Best Capacity Planning Software for Architecture Firms in 2026
TBy the TaskReports Editorial Team Published 2 Nov 2026 · Updated 2 Nov 2026Last verified 2 Nov 2026How we score
TaskReports may earn a fee from some links on this page, and some placements are paid and labelled. Neither one decides the order. See our disclosure.
The short answer
The best pick for most architecture firms is Float Starter. It gives you resource scheduling, capacity and time-off management, and project phases at $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026. That mix fits staffing project phases and seeing who is free or overloaded. Price source: Float, checked 2 Nov 2026.
architecture firms that want a dedicated capacity scheduler for project phases
Resource scheduling with capacity and time-off management
$7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
No free plan.
Resource Guru
architecture firms that want simple scheduling of people and rooms
Visual drag-and-drop scheduling of people
$4.16 per person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
No free plan.
Monday.com
architecture firms that want boards, Gantt and workload views
Boards with Kanban, Timeline
$9 per seat per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
Free plan is $0 for up to 2 seats.
Smartsheet
architecture firms that track phases in sheets with baselines
Grid, Gantt, board and calendar views
$9 per member per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
No free plan.
Kantata
architecture firms that want resource planning with project financials
Resource planning and capacity and utilisation visibility across projects
Quote only, checked 2 Nov 2026
No free plan and no free trial is shown on the pricing page.
Teamwork
architecture firms that want capacity inside client project work
Work organised by client
$9.99 per user per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
Free plan is $0, for up to 5 users and 5 projects.
How we choose
We considered 10 tools and shortlisted 6. We compared pricing pages, feature docs and public guidance, and checked every price on 2 Nov 2026. We scored each tool, as set out in how we score, on fit, billing, price, ease of use and integrations.
Architecture firms need to staff project phases, see who is free or overloaded, and plan around leave and part-time hours. A tool scored well only if it could schedule by phase, show capacity, and report utilisation without a separate add-on.
We checked the vendor pages ourselves. Prices come from the vendor pricing page for each tool. If a vendor shows no price, we write Quote only and say so.
Best for architecture firms that want a dedicated capacity scheduler for project phases.
Resource scheduling with capacity and time-off management.
Project scoping with phases, milestones and tasks, plus project cost estimates.
Utilisation trends, billable against non-billable time, and estimates against actuals on Pro.
Skip it if skip Float if you need invoicing in the same tool as your schedule.
PriceThe entry plan is $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, or $8.50 per scheduled person per month billed monthly. Pro is $12 per scheduled person per month billed annually. See the [Float pricing page](https://www.float.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Float lists the entry paid plan at $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, or $8.50 per scheduled person per month billed monthly on its Float pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. No free plan. A 30-day free trial is offered, and no credit card is required. Trials default to Pro. Its key features are Resource scheduling with capacity and time-off management. Project scoping with phases, milestones and tasks, plus project cost estimates.
Price: The entry plan is $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, or $8.50 per scheduled person per month billed monthly. Pro is $12 per scheduled person per month billed annually. See the Float pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Float if you need invoicing in the same tool as your schedule.
Unique element: Float bills only for scheduled people, and guests who are not scheduled are free.
Starter at $7 has no time tracking, so a team that needs actual hours must pay Pro at $12.
No free plan, so you must use the 30-day trial to test it.
No native invoicing, so billing needs another tool.
2
RResource Guru
Best for architecture firms that want simple scheduling of people and rooms.
The entry plan is $4.16 per person per month billed annually, or $5 per person per month billed monthly. Blackbelt is $6.65 per person per month billed annually. See the [Resource Guru pricing page](https://resourceguruapp.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Resource Guru lists the entry paid plan at $4.16 per person per month billed annually, or $5 per person per month billed monthly on its Resource Guru pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. No free plan. A 30-day free trial is offered. Its key features are Visual drag-and-drop scheduling of people, with clash management and waiting lists. Leave and time-off management, with calendar sync.
Price: The entry plan is $4.16 per person per month billed annually, or $5 per person per month billed monthly. Blackbelt is $6.65 per person per month billed annually. See the Resource Guru pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Resource Guru if you need reports and timesheets on the cheapest plan.
Unique element: Resource Guru includes 1 free placeholder on Grasshopper, 5 on Blackbelt and 10 on Master.
What we like
Visual drag-and-drop scheduling of people, with clash management and waiting lists.
Leave and time-off management, with calendar sync.
