budget need Business Plus at $89 per user per month

Fieldwire is the field app in this guide, built around plans, tasks and punch lists on site. Crews can view drawings, mark up plans, attach photos and close out tasks from a phone or tablet, and the office sees the same information in real time. The Basic plan is free for up to 5 users, 3 projects and 100 sheets, which is enough for a small crew to test it on a real job before paying.

The Pro plan at $39 per user per month billed annually adds reports and exports, while RFIs, submittals, change orders and Budget are only on Business Plus at $89 per user per month. Per user billing means every collaborator adds cost, so a contractor with many subcontractors should count seats before committing. Fieldwire is the best fit when the work happens on site and the plan is the centre of the job.

5

Autodesk Build

Best for Design and build coordination

Website: https://construction.autodesk.com

Best for: Design and build coordination

Starting price: quote only

Free plan: No

Pros: Deep design coordination with model management; strong document control

Cons: No published per user price; sold inside Forma bundles, so you may pay for extra products

Autodesk Build, now sold as Forma Build, is the construction operations product in the Autodesk Forma family, and it focuses on coordination between design and build. It handles model management, preconstruction, field management and document control, and it connects to the wider Autodesk ecosystem, which matters for firms that already use Revit or AutoCAD. The platform is strong on drawings, issues and meeting records.

The pricing page shows only a get a quote option for every bundle, and Build is sold inside Forma bundles, so a buyer may pay for products beyond Build alone. There is no free plan, though the page lists a 30 day money back guarantee. Autodesk Build suits a contractor or design build firm that already works in Autodesk tools and needs coordination at scale.

6

Smartsheet

Best for Spreadsheet style job planning

Website: https://www.smartsheet.com

Best for: Spreadsheet style job planning

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (30 days)

Pros: Familiar spreadsheet grid with Gantt and automation; strong reporting and dashboards

Cons: Pro caps at 10 members; no free plan for new signups

Smartsheet will feel familiar to any contractor who has planned jobs in spreadsheets, because it keeps the grid and adds Gantt charts, automations and dashboards. The Pro plan at $9 per user per month covers core sheets, reports and automations, and a 30 day free trial with no credit card lets you test it with a live job. It is a good fit for tracking budgets, schedules and subcontractor lists in tables that the whole office can read.

The Pro plan caps at 10 members, so a growing team must move to Business at $19 per member per month, more than double the per seat price. The free plan has been closed to new signups since August 2024, so there is no free tier to fall back on. Smartsheet is best for contractors who want spreadsheet control with proper project structure and reporting behind it.

7

Monday.com

Best for Visual job boards

Website: https://monday.com

Best for: Visual job boards

Starting price: $9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Visual boards the whole crew can read; wide template library for construction

Cons: Basic has no automations, integrations or timeline view; 3 seat minimum on subscription plans

Monday.com presents each job as a visual board with columns for status, owner, budget and due date, which suits contractors who want the whole team to see the plan at a glance. Templates cover construction scheduling and punch lists, and the free plan covers up to 2 seats. The Basic plan at $9 per seat per month is cheap, but it has no automations and no integrations and no timeline or Gantt view, so most contractors will need Standard at $12 per seat per month.

Every subscription plan starts at a 3 seat minimum and seats sell in fixed buckets above that, so a 4 person team pays for 5 seats. Time tracking needs the Pro plan at $19 per seat per month. Monday.com works best for contractors who want clear, visual job boards and are happy to pay for the Standard tier to get automations.

8

Asana

Best for Structured job schedules

Website: https://asana.com

Best for: Structured job schedules

Starting price: $10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Clean task structure with timelines and templates; unlimited guests on Starter

Cons: Native time tracking needs Advanced at $24.99 per user per month; free plan caps at 2 users

Asana suits contractors who run jobs as a clear sequence of tasks with owners and due dates. The Starter plan at $10.99 per user per month includes timeline and calendar views, project templates and unlimited guests, so you can bring clients and subcontractors into a project without paying for their seats in most cases. Portfolios help you watch several jobs at once, and the rules engine can move work forward without manual chasing.