Booking of non-human resources, such as rooms, equipment and vehicles, in the same schedule.
Watch out for
Grasshopper has no reports, so reports and timesheets need Blackbelt at $6.65.
SSO, approval workflow, data import and phone support need Master at $10 per person per month.
You are charged for every person added, whether they log in or not, and for placeholders beyond the free allowance.
Skip it if skip Resource Guru if you need reports and timesheets on the cheapest plan.
Best for architecture firms that want boards, Gantt and workload views.
The entry plan is $9 per seat per month billed annually, or $12 per seat per month billed monthly. Standard is $12 per seat per month billed annually. See the [Monday.com pricing page](https://monday.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Monday.com lists the entry paid plan at $9 per seat per month billed annually, or $12 per seat per month billed monthly on its Monday.com pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. Free plan is $0 for up to 2 seats. Paid plans have a 14-day free trial of Pro. Its key features are Boards with Kanban, Timeline, Gantt and calendar views in one place. Dashboards that combine several boards for a whole portfolio view.
Price: The entry plan is $9 per seat per month billed annually, or $12 per seat per month billed monthly. Standard is $12 per seat per month billed annually. See the Monday.com pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Monday.com if you need time tracking and private boards without paying for Pro.
Unique element: Monday.com sells seats above 3 in blocks of 5, so a 4-person team pays for 5 seats.
What we like
Boards with Kanban, Timeline, Gantt and calendar views in one place.
Dashboards that combine several boards for a whole portfolio view.
Guest access from Standard, so clients can view work without a paid seat.
Watch out for
Basic has no automations and no integrations, so Standard at $12 is the realistic start.
Time tracking and private boards need Pro at $19 per seat per month.
Paid plans have a 3-seat minimum, and annual billing is paid in one upfront instalment.
Skip it if skip Monday.com if you need time tracking and private boards without paying for Pro.
Best for architecture firms that track phases in sheets with baselines.
The entry plan is $9 per member per month billed annually, or $12 per member per month billed monthly. Business is $19 per member per month billed annually. See the [Smartsheet pricing page](https://www.smartsheet.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Smartsheet lists the entry paid plan at $9 per member per month billed annually, or $12 per member per month billed monthly on its Smartsheet pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. No free plan. A 30-day free trial is offered, and no credit card is required. Its key features are Grid, Gantt, board and calendar views, with rich formulas for tracking. Unlimited sheets, forms and reports on paid plans.
Price: The entry plan is $9 per member per month billed annually, or $12 per member per month billed monthly. Business is $19 per member per month billed annually. See the Smartsheet pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Smartsheet if you need resource management in the base price, not as a paid add-on.
Unique element: Smartsheet Pro allows only 250 automation runs a month, while Business allows unlimited automations.
What we like
Grid, Gantt, board and calendar views, with rich formulas for tracking.
Unlimited sheets, forms and reports on paid plans.
Timeline view, baselines and team workload tracking on Business.
Watch out for
Pro is capped at 10 members, so a growing team is forced onto Business at $19.
Baselines, Timeline view and workload tracking are gated to Business.
Resource Management, Control Center and Dynamic View are paid add-ons, not in the base price.
Skip it if skip Smartsheet if you need resource management in the base price, not as a paid add-on.
Best for architecture firms that want resource planning with project financials.
Quote only. No published price is shown on the [Kantata pricing page](https://www.kantata.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Kantata lists no published price on its Kantata pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. The price is Quote only, so you must ask for a quote before you can budget. No free plan and no free trial is shown on the pricing page. Its key features are Resource planning and capacity and utilisation visibility across projects. Project financials, with budgets, forecasting, margin and revenue forecasting.
Price: Quote only. No published price is shown on the Kantata pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Kantata if you need a published price and a free trial before you buy.
Unique element: Kantata pricing page is headed Request Pricing, and says pricing is tailored to company size and goals.
What we like
Resource planning and capacity and utilisation visibility across projects.
Project financials, with budgets, forecasting, margin and revenue forecasting.
Project management with quote and proposal modelling and resource forecasting.
Watch out for
Quote only, with no published price and no self-serve purchase.
No free plan and no free trial is shown, so a firm cannot test it without a sales process.
Kantata SX is built natively on Salesforce, so that product line needs a Salesforce licence on top of the quote.
Skip it if skip Kantata if you need a published price and a free trial before you buy.
Best for architecture firms that want capacity inside client project work.