The free Personal plan caps at 2 users, so it works for a solo contractor but not for a crew. Native time tracking only arrives on Advanced at $24.99 per user per month, and AI requests are capped at 50 per account on Starter and Advanced. Asana is a strong pick when your work is task driven and your clients want a clear view of progress.

9

ClickUp

Best for All round contractor work

Website: https://clickup.com

Best for: All round contractor work

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Free Forever plan with wide features; deep customisation for job workflows

Cons: Timesheets and resource management need Business at $17 per user per month

ClickUp gives a contractor one place for tasks, docs, goals and time, and the Free Forever plan covers a surprising amount of that. You can build a separate space per job, set custom fields for trade, phase or budget status, and keep templates for repeatable work such as tendering, site setup or handover. The Core plan at $9 per user per month adds unlimited storage, more integrations and advanced permissions, which suits a contractor who shares boards with clients and subcontractors.

The catch is that time tracking and resource planning sit on the Business plan at $17 per user per month, so the headline price is not the price of a full setup. Storage on the free plan is capped at 60 MB, which fills fast if you attach site photos. Still, for a small contractor that wants one flexible tool, ClickUp covers more ground than most rivals at the same price.

What to check before you buy

Check whether the mobile app works offline, because a field app that needs constant signal will fail in basements and remote plots. Check how subcontractors are charged, because per user billing can make a large crew expensive fast, while Procore and Buildertrend allow unlimited users. Check whether drawings, RFIs and change orders are included at the price you plan to pay, since Fieldwire locks those to higher tiers. Check data export and cancellation terms before you move job records in.

FAQ

What is the best project management software for a small contractor?

Fieldwire Basic is free for up to 5 users and 3 projects, which makes it a good start for a small crew that works on site. Smartsheet Pro at $9 per user per month and ClickUp Core at $9 per user per month are the cheapest subscription options for office planning. A small contractor should pick the tool that matches where the work happens, field or office, rather than the tool with the longest feature list.

Why do Procore and Buildertrend not publish prices?

Both vendors charge by the size and type of the buyer, so a single list price would not fit every firm. Procore charges an upfront annual fee by product based on annual construction volume, and Buildertrend quotes by builder type and annual volume. That means a buyer has to talk to sales before learning the price, which is a real cost in time. The trade off is that both allow unlimited users once you buy.

Does a contractor need a construction specific tool?

A construction specific tool matters when you manage drawings, RFIs, submittals, punch lists and budgets every day, because general tools handle those only through custom fields and workarounds. A general tool such as Asana or Monday.com is enough when your work is mostly scheduling, tasks and client updates. Many small contractors start general and move to a construction platform when the volume of drawings and change orders grows.

Can subcontractors use these tools without a licence?

It depends on the tool. Procore and Buildertrend allow unlimited users, so subcontractors can be added without extra seat charges. Asana Starter includes unlimited guests, and Fieldwire Basic allows up to 5 users free. Monday.com, Smartsheet and ClickUp charge per seat, so every subcontractor who needs a login adds to the bill. Confirm the guest and collaborator rules before you promise access to your trades.

What should a contractor check about offline use?

Check whether the mobile app lets crews view plans and complete tasks without a connection, and whether it syncs when the signal returns. Fieldwire and Procore are built for this, while general tools may need a connection for some features. Also check photo upload limits and storage caps, because site photos fill storage fast, and a free plan with a 60 MB cap will run out in the first week of a job.

Sources we checked

  • https://www.procore.com/pricing
  • https://buildertrend.com/pricing/
  • https://www.fieldwire.com/pricing/
  • https://construction.autodesk.com/pricing/
  • https://www.smartsheet.com/pricing
  • https://monday.com/pricing
  • https://asana.com/pricing
  • https://clickup.com/pricing
How we score

Need the method behind these picks?

We publish the criteria and the weights, so you can disagree with them.

The best project management software for contractors#1 PICK