The entry plan is $9.99 per user per month billed annually, or $13.99 per user per month billed monthly. Accelerate is $24.99 per user per month billed annually. See the [Teamwork pricing page](https://www.teamwork.com/pricing/), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Teamwork lists the entry paid plan at $9.99 per user per month billed annually, or $13.99 per user per month billed monthly on its Teamwork pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. Free plan is $0, for up to 5 users and 5 projects. Paid plans have a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required. Its key features are Work organised by client, with Gantt, table, list and board views. Billable time tracking and reporting from Basics.
Price: The entry plan is $9.99 per user per month billed annually, or $13.99 per user per month billed monthly. Accelerate is $24.99 per user per month billed annually. See the Teamwork pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Teamwork if you need timesheet approvals and financial budgets at a published price.
Unique element: Teamwork includes free client users on paid plans, so a client can view progress without a paid seat.
What we like
Work organised by client, with Gantt, table, list and board views.
Billable time tracking and reporting from Basics.
Free client users, so clients can view a project without a paid seat.
Watch out for
Timesheet approvals, financial budgets and profitability need Optimize, which is quote only.
Accelerate has a 5-seat minimum, so a 3-person firm on Accelerate pays for 5 seats.
The free plan is capped at 5 users and 5 projects.
Skip it if skip Teamwork if you need timesheet approvals and financial budgets at a published price.
Which capacity planning software is cheapest for architecture firms?
Resource Guru is the cheapest paid start, at $4.16 per person per month billed annually. Float costs $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, which is more, but it includes the features most architecture firms need on the working tier. If you need the cheapest useful plan, check what is gated to a higher tier first, because a low entry price can hide approvals, reports or time tracking that you will need in the first month.
Which capacity planning software is best for a small team?
Float is the best fit for most small teams, because it covers the core work at a clear price and has a free trial to test. Resource Guru is the budget choice, at $4.16 per person per month billed annually, and its free plan can carry a very small team. Count seats carefully, because seat minimums and guest rules change the real cost for a team of three or five.
Which tool shows capacity and utilisation best?
Float shows capacity best in this guide, because its schedule makes free, booked and overloaded people visible at a glance. Other tools in this guide are simpler and cheaper, while all-in-one tools link capacity to client work and billing. Pick the tool that matches how you plan, and check that utilisation reports sit on the plan you buy, not on a higher tier.
Which capacity planning software is easiest to start with?
Resource Guru is the easiest to start with, because it has the lowest entry price in this guide. Float is also quick to start, with a free trial and a clear schedule view. Set up one real team, add current projects, and plan a week of work before you decide. That test shows whether capacity, leave and placeholders fit your daily work.
What to check before you buy
Project phases: confirm you can plan staff by phase, not just by project.
Capacity: confirm you can see who is free, booked or overloaded at a glance.
Leave: confirm time off, holidays and part-time hours are factored into capacity.
Utilisation: confirm utilisation is reported, and whether reports need a higher tier.
Pipeline: confirm tentative bookings and placeholders cover unfilled roles.
Trial terms: confirm the trial length, whether it needs a card, and whether it covers the plan you want.
Which capacity planning software is best for architecture firms?
Float is the best fit for most architecture firms because it is a dedicated capacity scheduler, not a general project tool, with a schedule that shows who is booked, free or overloaded, time off and part-time hours factored in, and tentative bookings for pipeline work. The price is $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026.
How much does capacity planning software cost for architecture firms?
Entry paid plans in this guide start at $4.16 per person per month billed annually for Resource Guru. Mid plans run higher, and the top pick costs $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually. A team of ten on Float would pay about $840 per year before tax at that rate.
Can a small team start on the cheapest plan and move up later?
Yes, in most cases. The tools in this guide let you start on an entry plan and move up when you need reports, capacity views or approvals. Check the upgrade rule first, because some tools upgrade the whole workspace at once.
What should architecture firms check before they buy capacity planning software?
Check project phases: confirm you can plan staff by phase, not just by project. Also check capacity: confirm you can see who is free, booked or overloaded at a glance. Confirm the price on the vendor pricing page, the trial length, and whether everyone scheduled needs a paid seat.
Do architecture firms need billing in the resource planning tool?
Not always. Small teams can plan in one tool and bill in another. Larger teams that bill by the hour save time when planned hours, tracked time and invoices sit close together. If you bill by the hour, pick a tool with billing on the plan you buy, and check the price first.